Ships were lost during these dark voyages, and said to have had "hellish" living conditions. But this idea of a "hellish" experience should not be taken as literal. Indeed, these sailors would have considered it a form of paradise, compared with the alternative: The Arctic and Antarctic had always been believed to be the domain of Death (i.e. _Pluton_ ) and Pluto, the god of the underworld, the god of death. As a way to escape Death, many people, in several cultures, chose to become a reindeer ( _Rangifer tarandus_ ), and cross the open expanse of the barren, icy world; sometimes called The Tundra. This frozen steppe was a common part of the northern territories of every culture. In Iceland, the land of glaciers, Icelandic literature mentions the reindeer, with its antlers that seem to pierce the sky as the sky itself is pierced with "sunrays". This tradition and the legends of the reindeer are described in the Icelandic sagas, in the form of myth and lore, including magical creatures and a belief in the souls of the dead inhabiting the reindeer. The Sámi people of Lapland, northern Finland, Norway and Sweden share this concept of reindeer. This was a common tradition even among the Norse, who had a tradition that the souls of the dead had to have an animal as its companion in its journey to an afterlife. Thus, when the Norseman died, his spirit would travel on the white-tailed bird-of-the-glen, or fly to the northern island of Iceland. It was a way of dealing with the concept of death, as well as the experience of the afterlife in the icy cold and dark lands. All these traditions are interesting because the idea of the afterlife is a powerful one, which, if lived out to the fullest, produces a very potent and focused reality in which to explore. These are myths of the future, and the power of dreams. There are so many possibilities to explore the afterlife, and so many different ways of doing it. Some have the idea that there is a heaven, a heaven on earth, a place of ultimate happiness. Others have the idea that there is nothing but oblivion; there is no afterlife. The land and skies are full of metaphors; perhaps no other culture can rival the northern people in the vastness of their imaginations. For the Sámi, the land is alive, and the sky is alive; their myths and culture are alive. Their legends, traditions, legends, tales and music are infused with magic and myth, all of which are part of a common cultural code. This is a kind of death that we can all consider as a possibility. Death is always a possibility that we can consider. Even those who believe in a Heaven still have to face a question that is the ultimate part of every mortal's existence, the only thing that is incontrovertible: the moment of death itself. At the moment of death, every part of the culture of the Arctic comes into play; the spirit is the very essence of a culture. The reindeer people of Lapland are the Sámi, the Sami-of-Iceland are the Sami-of-Sweden, the Sami-of-Finland are the Sami-of-Scandinavia. With the disappearance of the reindeer people, they become Icelanders, Norwegians and Swedes. The Inuit, and their language (Inuktitut), have been called "the native tongue of the North". This language was spoken by speakers of many indigenous tribes in the northern lands. When the Inuit and the Indians were dying out, the Arctic became dominated by the European settlers. The Inuit are a unique group of people; in many ways they seem to be more adapted than Europeans. For centuries, Europeans have believed that the Inuit must be part of some great Inuit civilisation, living on an unknown land mass in the north. They just have to be there, somewhere. However, when the early explorers, like Knud Rasmussen, arrived, the Inuit were more likely to be found on a piece of driftwood on a beach, than in any kind of house. This is another way to perceive the land and its inhabitants. It is the culture of the earth. Life happens everywhere, not only in the houses. The spirit of the earth, the land, the ice, the sky and the elements is a way of understanding the experience of living. This is where the Arctic has become famous: the land of a unique culture, an Arctic culture, a culture in itself. The real Arctic is never a real place, it has to be experienced first. The Arctic will always remain a mystery. The land is an amazing, vibrant, full of colour, full of history and mystery. It is full of spirits. There are stories that can be read and listened to as stories. It is a mystery to be known and lived. It is the land of the unknown. Ancient wisdom of a region that has been frozen for thousands of years and is considered one of the coldest regions in the world. Yet, there is much about the Arctic that we don't know, even today. The Sami have been on the reindeer-herding routes that have wandered the icy land for as far back as 4,500 years. At some point during the first millennium, the Sami began to move into settlements built in caves and in other more-or-less permanent buildings. The main source of food for the Sámi people is from fishing and trapping. In the northern areas, the reindeer were once central to the culture and economy of the peoples of the arctic. The reindeer is an animal that is highly adapted to cold climates, that eats lichen, and thrives on certain kinds of plants. As the Sami have relied on reindeer herding for a long time, the language is closely associated with the reindeer. The reindeer is very important to the culture of the Arctic. The reindeer has become the foundation of their lives. The Sami revere the reindeer, for the reindeer gives them their power and strength. They believe that the universe can be divided into two parts: the land of humans, and the land of the reindeer. In the Arctic there is an ancient idea that if a man sees a dead reindeer, it means that his relatives are sick or dying. This belief is closely linked to the Sami beliefs in reincarnation, and the belief that if a man dies, his soul will fly to the land of the reindeer. The Sami of Scandinavia are known to the Sámi of Siberia as Skolt Sami. The Reindeer People are a tribe that is divided into two parts: one from Finland and one from Russia. In Scandinavia, these Sámi have been moving south since the end of the nineteenth century; more to the west side of Sweden, and the southern part of the Scandinavian peninsula. The Sami have been reindeer herders for thousands of years, it is as much part of their life as fishing and farming. The world of the northern people is full of magic. Many of the stories of the Arctic are the traditional, historic and magical tales that are part of their lifestyle, and some are just stories. They believe in various spirits, and that many characters are ghosts of the people they were in another life. That is why the landscape is so full of ghosts. They come back to us as part of the Sami culture of the Arctic. But to be continued. The Sami are a group of people who reside in Lapland, and have for thousands of years. Their traditions are filled with their belief in nature. Their myths, stories, ceremonies and history are all important, and should not be forgotten. They are closely linked to the nature of the land; the Arctic has always been considered a mysterious, magical place to the Sami of Scandinavia. They believe the Sami and their history are alive, in and as part of the land. The Sami people believe in Nature and The Gods, and that the world is full of spirits, all of whom they respect. The Sami are in-tune with the nature of the land, and their beliefs in this regard were not known to me until quite recently. The Arctic is full of myths, mysteries and legends; of spirits and of ghosts. This has always been a land of powerful tales and mysteries. It is a place of ghosts and spirits. With their tales, the Arctic has always been a land of wonder. It is full of mystery and magic. The Arctic has a reputation that has been built over many years, and which continues even today. While the arctic is a land of mystery, it is also a land of great power, a power which exists in the land. These Arctic places are full of stories, tales and legends, and these are all part of the natural phenomena that inhabit the earth, a part of nature itself. The Arctic is a part of nature. It is natural that some of the most beautiful places in the world should have a natural history, full of natural phenomena. The Sami people believe that the arctic is a land that is more alive than anywhere else. The Arctic is full of ghosts. It is also full