Meandash

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Figure 11. A bird-man with theriomorphic headdress and wings. A bronze stud from the Perm province. 1st-3rd centuries. After Oborin, Chagin 1988: 60.

Figure 12. A Sami at the second half of the 18th century. From the collection «All Nations in Russia» by Johann Gottlieb George. After Kosmenko 1993: 13.

Figure 13. «Family unity» (After V. Charnoluski). Parents and their child on back of a lizard-like creature under the archway of reindeer heads. A bronze stud from the Perm province. 8th-9th centuries. After Oborin, Chagin 1988: 125.

Figure 14. Worshipping a seita-stone. After J. Schefferus (17th cent.).

Figure 15. Women and reindeer in a church with three aisles. An embroidery from the Tver gubernatorial district (the 1880s). After Rybakov 1994: 485, see also 480). The sacredness of the composition is beyond doubt.

Figure 16. A detail of the Sami trolldrum. In 1691 its owner Anders Poulsen explained the figures depicted on it as follows: 1 - ilmaris, i.e. storm and bad weather, 2 - diermes, i.e. thunder, 3 - a wild reindeer. After Rydving 1991: 38-39. Is it a coincidence that Tiermes and the reindeer are depicted on the drum standing next to each other?

Figure 17. The Ukonsaari island in Lake Inari. A drawing by Samuli Paulaharja. After Haavio 1947: 317.

Figure 18. An ornament of the Sami. After Haruzin 1890. In the ancient religion of several peoples the swastika is the symbol of sun. (Cooper 1986: 188).

Figure 19. The central part of a shaman drum from the early 17th century. After Kjellström 1991: 112. Drawing parallels with the previous illustration allows us to consider the reindeer figure a symbol of sun. The reindeer depicted in front of the bow-hunter might symbolise the victim of thunder god.

Figure 20. The sun deer of the Tagar culture in Kuzbass. From the 1st millennium BC. After Okladnikov, Martynov 1972: 223.

Figure 21. Deer stones with symbols of sun and what are presumably flying deer. After Okladnikov, Martynov 1972: 226.