A monument over a touching story
In the middle of the mountains, on a cold winter night over 100 years ago, Stor-Nila put his arm tightly around Lill-Docka, and that’s how they were found when winter had turned into summer… The picture above shows a glimpse of the historical musical play «Klemetspelet», where we meet both Stor-Nila and Lill-Docka and hear about the last days they had together with Klemet and his family.
Family
The Sámi couple, Nils Nilsson Njajta (nicknamed Stor-Nila meaning “Big Nila”) and Maria Larsdotter (Lill-Docka or “Little Doll”), were reindeer herders who were both born in 1822. With a main base in the Sámi village of Ran, their herd of reindeer provided them with a good living, which they augmented by hunting, fishing and trapping. Stor-Nila had shaman relatives who knew how to use the sacred Sámi drum (gievrie) to invoke higher powers.
Stor-Nila killed Sven Sjulsson
In 1848, when a number of reindeer herders were camped at Renberg, an argument between Stor-Nila and Sven turned violent. In the heat of the fight, Stor-Nila hit Sven with a long piece of wood. Sven Sjulsson was so badly injured that he died eleven days later. Stor-Nila was arrested and sentenced to two years in prison.
A shaman and soothsayer
Stor-Nila too was a shaman (noid). Like others in his family, he would visit sacred sites at Gimtsjøen and Laisholmen to make appropriate offerings. There are several stories about Stor-Nila’s shamanic powers, including his predictions of good as well as bad events.
One time when they were down on their luck in March of 1899, Stor-Nila and Lill-Docka visited his second cousin, Anna Maria Månsdotter and her husband Klemet Persson. They lived under a rock shelter now known as Klemethelleren deep in the valley of Leirskardalen. With the two couples, five children and two cows, and given the ferociously bad weather, the shelter was crowded.
After a few days, Klemet indicated that the guests had overstayed their welcome. So when there was a slight lull in the weather, Stor-Nila and Lill-Docka decided to brave the elements – even though the two of them were 76 years old, poorly dressed and had little food for the journey. With some bread and a small bag of coffee, they set out across the mountains over Leirbotnet towards Kjensvatnet lake.
The boulders carry his name
After a while, the storm in the mountains forced the couple to seek shelter by some large boulders. Here they waited for the weather to improve, but to no avail. Both perished. In June that year, their bodies were found. Stor-Nila had tried to keep Lill-Docka warm by giving her his undershirt and headwear.
These boulders are now known as Stor-Nila steinan – the Big-Nila Boulders. An information sign along the trail from Tverågen to Kjennsvatnet shows where the boulders are located.
Sources:
- Fattiga som de voro, Birger Ekerlid, 2007
- I gränslandet, Berättelsen om Klemet och Stor-Nila, Karl Andersson, 2015
- Note about Stor-Nila and Lill-Docka, Birger Ekerlid/Dag Brygfjell, 2022
- Video, Okstindan StorNila steinene, Birger Ekerlid/Dag Brygfjell, 2022
