Names of the North

Northuldra

By now, many Frozen fans like me know that the real-life Sámi people were the inspiration for the Northuldra people in Frozen II. But I believe that the Northuldra aren’t simply inspired by the Sámi people; rather, they ARE Sámi people, albeit a unique kind.

Similar to their indigenous inspiration, as shown by the concept art image of young Iduna, the Northuldra’s attire consists of gáktis, which resemble tunics and have a “skirt” part that differs in length between those worn by men (short) and women (long). The Northuldra also wear woven or leather belts around their gáktis, as well as boots with toe ends that are curled or pointed.

Besides their clothing, many Northuldran adults are shown with at least one knife, which are most likely Sámi knives, held in their belts. But the fact that they herd and keep reindeer as pets is what has fully convinced me that the Northuldra are Sámi people because reindeer herding is a major part of Sámi culture in real life.



As for the meaning behind their name, the first major half of it obviously refers to them residing so far north of (presumably) Norway. The second half derives from “huldra” or “hulder”, which is a seductive forest creature in Norwegian folklore whose name means “covered” or “secret”. This definition reflects the Northuldra’s status as a hidden group of indigenous people living in the Enchanted Forest. Since the Northuldra live in the farthest northern regions of Norway, their full name means that they are, in a manner of speaking, “the huldra of the north”. And despite not having their own magical abilities like the mythical creature after whom they are named, their name still references their deep connection to the magical spirits who live alongside them in the forest.

Ahtohallan

Now that I have explained the meaning behind the Northuldra peoples’ name, I want to also discuss the meaning of the name of the famous magical river Ahtohallan.

“Ahto” apparently derives from the identically-named king (or god) of the sea in Finnish mythology, who lives in his castle called Ahtola. “Ahto” is also a Finnish term that means “compressed” or “crammed”, and a similar Finnish word called “ahtojää” means “pack ice”. It is possible that the word may even come from the Northern Sámi (which is exactly what I believe the Northuldra are 😉) term “áhčči”, which means “father”. As for the second half of Ahtohallan’s name, “halla” is the Finnish term for “frost” or “cold”, specifically for frost that occurs on the ground at night during the growing season(s) and can harm crops.



So combined with the meanings of these related terms, and its location being in the Dark Sea, the potential translations for Ahtohallan could be “Frost of the Sea”, “Ice of the Sea”, “Compressed/Packed Ice of the Sea”, or even any of those listed with “Father” included at the end.

Conclusion

So to repeat myself, I believe that the Northuldra are a special, different group of Sámi people within the Frozen universe, partly because their clothing and keeping of reindeer is so much like those of the real people and their culture. But given the Norwegian/Scandinavian-related terms that define the latter half of their name AND the those that make up the name Ahtohallan, my exact thoughts are that the Northuldra are Sámi who differ from most, if not all, others in Norway and the rest of Scandinavia because they live so far north in a magical forest protected by spirits that represent the four elements of nature.

Before I forget, you may notice that the Northuldra’s clothing are very similar to those worn by Kristoff, who is also a Sámi person. But let me be clear: he is NOT a Northuldran. When he stands next to Ryder, you can see these similarities, but there are very clear and noticeable differences, too. In fact, I believe the Northuldra’s clothes are a bit less pronounced and distinctly different than those of Kristoff to display how they are set apart as a unique group of Sámi.



@oreoagod​ One reason I wrote this was for you, so I could explain to you the full extent on what made me believe the Northuldra are a special kind of Sámi when I first mentioned it in the analysis where I responded to your question about Anna and Elsa’s Northuldran roots possibly being foreshadowed by Anna’s Four Winds hat in Olaf’s Frozen Adventure. Hope you like this! 😁😄😉👍🏻