Deity believed by the Sami to be the closest to the starry heaven. Because he is associated with the pillar supporting the heavens, he is also responsible for the continuance of life. He imparts the souls of unborn children to Madderakka and takes the souls of the departed to the realm of the dead. He was also the subject of a phallic cult; each year the genitalia and blood of a bull reindeer were smeared on his statue. His worship has many Scandinavian features, which has led scholars to seek his origin in Norse mythology