Naid
The Nordic countries' Sami shaman is named naid (nÃÂÃÂ¥jd; possible etymologi from fi noita, "the wise (person)"). Their cult died out during the Middle Ages, most likely because some of their activities were apparently seen as a form of hypnotic trance, and such states were antithetical to the Christianity of the time. The naid did not wear the ritual shaman-suit like those of Siberian shamans, and they was engage any kind of affair that needed wisdom; they took payments of their service. Their work consited of treating peoples, helping children, making decisions and ensuring the raindeers health, which was the most important food coverage.The membrane-covered oval or circular rune drum played an important role in their work. A ring or some other accoutrement, probably symbolizing a frog, was during rituals moved around on the drum membrane, which contained some hundreds of runes (elks, sun, thunder, et al). From its spontaneous selection of a given rune, predictions and conclusions were made from the matched rune itself and the path that the ring would take in selecting it. Unfortunately, only about hundred drums have been preserved until today, probably the most well known is the Linne-drum—a drum that was given to Carl von Linne during his visits in the northern Sweden. He later gave it to a museum in France, and recently it was brought back to the Swedish National Museum. A naid's work was either a "vocational education" from elder people, or something that had been inherited from one's parents. They were consulted for many issues arising from everyday life, and they took payment for their services. The drum was adorned with gifts representing earlier successful services. Norse mythology had a female shaman called Volva who practiced seid. (Source: Nordisk familjebok)
The entrance of the trance state was according to preserved written sources from Middle Age missionary works achieved by hysteroid behavior, although at that time it was treated as an alliation with the devil (i.e. exaltation). Hysteroidic behavior is usually sing and yell, wild dance, eating strange drink and food, etc. that results in either lethargy or trance state. During the act, the naid thought himselfs as beeing visiting and consulting dead peoples in Saiva ("holy mountains") for advices.