Laughter

Finnmarkers do not have to go out of their way to find a funny story, and the laughter comes easily. Especially in this area! We're passing Latter which means Laughter! The bay to the east is called Laughter Bay and many dramatic things have happened here. In 2012, a large Humpback whale of about 6 meters (20 feet) beached itself in Laughter Bay. Many claimed at the time that it laughed itself to death. Today, such events are not so common and making fun of them something many people might frown upon. Although over the years stranded whales, have been seen as a resource and as a valuable supplement to the diet. Therefore, stranded whales are mentioned in both old Norwegian and Sami laws. According to the Land Act of 1274, the King was entitled to half of the beached whales, while in the early 18th century the various Sámi parliaments divided the rights on the whale carcasses. Towards the north you can see Bestemorbukta ‘Granny Bay’, and not far away is a 12-metre-high stone, shaped like a bauta with human features, perhaps a grandmother? The old Sami community valued old wives and grandmothers highly, and the stone was named Áhku, but is also called the "Granny Stone" in Norwegian. It was once said to have been a Sami sacrificial stone. (perhaps where they sacrificed salmon heads?)