An introduction to joik

Jojk/Yoik/Joik is a traditional Sami vocal art that is often passed down orally from generation to generation. If you look up the word "jojk" in the National Encyclopedia, it says that joik is an improvised vocal art. I don't think that description is very good because traditional joik is rarely improvised. The melody that describes a hare will always describe a hare. There are exceptions to every rule, and of course, you can improvise a joik, but improvisation is the exception, not the rule.