Part 12

Notwithstanding, that custom of removing their sheds from one place to another was quite abolished, but is yet used among them, tho now they move not out of the bounds assigned them. So that they have no certain mansion, but as the Season of the year offers it self, either for fishing or hunting, so do they order their habitations accordingly on the side of some River, Wood, or Mountain, and having spent there some daies or weeks, remove their tents again to a more seasonable place. To this agrees also our modern writer _Sam. Rheen_. This wandring is chiefly caused by their manner of getting their living, for the _Laplanders_ having all their livelihood from Rain-deers, Fish, and wild beasts, they are forced to live where they may have sufficient pastures for their Rain-deers, and plenty of other beasts, and fishes for themselves; and yet to take care that they destroy not the breed. But this cannot be done if they should live alwaies in one place, and therefore it is that _Buræus_ saies, they order their habitations according to the seasons of fishing, hunting, _&c._ Now this conveniency cannot be in all places at all times alike, for fish do abound most when about the time of their spawning they are gathered together, which some fish do at one time, and some at another, and one sort in one Lake, and another sort in another Lake; so that they that are of this trade cannot alwaies live in one place. In like manner it is also with their Rain-deers: and therefore _Sam. Rheen_ saies they take their journeys either to provide pasture for their Rain-deers, or to fish: for at that time, when fishes generate either in this or that Lake or River, then the _Laplander_, with his house and family, takes his journy. But this journeying is not so as that they should forsake and never return again to their former places; but they do, as it were, go in a circle: so that in the space of a year, the pasture being again grown that was before consumed, they return into the same seats again. This is the custom of the _Laplanders_ that live in the Mountains: but they that live in the Woods, do not only once a year, but oftner return into the same places. For they leave and return to their habitations severall times in a year, _viz._ as often as occasion is offerred either of fishing, fowling, hunting, _&c._ Now they do so order their journeys, that the Fishermen at those times when the fishes do spawn, do alwaies live on the side of some River. They that take care of, and trade with Rain-deers, do in the Winter live in the Woods, but in the Summer ascend towards the mountains of _Norway_: for in the Winter they cannot abide on those Mountains, where there are so frequent storms, great Snows, and no Wood. At that season therefore they descend into the nighest woods, where by reason of the depth of the Snow they can easily keep their Rain-deers together: so that from Christmas untill the Feast of the Annunciation they remain for the most part in one place, at which time the Snow beginning to melt, they march nigher and nigher again towards the Mountains, where they remain till S. _Ericus_’s day: about which time because the female Rain-deer use to bring forth, therefore they remain in the same place untill the feast of _S. John_, or Midsummer-day. Afterwards, when, as well in the Mountains as Vallies, the grass and pasture do most florish, they proceed farther and farther, some on the tops of the highest Mountains, where the Rain-deers are less infested with flies and gnats, in which Mountains they wander up and down till the feast of S. _Bartholomew_, when by little and little they betake themselves to the Woods again, and then _Christmas_ coming they do again as we told you in the beginning. And these are the circuits of the _Laplanders_, and reasons why they cannot stay in one place, together with the times of their severall removes. But now these journeys sometimes are for many miles, and of a far longer space of time, so that sometimes they march for 20 miles and farther. Now because some of them live in the Mountains, some among the Trees, especially Pine-trees, nigh the Rivers and Lakes; therefore are they accordingly called by different names. Some are called _fiæll Lapper_, because they live in the Mountains nigh _Norway_, which are called _fiæll_. Others are termed _Graan Lapper_, because they live among the Pine trees, which are called by the _Swedes_ and _Norwegians_, _Graan_. For their journeys in the Summer they make different preparations from what they do in the Winter; in the Winter they use sledges (of which I will speak hereafter) but in the Summer they go on foot, the Rain-deers carrying their goods on pannels and pack-saddles, and sometimes their Infants also. So that in the Winter they put their houshold-stuff in one sledge, and their tents in another, and so march from place to place, but in the Summer they use pannels which they make after this manner:

They have two lathes something broad, but flexible, made of firr, of which for the most part Boxes are made, these lathes they joyn together at the top, putting the one end into a mortice made in the other end, and so make a kind of a circle, then by that part where they are joyned together they hang them on the Rain-deer, one on the right-side, the other on the left, and so againe by withes ty them under the beasts belly, that they may be the more steady. Now these are placed so to support their dorsers made of the same wood, bended into an oval figure much like a drum, if both ends were round. These dorsers at the bottom they draw together with twiggs of birch, placed in the form of a grate, and the tops of them they tye with thongs, or cords, which they loose as often as any thing is to be put in, or taken out; and least any thing should fall out, they cover these dorsers all over with bark of birch, or some skins. These dorsers they hang by ropes or thongs to the tops of the forementioned lathes, which they call _Tobbii_; so that they may hang down on both sides the Rain-deer, the tops being outward, and the bottoms turned inward toward the belly of the beast. And thus they load their Rain-deers, not only with their goods and houshold stuff, but also with their Infants, which cannot walk themselves. For on one side of the Rain-deer they often hang their cradles, and children in them, of which I will speak hereafter. Now in these journeys they have a certain order which no one without cause ought to disturb; for in the first place marches the Master of the Family, having some Rain-deers after him, loaded after the foresaid manner, afterwards follows his wife in like manner; then the whole herd of Rain-deers, which his Children and Servants drive softly on. Last of all brings up the rear, he that carries the Drum. Now these pack-Rain-deers they do not use to drive yoked or joyned together, but in a long line one after another, that which follows being alwaies tied to the pannels of that which went before, and the _Laplander_ leading the foremost by a rope tied about his neck, and so they march on till they come to the place intended, where they set up their sheds again, and remain for some weeks, which are to them instead of houses. But now there is some difference in the sheds of the _Laplanders_ that live in the mountains, and are called _Fiællapper_, and those that live in the Woods, who are called _Graan Lapper_; for the one coming to the same place but once in a year, doth not build this shed of so durable stuff as the other: the former, when he departs, almost destroying his habitation, and the latter leaving it standing. The former build their sheds thus, first, at four corners they erect four posts, upon the tops of which they place three rafters, so that there shall be one on each side, and one behind, but none cross the formost posts; upon these rafters they afterwards place long poles, so that with their tops they may lean upon, and support one another, whereby the whole form seems to be like a quadrilaterall house, which ascending like a Pyramide, is narrower at top, and broader at bottom. These poles so placed they cover with course woollen cloth, which we before called _Waldmar_; but the richer sort over this woollen cloth place linnen also, by both which they may be the better defended from rain and storms. These are the sheds of the _Laplanders_ that dwell in the mountains, for the most part made of clothes, &c. which when they leave any place they take with them, and erect in another. But your _Graanlapper_, or _Wood-Laplanders_, make their sheds for the most part of board and posts, that at the top meet in a Cone, which they cover with the boughs of Firr and Pine-trees, or else with the bark of those trees, and sometimes with turff. That they covered them with the barks of trees, _Herberstenius_ witnesseth; _Andræas Buræus_ saies that those barks were of birch trees, to whom also assents _Olaus Petri_, who only adds, that they did a long time boil those barks to make them more flexible. _Olaus Magnus_, Lib. 4. Cap. 3. adds also skins, and these were the houses _Lomenius Comes_ saw, and describes in his Itinerary to be made of long poles and barks of trees. _Sam. Rheen_ describes the tents of the _Wood-Laplanders_ to be made of boards with six sides or walls, covered with boughs of Firr, or Pine-trees, sometimes with the barks, and sometimes only with turffs. _Wexionius_ increases the number of sides, and saies that they were octogons, somewhat broader towards the bottom, and five ells high, and especially those tents of the _Kimenses_. _Olaus Petri_ tells us the same of the _Pithenses_. Now these Tents they do not pull down or carry with them, but leave them in the same place, only when they come again they add new boughs, &c. where they were decayed, and to fit them for their use. Besides these two sorts of Tents, _Olaus Magnus_ reckons up another, for in this, Lib. 4. Cap. 2. he saies part of them place their Tents in trees that grow in a square figure, least in the fenny Countries they should be choaked with the great snows, or devoured by the wild beasts, which come together in great troops. What he means by trees that grow in a square figure I cannot tell, but I suppose he intends only that they did use to erect their Tents between 4 trees which grew so, that each of them might be the corner prop, of the four square shed, but this sort is to us quite unknow. _Tacitus_ saies the _Fenni_ used to dwell among a company of boughs, and perhaps that gave occasion to our Author to talk thus. He hath also got a 4^{th} sort which he could have no where else but from _Zieglerus_, for _Zieglerus_ had called them _Amaxobios_, from whence _Olaus Magnus_ saies they dwelt in Waines and Carts; and therefore _Olaus_ induced by this word of _Zieglerus_, thought the _Laplanders_ had bin such. But this is quite false, for Waggons and Carts were utterly unknown to the _Laplanders_, for whom it was impossible to use them, by reason of the slipperiness of the Ice, and depth of their snows. Neither was it indeed in that sense that _Zieglerus_ calls them _Amaxiobios_, but because they wandred up and down like the _Amaxobii_, who are a known Nation of the _Scythians_. There remains therefore only these two sorts of sheds, which I have mentioned, for the 5^{th}, which _Paulus Jovius_ reckons, was either upon sudden occasions, or used only by those that were under the dominion of the _Moscovites_: the words of this Author are, “These People lie in caves filled with dried leaves, or in trunks of trees made hollow either by fire or age.” But in both our forementioned sorts, things are so ordered that every Tent had two doors, one, a foredoor, and the other, a backward; the former bigger and more ordinarily used, the latter less, through which they use to bring in their provisions, and especially the prey they took in hunting, also Birds, Beasts, Fishes, which it was unlawfull for to bring in at the foredoor. These are the two doors with the use of both, especially the back-door, through which it was unlawfull for any woman to pass, because, as I said before, women were forbidden to go into the back part of the Tent, the reason of which I think to be partly this, because in that part they placed _Thor_ and sacrificed to him, and partly this, because it was esteemed an ill omen for a hunter to meet a woman. And hither may we refer what _Zieglerus_ saies of that door, that it was unlawfull for the Woman to go out of the door of the Tent that day her husband was gone a hunting, which cannot be understood of any door but the back-door, the use of which was not only that day but alwaies forbid women. The _Laplanders_ have no Chambers, but only certain spaces, which they determine and bound by loggs and posts laid along on the ground, of which we shall next speak. The whole space of ground within the Tent was so ordered, that in the middle there might be a hearth, surrounded with stones, in which there was a continual fire, except at midnight; behind the hearth, toward the back part of the tent, they place three loggs, with which they bound that space, of which we but now spoke. In the middle of this space is the little door, at which only men must enter, which they call _Posse_; right over against that is the common door, which they call _Ox_; but that space we told you was bounded with these three loggs, they call, _lops_; this place therefore is only proper to men, and it is unlawfull for any woman to pass those loggs, and go into it. _Sam. Rheen_ saies about the kettle hanging over the fire, they place the 3 blocks, upon which, with a hatchet, they divide their flesh, fish, or other things they intend to make ready. He saies here indeed the space is called _Posse_, but understands chiefly the space of the door, for that was properly called _Posse_; the other space being called _Lops_. The common door they used to make towards the South, and the other towards the North. The space on both sides, and the sides themselves they called _Loide_; here they made their bed chambers, the husband with his wife and children lying on one side, and the servants on the other. _Olaus Petri_ saies only the daughters lay on the side of the husband and wife, I believe, that their Parents might have them alwaies nigh them, and so take greater care to secure their honesty, whilst the sons in the mean time lay with the servants: but now the spaces that remain towards the doors they call _Kitta_, and are ordained for the use of the women, for in the space nigh the common door they are brought to bed. But that you may the better understand all this, I will here insert a description of the Area. A is the little door they call _posse_, B and C is called _lopps_, as is the place where the men lay up their hunting instruments. D and E are called _loide_, whereof one is the appartment of the Master of the Family and his wife, the other of the servants. F. G. is _kitta_, were the women are conversant. H. is the hearth, I. the door called _ox_; those three logs upon which they divide their flesh are the two that lay along towards I. and the 3^d crosswaies distinguishes from other parts the mens appartment, or _posse_.

The 3^d thing we are to note in these sheds, is that they strew their floors with branches of Birch trees, least by the rain they should be wetted, and they use no other kind of pavement; only upon the boughs, for cleanliness sake, they lay skins of Rain-deers, on which they sit and lie. And these are the dwelling houses of the _Laplanders_, besides which they have also Store-houses in which they keep their commodities, especially flesh, fish, and such other provisions; these they call _Nalla_, and make thus: they cut the upper part of a tree off, so that the body remain four or five ells from the ground high, upon this trunk they place two rafters in the figure of an X, or S^t _Andrews_ Cross, and upon these they build their repository, making a door to it, and covering it with boards. There is one thing peculiar to these Store-houses, which is, that the door is not in the side, but bottom of them, so that when the _Laplander_ is come down, the door falls too, like a trap-door, and all things are safe. To these they go up by ladders which they make of the trunks of trees, in which they cut great notches like stairs. Now the reason why they place them so high, is because of the Bears and other wild beasts, who oftentimes pull them down, and to the great dammage of the Master eat all his provision; they used also to cut off the bark of the tree, and anoint the stock, so that neither mice nor wild beasts could be able to climb up for slipperiness. And perhaps these are the houses _Olaus magnus_ meant, when he said, they placed their houses upon trees for fear of wild beasts. But that you may the better conceive these Store-houses also, I shall here give you the Figure of them.

CHAP. XVII.

_Of the Garments of the_ Laplanders.

Among the _Laplanders_ the men and women wear different kinds of Garments, which they alter according to the Weather, and place: for they wear one sort of clothes in the Winter, and another sort in the Summer, one kind at home, and another abroad. Let us first consider the Garments of the men: These in the Summer have trouses, or brougs, reaching down to their feet, close to their body, upon which they wear a gown, or rather a coat with sleeves, which comes down to the middle leg, which they tie fast with a girdle. And in this respect it was that _Zieglerus_ in his time wrote, that they used close Garments fitted to their body, least they should hinder their work. He calls them close because of their trouses, and fitted to their body because of their being girded. These they wear next their bare skin, without such linnen shirts as the _Europeans_ use, they having no flax in their Country. These Garments are of course home-spun woollen cloth called _Waldmar_, of a white or gray color, such as the wool is of before it is dyed. The wool they have from _Swedland_, and buy it of the Merchants called _Birkarli_, but the richer sort wear a finer cloth, and not of the same color, but sometimes green or blew, and sometimes red, only black they abominate. Tho sometimes in dirty works, and at home they wear the meanest clothes, yet abroad, and especially upon Festivals and Holydaies, they love to go very neat. Their girdles are made of leather, which the richer sort adorn with silver studs, and poorer with tin. These studs stick out like buttons in a semicircular figure. At this girdle they hang a knife and sheath, and a kind of square bag, tho something longer then broad, also a leathern purse, and then a case with needles and thred in it. Their knives they have from _Norway_, the sheath is of the skin of the Rain-deers, sewed together with tin wire, and in other parts with the same adornments, at the end of which they use to hang rings: the bag is also made of the skin of the Raindeers, with the hair on it, on the outside of which they also place another skin, equall to the bag, and make it fast by three knots, and this skin they cover again with red cloth or of some other color, adorned also with wire. In this bag they keep a stone to strike fire, not of flint, but christall, as I will shew hereafter. Also a steel, with some brimestone to light a fire where ever they come: as also Tobacco and other odd things. The leathern purse is also made of the same skin in an oval figure like a pear, in which they keep their mony, and other more choice things, and at this also they hang rings. Their needle case is of a peculiar sort, they have a single cloth with four sides, but the upper part is much narrower then the lower, so that it is like an oblong triangle cut off at the vertical angle, and to make it stronger they bind about the edges with leather, and so stick their needles into it, this they put into a bag of the same shape, adorned with red, or some other colored cloth, and wire, drawn together by a leathern string, by which they hang it to their girdle. Besides these, they have Alchymy chains, with a great company of rings of the same, these they hang about all their body, the bag they hang before, nigh their navel, all the rest they fling behind them. And these are the Garments and ornaments of the body: their head they cover with a cap, over which the richer sort wear a case of Fox, Beaver, or Badgers skin, they are very like our night-caps, it is made of red or other colored cloth, or of the Hares fur, first twisted into a thred, and then knit almost like our stockins; or lastly of the skin of the bird called _Loom_, with the feathers on it: sometimes they so order it, that keeping also the head and wings of the bird, they make not an unbecoming cover for the head. _Olaus Magnus_ in his 4. Book, Cap. 3. saies they make their caps of the skins of Geese, Ducks, Cocks, which, as well as other birds, are there in great abundance. But he doth not here mean common Cocks, but the _Urogalli_, or Heath-Cocks; however he gives us the picture in his 17 Book, Cap. 26. They have ordinary gloves, but shoes of a peculiar make, they are made of the skin of the Rain-deer with the hair on, out of one piece, only where they tread they sew both ends together, so that the haires of one part may lie forward, and the other backward, least if they lay all one way they should be too slippery: but neither is there any more leather on the bottom then on other parts, as it is in our shoes, only there is a hole at the top in which they put in their feet: the toe bends upwards, and ends as it were in a point. Upon the seame they place some narrow pieces of red, or other colored cloth: these shoes they wear on their bare feet, and bind them twice or thrice about the bottom with a thong, and least they should be too loose, they fill them up with a sort of long Hay, which they boil and keep for that purpose.