Part 14

First of all, their business is to find out where the Bear makes his den against Winter. He that finds it is said _hafwa ringet bioern_, i.e. to encompass the Bear. He usually after this goes to all his friends and acquaintance with much joy, to invite them to the hunting as to a solemn and magnificent feast, for, as is before said, this beasts flesh is a great delicacy. But they never meet before _March_ or _April_, till they can use their sliding shooes: at which time he chooses the best drummer among them, and by his beating consults whether the hunting will be prosperous or no, which done they all march into the field in battel array after him that invited them as Captain, who must use no other weapon then a club, on whose handle is hung an Alchymy ring. Next him goes the drummer, then he that is to give the first blow, and after all the rest as their office requires, one to boil the flesh, another to divide it, a third to gather sticks and provide other necessaries: so they strictly observe that one should not incroach upon anothers office. When in this order they are come to the den, they set upon the Bear valiantly, and kill him with spears and guns, and presently sing in token of victory thus, _Kittulis pourra, Kittulis ii skada tekamis soubbi iælla zaiiti_, that is, _they thank the Bear for coming_, _and doing them no harm in not breaking their weapons_, in the singing of which their Captain is the cheif Musician. After celebration of their victory, they drag the Bear out, beating him with staves, whence they have a Proverb, _slao bioern med riis_, that is, _the Bear is beat_, which signifies he is killed. Then putting him upon a sledge, they draw him with Rain-deers to the Hut where he is to be boiled, singing _Ii paha talki oggio, ii paha talka pharonis_, that is, _they beseech the Bear that he would not raise tempests against them, or any way hurt them that killed him_. This they say by way of jest, unless we will suppose them (as some of them really do) to imagine the killing of some kind of wild beast portends ill to the hunter. _Samuel Rheen_ speaks of a different song from this we have mentioned, much to this purpose, that they thank God for making beasts for their service, and giving them strength and courage to encounter and overcome so strong and cruel a creature, and therefore I beleive they may join them together and sing both. That Rain-deer that brings home the Bear is not to be used by Women for a year, and some say, by any body else. If there be materialls, near the place where the Bear is kill’d, they usually build up a hovel there to boil him in, or if not, carry him to a place that is more convenient, where all their Wives stay to expect them, and as soon as the men come nigh them they sing _Læibi ia tuoli susco_, that is they ask their wives to chew the bark of the Alder Tree and spit it in their faces. They use this rather then any other Tree, because when ’tis bruised between their teeth, it grows red, and will dy any thing, and the men being sprinkled with this, as if it were the Bears blood, seem to have gone through some notable exploit not without danger and trouble. Then their wives aiming with one eye through an Alchymy Ring spit upon them: _Samuel Rheens_ opinion differs only in this, that but one woman spits in the Captains face. This ceremony is not done in the Hut where the Bear is kill’d, but at the back door: for they build two Tents, one for the men where the Bear is to be drest, and the other for the women in which they make the feast: where as soon as the men come in, the Women sing _Kittulis pouro tookoris_, that is, they thank their husbands for the sport they had in killing the Bear: so they sit down men and women together to eat, but not of Bears flesh. Supper ended the men presently depart into the other house, and dressing the Bear provide another meal: and it is not lawful for any of those Hunters to ly with his wife in three daies after, and the Captain in five. The Bears skin is his that first discovers him. They boil the flesh blood and fat in brass Kettles, and what swims they skim off and put in wooden vessels; to which are fasten’d as many Alchymy plates as there are Bears killed. Whilst the meat is boiling they all sit down in order about the fire, the Captain first on the right hand, then the Drummer, and next he that struck the first blow; on the left hand first the Wood-cleaver, then the Water-bearer, and after the rest according to their place. This done the Captain divides it between the Women and Men. In the division the Women must have none of the posteriours, for they belong only to the men; neither is it lawful for a Woman to come and fetch their division, but ’tis sent them by two men, who say thus to them, _Olmai Potti Sueregislandi_, _Polandi_, _Engelandi_, _Frankichis_, _i. e._ that they came a great way off, from _Swedland_, _Poland_, _England_, or _France_; these men the women meet, and sing _Olmai Potti Sweregislandi_, _Polandi_, _Engelandi_, _Frankichis_, _Kalka Kaubsis laigit touti tiadnat_, _i. e._ you men that come from _Swedland_, _Poland_, _England_, or _France_; we will bind your legs with a red list, and so they do. But if we believe _Samuel Rheen_ the Drummer divides the mens part to every one an equal portion. When all the meat is eaten, they gather up the bones, and bury them together; then the Captain hangs up the skin upon a pole, for the women blindfolded to shoot at, they singing all the while _Batt Olmai Potti Sweregislandi_, _Polandi_, _Engelandi_, _Frankichis_, _i. e._ we will shoot at him that came from _Swedland_, &c. but she that hits it first gets the most credit, and they believe her husband will have the best fortune in killing of the next Bear. She is also obliged to work in cloth with wire as many crosses as there are Bears kill’d, and hang them upon every one of the hunters necks, which they must wear three whole daies. It is the opinon of the aforesaid Author, that all the women do the same, and the men wear them four daies: he saies also that the _Raindeer_ that brought home the Bear must have one cross. I cannot as yet find any other reason of this ceremony, but that they suppose these crosses to be preservatives aginst all the dammages they can receive from the Gods of the Woods for killing their Bear: for to this day they are of the opinion that some Gods have taken charge of some beasts, especially of the Bear, because he in this country is King over all the rest. After the time of abstinence is exspired, the close of all this solemnity, is the mens returning to their wives, which is thus; All after one another take hold of that rope, to which they hang their Kettle, and dance thrice round the fire, and so run out of the mens Tent into the womens, where they are met with this song, _Todna Balka Kaino oggio_, we will thro a shovel full of ashes upon your legs. _Samuel Rheen_ speaking of this custome, saies the men must not go to their wives till it be done, as if it were an expiation for their uncleanness in killing a Bear. Thus you see with how many Laws and superstitions they Hunt this Beast, some of which are common in hunting of others, as the not admitting women to the sport, and debarring them from touching the prey when it is taken, as also that the men return home through the back door. And here ’tis observable that they never carry in Beasts, Birds, or Fishes, but throw them in before them, without doubt out of superstition that they may seem to drop from Heaven and be sent by providence: tho most of them know not the original of such superstitious ceremonies, but only follow the example of their forefathers. In fine nothing is accounted here a greater credit or honor to a man then the killing of a Bear, and therefore they have public marks for it, every one lacing his cap with as many wires as he has kill’d Bears.

I come now to their fowling, which is proper also to men, and is alterable according to the time of year or largness of the fowl, for in the Summer they shoot altogether, but in the Winter catch in Snares and Springes, especially the _Lagopus_ call’d by the _Swedes_ _Sniæriper_. They make kind of hedges with abundance of holes in them, in which they set Springes, so that this Bird being most upon the ground, and running about, is easily caught in them: as for the taking of other Birds there is nothing worth a particular observation.

CHAP. XX.

_Of the_ Laplanders _Weapons, and other instruments of Hunting_.

By the former Discourse it plainly appears that in hunting they use severall Instruments and Weapons, in our next therefore it will be requisite to give some account of them. The first and most frequent is a bow three ells long, two fingers broad, and an inch thick, being made of Birch and Pine (which by reason of the resine in it is very flexible) and covered over with Birch bark, to preserve both from the weather. What _Lomenius_ saies of its being made of Rain-deers bones, must needs be false, since no bone can be so pliable as is required in the making of a bow; his words are these, _Rangiferi asperantur ossa in cultros & curvantur in arcus congeneribus feris trucidandis_, if he had left out _& curvantur in arcus_ he had spoke more to the purpose: but I believe he had this, besides many other things, to fill up his Journall from _Olaus Magnus_, who among the utensils these People have from the Rain-deers, saies the Fletchers much desire their bones and horns, from whence _Lomenius_ collects that bows are made of them. But it is evident that _Olaus_ meant not this bow, but a kind of cross-bow termed by the Germans _Armbrust_, and the French _Arbalestre_, which is impossible to be made of bone, but the handle might be adorned with it, because in these Northern parts they have no mother of Pearle, which other Countries perhaps make use of to this purpose. It was then a good plain wooden long-bow, which would not require an engine to bend it, but might be drawn with an hand only. And since I told you it was made of two pieces of wood, we will see next how they were joined together, which is with a kind of glew made of Perches skin well scaled, that melts in using like ours. They have also steel-bows, which are so strong, that when they bend them they must put their foot in a ring for that purpose at the head of them, and draw the string up to the nut, made of bone in the handle, with an iron hook they wear at their girdle. From their bows I pass to their darts and arrows, which are of two sorts, either pointed with iron to kill the larger beasts, or blunt without it like bolts, to kill the smaller. These points are not alwaies made of iron, but sometimes bones, which are fastned with glew into a hole bored with a hot iron at the end of a staff, and afterwards sharpened with a knife, or on a whetstone. But besides they use Guns, which they (as hunters do in other places) with a great deal of superstition enchaunt that they should never miss. These are made at _Soederhambn_, a town in _Helsingia_, famous for weapons, from whence the _Bothnians_ buy them, and sell them to the _Laplanders_: hence they have Gun-powder and bullets, or at least lead to make them: and sometimes _Norway_ furnishes them with all these. Spears they use only in hunting Bears, and are so little different from ours that they will not need a description. I come now to their other instruments relating to this sport, the cheifest of which are their shoes, with which they slide over the frozen snow, being made of broad planks extremely smooth; the Northern People call them _Skider_, and by contraction _Skier_ (which agrees something with the _Germans_ _Scheitter_, that is, cleft wood) and sometimes _Andrer_ or _Ondrur_ or _Skiidh_. Their shape is, according to _Olaus Magnus_, five or six ells long, turned up before, and a foot broad: which I cannot believe, because I have a pair which are a little broader, and much shorter, and _Wormius_ had a pair but of three ells long. And those are much shorter which are to be seen at _Leiden_, which _Frisius_ saies are just seven foot long, four inches and a little more broad: and it must needs be so to hold with _Olaus Magnus_, and every bodies opinion, that one shoe must be longer than the other by a foot, as if the man or woman be eight foot high, one must be eight foot, and the other nine. _Frisius_ saies they are both of a length at _Leiden_, and _Olaus Wormius_ takes no notice of any difference in his, but I believe then those were of two Parishes, for my biggest is just such an one as _Frisius_ describes covered over with resin or pitch, and the shorter plain. But because the larger is of greatest use, it is no wonder that one or two of them were sent abroad for a pattern, but since those at _Leiden_ are both the biggest, they were not made for men so tall as _Frisius_ speaks of, they fitting men of six foot, which is a stature sometimes met with in _Lapland_. They are smooth and turned up before, not behind, as they are pictured in _Wormius_, not by the fault of the Author, but the Painter, for the original in his study shews them otherwise; I have observed in my longer shoe that it is not quite strait, but swells up a little in the middle where they place their foot. _Frisius_ did ill in giving a picture but of one, and in that nothing of this bending, I will therefore describe both, and a _Laplander_ sliding in them.

These shoes are fastned to their feet by a with, not run through the bottom but by the sides, that it might not hinder their sliding, or wear out with often using, which is not expressed in _Frisius’s_ Picture, this is directly in the middle, and ti’d to the hinder part of the leg, as you may see in the figure. That which is often in _Olaus Magnus_, and set forth by _Frisius_, is a meer fancy and figment of an Italian Painter, that could not understand what these shoes were, but by describing them like long wooden broags turning up with a sharp point before: which is very idle, because the foot goes into it at the hinder part, and agrees not with _Olaus’s_ other cuts; for if the place of the foot were there, it could not endure so great a weight before it, or effect that for which this shoe was first invented: for they must tread firm upon the Snow, which they could not do if all the weight lay at one end; but when ’tis in the middle, that which is before and behind will keep the foot from sinking in. The way of going in them is this: they have in their hand a long staff, at the end of which is a large round piece of wood fasten’d, to keep it from going deep into the Snow, and with this they thrust themselves along very swiftly. This way of running they not only use in plain and even, but in the most rugged grounds, and there is no Hill or Rock so steep, but with winding and turning they can at last come up to the top, (which Pope _Paul_ the Third could not believe) and that which is a greater Miracle will slide down the steepest places without danger. These shoes they cover with young _Rain-deers_ skins, whose haires in their climbing run like brisles against the Snow, and keep them from going back. _Wormius_ saies they were cover’d with Sea Calf’s Skins, but I believe he talk’d of those, that the _Siæfinni_, or the Maritime people use. And this is the first instrument of hunting, which they use as well in other businesses in winter time, for they can pass no other way over the Snow, at which time they can out run any wild beast. The other instrument they use is a sledg, which altho it is fit for any journy, they use it in hunting especially the _Rain-deeres_, the description of which, because ’tis fit for all manner of carriages, I shall defer to another place.

CHAP. XXI.

_Of the_ Laplanders _Handycraft-trades_.

Besides hunting, which is the cheifest, they have many other emploiments relating to their lives and fortunes, of which Cookery is the first: for what ever food they get by fishing, fowling, or hunting, the men dress and not the women. They therefore are quite ignorant of this Art, (which the men are not very expert at) and never use it but upon necessity, and in the absence of men.

The second is the boat-makers, which they make of Pine or Deale boards, not fasten’d with nails but sew’d together with twigs, as among the ancients with thongs, _Olaus Magnus_ and _Johannes Tornæus_ sayes with roots of trees, but most commonly with _Rain-deers_ nerves. When they launch these boats they caulk them with moss to keep out the water, and use sometimes two, sometimes four oares, so fasten’d to pegs in the sides, that one man may row with two.

The third trade is the Carpenters, to make sledges, which are not all of the same shape, those they travel in, call’d _Pulca_ being made in the fashion of half a boat, having the prou about a span broad turned up, with a hole in it to run a cord thro to fasten it to a _Rain-deer_, and the poupe of one flat board: the body is built of many, which are fasten’d with wooden pegs to four or five ribs; they never go upon wheeles, but are convex and round, that they may roul any way, and more easily be drawn over the Snow. This description agrees with that sledg which I have, and the Testimony of _Herberstenius_, _Olaus Magnus_, and _Johannes Tornæus_. The fore part of them is cover’d with Sea-Calfs skin for about an ell, stretch’d upon hoops, least the Snow should come in, under which they put moss to keep their feet warm. These are about three ells long, but those that carry baggage, called _ackkio_, _ajefive_, are not cover’d any where. The people defend their goods from the weather, according to _Wexionius_, with raw flax: but that is not probable, because no flax grows there, and the use of flaxen garments is unknown, and therefore I believe they do it with skins or bark. In _Olaus Magnus_ lib. 17. cap. 25. there is a cart painted upon wheeles, the Author describes it in these words, _qui domestici sunt Rangiferi curulibus plaustris aptantur_, but what these _curulia plaustra_ signifie he does not explain. And since the Painter has drawn other things according to his own capacity, and understanding, I do not know whether he has not follow’d his own opinion more then _Olaus’s_ narration, but ’tis certain there are no wheele carts, for what they carry in Summer is put in dorsers upon _Rain-deers_. These Tradesmen make their sliding shoes, which because I have describ’d in the former Chapter, I need not now speak of.

The fourth is making boxes and chests to lay up weapons and other things in, which are all of an oval shape, of which sort _Lodovicus Otto Bathoniensis_ gave me one. They are made of thin birch plancks, which are so contrived and bent into an Oval, that the pegs or twigs, with which they are fasten’d, are not perceiv’d. The lids are of one board, and for ornament often inlaid with _Rain-deers_ bones in diverse figures, which for better illustration you shall see describ’d at the end of this Chapter in the cut markt with the letter C.

The fift Trade is making Baskets, in which Art no Nation can compare with them. The matter they make them off is roots of Trees, which they work not as other people do, for they make them of what bigness they please, and if occasion require, will be so accurate in their work as to interweave the roots so neat and close together, that they shall hold water like a solid vessel. Their shapes are diverse, some round with a cover and handle to carry them by, and others squares or oblongs. Not only the _Laplanders_ and _Swedes_ use these, but they are also for their curiosity and strength sent into farther Countries: the figure B. at the end will give a view of a round one.

Beside these the men make all manner of houshold-stuff of wood or bone; and particularly spoons, one of which I have with all its Rings and Ornaments, as you may see at figure A. I have two weaving instruments, a shuttle about two inches long or more, with an hole at one end D. and a kind of comb or small Loom in w^{ch} they weave particular wreaths and ornaments E.

They make also very neat Tobacco boxes carved with knifes in bone, with many Rings and other pretty appendages about them, all which being considered will prove this Nation not to be so dull and stupid as by some it is supposed.

They have also one Art more worth taken notice of, as ingraving flowers and several Beasts in bone, into which they cast several plates of Tin, and with these figures the men and women adorn their girdles and other things: the same way they make their molds for casting bullets. They make instruments for all emploiments, as Cookery, &c. those for hunting are usually made of bone, and others are commonly adorned with it. _Zeigler_ mentions tubs, which are rather cups, or vessels cut out of a stump of a Tree, as traies are: and _Wexionius_ mentions other vessels made of bark, but I forbear to speak of any more, only I shall add that they learn their art not from masters but their fathers according to their capacity.

CHAP. XXII.

_Of the Womens Emploiments._