Part 7

But tho they usually make them in this shape, yet there are some, especially in _Lapponia Tornensis_, who worship a meer stump. They have no Image of the Sun, either because he is conspicuous enough of himself, or because in the mystery of their Religion he is the same with _Thor_: but _Storjunkar_ is represented with a stone, as is clearly proved by several writers, and easily deduced from others. The form of this stone (if we will believe _Olaus Petri Neuren._) was like a Bird, _Samuel Rheen_ saies it somtimes represents a man, and somtimes som other creature. The truth is its shape is so rude, that they may sooner fancy it like somthing themselves, then perswade other People that it is so. In the mean time their fancy is so strong, that they really believe it represents their _Storjunkar_, and worship it accordingly. Neither do they use any art in polishing it, but take it as they find it upon the banks of Lakes and Rivers. In this shape therefore they worship it, not as tho it were so made by chance, but by the immediate will and procurement of their god _Storjunkar_, that it might be sacred to him. Thus they erect it as his image, and call it _Kied Kie Jubmal_ i. e. the stone God. The rudeness of these Images gave _Tornæus_ occasion to deny that they had any shape at all, only made rough and hollow by the falling of water upon them, tho their hallowness without doubt occasioned the _Laplanders_ fancy of their likeness to something: but he confesses that in an Island made by a Cataract of the River _Tornatræsk_ called _Darra_, there are found _Seitæ_, just in the shape of a man, one of them very tall, and hard by 4 others something lower, with a kind of Cap on their heads. But because the passage into the Island is dangerous by reason of the Cataract, the _Laplanders_ are forc’t to desist from going to that place, so that it is impossible now to know how those stones are worshipped, or how they came there. These stones are not set up by themselves, but lie 3 or 4 together, according as they find them; the first of which they honor with the title of _Storjunkar_, the second they call _Acte_, or _Storjunkars_ wife; the third his Son or Daughter, and the rest his Servants. And this they do because they would not have their _Storjunkar_, who is _Thors_ Viceroy, in a worse condition then other Roial Prefects, whom they usually see thus accompanied by their Wives and Children, and Attendants. His representation is as follows

I come now to their Sacrifices and other Ceremonies used to their Gods. First it is observable that they are performed only by men, all women being excluded; they esteeming it as great a crime for a woman to offer Sacrifice as to frequent the consecrated places. They never offer Sacrifice till they have enquired of their God whether he will accept it or no. This they do with a certain instrument which they call _Kannus_, not unlike the old fashioned Drums, from whence they are usually called Laplandish Drums, and shall be exactly described hereafter. This Drum being beaten, and some Songs sung, they bring the designed Sacrifice to _Thor_, who if he signifies by a ring in the Drum that the Sacrifice is pleasing to him, they fall presently to work: otherwise they carry it to the Sun, and so to _Storjunkar_, till one of them will accept of it. The manner of it is thus. They pull off some of the hair at the bottom of the beasts neck, and bind it to a ring which is fastned to the Drum, then one of them beats the Drum, and all the rest sing these words, _What sayst thou ô Great and Sacred God, dost thou accept this Sacrifice, which we design to offer unto thee?_ And while they chant these words, they repete the name of the mountain where they are: then if the ring rests on that part of the Drum where the God is pictured, they take it for granted that the God is pleased, and so proceed to the Ceremony; or else they carry the Sacrifice to _Thor_, and use the like form of words, _Father God will you have my Sacrifice_. _Peucer_ either thro false intelligence, or misapprehension, relates this business somthing differently, they have (saies he) a brasen Drum whereon they paint several sorts of Beasts, Birds, and Fishes, such as they can easily procure: bolt upright upon this Drum they fix an iron pearch, upon which stands a brasen Frog, which at the beating of the Drum falls down upon some of the pictures, and that creature whose picture the Frog touches, they sacrifice. Their usuall sacrifices are Rain-dears, tho sometimes they use other creatures, as Dogs, Cats, Lambs and Hens, which they fetch out of _Norway_. The 3^d thing observable is that they offer their Sacrifices usually in the Autumn, because, I suppose, the Winter and night being at hand they think they have more need of their Gods assistance, which may probably be the reason too why every year about that time they make a new image for _Thor_, which is alwaies don 14 daies before Michaelmas. And thus they consecrate it, first they sacrifice the Rain-dear, then taking out his bones they anoint the Idol with the blood and fat, and bury the flesh and bones under ground. Besides this Idol they erect one to him every time they sacrifice, and then they place them all one by another upon a table behind their Hut. First when the God hath approved of the Sacrifice, which is usually a Buck to _Thor_, they bind it behind the house, then with a sharp knife they run him thro the heart, and gather the heart-blood, wherewith they anoint the Idol, into a vessell. After that having placed the images right, and adorned the table, they approach reverently to it, anoint the head and back all over with the blood, but on his breast they only draw several Crosses. Behind him they place the skull, feet, and horns of the sacrificed Dear; before him they place a Coffer made of the bark of Birch, into which they put a bit of every member of the Rain-dear, with some of the fat, and the rest of the flesh they convert to their private uses. This is the manner of the _Laplanders_ sacrificing to _Thor_. But when they offer Sacrifice to _Storjunkar_, which is likewise a male Dear, then first they run a red thred thro his right ear, and bind him, and sacrifice him in the place they did that to _Thor_; preserving the blood likewise in a vessel. Then he who performs the Ceremony takes the horns and the bones of the head and neck, with the feet and hoofs, and carries them to the mountain of that _Storjunkar_, for whom the Sacrifice was designed. When he comes near the sacred Stone, he reverently uncovers his head, and bows his body, paying all the ceremonies of respect and honor. Then he anoints the Stone with the fat and blood, and places the horns behind it. Unto the right horn they ty the Rain-dears yard, and to the left some red thred wrought upon tin with a little piece of silver. The same rites that are observed to _Storjunkar_ are also used to _Seita_, to whom the _Laplanders_ usually sacrifice upon Holydaies, or after some loss or misfortune. Then making their Praiers and Devotions to the Idol in their best clothes, they offer him all manner of oblations, and the choisest parts of the Rain-dear, as the flesh, fat, skin, bones, horns, and hoofs, whereof there are great heaps to be seen at this day where _Seita_ was worshipped. The horns are found placed one above another, in the fashion of a fence to the God, which is therefore by the _Laplanders_ called _Tiorfwigardi_, that is a Court fenced with horns, which are sometimes above a thousand in number. Before these horns they used to hang a garland made of Birch tree, stuck about with bits of flesh cut from every member of the sacrifice. This I suppose first caused the mistake of those who reported that the _Laplanders_ worshipped the horns of Rain-dears. All the flesh that remains of the sacrifice the _Laplanders_ spend in their houses: and this is the ordinary way of sacrificing to _Storjunkar_. Two other methods there are but less used; one when they bring the sacrifice alive to the hill where the Idol is placed: another when they would do so, but cannot climb the hill where _Storjunkar_ is by reason of its steepness. For the first they kill the sacrifice hard by the Idol, and when they have performed the usual ceremonies, they presently boil the flesh in the place, especially that about the head and neck, and invite their friends to the eating of it. This they call _Storjunkars_ Feast, and when they have done they leave the skin behind them. This is not used in all _Storjunkars_ hills, but only in some peculiar place where he hath manifested to them that he will be worshipped so. The other way of sacrificing is when the hill is so craggy that they cannot ascend it with their sacrifice, then they throw up a stone to the top of the mountain, which they dip in the blood and go away, as having paid their devotion. But as (besides the sacrifice) they once a year honour _Thor_ with a new Image; so do they _Storjunkar_ with fresh bowes twice every year. The first time in Summer with birch and grass; next in Winter with pine. The same also _Tornæus_ reports of the _Seitas_. Then it is they seek whether their God be favorable and propitious to them or no: for when they go to strow the bows and grass under him, if the stone proves light, they hope he will be kind; but if it be something heavier then ordinary, they suspect he is angry with them, and immediatly to reconcile him they devote some oblations to him. And thus are _Peucerus_ his words to be understood, when the _Laplanders_ (says he) go a hunting or fishing, or upon any other enterprise, they try their success by the weight of their God, who if he is easily moved, they take it for granted that he approves of their design; if hardly, then he dislikes it: but if he be unmoveable then they suppose him offended with them. This is not to be understood of all their affairs, but only when they lay fresh straw under him, for at other times they enquire his plesure with a drum, of which I have already spoken.

It remains now that we treat of the sacrifices used to the Sun, these are young Rain-dears, and those not bucks but does: the rites are most of them the same with those already mentioned; only instead of a red string thro the right ear of _Storjunkars_ sacrifice, they run a white one thro the Suns; then they make a garland, not of birch, but willow, about as big as the hoop of an Hogshead. This they place upon a table behind the Hut where they sacrifice to _Thor_, not upon the same table, but one like it. And this sacrifice differs from the other in that there are neither images erected here, nor horns, the beasts being not come to their growth. But that there may be some resemblance of the Sun, they place the chief bones of the sacrifice upon the table in a circle.

Besides these 3 principal Gods they have some petty ones, as the Manes of deceased men, and the _Julii_ troops. They have no particular names for the Ghosts, but call them all _Sitte_: neither do they erect them images as they do to _Thor_ and _Storjunkar_; only they offer them some certain sacrifices. At which time their first business is to enquire the will of the dead, whether it please him to be worshipt with that kind of sacrifice in these words, _Maijke werro Jabmike sitte_, _ô you Manes what will you have_, then they beat the drum, and if the ring falls upon any creature there pictured they take it for the sacrifice which the ghost desires: they then run thro his ear, or, as others say, ty about his horns a woollen black thred. Having performed the sacrifice, they spend all the flesh upon their own uses; except a bit of the heart, and another of the lungs: each of which they divide into 3 parts, and fasten them upon as many sticks, which they dip in the blood of the sacrifice, and so bury them in a kind of Chest made in the form of a Laplandish Dray, as they do the bones of all other sacrifices. But of this I shall speak more at large when I come to their funeral rites, where the same things are likewise used. I shall only add that these rites are still observed in _Lapland_ by all that are superstitiously given. The _Juhlii_, whom they call _Juhlafalket_, as I said of the ghosts, have no statues, nor images; the manner of worshipping them is in this sort. The day before the festival, which is Christmas day, they abstain from all flesh: and of every thing that they eat, they take a litle piece and preserve it very carefully, which they do likewise the next day. In their feasting, the bits which they have gathered in these two days they put into a chest, made of the bark of Birch, in the fashion of a Boat with sails and oars, together with some fat of the pottage, and hang it upon a tree behind the Hut, about a bows shot off, for the _Juhlii_ to feast on, whom they then suppose to wander in troops in the Air, thro woods and mountains; a ceremony not unlike to the ancient libations to the _Genii_. But why they do this in a Boat they can give no reason: but we may conjecture that hereby is intimated how the knowledg of Christs-birth (declared by the Company of Angels, which as I have shewed already was the meaning of these _Juhlii_) was brought by Christians, who came to them in Boats. So much of the _Laplanders_ Idolatry and Superstition, which remains to this day amongst many of them, as is found by daily experience.

CHAP. XI.

_Of the magicall Ceremonies of the_ Laplanders.

It hath bin a received opinion among all that did but know the name of the _Laplanders_, that they are People addicted to Magic, wherefore I thought fit to discourse next of this, as being one of the greatest of their impieties that yet continues among them. And that this opinion may seem to be grounded upon some autority, they are described both by ancient and modern Writers, to have arrived to so great skill in enchantments, that among several strange effects of their art, they could stop ships when under full sail. This judgement of the Historians concerning the _Laplanders_ is no less verified also of the _Biarmi_ their predecessours. So that we may justly suppose both of them to have descended from the same original: for the _Biarmi_ were so expert in these arts that they could either by their looks, words, or some other wicked artifice, so ensnare and bewitch men, as to deprive them of the use of limbs and reason, and very often bring them into extreme danger of their lives. But tho in these latter times they do not so frequently practise this, and dare not profess it so publicly as before, being severely prohibited by the King of _Sweden_: yet there are still many that give themselves wholly unto this study. But if we enquire into the motives and reasons hereof, this, formerly mention’d, seems the principal, that every one thinks it the surest way to defend himself from the injuries and malicious designs of others: for they commonly profess that their knowledge in these things is absolutely necessary for their own security. Upon which account they have Teachers and Professors in this science: and parents in their last will bequeath to their children, as the greatest part of their estate, those spirits and devils that have bin any waies serviceable to them in their life time. _Sturlesonius_ writes of _Gunilda_, a maid, that was sent by her father _Odzor Huide_, who dwelt in _Halogaland_, to _Motle_ King of _Finlapland_ in _Norway_, to be instructed in this art. Where he gives an account also of two other _Finlanders_, and the great knowledg they attained to in this profession. But it is very seldom that the parents themselves are not so learned, as to perform the duty, and save the expences of a tutor. Thus they become famous in these studies, especially when they happen to be apt Schollars. For as the _Laplanders_ do not all agree in the same disposition, so neither do they arrive to the same perfection in this art. For some are so stupid and dull, that however they may seem qualified for other emploiments, they prove altogether unfit for this.

As to the bequeathing their familiars to their Children, they suppose it the only means to raise their family; so that they excell one another in this art, according to the largeness of the legacies they receive. From hence it is manifest, that each house hath peculiar spirits, and of different and quite contrary natures from those of others. And not only each distinct family, but single persons in them also have their particular spirits, sometimes one, two, or more, according as they intend to stand on the defensive part, or are maliciously inclined and design to be upon the offensive: so that there are a set number of obsequious spirits, beyond which none hath. But however some of these will not engage themselves without great solicitation, and earnest entreaties, when others more readily profer themselves to litle children, when they find them fit for their turn, so that diverse of the Inhabitants are almost naturally Magicians. For when the devil takes a liking to any person in his infancy, as a fit instrument for his designs, he presently seases on him by a disease, in which he haunts them with several apparitions, from whence according to the capacity of his years and understanding he learns what belongs to the art. Those which are taken thus a second time see more visions, and gain greater knowledg. If they are seased a third time, which is seldom without great torment, or utmost danger of their life, the devil appears to them in all his shapes, by which they arrive to the very perfection of this art; and become so knowing, that without the Drum they can see things at greatest distances, and are so possessed by the devil, that they see them even against their will. For example, not long since a certain _Lap_, who is yet alive, upon my complaint against him for his Drum, brought it to me; and confest with tears, that tho he should part with it, and not make him another, he should have the same visions he had formerly: and he instanc’t in my self, giving me a true and particuliar relation of whatever had happened to me in my journy to _Lapland_. And he farther complained, that he knew not how to make use of his eies, since things altogether distant were presented to them.

As for the art, it is, according to the diversity of the instruments they make use of in it, divided into two parts: one comprehends all that to which their Drum belongs, the other those things to which knots, darts, spells, conjurations, and the like refer. First concerning the drum, as being peculiar to the _Laplanders_; and called by them _Kannus_, or _Quobdas_; it is made out of a hollow piece of wood, and must either be of pine, fir, or birch tree, which grows in such a particular place, and turns directly according to the Suns course; which is, when the grain of the wood, running from the bottom to the top of the tree, winds it self from the right hand to the left. From this perhaps they believe this tree very acceptable to the Sun, which under the image of _Thor_ they worship with all imaginable devotion. The piece of wood they make it of, must be of the root cleft asunder, and made hollow on one side, upon which they stretch a skin: the other side, being convex, is the lower part, in which they make two holes, where they put their fingers to hold it. The shape of the upper side is oval, in diameter almost half an ell, very often not so much; it is like a kettle drum, but not altogether so round, nor so hollow; neither is the skin fastned with little iron screwes, but wooden pegs. I have seen some sowed with the sinews of Rain-dears. _Olaus_ termed the drum very improperly an anvil, tho I believe he only meant by this a drum, as will appear hereafter. This perhaps made the Engraver mistake, who made a Smith’s anvil for it, placing a Serpent and a frog upon it, with a Smith’s hammer by. The _Laplanders_ use only a drum, which perhaps because they beat it with a hammer, was by _Olaus_ called an anvil. They paint upon the skin several pictures in red, stained with the bark of an Alder tree. They draw near the middle of the drum several lines quite cross, upon these they place those Gods, to whom they pay the greatest worship, as _Thor_ the chief God, with his attendance, and _Storjunkar_ with his: these are drawn on the top of the line; after this they draw another line parallel to the former, only half cross the drum, on this stands the image of Christ with some of his Apostles. Whatever is drawn above these two lines represents birds, Stars, and the Moon; below these they place the Sun, as middlemost of the Planets, in the very middle of the drum, upon which they put a bunch of brazen rings when they beat it. Below the Sun they paint the terrestrial things, and living creatures; as Bears, Wolves, Rain-dears, Otters, Foxes, Serpents: as also Marshes, Lakes, Rivers, _&c._ This is the description of the drum according to _Sam. Rheen_, of which this is the picture.

I have observed that severall of their drums have not the same pictures upon them, I have three very different; one, which is here set down, marked by the letter B. They are described differently by _Tornæus_, in w^{ch} the figures are distinguished so as to refer to several places, of which there are chiefly three. In the first stands _Norland_, and other Countries of _Sweden_, which are placed on the South side of the drum, and are separated by a line from the rest; in this also is contained the next great City, where they trafic most; as in the drums made at _Torne_, or _Kiemi_, there is drawn the City _Torne_, with the Temple, Priest, and Governour of the _Laplanders_, and many others with whom they have any concerns: as also the highway that lies betwixt them and _Torne_, by which they discover when their Priest, or Governour will come; besides other affairs managed in those parts. On the North part, _Norway_ is described with all that is contained in it. In the middle of these two stands _Lapland_, this takes up the greatest part of the drum: in it are the several sorts of beasts that are in the Countrey, here they picture herds of Rain-dears, Bears, Foxes, Wolves, and all manner of wild beasts, to signifie when, and in what place they may find them. If a tame Rain-dear be lost, how they may get him againe. Whether the Rain-deers young ones will live. Whether their net fishing will be successfull. If sick men will recover, or not. Whether women great with child shall have a safe delivery. Or such, or such a man will die of such a distemper, or by what other; and other things of the like nature which they are desirous to know. I cannot give an account of the reason for this difference in the drums, unless it is that some of them are made for more malicious designs, others again for each man’s private purpose. Upon this account I believe, according to the nature of the business they intend, they add, and blot out, and sometimes wholly change the figures. But that you may the better understand the diversity of the drums, here are two represented to you, both which I had out of the Study of the Chancellour of the Kingdom.