The History of Lapland: Wherein Are Shewed the Original, Manners, Habits, Marriages, Conjurations, &c. of That PeopleScheffer, Johannes
History
The History of Lapland: Wherein Are Shewed the Original, Manners, Habits, Marriages, Conjurations, &c. of That People
Scheffer, Johannes
Lapland -- Description and travel -- Early works to 1800; Sami (European people)
Of all the Beasts in _Lapland_ the Bear is chief: him saies _Sam.
Rheen_, they stile King Of the Woods, and gives this reason, because
in strength and fierceness he exceeds all the rest. They are very
numerous, some fiercer than others, especially those which are mark’t
with a white wreath about their necks, many of which are found in the
North. These annoy the Inhabitants Cattel, and overturn their Stores;
which they fix on the top of a Tree, to preserve their flesh and fish,
and all that concerns provision: but in one night the Bear destroys all
the food they have laid up.
Next the Bear the Elk is remarkable, which _Olaus_ calls the wild
Asse, _Scaliger_ confounds it with the Rain-deer, for he saies, tho
it had Asses hair, it was called by the _Swedes_, _Ranger_, by the
_Goths_, _Rangifer_, by the _Germans_, _Ellend_, by the _Moscovites_,
_Lozzi_, and some Books say that in _Norway_ they were named _Rehen_:
what Books he means I am ignorant, but I am sure the _Elks_, which
the _Germans_ call _Ellend_, were never called _Rehen_, but _Ælg_, or
_Ælgar_, which is now the common name through all the North; neither
can I think otherwise of the _Moscovites Lozzi_, for it is the same
with the _Lithuanian Losso_, as _Herbestenius_ observes. That which
the _Lithuanians_ call _Loss_, the _Germans_ call _Ellend_, and many
in Latin _Alce_. So that _Loss_, _Lozzi_, _Ælg_, _Ellend_ is the
same Beast, but quite different from the Rain-deer, contrary to what
_Scaliger_ thought. For first it excells the Rain-deers in bulk not a
little, being as high as any Horse; its horns are shorter, but above
two palms in breadth, shooting out a few, tho not many young sprouts.
His leggs are not round, but long, especially the foremost: he engages
very smartly, and his sharp hoofs enable him to encounter all Men and
Dogs that oppose. He hath a long head, and huge thick lips alwaies
hanging down; his color is not so white, but all over his body it
inclines to a dark yellow mixt with ashen: when he walks he makes no
noise with his hoofs as all Rain-deers do; whoever sees both Beasts (as
I have often) will perceive such difference, that he will wonder how
any one should mistake. There is no great breed of these in _Lapland_,
but they have them from other places, especially _Lithuania_. _Charles_
the ninth, by a public Proclamation claimed all the skins of those that
were killed for his Exchequer, as I mentioned in another place. _Olaus_
saies that they continue altogether in the South of _Lapland_, and are
taken most frequently by running them down, or hunting; in other places
they are rarely found: but it is manifest that twice a year they swim
in great Herds out of _Carelia_, over the River _Niva_, to wit, in the
Spring to go into _Carelia_, and in Autumn to return into _Russia_.
Some few Stags have bin seen in _Lapland_. _S. Rheen_ mentioning the
chief Beasts which have bin found there, reckons severall species
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