tho they worship them all under one name, excepting only that which they call _Wiru Accha_, signifying a _Livonian_ old woman, which _Olaus Petr._ with some alteration calls _Viresaka_. This was only the bare trunk of a tree, and is now wholly rotten. But who the inferior Gods were, or to what end they were worshipped, there is no mention made; but we may guess from what we find observable among the other _Laplanders_. First under that name they worshipped the ghosts of departed persons, but especially of their kindred, for they thought there was some divinity in them, and that they were able to do harm: just such as the _Romans_ fancied their Manes to be; therefore it was that they offered Sacrifice to them, of which more hereafter. Besides these Manes they worship other Spectres and Demons, which they say wander about Rocks, Woods, Rivers and Lakes, such as the _Romans_ describe their _Fauni_, _Sylvani_, and _Tritons_ to be. The third sort dreaded by them are _Genii_, whether good or bad, which they suppose to fly in the air about Christmas, as we intimated before; these they call _Juhlii_ from the word _Juhl_, denoting at present the Nativity of Christ; but formerly the new year. And these are the Gods which the _Laplanders_ jointly adore with God and our Saviour; of which we shall now speak particularly, and of their respective worship. CHAP. X. _Of the heathenish Gods of the_ Laplanders, _and their manner of worship at this day._ We have shewed in the foregoing Chapter that there were three principal Gods worshipped by the _Laplanders_; the first is _Thor_, signifying thunder, in the Swedish Dialect called _Thordoen_, by the _Laplanders_ themselves _Tiermes_, that is any thing that makes a noise, agreeing very well with the notion the _Romans_ had of _Jupiter_ the thunderer, and the God _Taramis_, which I have treated of in the History of _Upsal_. This _Tiermes_ or thunder they think by a special virtue in the Sky to be alive; intimating thereby that power from whence thunder proceeds, or the thundring God, wherefore he is by them called _Aijeke_, which signifies _grand_, or _great-grand-Father_, as the _Romans_ saluted their father _Jupiter_; and the _Swedes_ their _Gubba_. This _Aijeke_ when he thunders is by the _Laplanders_ call’d _Tiermes_, by the _Scythians_, _Tarami_, and by the _Swedes_, _Tor_ or _Toron_. This _Tiermes_ or _Aijeke_ the _Laplanders_ suppose to have power over the life and death, health and sickness of man: and also over the hurtfull Demons who frequent Rocks and Mountains, whom he often chastises, and sometimes destroies with his lightning, as the _Latins_ fanci’d their _Jupiter_ to do, for which end they give him a bow in his hand to shoot the Demons with, which they call _Aijeke dauge_: also they give him a mallet, which they call _Aijeke Wetschera_, to dash out the brains of the said evil spirits. Wherefore because the _Laplanders_ expect so many blessings from their _Tiermes_,