Neither are these all the places in the Country that are dedicated to this use, but there are several others which the Idolatrous People endeavour to concele, that they may avoid the suspicion of this impiety and their deserved punishment. But in other parts of _Lapland_ the number is far greater as may be easily understood; and therefore I shall not tire the Reader with a recitall of them. For all these places they have a high esteem, whether dedicated to _Thor_, the _Sun_, or _Storjunkar_, so that they exclude all women from them, not permitting them so much as to go behind the house where _Thor_ is worshipped, and prohibiting all marriageble women to come near the borders of _Storjunkars_ consecrated hills: and the reason is because they think that Sex, especially at that age, not pure enough for those devotions, but not knowing who are pure and who are not, to prevent all danger they prohibite the whole Sex, who if they transgress herein, they must expect many misfortunes to befall them, and perhaps death it self. I come now to the Images of their Gods, for with these they used to honour them. _Thors_ image, was alwaies made of wood, wherefore he is called by them _Muora Jubmel_, i. e. the Wooden God. And because in _Lapponia Tornensis_, as well as in other places they make their Gods of wood, it is very probable that they worship _Tiermes_, tho they call him _Seita_. Of this wood, which is alwaies Birch, they make so many Idols as they have Sacrifices, and when they have done they keep them in a cave by some hill side. The shape of them is very rude, only at the top they are made to represent a mans head, according to the description of _Matthias Steuchius_, which he relates from his Father, who was Superintendent of _Hernosandensis_, and had the oversight of all things relating to Piety and Religion in most parts of _Lapland_. Of the root of the tree they make the head, and of the trunk the body of the image: for those Birches which grow in Fenny grounds have usually their roots growing round, and from them there shoot out other little roots, so that it is easily fitted to the shape of a mans head. Now to manifest this to be _Thor_, they put a hammer into his right hand, which is as it were his ensign by which he is known. Into his head they drive a nail of Iron or Steel, and a small piece of flint to strike fire with, if he hath a mind to it. Tho I rather suppose it was first used to be an emblem of fire, which together with the Sun they worshipped in _Thor_, whose Image is here delineated. [Illustration]