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)
Those in the mean time that are present, leave not off singing all the
time he lies sweating in this agony; which they do not only to put him
in mind, when he awakes, of the business he was to know; but also that
he might recover out of this trance, which he would never do, (as they
imagine) if they either ceased singing, or any one stirred him with
their hand or foot. This perhaps is the reason why they suffer no flie,
or any living creature to touch him; and it is upon this account only
that they watch him so diligently, and not out of any fear they have
least the devil should take away his body; which opinion of _Peucers_
is altogether false. It is uncertain how long they lye in this manner,
but it is commonly according as the place where they make their
discovery, is nearer or farther off; but the time never exceeds 24
houres, let the place be at never so great a distance. After he awakes
he shews them some tokens to confirm their belief in what he tells
them. This is the first and chiefest use they make of the drum.
The next is, how to know the event of their own concerns, and what
success their hunting will have, or any other business which they
undertake, for they seldom venture on any thing, without first
consulting that. In order to the knowing this, they place the bunch of
rings on the picture of the Sun in the drum; then they beat, singing at
the same time; if the rings go round towards the right hand, according
to the Suns course they promise to themselves good health, fortune,
and great encrease both of men and beasts; if contrary, towards the
left, they expect sickness and all the evils attending on ill success.
We may easily ground this opinion of theirs upon the other mentioned
above, where they believe the Sun the only Author of all productions.
Wherefore when the Index moves according to his motion, it portends
prosperity by following his course, from whom they expect all the good
they receive. This is the way they take in all their more weighty
affairs, as in a journey, hunting, removing their habitations, or any
such like thing, of which something before, and more hereafter. Before
they hunt they make particular observation which way the Index turns,
whether East, West, North, or South; and collect from thence where
their game lies. Other things for which the drum is serviceable, are,
first, the discovering the nature of diseases, whether they arise from
any disorder in the body, or are caused by magic; this being known,
then to find the remedy for them, which is commonly by sacrifice to one
or other of their angry Gods, but chiefly to _Storjunkar_, who bears
greatest autority among them, and if not appeased, leaves them small
hopes of recovery. Wherefore the sick person vows a sacrifice, either
of a Rain-deer, Bull, Goat, or Ram, or something of this kind to one
of the _Storiunkars_, that stands upon the mountains. The sacrifice is
not left to the disposal of the sick man, but must be made according
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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