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)
to the directions of the drummer; for he is supposed to be the only
man able to advise them in this case, he first discovers which of the
Gods is displeased, and what sort of sacrifice is most acceptable to
him, for they refuse several, and the same also at several times.
But before the drummer appeases their Gods, they give him a copper
and a silver ring, putting them on his right arm, then he begins a
song, and beats the drum, and all that are present joyn with him in a
_Chorus_; after this according to the place, to which the Index points,
he directs them. These are the things commonly done by the drum. The
last thing for which they think it necessary, is, the accomplishing
their wicked designs, as impairing mens health, or depriving them of
their lives; which is frequently enough practised among them, tho not
altogether so publicly as heretofore. Some of them account this only
unlawful, and exclude themselves out of the number of those, which use
it, thinking the other uses of the drum to consist chiefly in doing
good. But however this mischievous Art continues still too much among
them. Several inhabitants of _Kiema_ in _Lapland_ were apprehended in
the year 1671, with drums, for this purpose so large, that they could
not be removed from thence, but were burnt in the place. Among those
_Laplanders_ there was one four score years of age, that confessed
he was bred up in this art from his childhood, who in 1670 upon some
quarrell about a pair of mittens, caused a Boar of _Kiema_ to be
drowned in a Cataract, for which he was condemned to die, and in order
to that was to be carried in chains to the next town in _Bothnia_,
but in the journy he contrived so by his art, that on a suddain, tho
he seemed well, and lusty, he died on the sledge, which he had often
foretold he would sooner do, then fall into the Executioners hands.
As to the ceremonies used in this particular, either in their words,
gesture, or any other thing, I can give no account, finding none in
those writings, from whence I collected the rest. The reason for this,
I suppose, is, because they themselves keep this secret, as the great
mystery in their art; or that no one would enquire into them, least
they should be thought guilty of this damnable sin.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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