CHAP. VI.Of the Originall of theLaplanders.
We have intimated our conjecture concerning the originall of theLaps, and more then that it will be hard to produce, there being no sober history which gives testimony in this affair. Negatively we may pass sentence, and conclude they were notSwedes, no People differing more both in constitution of body and mind, in language and habit, or whatever else is taken for a character of likeness, or having the same originall. Neither can any one think that they were everRussiansorMoscovites; seeing they differ as much from them, as from theSwedes. TheRussiansare generally tall, theLaplanderson the contrary very short; those are fat and corpulent, these lean and slender; those have thick hair, long beards, and good complexions, these wear their hair short and thin, and are dark and swarthy. But most of all the language is different, in which theLapsandRusseshave in a manner no kind of agreement. They must then come from their Neighbours, either theNorwegianson the one side, or theFinlandersupon the other. But they could not well be derived fromNorway, who are known to have drawn their originall from theSwedes.
Laplander holding spear
It remains therefore that they came from theFinlanders, who have a certain division or allotment calledLappio. But tho we have shewed that the name and originall of this Nation is not taken thence, it is not to be doubted that they are of the race of theFinlandersandSamojedes, and this is the opinion of most learned men, which may be farther proved by many arguments. First the name of both Nations is the same, theLaplandersin their own language being calledSabmiorSame, and theFinlandersSuoni, which two differ only in the Dialect; and there is a tradition that they had both the same FounderJumi, who could not well have bin the Author of diverse Nations. We may also observe that their languages have much affinity, tho they be not the very same, as shall be proved at large in a particular Chapter. TheFinlanderscallGod,Jumala, theLaplanders,Jubmal,theFinlandersfire,Tuli, theLaplandersTolle; they call a hillWuori, theseWarra, and so they agree in many other words. Besides they have bodies and habits alike, both their limbs well set, black hair, broad faces, and stern countenances, and whatever else they have different is very small, or may easily proceed from their diet or Clime, in which they live. Their clothes too are not much unlike; for if we compare the Picture of an ancientFinlander, as it still remains in the Church ofStorekyrinOstrobothnia, where the slaughter of BishopHenrywas drawn at large, with mine of aLaplanderin Chapt.XVII. it will appear there is no great difference between them. Lastly they agree in disposition and humor: they are both much given to laziness at home, unless when necessity urges them to work; both, unmoveable from their purpose, both superstitious and lovers of Magick. And thereforeOl. Magn.saies of them both, that they were so skilfull Magicians in the time of their Paganism as if they had hadZoroasterhimself for their teacher. In a word whateverTacitussaies of theFinlanders, now holds true of theLaplanders, thatthey have neither weapons, horses, nor houshold gods, they live upon herbs, are cloth’d with skins, lie upon the ground, putting all their confidence in arrows, which they head with bones for want of iron. Both the men and women support themselves by hunting, and they have no other defence for their Children against the violence of wild beasts or weather, but Huts or hurdles, which are the security of the old men as well as young.And the same Description whichSaxogives of these, belongs as well to theLaplanders, thatthey are the farthest People towards the North, living in a Clime almost inhabitable, good archers and hunters, wanderers, and of anuncertain habitations, wheresoever they kill a beast making that their mansion, and they slide upon the snow in broad wooden shoes. Besides all this, theNorwegiansandDanescall theLaplanders,Fenni, as may be seen inPetr. Claud.where he divides theFinlandersintoSiofinnar, i. e. maritimeFinlanders, andLappefinner; i. e.Lappfinlanders, the same with theLaplanders. This may be collected too from theRussianscalling them not onlyLappi, butKajienni, the original of which name can be no other but that they esteem them to be theCajani, of which name there is a Province now inFinlandcalledCajaniathe great.
But here some imagine that theLaplanderscame not in probability from theFinlanders, because the one are very warlike, the other cowards, these fat and corpulent, those lean and meager. But this doth not at all invalidate our arguments; for every one knows that diet will much alter the habit of the body, and theFinlandershave plenty of good nurishing meats, of which theLaplandersare quite destitute. And for theFinlanderscourage in war, heretofore they were not so notable for it, forTacitussaiesthey had neither arms nor horses, by which he implies they knew not at all what belonged to war. Neither are they very expert at it yet, for by daily experience ’tis found when they are likely to be prest for Soldiers they hide themselves, and by all means decline employment, therefore they are not warlike from their nature, but from their discipline and arts, and in their natural temper they differ not much from theLaplanders. But what need we go about to prove this by so many arguments, when they confess themselves they are originally sprung from theFinlanders, and still keep a list of the Captains that first led them forth intoLapland, of whomMieschogieschis the chief. The same is confirm’d byAndr. Andresoniuswho lived there, and learn’t it from them, only that he saidThins kogrehwas the cheif Captain, and so dothZachar. Plantin. But whatever is said of either of these two Captains, we are not to imagine that they brought the first Plantation ofLaplandersinto this Country, for ’tis not probable they should so long remember their names, who must have lived beforeSaxo, for he mentions this Country, and lived about 480 years before us, at which time theFinlandersthemselves scarce know what was done, much less theLaplanders. And this the nameThinns, doth something prove, which none shall perswade me to be an oldFinlandword, for it is the same with theSwedesThinnis, and the DutchThinius, i. e.Antonius, and that the wordAntoniuswas known to theFinlandersbeforeChristno man will suspect. The same may be said concerning the pretended occasion of the Colony ofFinlanderssetling inLapland; for they themselves say, that they leftBrokarlaandRengoarvis, because they were opprest with taxes and pitcht first in a wood inOstrobothniacalledTavastianear theBodic bay. But all this, as hath bin shew’d the very name ofLappi, which signifies banish’t persons, sufficiently confutes.PlantinandPeter Nieuren, pretend that though theLaplandersvoluntarily removed toTavastia, they were forc’t to their present habitation: for the Natives ofTavastia, griev’d to see them in a florishing condition, wearing rich clothes, fareing deliciously, and abounding in all manner of wealth, chose them a Captain calledMatthias Kurk, and with a great number invaded their quarters, killing and plundering all they met with, not desisting till they had quite drove them as far as the RiversKimiandTorne: and not long after perceiving they lived too happily there, they set uponthem the second time, dealing so cruelly with them, that leaving their Cattel they were forc’t to fly into those barren Countries they now inhabit, carrying with them only their nets.Plantin.adds further thatAndr. Andresoniusaffirms he saw some ancient letters, in which mention was made ofKurka Governour of theLaplanders: but as for his other name ofMatthias, it is plain it was postnate to Christianity, since which time if we should imagine theLaplandersfirst to have come into these parts, we must also suppose the Country to have bin till then uninhabited, whereas we have all reason to believe that theBiarmiandScridfinnilived here beforeChrist, the latter of which seem by their name to have bin only a Colony sent out ofFinland: and mention is made ofFinlandersin these parts in the time ofHaraldthe fair, orHarfagerKing ofNorway, and his SonEricus Bodsexe, who lived long before the times of Christianity, and went down intoFinmarkandBiarmia, and obtained a great victory over them. Now if he went by Sea Northwards ofNorwayto come toFinmark,Finmarkthen must have bin nearNorway, as lying North of it near the Sea, that is the same Country that is now namedFinmark, which because then inhabited byFinlanders, as appears by the name, it is not to be believed that it was first possess’t by theLaplandersthat were drove out ofSouth-BothniabyMatthias Kurk. Neither are they calledLappifrom being driven out then, for they were so called inSaxo’s time, and there is little reason to believe thatMatthias Kurk’s expedition was before him, especially from that inscription which mentionsKurk, since that in those times they knew not so much of writing as to record any thing in it.
Wherefore we must find out some better authority to confirm to us the originall of theLapps, for we may believe that theFinlandersmore then once march’t out intoLapland, which is evident from the several names of their leaders, whom some calledThinns-Kogre, othersMieschogiesche. The first and most ancient is that from whence theBiarmitook their originall, whom I conclude to have descended from theFinlanders, from calling their Gods byFinlandishnames. Besides in their nature and manners they agree with the ancientFinlanders: and lastly are called by all StrangersScridfinni, i. e.Finlandersgoing upon frozen snow, which, the ancient knowing none else to go so, took to be theBiarmi. But the name ofBiarmiwas given them by theFinlandersfrom their going to dwell upon the Mountains, from the wordVarama, which signifies a hilly Country: now because Strangers knew from theSwedesthey used wooden shoes to go upon the snow, which by theSwedesare calledAtt Skriida, not knowing the nameBiarmi, they called themScridfinni: and because theFinlandersandBiarmianswere of the same originall, they were often subject to the same Prince, as toCusoin KingHolterstime. What the occasion was of this leaving their Country is yet doubtfull, except it was for fear of theSwedes, who in the reign of KingAgnusinvadedFrosteKing ofFinland, and harassed the whole Country. The second time of deserting their Country was when theRussiansenlarged their Empire as far as the lakeLadog. For fearing the cruelty of these People they retired intoLapland: which I am apt to beleive because theRussianscall themKienni, as has bin said before from their passage throughKajaniaintoLapland, which they could not have known but by their own experience; and their wars with them, especially those ofCareliaandCajaniabeing so ignorant both in history and other Countries, that they scarce know any thing of their own, that is of any antiquity. And this proves what wehave said of their second leaving their Country, which was about the 6thage afterChrist: and these perhaps are they which are simply calledFinniby theDanes,Swedes, andNorwegians, or with the addition ofSiæorField, obsolete words of theBiarmians, because they were more then they in number, especially afterHarald HarfigerKing ofNorway, who almost destroyed all theBiarmiin battle. In the mean while theFinlanderslay secure inFinmark, and all theBiarmibeing extinct, the name ofFinniobtained, and the name and credit of theBiarmiwas quite abolish’t and forgot. And these are all the times they left their Country before they were calledLappi, for till after this they were never called otherwise thanFinni,Scritofinni, andBiarmi. But in after ages we find them namedLappones, of whomAdam. Bremensismakes no mention who lived in 1077, butSaxodoth, that lived in 1200; and therefore ’tis probable that in that intervall of time, after they were call’dLappones, they made their third migration. But any one that will examine the histories of that time, will scarce find any thing that should move theFinlandersto leave their Country, asEricus Sanctushath made it appear in that Expedition in which he brought them under theSwedishGovernment, and planted among them the Christian Religion, which he made in the year 1150, when no small number of them the third time seem to have deserted their Country, and gone intoLapland. And the reason is plain, having bin subject’d to Strangers, and forc’t to be of a Religion different from that of their Ancestors, which thereupon was hatefull to them, and therefore no wonder some of them sought out a place where they might live free: which is as good a reason too why they were calledLappsby those that stayed, for they submitting to theSwedes, and embracing Christianity, look’t upon them as desertors of their Country, whom fear only of a good Government, and better Religion, had made exiles, especially when the King had put forth an Edict that all should be accounted banish’t that would not renounce Pagan Superstition; therefore they were justly calledLappi, and care not to hear of the name to this day.
And this is my opinion of their originall and migrations, out of which I shall not be perswaded by those learned men who believe they rather came from theTartars, for we never read of any of them going into the North. Moreover theTartarslive altogether by war and plunder, whereas theLaplanderslive by hunting and grasing, abhorring nothing more than war. Besides the cheif delight of theTartarsis in having many stately Horses, of which theLappsare so ignorant, that in their whole language they have not a word to signify an Horse: the language also of the two Nations is so different that one cannot possibly be derived from the other. And altho some learned men, who pretend they understood both languages ofFinlandandLapland, confidently aver that they are altogether diverse: yet it will be easy to produce diverse men as well skill’d in them, as they that say the contrary. Besides ’tis no consequence because there are a few differences between theFinlandandLaplandlanguages, that they are therefore utterly diverse, when this disagreeing may rather proceed from the length of time than any diversity of the Tongues at first, as we find now manySwedishwords that do not at all agree with those now in vogue, which yet do not constitute a new language. And their saying theLaplanderscould not come from theFinlanders, because they alwaies hated one another, is of little force, when the reasons of their hatred are enough explained already. But it signifies less that theFinlandershave severall Customs and Manners not in use among theLaplanders, as the way ofbuilding houses,&c.for these were to accommodate themselves to the nature of the place whither they came, and to forget those things which would not be of any use to them. And moreover, there remains still a memoriall of those that came out ofFinland, where they first sate down in the woods ofTavastia, near a Lake which they callLappiakairo, that is the Fountain of theLaplanders, who when their necessary food grew scarce, went further up into the Desarts, and theFinlanderspursuing them inTavastia, they retreat’d to theBothnicbay, where they might be more safe, and have more conveniences for living: and this is that migration yet in memory whichPlantin.speaks of,viz.that theLaplanderslived here for an age, or more, till the time of KingMagn. Ladulaos, An. 1272, who to get them under his subjection, promised any one that could effect it, the Government of them, which theBirkarli,i. e.those that lived in the allotment or division ofBirkala, undertook; and having for a great while cunningly insinuated themselves into them, under a pretence of friendship, at last set upon them unawares, and quite subdued them. But before this they were infested by theTavastiunder the command ofKurk, which if we would strictly examine, we should find it of later date than about Christs time, contrary to some mens opinions. As it happens in things that are taken upon trust, theLaplandersconfound the more modern with the ancient, making but one history of all that happen’d in the distinct times ofEricus Sanctus,Magnus Ladulaos, with some other Kings before and after, and that so confused and lame, that it is hard for any one to understand it.Ol. Petr.mentions at large oneMatthias, Captain of theFinlanders, when they subdued and drove out theLaplandersinto the furthest and most desolate place of the North, whom some think to be a noble Family of theKurksinFinland, and that he ceased not, by frequent inrodes upon them, to molest them, till they promised to pay him yearly tribute, which he at length weary of the long and tedious journey exchanged with some ofBirkarlainTavastiafor a part ofFinland, whence followed what is most true, that theLaplandersto the year 1554 paid annuall tribute to theBirkarli, besides whom it was not lawfull for any others to trade with them. There are those now living who say they have seen the letters and conditions of theKurkskept inErsnees, an allotment ofLulalapmark, by oneJo. Nilson. Which things are so far from being immediatly after the birth ofChrist, that they may be reasonably thought to have bin sinceMag. Ladulaos, unless we can imagine thatOl. Petr.by hisTavastiandBuræusbyBirkarlimeant the same people, since there were otherBirkarliinhabitants ofTavastia, who chose them a Captain namedKurk, under whom they drove out theLaplandersout of the Borders of the EasternBothnia, and made them tributary, and the letters may not be ascribed toKurk, but toLadulaos, in which he had granted theBirkarlithe priviledge to receive tribute of theLapps, and of trafficking with them, for it is not probable thatKurk, though he was their chosen Captain, was to have all the benefit of theLaplandersto himself, so as by contract to tranfer to theBirkarlihis right. For theTavastiiwere either a free People and so shared among one another whatever they got, or else under some Prince, and so could not give another what was not their own, but their Masters. Besides if they did giveKurkany thing, as some Villages, or the like, it was not from any bargain that they were to receive in its stead tribute from theLaplanders, but as a reward to himself for his pains and conduct in the war. But whatever may be said ofKurkand theTavasti, ’tis certaintheLaplandersnever came originally from theRussians, nor as others think from theTartars, but from theFinlanders, having bin driven out of their Country, and forc’t to change their habitations often, till at length they fixt in this Land where they now live: and that Country, which from the remove of its inhabitants was calledLapland, had the same name continued by theSwedes, who had conquered the greatest part thereof. For after theSwedeshad learnt from theFinlandersthat they were calledLapps, they also gave them the same name, then theDanestook it up: thenSaxo, afterwardsZiegler, thenDam. Goes, who had the account which he gives of theLaplandersfromOl.andJoh. Magn.and so at last all the Country was calledLaplandfrom the Bay ofBothniaNorthwards, especially after it was made subject to theSwedes, except only that part which lies on the Coasts ofNorway, which retained its antient name ofFinland; as also that part towards the white Sea, called by theMoscovites,Cajanica, altho these sometimes call the inhabitantsLoppi, which without doubt they took from their neighbours theFinlanders.