CHAP. VII.Of the Religion of theLaplanders.
Having seen the rise and Original of theLaplanders, we come now to speak more distinctly of them, but first of their Religion; not only what is now, but also what was before Christianity came to be receiv’d there. For there wereLaplanders, or at least some Inhabitants ofLaplandbefore the Christian Religion was introduced: such as theFinni,Lappofinni,Scridfinni, orBiarmi, as is above said; but it was very long before theLaplandersproperly so called embraced the Christian Religion. At first there is no doubt they were Pagans, as all the Northern Nations were, but being all Pagans were not of the same Religion, it may be enquired which theLaplandersprofest. And I suppose it could be no other then that of theFinlanders, from whom they derive their original, and consequently their Religion too. But what the Religion of theFinlanderswas is very uncertain, since we have no account of the ancient affairs of that Nation. Therefore we must make our conjectures from theBiarmi, andScridfinni, as also from some remains among theFinlandersandLaplanders.
We have already prov’d theBiarmito be the first Colony that theFinlanderssent intoLapland, of whom this is chiefly recorded in ancient Monuments, that they worship’d a certain God whom they calledJumala: whichJumalaorJomalais manifestly a different word from what is mentioned in the History ofSt. OlausKing ofNorway, and ofHerrodus, for they relate it as peculiar to theBiarmi, and unknown to themselves; who being eitherGoths,NorwegiansorIslanders, it cannot possibly be any oldGothicword, but of some other Country, and therefore most probably ofFinland, where it is now in use. ForGod, which is by theSwedes,Goths, and all of the same original termedGott, orGudh, is by them calledJumala;custom without doubt prevailing that the same name, whereby in ancient times they called the false God, was translated to the true One, both by theFinlanders, theBiarmiand theLaplandersalso who came out ofFinland, and being joined with theBiarmimade one Nation. BesidesJumala, it seems theLaplandershad a God whom theSwedescallThor, which may be gathered, not only because they worship oneThorat this present among their idols, as shall be shewn hereafter, but also because in the number of Gods which the oldFinlanders, especially theTavastiadored, there was reckonedTurrisas, the God of War and Victory, which was no other thenThor. ThisTurrisasis put in one word forTurris-As(i. e.)Turris,Turrus, orTorus(for so his name is diversly written) the Prince of theAses, orAsiatics, for those who in former times came out ofAsiainto these parts were calledAses, of whom thisTurruswas the first, who from that time was worshipped by theFinlandersby the name ofTurrisas; which may farther be proved fromArngrinus Jonæ, who saies the first King of theFinlanderswasTorrus, one of the Predecessors of KingNorus, from whom some thinkNorige, (i. e.)Norway, quasiNori Rige, to take its denomination, it being frequent for the ancient Kings to take upon them the names of their Gods. Thus among the ancientGreekswe find many who were called by the names ofJupiterandNeptune. SoTorrusthe King was so called fromTorusthe ancient God of theFinlanders, from whom without doubt he was derived to theLaplanders, together with their language, worships, and other customs. To these two (if they are two)JumalaandThor, may be added theSun, which I gather from this, because he is still reckoned among their Gods. Besides he is generally worship’d in all barbarous and pagan Countries, and if he be adored for his light and heat by those People, who enjoy the benefit of a warm air and temperate climate, how much more by theLaplanders, who for no small space endure the hardship of continual night and bitter frosts? but I shall speak more concerning the Sun hereafter.
These are the chief Gods of theLaplanders, whether they had any of less note may be questioned, tho I doubt it not; because at this day they worship some others, which theFinlandersdid before them, and probably brought with them intoLapland. Of these theCareliihadRongotheusthe God of Ry,Pellonpekoof Barly,Wierecannosof Oats,Egresof Herbs, Pease, Turnips, Flax, and Hemp;Ukowith his wifeRowne, of tempests;Kækrethe Protector of Cattel from wild beasts;Hysehad the command ofWolves, and Bears,Nyrkeof Squirrel-hunting,Hyttavanesof Hare-hunting. Some of these theLaplandersworshipped; especially those whose help they stood chiefly in need of to the performing of their business, as the gods of hunting and preserving their Cattel from wild beasts, and such like: others probably they neglected as useless, because they neither plowed nor sowed. But I cannot say under what names they worshipped them, because I find nothing of certainty thereof, either in their ancient records, or modern customs.
Next we must consider what kind of worship they pai’d their Gods, which we have already mentioned; but of this also we are in great uncertainty, unless we make our judgment from the present times, and deliver those rites which are now used by theLaplandersin their religious performances, but of this we shall speak more when we come to treat of the present state of their Religion. We shall only note here what is read ofJumala. He washeretofore represented in the image of a man sitting upon an Altar, with a Crown on his head, adorned with twelve gems, and a golden Chain about his neck, which was formerly of the value of 300 Marks; tho whether the word in the History doth signify a chain, or may better be rendred a Jewel, ’tis uncertain; for it is said thatCharleslifting his Ax, cut the collar whereon it hanged: which shews that it was rather gold, artificially carved and set with jewels, which was (I suppose) the reason whyHerrodusdoth not set down its weight, as is usual in the valuing of chains, but its price. This Jewel calledMenfromMenethe Moon whose figure it represented, was, as I imagine, tied to a collar about the neck, and hanged down upon the brest of the image, as is usual in all such ornaments at this day. But whether this were a chain or locket, it is certain the other parts of his habit were agreeable to our description of him; wherein he was not much unlike theSwedesGodThor, as he is described in our History ofUpsal: for he also was made sitting with a Crown on his head, adorned with stars, asJumalawith jewels, each to the number of twelve, from whence I am almost perswaded that theBiarmi, and after them theLaplanders, either worshipped one God under two names, or if they were two Gods, they used their names promiscuously. For the true God, whom they knew partly by reason, and partly by tradition, was by them calledJumala: but after the name ofThorbegan to be famous, they either calledJumalaby the name ofThor, or gaveThorthe name ofJumala: which I gather from hence, because at this day theLaplandersattribute that to theirThor, which questionless formerly they did toJumala,viz.the power and command over the inferior Gods, especially the bad and hurtful: also over the air, thunder, lightning, health, life and death of men, and such like; as shall be shewn hereafter. What his image was made of, is not known, but I suppose it was wood, becauseCharlesis said to have cut off his head with his Ax, when he only designed the cutting of the collar that held the aforesaid jewel, which he could hardly have don, had it bin either silver or gold. Besides, to prove it was wood, it was burnt to ashes, together with the Temple, and all its furniture, excepting some gold, and other precious things; with which gold particularly they did homage to their God: for theBiarmiin their ceremonies toJumala, did cast gold as a sacred offertory to him into a golden dish, of a vast weight and bigness, which stood upon his knees. This Vessel, in the History ofOlaus, is said to be of silver, and full of silver coin, for a little before his time both basin and gold were lost, and theBiarmi, never had an opportunity of getting more. They did not worshipJumalaevery where, but in some few places, or perhaps only in that one, where in a thick remote wood he had a kind of a Temple, not as they are usually built with walls and roof, but only a piece of ground fenced as the old Roman Temples were; from hence one might look every way, which could not have bin don had they bin cover’d at the top. As in the form of their Temples, so in the situation of them they did imitate the ancients, who for the most part chose groves to worship their Gods in, and there built their Temples. So much ofJumala, and the ancient manner of worshipping him amongst theBiarmi, as it is transmitted to us by ancient Writers; but ofThor, the Sun, and the other Gods, there is nothing read but what belongs to the times of Christianity, and the superstition still remaining amongst them, of which we shall speak particularly in the following Chapter.