CHAP. XVIII.Of the Diet of theLaplanders.
Having discoursed of their Garments, I proceed to speak of their Diet. Their food is not the same amongst them all, but different according to the places they inhabit. The Mountaineers live almost wholly on their Rain-deers, that furnish them with Milk, Cheese, and Flesh: tho sometimes they buy from the neighboring parts ofNorwaySheep, Goats, and Oxen, which they milk in the Summer, and kill in the Winter, because they have neither Pasture nor Stable room for them to keep them long. And for this reason they buy but very few of them, and feed almost altogether on their Rain-deer, which they have in great abundance. The flesh of these they feed on in the Winter, and that alwaies boiled, but in the Summer their diet is Milk, Cheese, and dried flesh. Their dainties most in esteem with them are the tongue and marrow of their Rain-deers, and with these they are want to entertain their Priests. One odd kind of dish these of the Mountains have, and that is the blood of their Rain-deers boiled in water to the consistence of a hasty pudding. The others that dwell in the Woods feed partly on Fish, and partly on Birds and Beasts, and that too both Summer and Winter, but more frequently on Fish. The flesh of Beares they prefer before all other, and with that they feast their dearest friends.
They have also some kind of Sawces of Black-berries, Straw-berries, and other peculiar ones of their own, as also wildAngelica, and the inner rine of the Pine-tree. The use of Bread and Salt is almost unknown to them, and when they have any of the later, they use it very sparingly. Instead of bread they eat dried fish, which by grinding they reduce to a kind of meal, and instead of Salt the inward rine of the Pine-tree, prepared after an odd kind of manner. They pull the bark off first, and then they take the inward rine, and divide it into thin skins like parchment, making it very clean; these they dry in the Sun, and then tearing it into small pieces they put it up in boxes made of the barks of trees: these they bury under ground, and cover them with sand. When they have bin dried about a day, they kindle a great fire over the hole where they put their boxes, and by that means the rines acquire a red color, and a very pleasant tast. On Fridaies they eat no flesh, but feed either on fish, or milk, having retained this custom from their Roman Catholic Priests. They boil all their fresh flesh, but not very much; that their broth may be the better and fuller of gravy: and sometimes they put also fish into the same kettle. Their milk they either boil with some quantity of water, it being of it self to thick, or else they let it stand in the cold, to freeze into a kind of Cheese, that it may be kept longer for use. Their fish they eat sometimes fresh as soon as they catch them; sometimes they dry them in the Sun, and being hardned by the wind and air, they may be kept severall years.
Their sweet meats, which serve them instead of Apples, Nuts, and the like, are preparations made of severall sorts of Berries. When their Straw-berries begin to be ripe, they gather them, and boil them in their own juice, without the addition of water, with a slow fire, till they are very soft: then they sprinkle them over with a little salt, and putting them into a vessell made of birch-bark, they bury it in the ground: and in the Autumn and Winter when they have occasion for them, they take them out as fresh as if they had bin newly gathered: and these stand them in good stead when no other Berries are to be had. Sometimes whilst they are fresh they put them to the flesh of Fish, and make an odd kind of dish, after this manner. Having boiled the Fish they first bone them, and then add Straw-berries to them, and beat them together in a wooden pestle to a mash, and so eat it with spoons. And this dish they make also with all other kinds of Berries. Another Kickshaw that pleaseth them very much, they make ofAngelica. They take the staulks before it seed, and scraping of the outward skin, they put the rest upon coals, and so eat it broiled. They have alsoanother way of preparing it, and that is to boil them in whay for a whole day till they look as red as blood. But this sort of meat is very bitter of it self, but by custom becomes plesant enough to them, especially since they are perswaded ’tis a great preservative of health. They likewise boil sorrell in milk; as also the rine of the Pine-tree, which, as was said before, being prepared, serves them instead of salt.
I come next to speak of their drink, which is ordinarily nothing but water;Lomeniuscalls itdissolved Ice: but certainly he is mistaken, for having such plenty of Rivers and Lakes, for all the Ice they can hardly want water. And to prevent its freezing, they have alwaies some hanging over the fire in a kettle; out of which everyone with a spoon takes what he pleases, and so drinks it hot, especially in the Winter time. Besides common water, they often drink the broth I spoke of, made of flesh and fish, which they callLæbma, and also whay, if you will beleiveOlaus. These are their usuall drinks; for Ale and Beer is utterly unknown to them. That which they drink for plesure, is spirit of Wine and Brandy, with a little of which you may win their very souls. This they buy fromNorwayat their Fair times, and use it especially at their solemn Feasts and Weddings. I had almost forgotTobacco, of which they are very great admirers, and traffic for it as one of their cheif commodities.
In the next place let us see the manner of their eating. Their dining room in the Winter time is that part of the Hut where the man and his wife and daughters use to be, and is on the right hand as you go in at the foregate: but in Summer without doors upon the green grass. Sometimes too they are want to sit about the kettle in the middle of the Hut. They use not much ceremony about their places, but every one takes it as he comes first. They seat themselves upon a skin spread on the ground cross-leg’d in a round ring; and the meat is set before them in the middle, upon a log or stump instead of a table; and severall have not that, but lay their meat upon the skin which they sit on. Having taken the flesh out of the kettle, the common sort put it upon a woollen table cloth calledWaldmar, the richer on a linnen; as for trenchers and dishes they are quite unknown to them. But if any liquid thing be to be served up, they put it in a kind of trey made of birch. Sometimes without any other ceremony every one takes his share out of the kettle, and puts it upon his gloves, or his cap. Their drink they take up in a wooden Ladle, which serves instead of plate. And it is farther observable that they are abominable gluttons when they can get meat enough; and yet hardy too to endure the most pinching hunger when they are forc’t to it. When their meal is ended they first give God thanks, and then they mutually exhort one another to Faith and Charity, taking each other by the right hand, which is a symbol of their unity and brotherhood.Samuel Rheentells us they lift up their hands first, and then say Grace after this manner,All thanks be given to God, who hath provided this meat for our sustenance. This is their Grace inPithilapmark. InTornelapmarktheir Grace is a little different; they say in their own Tongue,Piaomaos Immel lægos kitomatz piergao odest adde misg mosea wicken ieggan taide ko mig læx iegnaston, that is,Good God praised be thou for this meat: make that which we have at this time eaten give strength to our bodies. And so much for their Diet, and manner of eating.