_Of the Diet of the_ Laplanders.
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 of _Norway_
Sheep, 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 wild _Angelica_, 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 of _Angelica_. 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 also another
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; _Lomenius_ calls it _dissolved 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 call _Læbma_, and also
whay, if you will beleive _Olaus_. 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 from _Norway_ at their Fair times,
and use it especially at their solemn Feasts and Weddings. I had almost
forgot _Tobacco_, 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 called _Waldmar_, 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 Rheen_ tells 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 in _Pithilapmark_. In _Tornelapmark_ their 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.