_Of their Child-bearing, and the Education of their Children._
Next to Marriage it will be expedient to treat of their Child-bearing,
and their Children. Where we may note first, that they wish for nothing
more, and that they take no greater plesure in any thing then fruitfull
Matrimony. And hence it is, I suppose, they are so prone to lust, as
is elsewhere shown: but altho they desire this so ardently, yet they
are very seldome fruitfull in Children, for they can scarce beget
more then eight, which number is the greatest, and usually they beget
but one, two, or three. An occasion of this their barreness, _Sam.
Rheen_ imagines their bad diet, as likewise the extreme coldness of
the Country, which I think may be very true. He moreover adds Gods
anger, which he collects from this, because tho they are not worn
away with War or Plague, yet notwithstanding their Country is never
the more populous, and their Nation wasts rather daily. The motive
of this anger he supposes to be their obstinateness in maintaining
their ancient impieties. They use indeed at this very day, not only in
Child-bearing, but other affairs too, to be solicitous concerning the
events, and to search after them by their superstitious rites. Their
first care is concerning the sex, for as soon as they perceive the
wife to be big with child, they have an opinion that they can inform
themselves whether it will prove a Boy or a Girl, after this manner:
they forthwith view the Moon (for they imagine that a Child-bearing
woman bears some resemblance to the Moon, as we shall hear) if there be
a Star just above the Moon, they thence collect that the burden will
prove of the male sex, if below, of the female. But I wonder they make
a comparison between the Moon and a woman with child. For can there
be any account given of their resemblance? is it, that like the Moon,
she grows big with her burden, and when that is laid, lessens again? I
rather suppose that these are the reliques of their Pagan superstition,
which made the Moon the tutelar Goddess to women with child. For so
most of the Pagans did account other, which opinion being outdated,
they yet pretend some resemblance between them. Their second care is
touching the health or sickness of the child, which thing also they
suppose the Moon will inform them in. For if a Star be just before the
Moon, they take it for a sign that the child will prove healthfull,
and grow up to be a man. But if it comes just after her, they thence
presage that the child will be a very sickly one, and not long lived.
The woman with child laies her burden in a hut, but (which any body
may understand) a sufficient incommodious one, especially if the time
of her delivery happen to be in the Winter, for tho they have a fire
kindled in the middle of the hut, yet that can give her but little
warmth. After her delivery, her first restorative and cordial, is a
good draught of Whales fat, which they procure out of _Norway_, the
tast of which is as strong and ill savoured as of a Sea-calves lard,
when dried. The child, as soon as brought forth is washed over as in
other Countries, but it is a peculiar custom of the _Laplanders_ that
first they do it with cold water or snow, and then afterwards dip them
in hot water, when it begins to fetch its wind, and can scarcely draw
breath. And also they use to dip in the water all the other parts of
the body, the head only excepted; They heat water, saies _Sam. Rheen_,
in a Caldron, and in that they set the infant streight up to his neck,
but they let no water come upon his head, before such time as he is
baptized by the Priest. The newborn Babe is instantly wrapped up in an
Hares skin, instead of linnen swadling clothes.
The woman lying in, hath her peculiar place assigned her in the hut
where she lodges, till she recover her health. And it is just by the
door usually on the left hand: there is no other reason given for it
then that this part of the hut is less frequently disturb’d by company,
and there they have all things needfull for them administred. Tho this
seldom resort thither be rather, by reason of the womans lying in
in that place, either because they would not disturb her with their
company, or, which I rather suppose, because they look upon her at
that time as unclean. But the women of _Lapland_ seldom keep their
beds long after their delivery, and in that while are extraordinary
carefull touching the Baptism of their Infants: for after they began
more diligently to be instructed in the Christian Religion, they take
the greatest pains imaginable to have their Children baptized as soon
as possibly may be. In former times it was otherwise, most of them
then were baptized very late, and at their mature age; some deferred
it for altogether. Of this _Gustavus_ the first is a witness, in his
Charter, the words whereof I have cited elsewhere. As touching the
former _Gustavus Adolphus_ in an other Charter and Preface, premised to
that which he published _Anno_ 1634, in which the State of the Religion
in _Lapland_ is declared at large; Baptism, saies he, is administred
indeed to them but only at Winter, if their young children can live
till then, it is well; if not, they die without Baptism. Some of their
children come to years of Discretion before it, so that with those that
are grown up, there is no small paines to be taken when they are to be
baptized. The time of Baptism being the Winter time, was because they
have Sermons then preached to them, and the Sacrament administred,
and that no oftner then twice; once about New-years-day, and againe
at Lady-day, of which I have treated in another place. Before these
times there was not so much done as that, but the _Laplanders_ were
fain to come with their Children to the neighbouring Churches of the
_Swedes_ in _Angermannia_ and _Bothnia_, of which _Olaus Magnus_ must
be understood to speak, when he saies Lib. 4. c. 17. Once or twice in
a year they visit the Baptismall Churches, and bring along with them
their sucking Babes in Baskets tied to their backs, to be baptized.
But at this day those women that are able, and not impeded by some
grievous sickness, carry their Children to the Priest themselves,
about a fourtnight after their delivery, that by him they may receive
Baptism. So much good hath building Churches in _Lapland_ done, and
having Sermons there, not in a strange Tongue, but the _Laplanders_
proper own: and so zealous are they for hastening their Childrens
Baptism, that the Mother scarce lying in above a week or fortnight,
after her delivery, will undertake a most tedious journy, over the tops
of Mountains, thorough wide Marshes and high Woods with her Infant to
the Priest; for the women of this Country are naturally hardy, and able
to endure any thing without trouble, and therefore, tho they feed upon
course food in their sicknesses, and drink nothing else but water,
yet they recover again quickly. They carry their young Infants to the
Priest, one way in the Summer time, and another way in the Winter. In
Winter they lay it upon a sledge. In Summer they put it in a Pannier
fastned to the back of a Rain-deer. The Infant is not set upon the back
of the Raindeer, but is tied in his cradle, and fastned to the pack
saddle after this fashion.
[Illustration]
_Olaus Magnus_ makes them put in Baskets, as his words afore quoted
do intimate, and those Baskets too to be tied at their backs, and
the Picture he makes of them represents not only the woman, but the
man too so laden, each with two Children a piece: so that together
they travell with four Children, and with wooden shoes on their feet;
but here I am afraid the Painter followed his own fancy too much.
Certain it is that the Baskets there represented, bear no resemblance
to those of _Lapland_. The _Laplanders_ are wholly ignorant of this
sort of Baskets, that are carried at ones back. Nor are their Baskets
like wooden square Boxes, such as his figure represents them, but of
a round compass, and one part shut down upon the other, as I have
said elsewhere. But to return to their Baptism, in it they give their
Children names, according to the names of some of their friends and
kindred. _Samuel Rheen_ adds that they affect to put Pagan names
upon them, such as _Thor_, _Guaarm_, _Finne_, _Pagge_; but that the
Priests avert them from so doing as much as possibly they can. And this
is peculiar with them, that they often change their names, and put
others upon them then those that were given them at their Baptism, for
the love they bear to some friend or kinsman deceased, whose memory
thereby they desire to preserve. _Tornæus_ too avouches the same thing,
and if at any time in their younger years they fall into sickness,
then they use the name given them in Baptism instead of a surname,
especially they observe this in boies. But altho the _Laplanders_
wives are hardy, so as to be able to undertake a journy a week or two
after their delivery, and to go about other emploiments, tho they have
made their public appearance, and have been churched by the Priest,
yet by their husbands they are looked upon as unclean, till six weeks
be accomplished, so that they admit of no familiarity or conjugal
society with them for all that space of time. And thus much of their
child-bearing.
I proceed next to their Education of them, the first thing that occurs
here is their Nursing, which is alwaies by their own Mothers milk, for
the _Laplanders_ make no use of Nurses. And this they do not only for
some small time, but usuall for two years, three or four together;
but if sickness or any other occasion happen, so that they cannot
themselves suckle their young ones, they give them the Rain-deers
milk, which is grosser and thicker, then they can well draw out of a
suck-bottle, (as at sometimes they are accustomed to do, elswhere)
and for that reason, if the necessity be urgent they give it in a
spoon. Besides their Mothers milk, they instantly accustom their young
Infants, to eat flesh, for they thrust into their mouths a piece of
Rain-deers flesh, that they may suck the gravie out of it, and so get
nurishment.
The rocking the infant in his cradle, follows next, whereby they get
him a sleep. Their Cradles are made of the stock of a tree hollowed,
like a boat: these they cover with leather, and at the head they erect
an arched kind of roof, of leather likewise. In such a cradle they lay
& tie in the Infant, without any linnen clothes or sheets, instead
of which they lay him on a sort of soft moss, of a red color, which
they dry in Summer, and have great plenty of it. When the Infant is
to be rocked, they let the cradle hang by a rope from the roof of the
hut, and by thrusting the cradle and tossing it from one side to the
other, they lull him a sleep. They use likewise to please their young
children with some certain baubles, for at their cradles they tie some
rings of Alchamy, to make a noise and clinking. To these rings which
serve instead of rattles they moreover add some emblems, wherewith
their children may be timely admonished of their condition and future
duty. If it be a boy, they hang up at his cradle a bow and arrows, and
a spear made very artificially out of Rain-deers horn, whereby they
signifie, that their children must diligently practise to be expert
and ready in using the bow and spear. If it be a girle; the wings,
feet, and beak of a white Partridge, which they call _Smæripa_, and
is call’d _Lagopus_ having feet like the feet of an hare, thereby
implying, that their Daughters must carefully learn to be cleanly, and
like those birds nimble and active. As soon as the children come to
some age, they instruct them in all necessary arts, the Fathers the
boies, the Mothers the girles, for they have no School-masters among
them, but each person is his own childerns Master, and they are so far
put on by their parents as to be able to perform any works in use among
them. Their boies they cheifly teach the Art of Shooting, and hitting
marks with an arrow, because in old time they were necessitated to get
their living by the help of bow and arrows, whereas the greatest part
of them maintain themselves by hunting, and therefore when they have
practised never so little the use of the bow, the boies victuals are
kept from them, till they can hit a mark with an arrow, and as it
was the custom anciently among the _Baleares_, and so now among the
_Laplanders_, their boies earn their food every day by their dexterity
in shooting, and thereby at last they prove most excellent marks-men.
_Olaus Magnus_ makes mention of this their practice, and wonderfully
extolls their dextrousness herein, and avers that he himself has seen
some of them who could exactly hit a farthing or a nedle, set at such
a distance off as would just let them see it. On the boies, that they
may take more care to hit the mark, when they have hit it, they bestow
a white girdle, wherein they take huge delight, and sometime a new
bow. But as the _Laplanders_ do look to their children in time to
teach them arts requisite to get their living, so also to provide them
means to maintain themselves withal, where it will not be impertinent
to mention, that tis a custom with them to bestow upon their infant a
female Rain-deer, soon after its birth or Baptism, if it be of female
Sex, and upon the horns of it they ingrave her mark, so to prevent all
controversies or quarrels, that may arise concerning her right. She
receives likewise another, when she cuts her first tooth. Which they
call _Pannikeis_, that is, the tooth Rain-deer. _John Tornæus_ writes
as if these gifts were given only by women. The Woman saies he, that
first spies a tooth in his mouth, is fain to honor him with a present
of a Rain-deers Calve. This custom might probably have its rise thus,
because, when the infants have gotten teeth, they have need of more
solid meat, therefore they stock them with Rain-deer as being their
cheifest food. That Rain-deer then, and whatever encrease comes of
it, are preserv’d to the future uses of the child, as may appear by
what we have elsewhere said, in the Chapter of their marriages, and so
likewise of the other Rain-deer which parents give the child besides,
for tis usual among them to superadd one to the former, and this they
call _Waddom_, that is, the given one. And this is the chief care of
the Parents towards their children, but if they die, instead of them
are substituted Guardians, as among other nations, out of their nearest
kindred, who manage all these affairs for them.