_Of their Diseases, Death and Burial._
Tho the _Laplanders_ lead a miserable and hardy kind of life, yet they
enjoy their health perfectly well. They have not so much as heard of
most diseases, and are not all infected with those, that elswhere use
to depopulate whole Countries. There are no acute and burning feavers
among them, no plague. And if any infection be brought among them, it
instantly loses its force. Some years since an infection was brought
into _Lapland_ in hemp, but none were hurt by it, besides the women
that in spinning chewed it, for the Northern cold easily dissipates the
poisonous vapors. The ordinary and frequent disease among them is, sore
eies, from whence not seldom proceeds blindness. The cause of this may
be, that from their infancie they for the most part are forced to be
in smoak, wherewith their Huts are fill’d both in Summer and Winter.
_Ericus Plantinus_ gives the same reason, and moreover adds the light
of the fire to be a cause of it. And this gives them the greatest
trouble imaginable, that their old age usually ends in blindness. They
are often troubled also with the Pleuresy and inflammation of the
lungs, stiches in the back, and dizziness in the head. The small Pox
likewise sometimes takes them. Now as diseases are rare among them, so
Physick is altogether unknown. Against all diseases inwardly they use
the root of a kind of Moss, which they call _Jereh_, or in the failance
of that, the stalke of _Angelica_, which they call _Fadno_, and is any
where to be found. For this use they boil the _Angelica_ with the whey
of Rain-deers milk, as I said it was a custom among them before, in the
Chapter of their food, and so prepared it is made use of as a special
Medicine. If they feel any pain in their joints, they apply some fired
chips to the place ill affected, that the ulcer then made may attract
the vicious humors, and so mitigate the paine.
They cure wounds with no other ointment or plaister then of resin,
which the trees sweat out: if a member be benummed with cold, the
Cheese made of Rain-deers milk affords the presentest remedy to it;
they thrust a red-hot iron into it, and with the fat of the Cheese
that instantly distills from it, they anoint the part affected with
incredible success. Others apply the Cheese it self, slicing it thin
like a plate or leafe. This Cheese so boiled in milk is extraordinary
good for a cough, and what other distempers, either of lungs or breast
arise from cold, if it be taken so heated. It helps the stomach when
disaffected by their drinking water. Because diseases are so rare among
them, most of them come to extreme old age. Nay _Sam. Rheen_ saies
there are some among them that live to be above an hundred years old,
and that most of them usually reach 70, 80, and 90 years, and at this
age he saies many of them are still sufficiently brisk and lively;
able to manage their business with expedition, to take a journey, to
course thorough Woods and Mountains, and to perform other such labour:
and lastly that they grow not grey-haired either soon or easily; so
that old age dispatches more of them then diseases do. But if any be
so dangerously sick as to keep his bed, either worn with age, or some
distemper, they first enquire concerning him by their Drum, whither
he will recover his health againe or die, as I have in another place
shewn this to be one of the uses of the Drum, and _Cl. M. Matthias
Steuchius_ in his Letter to me tells us the same; _I remember_, saies
he, _I was once told by a_ Laplander _that they can tell the very houre
and manner of any mans death by those their Drums_.
When they perceive any one neer death, then if there be present any
well disposed persons, and versed in the Christian Religion, they
exhort him in his agonies to think of God and Christ. If they are
regardless of Religion, they instantly abandon the sick person,
carefull only about the funeral banquet, which they begin sometimes
to celebrate before the person departing is quite dead. _Steuchius_
confirms this by a Story; There was a rich _Laplander_ named _Thomas_,
who when he was taken with a dangerous fitt of sickness, so as to
loose all hope of recovery, he summond before him his friends and
acquaintance; they when they perceived him to be desperate, they hasted
to the Victuallers that keeps the Inn towards _Norway_ and _Jamptland_,
and of him they bought Ale and spirit of Wine ready to sacrifice
over their friend, whilst he was alive: when they had spent a whole
day in quaffing, they camme to the sick mans Hut, and by that time
found him quite dead. This is an example of the latest date, that hath
happened in these our daies, from whence we may learn how just and
reasonable the complaints were, which were premised to the Charter of
_Gustavus Adolphus_, concerning the _Lapland_ School. Furthermore, it
is customary if any die, of whatever distemper, all instantly forsake
the Cottage where the departed person lies; for they imagine (which is
elsewhere shewn) that there survives something of the deceased, such
as the ancient _Latins_ called _Manes_, and that that was not alwaies
benign, but sometimes hurtfull: for this reason they are afraid of the
corps of the deceased. And if the person departed were of the richer
sort: they wrap his corps in a linnen garment, if a poor mean man, in a
woollen tattered one, so as to cover over as well the head, as all the
other parts of the body, this they call _Waldmar_. So indeed do they
that are more observant of the Christian rites then ordinary there; as
for the others, they cover their dead with their own vestments, and
those too the best they had when alive, as _N. Matthias Steuchius_
assures me by a Letter, and confirms it too by a late example that
a person worthy to be credited, related to him by an Inhabitant of
_Undersaok_, a near neighbour to _Lapland_. _The body of the dead_,
saies he, _they cover with the best garments he had alive, and shut
it up in a Biere_. They lay the corps so wrap’d up in a Coffin, or
funeral Chest, which is done by one peculiarly intreated to undertake
the employment, and who must receive of the nearest kinsman to the
deceased person a ring of Alchimy, and wear it fastned to his right
arm. The reason of so tying this ring is, because they beleive it to
be a preservative against the harm the Manes of the deceased person
may otherwise bring upon them, for this reason he is fain to wear this
same ring till the Burial be over, I suppose, because then they think
the ghost may be more quiet, which is the ancient superstition as well
of _Greeks_ as _Romans_. The Coffin is usually made of the hollowed
trunk of a tree, when they have not wherewithall to make a Coffin, as
is common with them that dwell in the barren Mountains near _Norway_,
they lay the corps of the deceased on a Carr or Sledge, which they call
_Akia_, instead of a Coffin. The place of their Buriall in ancient
times, before they turned Christians, was the first convenient place
they met withall for that purpose, especially a Wood. As for them that
dwell at a considerable distance from the Church at this day, they
leave not off the custom of burying them any where where they first
light, with the Sledge too, especially if there are only bare Rocks,
and no Trees to be seen. Others on every side beset the Sledge with the
corps too with stocks of Trees, both above and below, on each side, so
as that it may not contract filthiness or moulder, nor the corps be
torn in pieces, or devoured by wild Beasts.
There are some besides that lay them in Caves, and stop up the mouths
of them with stones. But what _Peucer_ writes that they dig a hole,
and lay their dead bodies under their hearth, thereby to escape
the hauntings of Ghosts, that is neither known nor heard of by the
_Laplanders_: “Whereas saies he, they are strangely frightned and
haunted with the Ghosts of their kindred after death, they provide
against that by burying their bodies under their hearths: by this
only remedy they guard and protect themselves against the hauntings
and affrightments of Demons, this if they do, no ghosts afterwards
appear; if they neglect to do it, they are perpetually interrupted and
infested with the apparitions of their too officious kindred.” They
are so far from burying the corps under the hearth that they rather
remove them to as great a distance as they can, But it is a singular
and memorable passage, that those especially who are less observant of
Christian rites, do use to bury with their deceased, first an hatchet,
and next a flint and steel, of which ceremony they give this account,
that if they ever come to rise againe in that darkness they shall have
great need of springing a light; to which the flint and steel may help
them, as likewise there will be occasion for a ready way, wherein they
may travell to Heaven, to which purpose their hatchet may stand them
instead, them especially that are buried among thick Woods, that if
any Trees obstruct their passage, they may cut them down. And this
do they themselves at this day affirm, now they have heard of a last
day, and a Resurrection of the dead. But I suppose it rather to be an
ancient superstition remaining still in these Countries, nor used only
by the _Laplanders_. I my self saw some few miles distant from _Upsal_,
raked out of the Sepulcher of a famous person, the great Treasurer of
this Kingdom, _M. Steno Bielke_, a steel and flint; which that it was
a relique only of Paganism, not the place only, but Tomb over him did
sufficiently testify. It is certain that it was the ancient persuasion
of Pagans, that there was no other way for the dead to arrive at the
abodes of the Blessed, but thorough darkness, which they are the more
afraid of, because it is the nature of their Country to have thicker
darkness and of more durance then is usual among others. As concerning
the hatchet, it is no wonder, whereas in other places it is a received
custom to lay by dead People their Weapons, of which the principal one,
among the _Laplanders_, is the hatchet. As for what appertains to the
modern _Laplanders_, _Olaus Petri_ imagines that they bury these things
with their dead, because they beleive that after the Resurrection they
shall take the same course of life they lead before, and for that
reason they furnish them with the same utensils. Thus do they who are
less observant of the Christian ceremonies, and dwell farthest off from
the Christian Churches. The others take special care to have their
dead carried to the Church-yard, which too the Priests do earnestly
request of them. It is said too that some of them, when they have bin
accustomed to bury in such a place are so ambitious as to give money to
have their deceased buried not in the Yard, but the Church.
But here none of the _Laplanders_ will willingly dig up a grave, unless
he be extraordinary poor, such whom the richer of them hire at a
considerable rate to such an emploiment, or some other of _Swedland_,
whom they can procure. So the deceased person is buried according to
the Christian rite, when they have mourned for him, putting on the
worst clothes they have, that is peculiar to them, that they leave
behind them the sledg whereon the course was brought to the Church-yard
and all the vestments wherein the deceased lay during sickness, these
they bring to the Sepulcher, for fear I suppose lest any deadly thing
should cling to them, and that cannot be used by others without harm.
So when the Person is buried, a funeral banquet is provided, the
time of it is usually, the third day after the burial, the banquet
is furnished out of the flesh of the Rain-deer; that drew the person
departed to his Burial place. That they sacrifice in honor of him; and
all the kindred and acquaintance feast upon it. At this feast they
take special care, not to loose the bones, but gather them all up
diligently, and lay them in a coffer and bury them under ground; if
they have the opportunity of procuring Spirit of Wine, they drink it
about to the memory of the person deceased, and call it _Saligawiin_,
that is the Wine of the blessed, meaning, I suppose that they drink
it to the memory of him, that is happy by his departure from earth:
however it happened, that those kinsmen of _Thomas_ the _Laplander_, as
was above mentioned, made this feast before the due time. They fasten
upon the coffer, wherein they shut up the Rain-deers bones, the image
of a man fashioned out of wood, bigger or less in proportion to the
deceased person; thus much of their funeral rites. Only some of the
richer sort repeat the feast every year, in the manner aforesaid, where
may note, that the Rain-deers are not only slain for their business
of the feast, but likewise in manner a Sacrifice, and that the bones
are offered to the Manes of the deceased, at tis more largely treated
of in another place. It moreover is apparent that the _Laplanders_
time of mourning is not used to be short, but of a long continuance,
especially for the loss of married persons or children, and consists
not in ostentation, or appearance, but only in inward sorrow. I come
now to their manner of inheritance and division of their goods, which
follows upon the death of any one, for the _Laplanders_ likewise have
their sort of riches, consisting most in moveables as cattle, silver,
brass and copper vessels and the like, but there is nothing for which
they are more esteemed then plenty of Rain-deer. Some of them have a
hundred, some a thousand or more; _Olaus Magnus_ makes mention of but
half these numbers _Lib._ 17. _Cap._ 28. but what may be read in the
papers of _John Buræus_, confirms their number to be much greater.
_Oroveen_, tis there said, was so rich in Rain-deer, that their number
could not be known. _Arent Justinus_ stole a hundred of them, and
yet they could not be missed. And other things which serve for daily
uses, they keep in public, or else lay up in their cupboards, as I
have elsewhere shown, but they bury under ground either silver plate
or mony, and the place they call _Roggri_, they lay it first in a
close box, that in a copper kind of kettle, and that they cover over
with boord, and so strew it over with earth and moss, that no body may
perceive any thing to be hid there, this they do so privatly, that
neither their wives nor children can tell any thing of it, so that it
sometimes chances, that, when they dy suddenly, all these things ly
buried and never come to the heirs, but what come to their hands are
thus divided among them, if they be moveables, the Brother receives
two thirds, the Sister one, as was appointed by the Provincial Laws
of the _Swedes_. The two _Rain-deers_ given to the children in their
tender years, the one the Tooth Rain-deer, the other the Parents
free gift, are exempted from this common division, as likewise their
increase, which sometimes comes to a considerable number. If the goods
be not moveables, as territories, lakes, mountains and such like, the
children of either Sex, possess them with equall right, and make use
of them indifferently, tho this be not a bare permission, but founded
in the division of _Lapland_, made by _Charles_ the Ninth, in which to
every family were given its own territories, Lakes, Woods, Mountains,
and the like, as has been mentioned in another place, from whence I
suppose tis, that they remain still to each single family, and are not
liable to division or to be distributed among the heirs as other goods;
for these are not their own proper possessions, as other goods are,
but only granted from the crown of _Swedland_ to them to receive the
profits, and upon that score every year they pay a certain tribute,
which we have treated of before, so that there remains nothing else to
be added here.