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Of the heathenijb Gods of the Laplanders. 4.1
ceSTary they held it to worihip Storji/nkare. And thefe are the tv o
peculiar Gods of the Laplanders, whereof one hath the dominion overmen, the
other over beasts; one beStows life, the other all things required to the
fuStaining oSit. Torneeus Saies they. report oS him that he hath oSten
appeared to Fowlers or Filhers in the Shape of a tall perSonable man, habited
like a Nobleman , with a Gurt in his hand, and his feet like thofe of a
bird. As often as he appears Standing on tht SliOre, or in the fhip by them,
they Say he makes their fiShing SuCCeMbl, and kills birds th?t happen to
fly by with his Gun, which he bestows upon thoSe that are preSent. It
is reported that a Laplander being to guide one of the Kings Lieutenant,
when he came over against a mountain where Stvrejunkar was Suppofed to
dwell, he stood Still, and Setting th£ helve of his Ax down upon the Ice,
turned it round , profeSTing that he did it in honor of their munificent God,
who dwelt there. And tho there is mention made but of one mountain where
the Laplander performed this ceremony, yet we may Suppofe he would
hav^don itofther, if there had happened to be more hills in the way. But
perhaps this diftin&icn of name is uSed by the Laplanders which border
upon Norway , eSpecially in Lulalapland, from his habit and clothing; and
becauSe he qSed to appear in another dreSs to them of Lapjronia Kiemenfts
and Tornenfis, therefore they did not worfhip him under that name, but by
the common appellation of Seita, from whom they believed that they
receive the benefits cf hunting, fiShing, and fowling.
I come no\V to the Sim, their third God, which is common to them with
all other Pagans, him they call Baiwe 3 and worihip him chiefly for his light
and heat.’ alfo becauSe they believe lrim to be the Author of Generation,
and that all things are made by his means, especially their Rain-dears, of
whom and their young they think he hath a particular care to cheriSh them
by his heat, and brihg thettt Suddenly to strength and maturity. And
being they live in a cold Country where their native heat Is diminish’d ,
and often wholly txtinguiSh’d, being they have nothing to Sustain
them-SeWes with but the fltlh of Rain-dear, they think it very fit to pay the Sun
very great jionors, who is the Author of So great bleflings to them , and who
at his return restores them that light which they lost by his departure, and
that not for a day or two, but for Several weeks , which being pai’d , the
new day Seems more welcom to them, by reafon of long abfence.
To every one cf thefe principal Gods they pay a feveral fort of worShip;
which confifts first in the diversity of places dedicated to their Service,
next in the diverfity of images erefted to them in thefe places ; lastly, in
the diversity of Sacrifices which they offer to them. The place where they
worfhip their Thor or Tiermes is a piece of ground Set apart Tor this
Superstition, on the backSide of their Huts, above a bows Shoot off; there upon
boards Set together like a table they place their images. This table Serves
them instead of an Altar, which they Surround with bows of birch and pine;
with the fame bows alio they strew the way from their HutS to the Altar:
and as the table Serves them for an Altar, fo do the bows for a Temple.
The fame account, only omitting the table, doth Tornaus give of the
Tor-nenfes and Kiemenfcs worshipping of Seita, So that they may Seem to be
one and the Same God: unleSs his defcription Should be appli’d to Storjun*
kar rather, becauSe he mentions Lakes to be the place of his worfhip; which
was
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