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Of the Laplanders. , ^ n
to what distance they pleafe, and that So right too, that they Seldom miSs
their aim. Olaus Magnut reports the Same in his writings, which 1 believe
is only a tranScript of Zeigler’s, the words being the fame, and without
doubt he follows him in this particular as he hath in many others. But I
SuppoSe they are both miStaken, and miSrender’d them leaden darts, Since
I can find no perSon in theSe times that knows of any Such; neither is there
any mention made of them in any other writers, or by the common People,
who Seldom omit Such circumstances as theSe in their relations. But they
might perhaps be mistaken in fuppofing them to be made of lead $ by
mis-unjlerftanding the word Skott, which is commonly ufed for their expla±
nation. For when either man or beast is Suddainly taken with a difeafe*
by which their strength fails, and they immediately perish; the common
People call this that takes them fo Skott, that is a dart. This might make
Zeigler think to be really fome dart, which the inhabitants are wholly
ignorant of, and most among us believe thefe things to be efFeded by fome
other means. Fetru* Claudius calls it a Gati, which they fend abrtwd: he likens
it to a flie ,but faiesit is fome little devil, of which the Finlanders in
Norway that excell moft in this art, keep great numbers in a leathern bag,
and difpatch daily Some of them abroad. Of theSe he relates a Story, thao
happened in his time: an Inhabitant of Helielmd, who is Still alive, going
towards the mountains in Norway to hunt Bears, came to a cave under the
Side of a hill, where he found an image rudely fhapen, which was the Idoll
of fome Finlander-, near this Stood a Ganeska, or magical fatchel: he opened
this, and found in it feveral, blewiSh flies crawling about, which they call
Gans, or fpirits, and are daily fent out by the Finlanders to execute their
deviliSh defigns. But he feems to intimate no more by this word Gan, then
that very thing which endangers mens health, and lives. For he faies that
thefe Finlanders cannot live peaceably, except they let out of their
Ganeska or Ganktidf which is the fatchel, every c"ay one of the Gansy that is
a fly or devil. But if the Gan can find no man to destroy , after they have
fent him out, which they feldom do upon no account at all, then he roves
about at a venture, and deftroies the first thing he.meas.aiiii4Jbmetimes
they commandlt out to the mountains , to cleave rocks afunder: however
thefe conjurers will, for vefy trivial taufesj fend out their Gan to ruine
men- This word Gan Signifies no more then what Zeigler meant by his
dart, for the term by which they exprefs its going out is de Skiuda deris
Gan, that is, he as it were Shoots out his Gan like an irrow, for Skiuda
is only proper to the Shooting out of an arrow.
This is the third thing belonging to their magic, which they ufe’as’Well
against one another as strangers $ nay fometimes against thofe i;hat they
know are their equals in the art- Of this kind there happened a notable
paSFage betwixt two Finlanders, one of which was called Asbioern
Gan-konge, from his great knowledge in the art, the other upon fome finall
difference concerning their skill, or fome fuch trifle, would have destroyed
Asbioern, but was Still prevented by his too powerfull art, tiil at last finding
an opportunity , as Asbioern lay Sleeping under a rock , he immediately
difpatcht away a Gan, that cleft the rock afunder, and tumbled it upon
him. This happened in the time of Petrus Claud, not long before he wrote
his HiStory. Some of the Conjurers are contented only with the power to
P 2 efcpell
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