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heretofore represented in the image of a man sitting upon an Altar, with a
Crown on his head, adorned with twelve gems, and a golden Chain about
his neck, which was formerly of the value of 300 Marks; tho whether the word
in the History doth signify a chain, or may better be rendred a Jewel, ’tis
uncertain; for it is said that Charles lifting his Ax, cut the collar whereon
it hanged: which shews that it was rather gold artificially carved and set with
jewels, which was (I suppose) the reason why Herrodus doth not set down
its weight, as is usual in the valuing of chains, but its price. This Jewel
called Men from Mene the Moon whose figure it represented, was, as I imagine,
tied to a collar about the neck, and hanged down upon the brest of the
image, as is usual in all such ornaments at this day. But whether this were
a chain or locket, it is certain the other parts of his habit were agreeable
to our description of him; wherein he was not much unlike the Swedes God
Thor, as he is described in our History of Vpfal: for he also was made sitting
with a Crown on his head, adorned with Stars, as Jumala with jewels, each
to the number of twelve, from whence I am almost perswaded that the
Biarmi, and after them the Laplanders, either worshipped one God under
two names, or if they were two Gods, they used their names promiscuously.
For the true God, whom they knew partly by reason, and partly by tradition,
was by them called Jumala: but after the name of Thor began to be
famous, they either called Jumala by the name of Thor, or gave Thor the
name of Jumala: which I gather from hence, because at this day the
Laplanders attribute that to their Thor, which questionless formerly they did to
Jumala, viz. the power and command over the inferior Gods, especially
the bad and hurtful: also over the air, thunder, lightning, health, life
and death of men, and such like; as shall be shewn hereafter. What his image
was made of, is not known, but I suppose it was wood, because Charles is
said to have cut off his head with his Ax, when he only designed the cutting
of the collar that held the aforesaid jewel, which he could hardly have don,
had it bin either silver or gold. Besides, to prove it was wood, it was burnt
to ashes, together with the Temple, and all its furniture, excepting some
gold, and other precious things; with which gold particularly they did
homage to their God: for the Biarmi in their ceremonies to Jumala, did cast
gold as a sacred offertory to him into a golden dish, of a vast weight and
bigness, which stood upon his knees. This Vessel, in the History of Olaus,
is said to be of silver, and full of silver coin, for a little before his time both
bafin and gold were lost, and the Biarmi never had an opportunity of
getting more. They did not worship Jumala every where, but in some few
places, or perhaps only in that one, where in a thick remote wood he had
a kind of a Temple, not as they are usually built with walls and roof, but
only a piece of ground fenced as the old Roman Temples were; from hence
one might look every way, which could not have bin don had they bin cover’d
at the top. As in the form of their Temples, so in the situation of them they
did imitate the ancients, who for the most part chose groves to worship their
Gods in, and there built their Temples. So much of Jumala, and the
ancient manner of worshipping him amongst the Biarmi, as it is transmitted
to us by ancient Writers; but of Thor, the Sun, and the other Gods, there
is nothing read but what belongs to the times of Christianity, and the
superstition still remaining amongst them, of which we shall speak particularly
in the following Chapter.
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