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ACCOUNT OF DANISH LAPLAND BY LEEMS. 377
their offerings to idols, confuming the flefh themfelves, and confecrating to their
falfe god the bare bones alone. ‘That the Ifraelites had formerly erected ftatues and
monuments of ftone, and had paid to them divine honour and religious veneration,
there is no doubt, for fo God himfelf fpeaks to them: Make not to yourfelf idols, nor
a graven image, nor place up a figured {tone in your land, that you may adore it, be-
caufe I am the Lord your God; that the Laplanders were formerly guilty of this
crime from the notoriety and abundance of proofs, would be needlels to demon-
{trate. It was impious among the Jews to raife up altars of hewn ftones ; the {tones
which the Laplanders confecrated with religious worfhip were rude, and fafhioned by
no workmanfhip. Men performed the offices of cooking among the Jews; the fame
became a cuftom among the Laplanders, as is fhewn in the chapter on their meat and
drink.
Some of the precepts concerning women labouring under monthly infirmities, laid
down in the Jewifh laws, are obferved by the Laplanders, who hold a woman for that
time, and in that condition, in a {tate of impurity. From all thefe it is fufficiently
manifeft, that the Laplanders agree in cuftoms with the early Hebrew race under a va-
riety of comparifons; yet it does not follow that they owe to them their origin.
That the Laplanders had formerly made one people with the Fins of Sweden, or, as
otherwife called, Finlands, isa common opinion, and every where adopted; and that
as well from certain words common to each nation, as from other circum{tances not
undeferving of credit. But when I grant, that the Laplanders had of old made one
nation with the Finlands, yet it appears fair and juft to me, for the purpofe of efta.
blifhing fome difference between nations not little difagreeing in. language and cuftoms
at this day, to call by one common name, Laplanders, thofe who inhabit on the coaft
of Finmark and Norland, pafturing their fheep and cows, like the reft of the Norwe-
gians, as well as thofe who wander with their rein-deer and tents over the mountains,
and who conftitute with the inhabitants of the coaft as above mentioned, one and the
{ame nation, agreeing in language, in drefs, and cuftoms ; efpecially when this nation,
for fome ages, had been diftinguifhed by this name. Nor do I ever remember to have
heard, that any of them ever took this name amifs, but the Fins of Sweden, or inhabi-
tants of Finland, who feel themfelves hurt by it, if any one happened to call an inhabi-
tant of Finmark a Fin, contending that he fhould be called a Laplander, and that the
name of Fin, as a more honourable appellation belonged peculiarly to him. Led then
by thefe reafons I fhall call them every where in this Hiftory Lappones, Laplanders.
Cuap. Ul.—Of the Lapland Language.
THE Lapland tongue feemes to ftand detached and obvioufly different from all
other languages, except the Finnifh, with which it holds fome affinity and analogy, yet
not fo much as the Danifh idiom holds with the German. This language poffetles, as
{ have already fhewn, in the preface of the Lapland Grammar I have publithed, certain
-peculiarities in common with the Hebrew, but I dare not be bold enough to aflert, that
it derives it origin from this language. In the faid preface I have quoted alfo certain
words which feem to be derived from a Greek or Latin origin, but thence it little fol-
lows that they were pure Greek and Latin words thus adopted into the language; for
they might have been vernacular, not foreign. And though this language contains not
a few words akin to the Swedifh, Danifh, or what may be faid with more truth and
propriety, to the Norwegian idiom, yet in moft words it fo far recedes from thefe faid
VOL. I. 3c languages,
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