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458 ACCOUNT OF DANISH LAPLAND BY LEEMS.
&
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Others in the lower region of the air.
Others were, in their opinion, terreftrial.
Others fubterranean, yet not very far under ground.
. Others had their habitations in the very bowels of the earth.
Of the gods inhabiting the {tarry manfions the greateft is Radien ; yet it is uncertain,
whether he is over every part of the fidereal fky, or whether he governs only fome part
of it. Be this as it may, I fhall be bold to affirm, that the Laplanders never compre-
hended under the name of this falfe god, the true God; which is obvious from this, that
fome have not fcrupled to put the image or likenefs of the true God by the fide of their
Radien, on Runic boxes. This Radien, when efpecially he is characterized by the name of
the Zhioaarve-Radien, is invoked for the profperity of houfehold affairs, for the increafe
and the protection of the herds of rein-deer. The bufinefs of this falfe god was to
infpire a {oul into the foetus while forming in the womb, which they feign Maderakko,
receiving from Radien, gave to his daughter Sarakka, whofe duty it was to fit the bedy
to it, whence is produced, as it were, a perfect foetus. The fame Radien receives the
dead to him, after they have been fome time in the regions below; but thofe who fora
bad life in this world, and therefore hateful to the gods, are caft down into the region
of torture, a place in the depths of the earth foul and fqualid, never return to the
happy manfions of Radien, damned to eternal imprifonment in the region of torture,
or of Pluto.
Ruona-Nieid holds the next honours to Radien in the ftarry fky, a god, if you
believe the Pagan Laplanders, diftinguifhed for virtue and power, the prefident and
keeper of the mountains, when blooming in the {pring, and producing frefh herbage for
the rein-deer. ‘To him they offer facrificesin the beginning of the fpring, that their
rein-deer may be the fooner led out into the frefh paftures.
The gods who have got manfions in the lower regions of the air follow in order.
1. Beive or the Sun; for the Laplanders hold the fun for a god, who with his light
cheers the world, makes it fertile, and full of grafs for pafturage for the rein-deer.
They are employed in rendering him propitious to them, by facrificing to him on the eve
of St. John the Baptift ; that, as a Phoebus, he may frequently and cheerfully featter his
light. Sacrifices are offered to him on account of the various ills they are affliéted
with, particularly the inflammation of the brain.
2. Horangalis, or thunder. Him the Laplanders dread, asa god inclined to wrath
beyond their conception, ftriking not only mountain tops and trees, but men alfo and
cattle. ‘To divert his wrath from them, they endeavour to appeale him by facrifices.
3. Gifen-Olmai.
4. Bieg-Olmai, the god of rain, the ocean, and of winds, whom they wortfhip as the
fubduer of the fea, and of the winds.
5,6, 7. Three Ailekes Olmak, in whofe honour the days of the week, Friday and
Sunday are confecrated ; though there are among the Laplanders, who think fome«
what different on this part of theology, and contend that Friday is dedicated to
Sarakka, Saturday to Kadien, and Sunday to the three Ailekes-Olmak, of whom
mention is made here. . They add befides, that fhould they happen to violate thefe
faid days by profane labour, that they inftantly appeafe their deities by facrifice.
Of their terreftrial gods the principal are, Leib-Omai, who is worlhipped as the
god of hunting, and to that intent, that he fhould deign to favour the ufe of guns and
arrows in the exercife of them. And as it was ufual with the Laplanders to venerate
their gods at facrifice, with prayer and genuflexion, fo is the fame ceremony ufed
morning and evening with the greatelt religion in the veneration of this idol. ‘There
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