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460 ACCOUNT OF DANISH LAPLAND BY LEEMS,
The Saivo-Lodde, or mountain-bird, is numbered with them : its office is to fhew the
way to a magician while journeying. ‘The Laplanders fay that this bird is frequently
fent out by a rival and revengeful magician, to the deftruction of magicians and other
men.
There is alfo a certain Saivo-Guelle, by which is underftood a mountain fifh, deftined
for preferving the life of a magician when going to depart into Jabme-Aibmo, or the land
of the dead, and thence to bring back the fpirit of the man fick to death ; for an opi-
nion prevailed among the Laplanders formerly that the fpirit of fick men, leaving the
fick body on earth, pafled to the land of the dead, and that the body would quickly
haften after it, unlefs the fpirit, by the aid of a magician, was brought back in good
time. From this jocular, and at the fame time abfurd opinion, the ceremonies for
bringing back fouls from Jabme-Aibmo into the body, made to the gods, drew their
origin.
They even fabuloufly create a certain Namma-Guelle, or naming fifth. They feign
that very few can have this, unlefs on the fecond baptifm of the infant. Mention being
made of a mode of anabaptifm, it is proper to point out ina few words that that f{pecies
of baptifm, which was formerly among the Pagan Laplanders, was wicked and diaboli-
cal; that it was a baptifm often reiterated, and that as often as a man fell into any dire
illnefs, that he aflumed a name different from the one he had hitherto ufed ; and that
it was performed by the fprinkling of water, and in this folemn form: ‘‘ I baptize thee
in the name N. N., in which henceforth profper.” ‘This newly-acquired name, the
former being abolifhed, was the confequence of this anabaptifm, and is altogether ido-
latrous, being derived from the grandfather, or great-grandfather of him who happened
to have the luck of a naming fifh in his family.
Thofe of the fubterranean deities, who do not live deep in the earth, are believed to
inhabit the region of Jabme-Aibmo, where Jabme-Akko, or the mother of death, holds
her empire. ‘Thofe who defcend to this region hold, when dead, the fame degree of
dignity which, when living, they held in this life, clothed in a new body, in the place of
that which perifhed in the grave. ‘To thefe deities facrifices are frequently made for the
life and fafety of man; and that the more religioufly, as the Laplanders are thoroughly
perfuaded that Jabme Akka, as well as the manes, are incited by a {trong defire of fum-
moning and dragging daily to their abodes living mortals; and that nothing is more
grateful to the dead themfelves than to fee fome of their relations and children affociated
with them in thefe very manfions.
Rota-Aibmo, or the region of torture, is feigned to be the feats of the gods refiding
in the bowels of the earth. Into this hell are thruft down all thofe who have led a life
impious, wicked, and hateful to the gods, deprived of all poffible hope of ever coming
to the happy manfions of Radien. ‘This is the manfion of torture or pain, of that
falfe god to whom the Laplanders addrefs their prayers, when in vain they have called
others to their aid. The Laplanders fable that this Rota, or god of torture, on whom
we are difcourfing, infefts men as well as cattle frequently with difeafes, and that the ma-
lady cannot be otherwife averted than by facrificing to this malignant god; for help
would be fought for in vain from the other deities, as inefficient when oppofed to him.
It has been obferved that the Laplanders do not ufe the fame ritesin the worfhip of this
god as in their worfhip of others. Agreeably to the vulgar rite in their profane facri-
fices, when the animal deftined for the facrifice was flain, as many of the friends were
invited to the feaft as were fufficient for the eating of the flefh taken from the head,
back, and feet of the animal facrificed. The blood was fprinkled on a variety of trees,
artificially cut and carved according to the cultom of the nation, and difpofed in order
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