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A79 ACCOUNT OF DANISH LAPLAND BY LEEMS.
if I premife, before I enter on it, the various fafcinations that have formerly been prac-
tifed by others.
The Afiatic Odin is faid, firft of all, to have brought the magic art into the northern
regions, which made fo rapid a progrefs afterwards, that many of the nobility are faid
to have reached a very great degree in this art. The annals of Norway tell us, that
the magic or Finnic art was fo exercifed at King Haldan’s board, that the meats at table
vanifhed from before the eyes of the guefts while feafting.
Gunner, King of Norway, was fo {killed in this art, that whatever attempts were
making in Saxony to difturb his dominions, he would not deign to prepare againft them
in Norway. Eric Vindhuus, King of Sweden, is faid to have been a true actor on this
{cene, for to whatever quarter he turned his bonnet a profperous gale fprang up in that
quarter. Sivald, King of Sweden, who artfully attempted the kingdom of King Haldan,
is faid to have had feven fons well inftruéted in this art; and the magic art is attributed
to the fair fex of old time. A various aflortment of infernal fpectres is faid to have
been fhewn to King Haldan by a poor little forry woman. A witch in Norway, by name
Kraka, is faid to have prepared a broth for Roller, the little fon, by the virtue of which
he would become very confiderable, celebrated, and wife; but the fon-in-law, Eric, who
afterwards obtained the crown of Sweden, on tafting it was endowed with great wifdom
and eloquence. By the faid witch, concealed under the fhape of a cow, for the pur-
pofe of committing murder, King Frotho is faid to have been flain. The daughter of
King Helgeland, in order to be inftructed in the magic art, is faid to have been fent to
Motle, King of Finmark. ‘To what extent belief is to be given to numerous reports of
this kind, is left to the founder judgment of individuals.
It is known from ancient manufcripts that wizards of various defcriptions, efpecially
forcerefles, had lived to an advanced age in Norway; and that it fhould be known if
any perfon was guilty of the crime of witchcraft or not, that the fufpected perfon, ac-
cording to the cuftom received at that time, was thrown into water. If the perfon did’
not fink, it was a {ure and unerring proof that the culprit was guilty of this crime. Be-
fore put into the water he was ftripped, fhaved, and examined, left he fhould have any
weight of iron about him that might occafion his finking.
Witches made various confeflions, in themfelves abfurd and ridiculous, of the manner
in which they acquired the magic art. Some aflerted that they obtained it from a cer-
tain charmed preparation, brought to them by another witch, made from a piece of the
greater flounder, a piece of bread fpread with butter, from a draft of miik, a piece of
cheefe, a falt herring, and bread. One confeffed that fhe had obtained the art of fafci-
nation from ftroking down a cat; another, from putting three eggs into a cafk, and
filling it with water, faid fhe had got the fame magic art; another added, on her part,
that it was got from a certain old woman, who gave her a pipe with this qualification,
that on filling it fhe would bring infection on man and beaft of any kind whatever, and
that fhe by this means made herlelf witnefs of the art. Many other abfurd confeffions
were in like manner made on witchcraft.
Women, practifing thefe and other fuch like charms, made trial in various ways,
as they themfelves confefled, whether they were .qualified as. witches for the art, and
were found capable ; by giving as a proof, that a ball of thread when thrown into water
would of itfelf continue to roll through it; that an animal by blowing and {pitting on
it, in the name of the devil, would burft. On their actions they further made daring
and prodigioufly wicked confeflions; that under the figure of {wans, crows, falcons,
geefe, ducks, feals, dolphins, whales, they had called up tempelts, and had deftroyed
veffels at fea,
They
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