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ACCOUNT OF DANISH LAPLAND BY LEEMS, 481
Thofe of the Laplanders, who were detected in thefe nefarious practices, were not
admitted to the church, and the participation of facraments, without previous con-
feflion and public abfolution, while Von Welten, the vicar, was living: a man who
merited the greateft praife from the church, but who has immortalized himfelf, from
his inftruction and converfion of the Laplanders.
Cuap. XXII.—On the various Superftitions of the Laplanders.
THAT the Laplanders were formerly addiéted to a variety of fuperftitions is fuf-
ficiently well known. With fome Thurfday was kept holy; at leaft it was thought
impious to handle wool on that day. Almoft all held Saturday, fome Friday as
holidays, calling this latter I’a/to-Beive, that is the day of fafting above the reft.
A maritime Laplander of the name of Peter Peterfon, dwelling in one of the bays
of weft Finmark, and parifh of Kielvig, commonly called Smorfiord, told me that
when he once went out to hunt hares ona Saturday, and was from fatigue feated on the
ground, that a {pectre with a human vifage and dark garment, appeared to him, afking
him what he did there, and on his anfwering that he came to hunt hares, which he in-
tended to give to his prieft, the {peétre replied, what do you think that hares taken on
the Saturday, which fhould be obferved with the greateft veneration, can be acceptable
to your prieft? And then fubjoined in caution, that he fhould carefully guard againft
violating Saturday, or any other holy day for the future, by any profane exercife. He
added that from this profanation of the ancient feltivals, that the wild beafts, birds,
and fifhes, abhorring and detefting the impiety of irreligious men, quitting their haunts,
had fled away and haftened into other countries. That the fame fpectre, which hitherto
prefented itfelf in ragged garments, had foon after appeared to him ina more fumptuous
habit, addrefling him in words of this kind: you will facrifice a cow to me, when this
is done, the fea, the air, and earth will bring forth again fifhes, fowl, and beafts.
When this converfation was ended, the Laplander, you will {uppofe in confternation and
diforder, returned home, fat a little, but foon drew his knife in a rage, and in the mid{ft
of thefe agitations of mind and body fell like to a dying man to the ground. His fer-
vants faithfully attended-on him under this lofs of his underftanding and fenfes, ftriv-
ing now and then to awaken him, by flight blows, but in vain. Meantime the apparition
which appeared to him in hunting, prefented itfelf to him in his vifion, ufing thefe
words: you will never recover from this difeafe, unlefs you facredly promife, when you
get well, that you will, with due right facrifice a cowtome. ‘The unhappy man made
this promife, and immediately awoke from his trance, but fo weak that he could not
walk; andas he fancied even {till to fee the {pectre walking up and down before him,
he cried out with a loud voice to thofe prefent to help him, and drive oif the fpectre left
he fhould rufh in upon him. Reftored at laft to himfelf, he fincerely laid open all he
faw and heard, gravely and feverely injoining, that none of his people thould attempt to
profane the Saturday, or any other day that was facred and feltive. Heended here,
and inftantly recited the Lord’s Prayer, and part of the catechifm. On the next day,
this faid Laplander was vifited by a great many who had accidentally heard thefe mat-
ters, to whom he gave a fincere explanation of al! that happened to him, and attempted
to perfuade them to bring back and reftore Saturday, and all the other feftivals of old,
which through time were brought into difufe, and fhould for that purpofe facrifice
lambs in order that the former plenty with which the country abounded fhould be
reftored. Some obeyed his monitions, while others took the whole vifion fora mere
illufion and juggle of the malign /pirit.
VOL, I. 3Q For
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