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482 ACCOUNT OF DANISH LAPLAND BY LEEMS.
For my part, what to think of this vifion, whether it may be true or falfe, I leave
to perfons of reflection to determine. This at leaft I can fuggeft, that the Laplander
to whom it happened was a fimple and honeft man, free from fraud of any kind. Be-
fides, when it is remembered tiat the infernal fpirit can change himfelf into a thou-
fand forms, it was eafy for him, who did not. feruple to tempt the fon of God, in
whom were hidden fuch treafures of wifdom, thus to attempt and circumvent with his
wiles, a poor fimple man, incredibly weak and helplefs in himfelf, that he might lead
him with others out of the true way to his deftrudtion.
It was a cuftom with them folemnly to keepthe Nativity of Chrift, and the facred days
of the holy Virgin. A Laplander of the coaft from a bay in the parifh of Alten, called
Lerrets-Fiorden, of the name of Andrew Peterfon related a certain obje& had pre-
fented itfelf to him, when once he was bringing a load of hay, from the fhed called
Loaawe, on which we treated more at large in another place, as fodder for the cattle, on
which according to the old ftyle the Chriftmas was to be celebrated. The ftory is thus.
When overcome with fatigue, the Laplander had fat down on his way, he heard a hifs-
ing noife three times repeated, on which in difmay he exclaimed, O God come to m
afliftance I pray you! He rofe inftantly on this, and laying afide, or diffembling his fears,
he haftened home, but on his way addrefled by a clear fhrill voice ; {top friend, I wifh
to fpeak a few words with you, on which he ftopped, and turning about he perceived
a figure oppofite to him of human fhape, in a fplendid drefs feverely reproving
him, becaufe on that day, on which the feftival of Chrift had fallen, he was not
afhamed to undertake fuch a bufinefs, ferioufly aflirming himfelf to be the meflenger
of God, fent from heaven for this purpofe, to inftruét him and others, that the Na-
tivity of Chrift, and other holydays old {tile, were to be kept holy, and that the innova-
tion of violating this, as well as other feftivals was rafhly introduced, and that fuch an
inftitution was merely human, and therefore of no authority and obligation: that
Thurfday from twelve o’clock to evening, and alfo Saturday were to be religioufly ob«
ferved, and that the reafon of the diftrefs of grain, and other calamities with which
menare afflicted, is chiefly tobe found in that irreligious profanation of ancient fefti
vals. He fpoke and inftantly difappeared in air. The Laplander haftened home as
faft as he could, but before he came there his fpeech failed him, and he fell as if lifelefs
tothe ground, and no doubt would have died in that fituation, had not{fome perfons
been at hand, who feeing the danger of the man, took him home to his cot, after lift-
ing him up juft dead intheir arms. After remaining fome time in this {tate he awoke,
related what happened, and ferioufly admonifhed his friends, according to the mandate
of the angel who appeared to him, to be obfervant of all the old feftivals, particularly
Thurfdays and Saturdays, all of which fhould be facredly and religioufly revered. Let
the reader make his own reflections on this {tory as on the former.
The day before Chriftmas the eating of meat was forbidden. A> young Laplander
told me that on attempting to eat a. piece of meat, that he had taken from off the
fire, he was not only reproved by his father, but the meat was taken even out of his
mouth by him, after he was feverely chaftifed for attempting to eat it.
The evenings preceding the birth of the Saviour, and the feaft of the Virgin Mary
old ftyle, were alfo fafts ; the one for the good education of boys, the other in honour
of the Jsulo-Gadze, or aflembly of the Yules of whom we fpoke in Chapter X1X., on
the gods of the Laplanders. On the birth of Chrift it was a cuitom, that the women
fhould pile up boiled meats of various kinds in their aprons, and fhould carry them to the
cow-houfe to be hung up in it for three days, and_ovi the third day to return, folemnl
to confume the provifions they had laid up. It was alfo a cultom to fet food on the fame
day before the crows.
4 For
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