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will have them sometimes Σκριθιφίκος, other times Σκριθιφίνος. Besides ’tis
manifest since the Scritefinni are the same with the Finni, whose Etymology in their
own language is from leaping, by an art they have, by which with crooked pieces
of wood under their feet like a bow they hunt wild beasts; they could not
therefore take their name from Skidh, signifying the wooden shoes themselves, but
from their leaping, i. e. swift running with them, which doubtless antiently
was meant by Skriida, and which the Author cited by Warnius in the 46 page
of his Lexicon confirms, where he relates the form of an oath made by Hafur,
that he would preferve the peace Quamdiu Finnur skriidir, i. e. as long as the
Finlanders continued their manner of leaping. As for the Etymology that is
there given, that it signifies their wandring up and down, ’tis altogether false,
for Skridsko at this day denotes those wooden shoes which they run upon the ice
with; neither doth Skirida signify any thing else among the Antients but to glide
along the ground, for they do not take up one foot after the other, as in
common running, but carrying themselves steady upon the frozen snow, they move
forward stooping a little, as shall be shewn hereafter. And perhaps this is the onely
cause that they are called Himantopodes, People creeping upon their knees;
which agrees exactly with these Scritofimi: for they hearing that Skriida was
to creep along, what could they fancy the Scritofinni to be, but People not going
like other men, but crawling forward like creeping animalls, but of this I shall
speak more at large when I come to the Laplanders gliding upon the ice. That
which I would chiefly evince here, is, that there are such a people rightly
called Scritofinni, and the Country which they inhabit is Scritofinnia or
Scritfinnia, and that there is no reason we should think there was no such place,
since there are those who are called Scritfinni, i. e. Finlanders, who run upon the
ice with wooden shoes, whose Country from thence may well be called Scritofinnia.
And the same may be urged for Biarmia against those that will not allow
there is any such place. For first the antient Writers making frequent mention
of it, as that Author of the History thereof, calls it often Biarmaland in the
old Gothick or Islandick language, who also calls the King of it Hereker in Ch.
7. and his two Sons, the one Rœrik, the other Siggeir. Saxo likewise in his 9th
book, speaks of a certain King of this place, who reigned in the time of Regner
King of the Danes, making it border upon Finland, when he says the King of
Biarmia fled for refuge to Matullus, who then reigned in Finland. But now
granting there were antiently such names as Biarmia and Scritfinnia, it remains
doubtfull still whether they were diftinct Countries or no. All Authors except
Johan. and Ol. Magn. seem to make them the same, Procop. Jornand. Paul.
Warnfrid. and Adam Bremensis speak of Scritfinnia, but none of Biarmia,and the
Northern writers do just contrary. Saxo indeed mentions them both, but not at the
same time: once in his Preface he names Scritfinnia, leaving out Biarmia, in
other places he names Biarmia omitting the other; from whence I am almost
of opinion that ’tis the same Country called by native Writers Biarmia, by
forreign Scritfinnia. We may add further that as Adam Bremensis makes Scritfinnia
next to Helsingia, the Author of the History of Heraud and Bosa sets Biarmia
in the same place, speaking of some Woods in it, and Rivers that emty
themselves into the Sinus Bothnicus or bay of Ganduia next to Helsingia. And
moreover as the Scritfinni area People of Finland, which not onely their name, but
an old Chorographick Table commended by Grotius doth intimate, distinguishing
the Fenni into the Scritfinni and Redefenni, so ’tis probable of the Biarmians
b Paul. Warnefrid.
c Ad. Brem. Solin. c. 44
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