Full resolution (JPEG) - On this page / på denna sida - Supplementary Notes
<< prev. page << föreg. sida << >> nästa sida >> next page >>
Below is the raw OCR text
from the above scanned image.
Do you see an error? Proofread the page now!
Här nedan syns maskintolkade texten från faksimilbilden ovan.
Ser du något fel? Korrekturläs sidan nu!
This page has never been proofread. / Denna sida har aldrig korrekturlästs.
SUPPLEMENTARY NOTES.
Chap. I. (p. 12, n. I.) The national name of
the Swedes is written in different manuscripts of
Jordanes (to judge by the printed copies and tlieir
variations), Suethaus, Suehans(?), Sueveaus, Sue-
thidi, Suetidi. On tlie derivation of Suithiod here
proposed, as well as on that of the name Tuisco,
the author lays no weight.
B.
Chap. II. (p. 23.) Though not coming strictly
within the scope of this chapter, as defined by
Pi’ofessor Geijer, the English reader may be glad
to have some further account of the celebrated
province of Dalecarlia, or rather Dalarna (the
Dales), whose inhabitants play so conspicuous a
part in the Swedish annals. " On the lofty fells
which form the boundary between Sweden and
Norway, rises in two head-streams the great river
Dal. Of these, one, called the Easter Dal-elf, re-
ceives in its course the Orsa, and flowing through
lake Silyan, runs into the parish of Gagnef ;
the
other, named the Wester Dal-elf, rising in Fulu
Fells, flows to the church of Lima, and breaks
with many sudden bends through the encouutering
mountain-ridge, running likewise to the parish of
Gagnef. Here, below the parish church, the two
branches unite, and the Dal-elf continues in one
channel its course to the sea, intersecting wide and
fertile levels; at times spreading into vast sheets,
which encompass a group of islands, again collect-
ing its waters in a straiter bed, forming consider-
able falls at Elf karleby (the by or dwelling of the
Elf-carls), and disemboguing into the gulf of Both-
nia about a mile (six miles) therefrom. The nar-
I’ow and high lying valley which the western
branch, or Wester Dal-elf, flows through, forms
the division of the province of Dalarna, called
Westerdalarna (Wester Dales); the more spacious
and lower valley through which the eastern branch,
or Easter Dal-elf, flows, bears the name of Oster-
dalarna (Easter Dales). These two main valleys,
Easter and Wester Dale, form the whole upper
or northern part of the prefecture of Stoi-a Kop-
parberg (the great copper-mine); the other por-
tion, lying below, or to the south of the valleys
above mentioned, comprehends in the south-west
the western mine-canton, and in tlie south-east
the bailiwicks of Kopparberg proper, Sseter, and
Nsesgard, the latter comprising the eastern mine-
canton." (Strinnholm, Svenska Folkets His-
toria, German Translation, ii.
12.) In the upper
part of the province the mountains are from four
to six thousand feet high, and it is every where
broken into valleys, forests, heaths, lakes, and
streams. The town of Falun, or Old Kopparberg
at which is the great copper-mine, made famous by
travellers, is about one hundred and foi’ty English
miles from Stockholm. The inhabitants of the
province are called Dalkarlar (whence Dalecarlia),
or Dalesmen. (Tuneld, Geography of Sweden,
Stockholm, 1773, p. 203, seq.) Tr.
Chap. II. (p. 28, n. 2.) From observations on
the Lapps and their relations to the Finns, com-
municated to me by Mr. Peter Leestadius, who is
so well acquainted with the Lapp-marks, 1 may
add, that the so-called Wood-Lapps,moving between
fixed places of abode and exercising tillage, are
in a transitional state from the manner of life of the
mountain Lapps to that of the new settlers, whence
the diminishing numbers of the hill Lapps are
partly to be ascribed to this cause. In the Lapp-
marks, a settler in general is called Finn, whence
the statement of Hogstrom, as to the pleasure
with which the Lapp hears himself called Finn, is
to be understood in this sense. Traditions among
the Lapps, who gather and diff’use with the greatest
avidity all accounts of family, are, according to
Lsestadius, hardly to be depended upon ;
nor do
we lay weight upon them, where they are not
corroborated by other evidence.
D.
Chap. II. (p. 31, n. 5.) Tings and assemblies
were generally held on some extensive rising-
ground ;
but that courts were hela on or at the
kin-barrows, not only their traditional appellation
of Tingshdgar (court-knolls), but the mention of a
Hogating or Knoll-court in the Chronicles of the
Kings, bespeak. From other passages in tliem
(comp. Saga of Harald the Fair-haired, c. 8, Saga
of Haco the Good, c. 13), we learn also that the
king used to sit on a knoll, probably the barrow of
his ancestors ;
whence the Swedish prince Styr-
biorn, when he demanded his share of the kingdom
from his uncle Eric the Victorious, seated himself
on his father’s barrow.
E.
Chap. II. (p. 32, n. 2.) The circles of stones,
called by us judges’ rings or seats, were not
always intended for sitting upon, for they are often
of considerable height, and pointed, but pi-operly
marked the circle without which the people were
to keep. For the rest, the king, lawman, and
others of the chief men, sat at a court, but stood
up when they addi-essed the people, as may be
learned from the description of the Upsala Ting in
the Chronicles of Snorro.
<< prev. page << föreg. sida << >> nästa sida >> next page >>
