Neither are these all the places in the Country that are dedicated to this use, but there are several others which the Idolatrous People endeavour to concele, that they may avoid the suspicion of this impiety and their deserved punishment. But in other parts of Lapland the number is far greater as may be easily understood; and therefore I shall not tire the Reader with a recitall of them. For all these places they have a high esteem, whether dedicated to Thor, the Sun, or Storjunkar, so that they exclude all women from them, not permitting them so much as to go behind the house where Thor is worshipped, and prohibiting all marriageble women to come near the borders of Storjunkars consecrated hills: and the reason is because they think that Sex, especially at that age, not pure enough for those devotions, but not knowing who are pure and who are not, to prevent all danger they prohibite the whole Sex, who if they transgress herein, they must expect many misfortunes to befall them, and perhaps death it self.
I come now to the Images of their Gods, for with these they used to honour them. Thors image, was alwaies made of wood, wherefore he is called by them Muora Jubmel, i. e. the Wooden God. And because in Lapponia Tornensis, as well as in other places they make their Gods of wood, it is very probable that they worship Tiermes, tho they call him Seita. Of this wood, which is alwaies Birch, they make so many Idols as they have Sacrifices, and when they have done they keep them in a cave by some hill side. The shape of them is very rude, only at the top they are made to represent a mans head, according to the description of Matthias Steuchius, which he relates from his Father, who was Superintendent of Hernosandensis, and had the oversight of all things relating to Piety and Religion in most parts of Lapland. Of the root of the tree they make the head, and of the trunk the body of the image: for those Birches which grow in Fenny grounds have usually their roots growing round, and from them there shoot out other little roots, so that it is easily fitted to the shape of a mans head. Now to manifest this to be Thor, they put a hammer into his right hand, which is as it were his ensign by which he is known. Into his head they drive a nail of Iron or Steel, and a small piece of flint to strike fire with, if he hath a mind to it. Tho I rather suppose it was first used to be an emblem of fire, which together with the Sun they worshipped in Thor, whose Image is here delineated.
But tho they usually make them in this shape, yet there are some, especially in Lapponia Tornensis, who worship a meer stump. They have no Image of the Sun, either because he is conspicuous enough of himself, or because in the mystery of their Religion he is the same with Thor: but Storjunkar is represented with a stone, as is clearly proved by several writers, and easily deduced from others. The form of this stone (if we will believe Olaus Petri Neuren.) was like a Bird, Samuel Rheen saies it somtimes represents a man, and somtimes som other creature. The truth is its shape is so rude, that they may sooner fancy it like somthing themselves, then perswade other People that it is so. In the mean time their fancy is so strong, that they really believe it represents their Storjunkar, and worship it accordingly. Neither do they use any art in polishing it, but take it as they find it upon the banks of Lakes and Rivers. In this shape therefore they worship it, not as tho it were so made by chance, but by the immediate will and procurement of their god Storjunkar, that it might be sacred to him. Thus they erect it as his image, and call it Kied Kie Jubmal i. e. the stone God. The rudeness of these Images gave Tornæus occasion to deny that they had any shape at all, only made rough and hollow by the falling of water upon them, tho their hallowness without doubt occasioned the Laplanders fancy of their likeness to something: but he confesses that in an Island made by a Cataract of the River Tornatræsk called Darra, there are found Seitæ, just in the shape of a man, one of them very tall, and hard by 4 others something lower, with a kind of Cap on their heads. But because the passage into the Island is dangerous by reason of the Cataract, the Laplanders are forc’t to desist from going to that place, so that it is impossible now to know how those stones are worshipped, or how they came there. These stones are not set up by themselves, but lie 3 or 4 together, according as they find them; the first of which they honor with the title of Storjunkar, the second they call Acte, or Storjunkars wife; the third his Son or Daughter, and the rest his Servants. And this they do because they would not have their Storjunkar, who is Thors Viceroy, in a worse condition then other Roial Prefects, whom they usually see thus accompanied by their Wives and Children, and Attendants. His representation is as follows
I come now to their Sacrifices and other Ceremonies used to their Gods. First it is observable that they are performed only by men, all women being excluded; they esteeming it as great a crime for a woman to offer Sacrifice as to frequent the consecrated places. They never offer Sacrifice till they have enquired of their God whether he will accept it or no. This they do with a certain instrument which they call Kannus, not unlike the old fashioned Drums, from whence they are usually called Laplandish Drums, and shall be exactly described hereafter. This Drum being beaten, and some Songs sung, they bring the designed Sacrifice to Thor, who if he signifies by a ring in the Drum that the Sacrifice is pleasing to him, they fall presently to work: otherwise they carry it to the Sun, and so to Storjunkar, till one of them will accept of it. The manner of it is thus. They pull off some of the hair at the bottom of the beasts neck, and bind it to a ring which is fastned to the Drum, then one of them beats the Drum, and all the rest sing these words, What sayst thou ô Great and Sacred God, dost thou accept this Sacrifice, which we design to offer unto thee? And while they chant these words, they repete the name of the mountain where they are: then if the ring rests on that part of the Drum where the God is pictured, they take it for granted that the God is pleased, and so proceed to the Ceremony; or else they carry the Sacrifice to Thor, and use the like form of words, Father God will you have my Sacrifice. Peucer either thro false intelligence, or misapprehension, relates this business somthing differently, they have (saies he) a brasen Drum whereon they paint several sorts of Beasts, Birds, and Fishes, such as they can easily procure: bolt upright upon this Drum they fix an iron pearch, upon which stands a brasen Frog, which at the beating of the Drum falls down upon some of the pictures, and that creature whose picture the Frog touches, they sacrifice. Their usuall sacrifices are Rain-dears, tho sometimes they use other creatures, as Dogs, Cats, Lambs and Hens, which they fetch out of Norway. The 3d thing observable is that they offer their Sacrifices usually in the Autumn, because, I suppose, the Winter and night being at hand they think they have more need of their Gods assistance, which may probably be the reason too why every year about that time they make a new image for Thor, which is alwaies don 14 daies before Michaelmas. And thus they consecrate it, first they sacrifice the Rain-dear, then taking out his bones they anoint the Idol with the blood and fat, and bury the flesh and bones under ground. Besides this Idol they erect one to him every time they sacrifice, and then they place them all one by another upon a table behind their Hut. First when the God hath approved of the Sacrifice, which is usually a Buck to Thor, they bind it behind the house, then with a sharp knife they run him thro the heart, and gather the heart-blood, wherewith they anoint the Idol, into a vessell. After that having placed the images right, and adorned the table, they approach reverently to it, anoint the head and back all over with the blood, but on his breast they only draw several Crosses. Behind him they place the skull, feet, and horns of the sacrificed Dear; before him they place a Coffer made of the bark of Birch, into which they put a bit of every member of the Rain-dear, with some of the fat, and the rest of the flesh they convert to their private uses. This is the manner of the Laplanders sacrificing to Thor. But when they offer Sacrifice to Storjunkar, which is likewise a male Dear, then first they run a red thred thro his right ear, and bind him, and sacrifice him in the place they did that to Thor; preserving the blood likewise in a vessel. Then he who performs the Ceremony takes the horns and the bones of the head and neck, with the feet and hoofs, and carries them to the mountain of that Storjunkar, for whom the Sacrifice was designed. When he comes near the sacred Stone, he reverently uncovers his head, and bows his body, paying all the ceremonies of respect and honor. Then he anoints the Stone with the fat and blood, and places the horns behind it. Unto the right horn they ty the Rain-dears yard, and to the left some red thred wrought upon tin with a little piece of silver. The same rites that are observed to Storjunkar are also used to Seita, to whom the Laplanders usually sacrifice upon Holydaies, or after some loss or misfortune. Then making their Praiers and Devotions to the Idol in their best clothes, they offer him all manner of oblations, and the choisest parts of the Rain-dear, as the flesh, fat, skin, bones, horns, and hoofs, whereof there are great heaps to be seen at this day where Seita was worshipped. The horns are found placed one above another, in the fashion of a fence to the God, which is therefore by the Laplanders called Tiorfwigardi, that is a Court fenced with horns, which are sometimes above a thousand in number. Before these horns they used to hang a garland made of Birch tree, stuck about with bits of flesh cut from every member of the sacrifice. This I suppose first caused the mistake of those who reported that the Laplanders worshipped the horns of Rain-dears. All the flesh that remains of the sacrifice the Laplanders spend in their houses: and this is the ordinary way of sacrificing to Storjunkar. Two other methods there are but less used; one when they bring the sacrifice alive to the hill where the Idol is placed: another when they would do so, but cannot climb the hill where Storjunkar is by reason of its steepness. For the first they kill the sacrifice hard by the Idol, and when they have performed the usual ceremonies, they presently boil the flesh in the place, especially that about the head and neck, and invite their friends to the eating of it. This they call Storjunkars Feast, and when they have done they leave the skin behind them. This is not used in all Storjunkars hills, but only in some peculiar place where he hath manifested to them that he will be worshipped so. The other way of sacrificing is when the hill is so craggy that they cannot ascend it with their sacrifice, then they throw up a stone to the top of the mountain, which they dip in the blood and go away, as having paid their devotion. But as (besides the sacrifice) they once a year honour Thor with a new Image; so do they Storjunkar with fresh bowes twice every year. The first time in Summer with birch and grass; next in Winter with pine. The same also Tornæus reports of the Seitas. Then it is they seek whether their God be favorable and propitious to them or no: for when they go to strow the bows and grass under him, if the stone proves light, they hope he will be kind; but if it be something heavier then ordinary, they suspect he is angry with them, and immediatly to reconcile him they devote some oblations to him. And thus are Peucerus his words to be understood, when the Laplanders (says he) go a hunting or fishing, or upon any other enterprise, they try their success by the weight of their God, who if he is easily moved, they take it for granted that he approves of their design; if hardly, then he dislikes it: but if he be unmoveable then they suppose him offended with them. This is not to be understood of all their affairs, but only when they lay fresh straw under him, for at other times they enquire his plesure with a drum, of which I have already spoken.
It remains now that we treat of the sacrifices used to the Sun, these are young Rain-dears, and those not bucks but does: the rites are most of them the same with those already mentioned; only instead of a red string thro the right ear of Storjunkars sacrifice, they run a white one thro the Suns; then they make a garland, not of birch, but willow, about as big as the hoop of an Hogshead. This they place upon a table behind the Hut where they sacrifice to Thor, not upon the same table, but one like it. And this sacrifice differs from the other in that there are neither images erected here, nor horns, the beasts being not come to their growth. But that there may be some resemblance of the Sun, they place the chief bones of the sacrifice upon the table in a circle.