This School had some peculiar advantages over others, because its setlement was firmly established, having for its Visitor, not the Minister of the Parish, but a Senator of the Kingdom. Besides here was not only a salary allowed to the Master and Scholars, but also an order to receive it out of the Tithes of Uma; whereas the other had indeed a set stipend, but because it was not certainly decreed where they should receive it, it was not duely paid as the time and their necessities required, which was no small disadvantage and impediment to their design. But all inconveniences were here remedied and the salary most firmly setled; and not only so, but also full autority granted unto the Illustrious Lord John Skytte to find out and confirm any other means, which might conduce more to the good of that foundation. Neither was that eminent man wanting out of his singular piety to God, and love of learning, to make this his whole business; till at last he gathered a sum of five thousand Dollars, partly thro his own, and partly thro his friends liberality, which he delivered to the Queen Christina for the use of a Copper Mine, that in lieu thereof the School of Uma might yearly receive the whole revenue of the Crown, due from certain Towns in that Province. This request of his the Queen easily granted, and two years after issu’d out her Letters patents, and a new Charter by the Protectors of the Kingdom, whose worthy Commemoration is not to be omitted. The words of the Charter are as follow,
We CHRISTINA by the Grace of God Queen elect and hereditary Princess of the Swedes, Goths and Vandals, Queen of Finland, Esthonia, Carelia, and Ingria, do declare, that whereas our dearly beloved Father, somtimes King of Swedland, did out of his singular zeal and religious affection for the promoting of the Church of God, especially in the Northern parts of his Dominions, institute a Laplandish School in the Province of Uma, and did constitute our trusty and well beloved Senator the illustrious Lord John Skytte, Senator of the Kingdom of Sweden, President of our Roial Council in Gothland, Chancellor of our University of Upsal, High Commissioner of South-Finland, free Baron of Duderhoff, Lord of Grænsia, Stræmfrum and Skytteholm, Knight, to be superviser of this work, setling the same power upon his Posterity after his decease, and bountifully allowing to this design out of the stores of Uma the yearly Tithes due to the Crown; We therefore by vertue of these Letters patents to not only confirm that wholsom Constitution of our pious Father deceased, but do also certify that the illustrius Lord John Skytte hath brought in the sum of 5000 Dollars of silver given by himself and his pious friends for the use of the Laplandish School, which entire sum he hath paid to the Copper-Company, humbly intreating that the said sum may remain in that Company to Us and our Crown, and that We for the yearly interest of the said money allowing 8 per Cent, would give to the Laplandish School the use of certain Villages in Norlands, that the inhabitants thereof may pay their taxes to the aforesaid School; which We graciously approving, do give, as a security, the benefit and profit of these following Villages belonging to Us and our Crown in the Provinces of Uma and West Bothnia; Roebeck 12 Farms 5/8. Stæksive 2. 3/16. Clabbiler 3. 9/16. Baggaboelet 2. 27/32. Kuddis 2. 5/16. Bræneland 2. 11/16. These Farms shall yearly pay to the Laplandish School all their ordinary and extraordinary taxes which are hitherto imposed, which their inhabitants are hereby commanded to do without intermission, during the time that we retain the aforesaid sum of 5000 Dollars, paid to the Copper-Company, until We shall have restored the sum entire to the Laplandish School. Wherefore We command our Officers, and all whom it may concern, that they substract not from the said School the aforesaid sum given in security, before such time as the money may be restored; and that they do not offer nor suffer to be offered any injury or prejudice to the aforesaid School, contrary to this our Edict, in confirmation whereof Ours and the Kingdoms Protectors and Administrators have hereto set their hands, and sealed it with the Roial Seal. Dated at Stockholm Novemb. 5. 1634.
The Persons that subscribed were, Gabriel Oxenstern, Gustavi F. R. Drotsetus. Jacobus de la Gardie High Marshal. Carolus Caroli Gyldenhielm High Admiral. Petrus Baner Deputy Chancellor. Gabriel Oxenstern Tresurer.
This is that School to which the Laplanders ow their Progress in the knowledg and love of Christian Religion, which appears from those many useful and eminent Persons who have bin there bred; also the success may be seen from the testimonials of the Examiners, who were constituted in the same year that the School was endow’d by the aforesaid Roial Charter, the words are related by Brazius as follow,
We, whose names are underwritten, do testify that we were called by the Reverend and Learned M. Olaus our Pastor of the Church of Uma, to be present at the examination of the Laplandish Youth frequenting the School of Lyksa in the Province of Uma; we also testify that we did hear them examined by their Rector our aforesaid Pastor. First, they altogether sang the Psalms of David translated into the Swedish language, as they are now used in the Church: next they all, and singular repeted the Primer, containing not only the Elements of Speech, but the Lords Praier, ten Commandments, Apostles Creed, the words used in administring the Sacraments of Baptism, and the Lords Supper; also the Graces before and after meat, together with the Morning and Evening Praiers. This Book they all read according to the manner prescribed in other Schools, and the more ingenious of them did distinctly and without hesitation repete the little Catechism made by Luther: Besides this, they read the Gospels for Sundaies and Holy-daies as they are published in the Swedish tongue, this was the task of all the Scholars. Only 8 of them being of slower parts, did nevertheless emulate the more ingenious according to their abilities. Now they all begin to learn the Fundamentals in the Laplandish Idiom, that they may instruct their Country-men in their own mother tongue. This school exercise and the fruit arising from thence as it exceeded our expectation, to see the illiterate Youth in a short time by the blessing of God, learn the Principles of our salvation, which better Scholars have bin much longer in attaining to, so ought we to give singular thanks to Gods who hath made their endevors so successful. Nor must we omit the deserved Commendation of those pious men, who by their bountiful largesses founded and endowed the School, and at this time maintain it; altho for the reward of their piety must expect the blessing of God, according as he hath promised. Witness our hands and seals. Dated in the place aforesaid Ann. 1634. Jacobus Andreæ Buræus. Petrus Jonæ. Andreas Hacquini. Jacobus Nicolai. Olaus Olai.
From this testimony it appears that the School was frequented by no small number of the Laplandish Youth, also that they were not wholly unfit for the study of learning and Religion; making it their chief care to learn those things which are especially necessary to the improving of a Christian life. Last of all, the readiness of the Laplanders to send their children to School: so that now there appears another face of Religion in Lapland then what there was in former ages, because the Kings have taken greater care in providing for Churches, Schools, Books, Ministers, and School-masters. The Priests in like manner are more careful, being now for the most part Laplanders, or skilful in that tongue, whereof there is in Lapponia Umensis one, in Lapponia Pithensis 3, in Lapponia Luhlensis one, whose trouble is the greater, because the Country is large and the inhabitants dispersed.
In Lapponia Tornensis and Kiemensis they have both Laplandish and Swedish Priests, who once a year at their public Fairs in February visit the Country, baptising their children, and preaching to them in the Finnish language, which they seem to understand. For their reward they have one third part of the Rain-dears, which the Laplanders are bound to pay to the Crown: and whereas every Laplander was obliged to pay for a tax either two pair of shoes, or a white Fox, or a pound of Pike, this is now equally divided between the King and the Priest; which makes not only the Priests more chearful in doing their duty, but the People also more diligent in their performances. Hence it is that they pay their Ministers so much honor and respect, saluting them at their first coming with bowing their head, giving them in token of Reverence the title of Herrai, i.e. Sir, conducting them upon their Rain-dears to their Cottages, adorned with birch bows, covered with their furrs, and shewing them all the civility they have. Upon a table or rather a plank laid upon the ground they set them meat, which is usually fish, or flesh of Rain-dear dried together with the tongue and marrow. They use neither Salt, Bread nor Wine, all which the Priests are forc’t to bring with them, the Laplanders drinking only Water, because the extremity of the cold spoils their Beer. They are careful in observing Sundaies, refraining both themselves and their Cattel from all work on that day, and somtimes on the day before; nay some there are who refuse to milk their Raindears on Sundaies. While the Sermon is preaching they attend diligently; and in singing of Psalms they are so zealous that they strive who shall sing best. They very much reverence and frequent the Sacraments, especially that of Baptism which they never defer; but the women themselves within eight or fourteen daies after their delivery do often bring their children thro long and tedious waies to the Priest. They likewise pay much reverence to the Lords Supper, and to the ceremonies of Confession and Absolution, which are alwaies used before that Sacrament, which they now are really partakers of, whereas in the times of Popery they received it without any solemn consecration. Neither do they neglect the other parts of Christian Piety. They most religiously abstain from swearing, cursing and blasphemy: they are very charitable to the poor, and just, insomuch that there are scarce any robberies ever heard of in the Country. Their mutual conversation is very courteous, especially among persons of the same Country or family, often visiting and discoursing with one another. This they learn from the precepts of Christianity, which requiring them not only to regulate their Faith, but their lives, teaches that tho there be three Persons, the Father, Son, and holy Ghost, yet they are but one God. And as by the help of Christianity they learn the rule of true piety, so do they utterly abhor all their ancient superstition. They pull down all their drums, and burn and demolish all their Images of wood and stone. A memorable example hereof is mentioned by Johannes Tornæus in this manner. A certain Laplander, just, pious, and wealthy, named Petrus Peiwie dwelling in Peldojærf, at a Village of Lappmarkia Tornensis, with all his family worshipped the Idol Seita: it happened upon a certain time that his Rain-dears died in great numbers; whereupon he implored the assistance of his Seita. But he praied in vain, for his Rain-dears died still. At length with his whole family and good store of dry wood, he took a journy to the place where Seita stood: round about the Idoll he strewed green bows of Firr, and offered sacrifice to him, the skins, horns, and skulls of Rain-dears; at last he prostrates himself with his whole family before the Idol, beseeching him that he would by some sign testify unto him, that he was the true God. But after a whole days praiers and devotions finding no sign given, he sets fire to the combustible wood, and burns down the Idol of the Town. When his offended neighbours sought to kill him, he asked them why they would not permit the God to revenge himself for the affront. But Peiwie became so constant an adherent to the Christian Religion, that when others threatned with their charms to mischief him, he on the contrary repeated the Lords Prayer, and the Apostles Creed. He burnt all the Seitas he could meet with, and at length sent his eldest Son Wuollaba to Enorreby to do the like there; for which he was forc’t to fly into Norway to avoid the Inarenses, who lay in wait for him. There was also one Clement, a Lappo-Jenabiensis whose Mother being grievously sick, he sought remedy from the Drum, but his Mother died notwithstanding; whereupon he cut his Drum in pieces, alledging that he saw no use of it.
Hitherto we have seen the Christian Religion much better received and improved by the Laplanders, and applied to their daily conversation, then what it was in ancient times. And from hence we may collect the care of those who by their authority, counsell or ministery did promote it; yet cannot we triumph over Pagan impiety wholly rooted out; as shall appear by the following Chapter.