The history of Lapland wherein are shewed the original, manners, habits, marriages, conjurations, &c. of that people / written by John Scheffer ...

CHAP. XII. Of the Government of the Laplanders.

WE come now to their secular affairs, which are either public or private: we will treat first of the public, to which belong the form and constitution of their Government. This in former times, before they were named Laplanders, was in this manner; they were subject to no neigh∣bouring Country, but were governed among themselves, yet so as to be subject to a King, they chose out of their own Nation. Most of them, or at least those which bordered on Norway, and dwelt near the Sea, were under this kind of Government, in the time of Harauld Harfager King of Nor∣way, cotemporary with Ericus the Conqueror, King of the Swedes, this was 900 years after Christ; he conquered the greatest part of Norway, except these Finlanders. The King that reigned over them at that time,

was named Mottle. This account was questionless taken from Haralds ex∣pedition into Biarmia, and his ruining all that Countrey, except the part belonging to these Finlanders. In those times the name of Laplanders was neither used, nor known, as I have shewn elsewhere, but they retained that of their ancestours, which was also common to all of the same extra∣ction.

Their condition was not much altered, after that they took this name, which was when they first sent out Colonles into the inland Countries, on the farther part of the mountains, which divide Swedland from Norway. For they that went out had certainly some Leader, whom without doubt they chose for King, after they had taken possession of those Countries; and I believe they would scarcely submit to any other power whilst that he was living; and this seems the more probable, because no one in those daies would undertake the conquest of a company of poor beggarly fu∣gitives, who dwelt among Woods and Deserts, in continual snow and the greatest extremity of cold. This was the Moscovites opinion of them, who tho they dwelt near them, scarcely knew their nature and disposition, and thought it madness to set upon them with a small party, and an adven∣ture of little profit, and less honour to raise an Army against a Country already distressed by poverty. For this reason the Laplanders enjoied their own customs for a long time. The first King of Sweden that had any thoughts of conquering them was Ladulaus the great, who florished about the year 1277, who because it seemed difficult to bring them under the Crown of Sweden, promised those that would undertake the conquest, the government over them. He thought it too expensive to make a public war upon them, when they were to be dealt with as wild beasts; yet however could not endure that a neighbouring People, dwelling almost in the heart of his Country, for they possessed at that time as far as the Bay of Bothnia, should refuse obedience to his Kingdom. Wherefore he thought upon the before mentioned project, and proposed great advantages to private persons, upon which the Birkarli, their neighbours, readily engaged themselves, and effected their enterprize no less successfully. In this design, the plot of a particular person was most remarkable, as is related by Ericus, and recorded by John Buraeus. One single man of the Birkarli went to∣wards Lapland to way-lay the Laplanders in their return from Birkala, (at this time no one inhabited on the North side of that allotment) and ordered his wife to cover him over with snow, in the middle of the way where the Laplanders must necessarily pass over him. They came in the night time, and by their passing over him he knew there were fifteen, which were the chief among them, and to whom the rest were in sub∣jection; when they were gone, he immediately arose out of the snow, and going some shorter way, set upon them at unawares, as they passed by, one by one, which is their usual way in travelling, and slew them one after another. None of those that followed perceived the first men slain, it being in the night time, and each of them at some distance from the others; till the last man finding his fellows killed, made a stout resistance, but the Birkarla by the assistance of his wife got the victory, and slew him like∣wise. Thus the most powerfull of them being slain, the rest readily sub∣mitted. Some think the Birkarli deluded them by a pretended truce, and

that before it was expired, they assaulted them, not suspecting then the least danger, and killing several, subdued the Countrey, as far as the North∣ern and Western Oceans. We may easily collect from the truce mentioned here, that before their subjection to the Swedes by the Birkarli, there was some kind of war betwixt both: besides, it was shewn above, that Ladulaus could not bring them under his Crown. This perhaps may be Zeiglers meaning, when he describes them as a warlike People, and free for a great time, that they also withstood the Arms of Norway and Sweden, till they were forced at last to yeild; but what Zeigler imputes to their valour, proceeded only from the contemt they were then in, as is plain from the opinion the Moscovites gave of them. And there is little reason to suppose the Swedes were not of the same, since they were overcome only by the allotment of Birkala; and Ladulaus did not conquer them out of any fear he conceived of their forces, but by sleight, foreseeing the small advan∣tages he should receive would not quit the charges of an Army. Thus the Laplanders were brought in subjection by the subtilty and expence of private persons. About the year of our Saviour 1277, the Birkarli had the autority over them; yet so as to acknowledg their dependance on the King of Sweden. Now whether all of them were thus overcome, as those that lived beyond the mountains of Norway, near the Sea, which are the Finlanders, or Lappofinni, is still in doubt, except we collect it from this, that all from the Northern and Western Oceans were certainly subjected. But whatever dispute may arise concerning that, it is manifest the Swedes were the first Conquerours of Lapland, but afterwards the Norwegians and Moscovites following their example, put in also for a part; thus they became subject to these three severall Princes. But to pass by the others, the Swedes enjoyed, for some former ages, half the dominions from Tidis∣fiorden to Walangar, over the Lappofinni, or maritime Finlanders. This was given by Charles the IX, in his instructions to his Embassadors, sent to the King of Danemark, wherein he made it appear that the Swedes had from former times, till then, enjoied half the rights, both sacred and ci∣vill, whether as to tributes, punishments, men, or fisherie, with the Crowns of Danemark and Norway. But the Swedes kept only a third part from Malanger to Waranger, those of Norway and Moscovy laying claim to the other two, till in the year 1595, the Moscovites, by a League, de∣livered up their part, but the Swedes alwaies possessed the mountainous and more neighbouring places from Ladulaus's time, for near four hundred years, and exercised their autority over them. The Government after the conquest was in the hands of the Birkarli, according to the grant given them by Ladulaus, who ruled over those that dwelt near the Bay of Both∣nia, imposed taxes, trafficked with them, and received all the profit of the Salmon fishing, and all other advantages arising from them; but in acknowledgement to the King, as Supreme, they paid a certain number of gray Squirrils skins. The Laplanders, by common consent, received and honored the Bergchara, that is men of the mountains, or Birkarli, as their Governours, and paid them very rich skins, and severall sorts of fish, both for their tribute to the King of Sweden, and their own proper uses. Neither were there any other commissioned by the King in those times to govern them, as will appear afterwards. He, that was their Governor was

honored by them with the title of King, his autority was confirmed by the Crown of Sweden, he wore a red robe, as the token of his Roialty; now from this sort of garment, by which the Birkarli were distinguished from others, it is evident they were the first rulers in those parts; and perhaps only one governed them, whilst they dwelt near the Bay of Both∣nia, but when they enlarged their possessions farther into the Land, and were divided into severall Counties, each division had its particular Go∣vernor. And that it was so, is manifested from the Letters of Gustavus the first, where he divides the Birkarli into Luhlians, Pythians, and Tor∣nians, over which accordingly there were severall Governors. It may per∣haps now be a dispute, who these Birkarli were, by whom the Swedes subdued Lapland; Buraeus saies they were the Inhabitants of the allotment, of Birkala, but Olaus Magnus is of a different opinion, and calls them Bergchara, that is, men of the mountains, from Berga mountain, and Charar or Karar men. What grounds he hath for this, he neither declares, nor can I easily imagine. But I think them so small that they will find little credit any where; for from whence, or from what mountains should they be thus called? not from those of Norway, when at that time no body inhabited there; neither are there any other mountains besides these, from whence they should take this name: moreover, the Birkarli were subjects to the Swedes, and conversed commonly with the Laplanders. The public records also contradict this opinion, for in them there is no mention of Bergcharli, but Birkarleboa. It is yet clearer also from the Letters of Cnute Joanson, written in Latine, in the year 1318, where he saies in the Parliament held at Telge, betwixt the Helsingers and Birkarleboa in his presence, there was issued out this Placart, &c. This serves to confute Olaus. It is more evident that they came from Birkala, an allotment in Tavastia, and described in the Mapps. Next, as to Gustavus the first mentioning the Birkarli, in the foresaid Letters, as belonging to severall marches, viz. Luhla, Pitha, and Torna it was upon this account: the Birkarli that descended from those of Tavastia, were placed in these severall Towns to govern the Lap∣landers, and because they only had the priviledge of commerce with them, they were called Merchants. They were used in the Summer to buy those commodities of the Merchants that came to Bothnia, which were necessary for the Laplanders, and in the Winter, when the Rivers and Lakes were frozen over, they carried them up into the Countrey. This way of trafic was used by all the Inhabitants of Bothnia, but perhaps only at first by one allotment, which growing populous, severall of the Inhabitants removed farther into the Countrey, and retained the same priviledge that was first granted by Ladulaus, viz. that no one, but they, should claim any pri∣viledges over the Laplanders, either as to the Government, tribute, com∣merce, or any thing of this nature, which priviledges they for a long time enjoied, as is confirmed by the Letters wrote by Cnute Joanson, in the time of King Smecke, in which it was provided that the Birkarli should not be molested either in their passage to or from the Laplanders. This privi∣ledge they maintained till Gustavus the first, who made a Contract with them at Ʋpsal on the 4^th of April 1528, concerning the yearly tribute they were to pay to the Crown, for the great advantages they received from the Laplanders. This tribute was only in respect of the priviledges the

Birkarli had from Ladulaus's time till then, these were so largely granted, that they setled them as hereditary upon their children, and none but those descended from the Birkarli could enjoy them. This Gustavus also confirmed according to the former grants made to their ancestors, but with this alteration that they should pay half as much more, as they did formerly. This Government the Birkarli exercised over the Laplanders which they got by subtility, had their autority from the King of Sweden, preserved it in their own family, and delivered it down to their children for near 300 years, till Gustavus the first, by reason of their insulting over the common People, deprived them of this state; for when their riches encreased they oppressed the poorer sort, and extorted so much from them that they left them very little, but that which was worth nothing. Upon this, complaint was made to Gustavus, who thereupon committed Henricus Laurentii to prison, and confiscated most of his estate, taking then the tribute from the Laplanders into his hands, and granted to all People free trading with them. This Henricus Laurentii was without doubt in that time the head of the Birkarli, and I believe the brother of David Laurentii, who, together with Jonas Nicolas, concluded the Treaty with Gustavus in the name of the Birkarli, in the year 1528, for setling the tribute, and other affairs. From hence we may collect they lost their priviledges, not long after this Contract; now it was not only just to deprive them of those priviledges, which they abused in oppressing others, but prudent, as well from the jealousy of too great a power granted to private persons over so large and populous a part of the Kingdome, as out of consideration of its wealth, which was more necessary to the Kings, for driving out the common enemy, ane establishing the Kingdomes liberty, then to maintain the pride of the Birkarli, who besides their injustice, were inconsiderable both in number and strength. Gustavus the first having thus deposed the Birkarli, sent De∣puties to gather the tribute, and manage all things in the Kings name; the Deputies are called by the Swedes, Lappfougder, by the Laplanders, Ko∣nunga Olmai, that is the Kings men; of these there is mention made in the patent granted by Gustavus the first to M^r Michael, the first Priest in Lap∣land in 1559, the words are to this purpose, We command all the Inhabi∣tants of Lapland, as well Deputies, as others, &c. These had at first the charge of all public affairs, as will appear in the following Chapter, as for collecting taxes, as executing justice among them. But afterwards, when Charles the ninth divided the Countrey into several parts, and formed it into better order, more were added to the former, for examining causes, convicting of criminals, and other such like things, till at last the state of Government was little different from what it is now. Next under the King, they have a Provincial Judge called by the Swedes, Lagman, under him one of the Senators, Ʋnderlagman, next an Interpreter of the Laws, Lag∣laesaren, and divers others which enquire into causes, and do justice; then they have a Governour of the Province, Landzhoefdingh, a head over the Laplanders, Lappafougten, their Officers who perform all other duties. In this manner the Laplanders are now governed by the Swedes.