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

CHAP. XVI. Of the Houses of the Laplanders.

HITHERTO we have treated of the Laplander as he hath relation to the Common-wealth, we shall in the next place speak of him as a private person. And this we shall do first, considering the things they have need of. Secondly, their imployments. And thirdly their leasure and pastimes. All necessary accommodations are either such as are to defend us from ill inconveniences, or to give us necessaries. Of the first sort, are Houses and Cloathes, of the 2^d, Meat and Drink. We shall begin with their houses, or places of aboad. The Laplanders have not any houses like other Northern People, it having bin their custom to wander up and down, and so, sometimes in one place and sometimes in another, to set up small sheds for their present use: so that they had no certain habitations, but having eaten and consumed the fish and beasts in one place, they march to another, carrying their sheds or tents with them.

But this liberty of wandring up and down the Country, was in a spe∣cial Edict forbid them by Charles the ninth, in the year 1602, and a certain place of habitation assigned to every family. The words of the Edict are to this purpose:

We do in the first place command that in every Lap∣mark an account be taken of all Fenns, Rivers, Lakes, &c. and who they are that have hitherto had the benefit and use of them, with the names of all such: and then that the number of the families be compared with that of the Rivers, &c. and so equally divided that one family shall not possess more Rivers and Fenns then are for its use. Lastly every Lap∣mark being thus divided, it shall be committed to honest and good men, who, without either favor or prejudice, shall assign to every family its just portion: and thenceforth it shall not be lawfull for any Laplander, at his plesure to wander up and down all marches, as hath formerly bin used.

From the time of this Edict the Laplanders had their certain bounds and limits assigned them sufficient for the sustaining of their families. Nei∣ther was it afterward lawfull for any one to invade the propriety of an∣other, or to wander where he pleased.

Notwithstanding, that custom of removing their sheds from one place to another was quite abolished, but is yet used among them, tho now they move not out of the bounds assigned them. So that they have no certain man∣sion, but as the Season of the year offers it self, either for sishing or hunting, so do they order their habitations accordingly on the side of some River, Wood, or Mountain, and having spent there some daies or weeks, remove their tents again to a more seasonable place. To this agrees also our modern writer Sam. Rheen. This wandring is chiefly caused by their manner of getting their living, for the Laplanders having all their livelihood from Rain-deers, Fish, and wild beasts, they are forced to live where they may have sufficient pastures for their Rain-deers, and plenty of other beasts,

and fishes for themselves; and yet to take care that they destroy not the breed. But this cannot be done if they should live alwaies in one place, and therefore it is that Buraeus saies, they order their habitations according to the seasons of fishing, hunting, &c. Now this conveniency cannot be in all places at all times alike, for fish do abound most when about the time of their spawning they are gathered together; which some fish do at one time, and some at another, and one sort in one Lake, and another sort in another Lake; so that they that are of this trade cannot alwaies live in one place. In like manner it is also with their Rain-deers: and therefore Sam. Rheen saies they take their journeys either to provide pasture for their Rain∣deers, or to fish: for at that time, when fishes generate either in this or that Lake or River, then the Laplander, with his house and family, takes his journy. But this journeying is not so as that they should forsake and never return again to their former places; but they do, as it were, go in a circle: so that in the space of a year, the pasture being again grown that was before consumed, they return into the same seats again, This is the custom of the Laplanders that live in the Mountains: but they that live in the Woods, do not only once a year, but oftner return into the same places. For they leave and return to their habitations severall times in a year, viz. as often as occasion is offerred either of fishing, fowling, hunting, &c. Now they do so order their journeys, that the Fishermen at those times when the fishes do spawn, do alwaies live on the side of some River. They that take care of, and trade with Rain-deers, do in the Winter live in the Woods, but in the Summer ascend towards the mountains of Nor∣way: for in the Winter they cannot abide on those Mountains, where there are so frequent storms, great Snows, and no Wood. At that season there∣fore they descend into the nighest Woods, where by reason of the depth of the Snow they can easily keep their Rain-deers together: so that from Christmas untill the Feast of the Annunciation they remain for the most part in one place, at which time the Snow beginning to melt, they march nigher and nigher again towards the Mountains, where they remain till S. Ericus's day: about which time because the female Rain-deer use to bring forth, therefore they remain in the same place untill the feast of S. John, or Midsummer-day. Afterwards, when, as well in the Mountains as Vallies, the grass and pasture do most florish, they proceed farther and farther, some on the tops of the highest Mountains, where the Rain-deers are less infe∣sted with flies and gnats, in which Mountains they wander up and down till the feast of S. Bartholomew, when by little and little they betake them∣selves to the Woods again, and then Christmas coming they do again as we told you in the beginning. And these are the circuits of the Laplanders, and reasons why they cannot stay in one place, together with the times of their severall removes. But now these journeys sometimes are for many miles, and of a far longer space of •…•…me, so that sometimes they march for 20 miles and farther. Now because some of them live in the Mountains, some among the Trees, especially Pine-trees, nigh the Rivers and Lakes; there∣fore are they accordingly called by disserent names. Some are called fiaell Lapper, because they live in the Mountains nigh Norway, which are called fiaell. Others are termed Graan Lapper, because they live among the Pine trees, which are called by the Swedes and Norwegians, Graan. For their

journeys in the Summer they make different preparations from what they do in the Winter; in the Winter they use sledges (of which I will speak hereafter) but in the Summer they go on foot, the Rain-deers carrying their goods on pannels and pack-saddles, and sometimes their Infants also. So that in the Winter they put their houshold-stuff in one sledge, and their tents in another, and so march from place to place, but in the Summer they use pannels which they make after this manner:

[illustration] depiction of a panel or saddle-pack, and a reindeer laden with a pack-saddle

They have two lathes something broad, but flexible, made of firr, of which for the most part Boxes are made, these lathes they joyn together at the top, putting the one end into a mortice made in the other end, and so make a kind of a circle, then by that part where they are joyned together they hang them on the Rain-deer, one on the right-side, the other on the left, and so againe by withes ty them under the beasts belly, that they may be the

more steady. Now these are placed so to support their dorsers made of the same wood, bended into an oval figure much like a drum, if both ends were round. These dorsers at the bottom they draw together with twiggs of birch, placed in the form of a grate, and the tops of them they tye with thongs, or cords, which they loose as often as any thing is to be put in, or taken out; and least any thing should fall out, they cover these dorsers all over with bark of birch, or some skins. These dorsers they hang by ropes or thongs to the tops of the forementioned lathes, which they call Tobbii, so that they may hang down on both sides the Rain-deer, the tops being outward, and the bottoms turned inward toward the belly of the beast. And thus they load their Rain-deers, not only with their goods and hous∣hold stuff, but also with their Infants, which cannot walk themselves. For on one side of the Rain-deer they often hang their cradles, and children in them, of which I will speak hereafter. Now in these journeys they have a certain order which no one without cause ought to disturb; for in the first place marches the Master of the Family, having some Rain-deers after him, loaded after the foresaid manner, afterwards follows his wife in like man∣ner; then the whole herd of Rain-deers, which his Children and Servants drive softly on. Last of all brings up the rear, he that carries the Drum. Now these pack-Rain-deers they do not use to drive yoked or joyned to∣gether, but in a long line one after another, that which follows being al∣waies tied to the pannels of that which went before, and the Laplander leading the foremost by a rope tied about his neck, and so they march on till they come to the place intended, where they set up their sheds again, and remain for some weeks, which are to them instead of houses. But now there is some difference in the sheds of the Laplanders that live in the mountains, and are called Fiaellapper, and those that live in the Woods, who are called Graan Lapper; for the one coming to the same place but once in a year, doth not build this shed of so durable stuff as the other: the former, when he departs, almost destroying his habitation, and the latter leaving it standing. The former build their sheds thus, first, at four corners they erect four posts, upon the tops of which they place three rafters, so that there shall be one on each side, and one behind, but none cross the formost posts; upon these rafters they afterwards place long poles, so that with their tops they may lean upon, and support one another, whereby the whole form seems to be like a quadrilaterall house, which ascending like a Pyramide, is narrower at top, and broader at bottom. These poles so placed they cover with course woollen cloth, which we before called Waldmar; but the richer sort over this woollen cloth place linnen also, by both which they may be the better defended from rain and storms. These are the sheds of the Lap∣landers that dwell in the mountains, for the most part made of clothes, &c. which when they leave any place they take with them, and erect in another. But your Graanlapper, or Wood-Laplanders, make their sheds for the most part of board and posts, that at the top meet in a Cone, which they cover with the boughs of Firr and Pine-trees, or else with the bark of those trees, and sometimes with turff. That they covered them with the barks of trees, Herberstenius witnesseth; Andraeas Buraeus saies that those barks were of birch trees, to whom also assents Olaus Petri, who only adds, that they did a long time boil those barks to make them more flexible. Olaus Magnus, Lib. 4.

Cap. 3. adds also skins, and these were the houses Lomenius Comes saw, and describes in his Itinerary to be made of long poles and barks of trees. Sam. Rheen describes the tents of the Wood-Laplanders to be made of boards with six sides or walls, covered with boughs of Firr, or Pine-trees, sometimes with the barks, and sometimes only with turffs. Wexionius increases the number of sides, and saies that they were octogons, somewhat broader to∣wards the bottom, and five ells high, and especially those tents of the Ki∣menses. Olaus Petri tells us the same of the Pithenses. Now these Tents they do not pull down or carry with them, but leave them in the same place, only when they come again they add new boughs, &c. where they were decayed, and to fit them for their use. Besides these two sorts of Tents, Olaus Magnus reckons up another, for in this, Lib. 4. Cap. 2. he saies part of them place their Tents in trees that grow in a square figure, least in the fenny Countries they should be choaked with the great snows, or devoured by the wild beasts, which come together in great troops. What he means by trees that grow in a square figure I cannot tell, but I suppose he intends only that they did use to erect their Tents between 4 trees which grew so, that each of them might be the corner prop, of the four square shed, but this sort is to us quite unknow. Tacitus saies the Fenni used to dwell among a company of boughs, and perhaps that gave occasion to our Author to talk thus. He hath also got a 4^th sort which he could have no where else but from Zieglerus, for Zieglerus had called them Amaxobios, from whence Olaus Magnus saies they dwelt in Waines and Carts; and therefore Olaus in∣duced by this word of Zieglerus, thought the Laplanders had bin such. But this is quite false, for Waggons and Carts were utterly unknown to the Laplanders, for whom it was impossible to use them, by reason of the slip∣periness of the Ice, and depth of their snows. Neither was it indeed in that sense that Zieglerus calls them Amaxiobios, but because they wandred up and down like the Amaxobii, who are a known Nation of the Scythians. There remains therefore only these two sorts of sheds, which I have men∣tioned, for the 5^th, which Paulus Jovius reckons, was either upon sudden occasions, or used only by those that were under the dominion of the Mos∣covites: the words of this Author are,

These People lie in caves filled with dried leaves, or in trunks of trees made hollow either by fire or age.

But in both our forementioned sorts, things are so ordered that every Tent had two doors, one, a foredoor, and the other, a backward; the former bigger and more ordinarily used, the latter less, through which they use to bring in their provisions, and especially the prey they took in hunting, also Birds, Beasts, Fishes, which it was unlawfull for to bring in at the foredoor. These are the two doors with the use of both, especially the back-door, through which it was unlawfull for any woman to pass, because, as I said before, women were forbidden to go into the back part of the Tent, the reason of which I think to be partly this, because in that part they placed Thor and sacrificed to him, and partly this, because it was esteemed an ill omen for a hunter to meet a woman. And hither may we refer what Zie∣glerus saies of that door, that it was unlawfull for the Woman to go out of the door of the Tent that day her husband was gone a hunting, which cannot be understood of any door but the back-door, the use of which was not only that day but alwaies forbid women. The Laplanders have no

Chambers, but only certain spaces; which they determine and bound by loggs and posts laid along on the ground, of which we shall next speak. The whole space of ground within the Tent was so ordered, that in the middle there might be a hearth, surrounded with stones, in which there was a continual fire; except at midnight; behind the hearth, toward the back part of the tent, they place three loggs, with which they bound that space, of which we but now spoke. In the middle of this space is the little door, at which only men must enter, which they call Posse; right over against that is the common door, which they call Ox; but that space we told you was bounded with these three loggs, they call, lops; this place therefore is only proper to men, and it is unlawfull for any woman to pass those loggs, and go into it. Sam. Rheen saies about the kettle hanging over the fire, they place the 3 blocks, upon which, with a hatchet, they divide their flesh, fish, or other things they intend to make ready. He saies here indeed the space is called Posse, but understands chiefly the space of the door, for that was properly called Posse, the other space being called Lops. The common door they used to make to∣wards the South, and the other towards the North. the space on both sides, and the sides themselves they called Loide; here they made their bed chambers, the husband with his wife and children lying on one side, and the servants on the other. Olaus Petri saies only the daughters lay on the side of the husband and wife, I believe, that their Parents might have them alwaies nigh them, and so take greater care to secure their honesty, whilst the sons in the mean time lay with the servants: but now the spaces that remain towards the doors they call Kitta, and are ordained for the use of the women, for in the space nigh the common door they are brought to bed. But that you may the better understand all this, I will here insert a description of the Area.

[illustration] diagram showing the interior layout of a Lapland tent

A is the little door they call posse, B and C is called lopps, as is the place where the men lay up their hunting instruments. D and E are called loide, whereof one is the appartment of the Ma∣ster of the Family and his wife, the other of the ser∣vants. F. G. is kitta, were the women are conversant. H. is the hearth, I. the door called ox; those three logs upon which they divide their flesh are the two that lay along towards I. and the 3^d crosswaies distinguishes from other parts the mens appartment, or posse.

The 3^d thing we are to note in these sheds, is that they strew their floors with branches of Birch trees, least by the rain they should be wetted, and

they use no other kind of pavement; only upon the boughs, for cleanliness sake, they lay skins of Rain-deers, on which they sit and lie. And these are the dwelling houses of the Laplanders, besides which they have also Store∣houses in which they keep their commodities, especially flesh, fish, and such other provisions; these they call Nalla, and make thus: they cut the upper part of a tree off, so that the body remain four or five ells from the ground high, upon this trunk they place two rafters in the figure of an X, or S^t Andrews Cross, and upon these they build their repository, making a door to it, and covering it with boards. There is one thing peculiar to these Store∣houses, which is, that the door is not in the side, but bottom of them, so that when the Laplander is come down, the door falls too, like a trap-door, and all things are safe. To these they go up by ladders which they make of the trunks of trees, in which they cut great notches like stairs. Now the reason why they place them so high, is because of the Bears and other wild beasts, who oftentimes pull them down, and to the great dammage of the Master eat all his provision; they used also to cut off the bark of the tree, and anoint the stock, so that neither mice nor wild beasts could be able to climb up for slipperiness. And perhaps these are the houses Olaus magnus meant, when he said, they placed their houses upon trees for fear of wild beasts. But that you may the better conceive these Store-houses also, I shall here give you the Figure of them.

[illustration] depiction of a Lapland tent erected beside a storehouse built high in the trunk of a tree