way, and another named Kraka prepared a mefs of pottage of
fuch admirable virtue, th a t it would have rendered his fon Rollo
wife and eloquent, if, unfortunately for him, it had not been intercepted
and eaten up by his younger brother Eric, who thereby
obtained the benefit defigned for his elder brother, and afterwards
got the crown for himfelf. In ihort, there would be no end of
reciting the various ftories which ancient writers have left of the
magicians, male as well as female, in pail times. Mr. Leems
therefore confines his narrative to the prefent flate of the magic
art in Lapland.
T h e vifible inflrument of magic, as now practifed in Lapland,
is the runic drum; arid the invifible agents employed in this are
called ganic Jlies. The miffionary Ihews the uie made of each of
thefe, and gives fome account of the Noaaid, or regular bred magician,
together with the juoige, or fong of incantation uied by
him, and the method he takes to reflore loft property to-its right
owner.
T h e runic drum, which may be confidered as a compendium!
of Lapland paganifm, has the appearance of the head of a common
drum, the wooden frame of which is hung round with brafs
rings ib cloie together, that they ftrike and rattle upon the leaft
touch of the inflrument. Upon the fkin which is ftretched over
the drum certain characters are painted, reprefenting the Radien,
or Lapland Jupiter, with the reft of the deities, of whom an account
is given in a preceding fcclion, beiides other myftical figures
of animals, &c. to the number of forty-five fymbols. On fome
0 drums
drums more have been counted ; the Noaaids, or magicians, not
perfeilly agreeing in this refpebl in different parts of Lapland :
they, however, all coincide in the principal or leading deities. The
runic drums are of the more value as they are of greater antiquity;
and if they can. be proved to have been delivered from father to
ion, in a long line of iucceeding magicians, they are confidered
above all price: they are preierved with great care and fecrecy,
and are hidden from fight,, except at the time they are uied. A
woman dares not to approach the place where one of thefe drums
lies concealed, much leis durft ihe prefume to touch it.
Before a Laplander fets out upon a journey, or undertakes any
matter of moment, he confults his drum, which he does in the
following manner. He places a ring, which is ufed for this pur-
pofe only, upon the drum, and then ftriking upon it a fmart
ftroke with a fmall hammer made from a deer’s- horn, the ring is
iliaken or driven over the furface from fide to fide, which, as it
touches certain figures of good or bad omen, he conceives the
better or worfe opinion of his fuccefs in what he is about to undertake^
As, for example,, if the ring move according to the courfe
of the fun,, he pronounces that he flrall fucceed ; if contrarily to
the fun’s courfe, that he ihall fail in his enterprize, whatever it
be, of hunting, fifhing, or the like. In the fame manner he judges
of every event upon which he is diipofed.to confult this oracle.
Families in general poflefs fuch a drum, to which they refer
for advice in the retirement of their habitation, confidering it as
their guide and direilor upon common occafions ; but in matters
o f