of greater moment, fuch as ficknefs, a mortality amongfl thc ,
cattle, or the like, they apply to privileged foothfayers or magicians
: thefe are called in the Lapland tongue Noaaids, and are regularly
educated in the art. Thefe men are completely initiated
by frequent interviews with the fpirits in Jabme-aimo; befides
■which, they pretend to be in poffeffion of runic drums which
have defcended to them from anceftors famous in remote times
for their {kill in divination. The Noaaid obferves much the fame
method with that already defcribed, except that he makes ufe of
fome previous ceremonies with a number of very frightful grimaces
and contortions, in which he is helped out by the immoderate quantity
he takes of brandy and tobacco during his operation. By the
effedt o f thefe aids to infpiration, he at length becomes fo intoxicated,
that he falls into a deep ileep, which the flanders by fup-
pofe to be a trance. When he awakes he pretends that his foul
has been conveyed away to lome paffe-warck, or holy mountain,
which he mentions byname, and attempts to reveal his interwiew
and difcourfe with the deities. At the fame time he names a
fecrifiee which muft be offered on a certain day, confifling, for the
moll part, o f a well fed rein-deer; and this being complied with,
be encourages the hopes that the deity who is concerned will prove
favourable. The Noaaid’s injunction never fails to be obeyed;
and if the facrifice of a valuable rein-deer be not fucceeded by the
goods effects which are hoped for from it, the fimple' Laplander
(like thofe poor unhappy people who run for a cure from one doctor
to another, until they have expended the lalt farthing of their
money)
money) has recourfe to another Noaaid, and another. Now, as
every coniultation is followed by a fat facrifice, at which the g luttonous
foothfayer prefides as butcher and principal guefl, it happens
that the poor Laplander finds himfelf fuddenly reduced to
want, his flock of cattle being wailed in riotous fcenes of fuper-
flitious infatuation.
T h e ganic Jlies are evil fpirits entirely under the direction of the
Noaaid, and ready at all times to execute his orders: they have
been delivered over to him by the Noaaid his father, who received
them from his, and fo on through a long feries o f magicians.
Thefe ganic flies are invifible to all but* the magician, who keeps
them fhut up in a box until he has occafion for their fervices.
T h Ajnoige-; or long of incantation, is uied by the Noaaid whilfl
in the exercife of his magical fundtion. T o fey it is fung, is to
give an imperfedl idea of the magician’s manner of delivering it,
which, he does in the moil hideous kind of yelling th a t can be
conceived. It is alfo frequently employed by thofe who are not
profeffed magicians ; for the juoige is fuppofed to have the power
to drive away the wolf, and is confidered as a protection for the
herd. Indeed, if the wolf be within hearing when they fing it,
it is no wonder that he fhould be frighted away by the noife.
The words o f this fong are very Jim pie; we here prefent them to
the reader, accompanied with an exadl tranilafcion :
Kumpi don ednak vahag lek dakkam
Ik fhjat kalka dam packefl orrot
Mutto