neglect to turn this impression to their advantage; they under-1
take, for example, to cure the barrennëss;óf 'wondeSthey? perform
-a magical operation jn thé hath which seldom foils. This
superstitious simplicity is without doubt the.cause-df the contempt
which the northern Finns entertain towards the southern;
and especially the inhabitants o tth e Tawast land. The word
Hamalainen, which is the Finnish name of the Tawasters, is in
the whole of East Bothnia synonymous with foolish, and hence
the Finnish proverb “menna Hamalanaf to go to Hamala,
that is, “ to become a fool.”
In the middle ages the name of Finn was syhonymous with
sorcerer: it was generally believed that this people had a particular
intercourse with the devil. There are still sbreerers in
Finland; but even the most skilful among them believe, that the
Lappes are far superior to them ; they call a very experienced
dealer in the black art “a true L a p p ” nr Ase on koko Lappi;”
-they even undertake secret j ourney s-into the Lappish-country
when they require any important advice, The Eihipff sorcerers
can discover stolen goods, strayed • cattle, and’can. for-
tell the prosperous or the unlucky issue of any undertakings by
peeping into a brandy-glass. : They are physicians; and heal
even absent persons, if merely some of the clothes or furniture
of the sick are brought to them. These sages are visited from
very distant places : they are always furnished with a variety
of amulets,—for instance, human skulls, bonts’; earth from
the churchyard, snakes-heads, and the like. The Churches-,
churchyards* and burial-grounds, called kalmits, which are
found here and there in woods and upon islands,, and are
looked upon as remains, of the former Lappish inhabitants of
the country, and for which thé superstitious have great veneration,
are the magazines from which these ‘ credulous people
fetch their implements. Bodies are cut by them ,in pieces.
The wizards if provoked fall into a rage, gnash their teeth ;
their hair stands on end; they j ump, stamp with their feet,
and behave like madmen. Their so called “ enchanting songs”
or runpt are their most powerful means. The Finns when
heathens sang hymns to the honour of their gods, which
were considered sacred and influential. This practice could
not be overcome at the conversion of the people to Christianity,
whichwas done by force. The songs .therefore have descended
foom pagan tim e^b u t have>re,ceived various additions during
the i?<S%nt of therCatholici^Ugiad; they are undoubtedly older
th<5n an y o !feK if.F inm sh ^o ^ The followers of this .superstition
think that».they can., s u b d ^ and - r u % ^ r all elements,
b@di%vand animals, ;i-f they can biffer fovestigate their con-
I healed and mystiqalropigip,i and q^n;mdke them the subject ot
'iheivHS$fcg$ 'd j f i^ a r e , U©wev^s|gi;adually becoming obsolete^
and du-rhagAc-last^eneratipp -the belief of them'efficacy has
muchllesisbfldt T&orfwho are famous and Experienced
in the knowledgc o f their in c a n ta% ig |e q w th this I^reito
their children, so that th e y :a # ^ § ie ta lly peculiar- to .certain
families. The thaumaturg^gCnemlly»Ga^ms^^plemfent^
in -a' bag;, and! is, hence;,ea^ed^sjaefy-man. It is .remarkable
that MB Finnish sorcerers, ■ ■ ■ themseLv^mto a
state of ' stupor^oiv'enthusiafem/ifrom tffich the^cannot ^ven
b eaw ak en ed ^F during th%iim^fhedr souls Toammboui,
and investigate hidd®a"th,ldg^||tiich they discfosept their ret
I t wOuldste'Curiaus.’to inquire # # these saperetifidifc
ideas and-repreSlm-tatioBS are-s'd simila^anfo|gs#all the -nations
of t'heinprthv The c® njujJ^pf the Finnish nations, 1%,
mans of.the Tartars,-the angekokaofithqGjeenlaaders, a ll act
exactly in the same way* This.is the .remark of M. Buhs,
We may further observe that, superstitious habits and customs
very similar, and almost .precisely parallel, h&Vtsbeett described
among the native rates of. Africa.^,
S e c t i o n VII.—Of the Tribes o f Tschudes in the northern
and central Provinces o f the European EmpiYp-of Russia.
We have already l l M i that ther^were various tribes of
people scattered th ro u g h -t^ n q rth e rn parts H M M M j
empire, distinguished both in language and manners from, the
Slavonian nations, who in ancient U p e ^ c U m theiy vicinity,
and borderedmn them towards the s^outh. When the Slavp
nianabecame M M M more powerful, through the
influence of foreign ,iptei>co.urse, and through the military
prowess of Scandinavian chieftains, th e ^ gradually reduced
• Finnland und seine Bewohnet,; von Rubs.