We have hitherto taken a survey of their ordinary imploiments, and such as are almost every day in use, as well those peculiar to each Sex, as common to both; likewise of their Divertisements and sports, wherewith they use to intermingle those emploiments: It remains that we treat of those businesses, which do not every day occur, but are singular and solemn, and undertaken upon special occasions. And first of what appertain to their Marriages; Concerning them ’tis most memorable, that whenever any person purposes to marry, ’tis his first business, to make search after a Maid well stock’d with Raindeers. For the Laplanders have a custom, (as shall hereafter more particularly be mentioned) of bestowing upon their Children soon after their birth, some certain number of those Raindeers, and their increase is accounted of, not as the Parents estate, but the Childs portion. She therefore, that is best provided of them, is in most likely-hood of meeting with an Husband. Nor have they regard to any thing else, as either good breeding, or beauty, or other the common allurements of woers. For they who dwell on a hard and barren soile are generally solicitous concerning food, which because their Rain-deer afford, every one thinks himself best secured against want when he is best provided of them. As soon therefore as the young man has cast about him for a wife, which is usually done at their public meetings for paying of taxes, or upon the account of fairs; next he makes a journy to her parents, taking along with him his father, if alive, and one or two more whom he thinks will be most kindly welcome, but especially one who may declare his affections, and win the favor of the Maids parents. When they arrive at the hut, they are all kindly invited in, only the suiter is fain to wait at door, and bestow his time in chopping wood, or some such trivial business, till he be summon’d in also, for without express permission ’tis uncivil in him to enter. When they have drank of the Spirit of Wine, which the spokes-man brings, he applies himself to the management of his province, discloses the Suiters affections to the Daughter, and makes his address to her Father, that he will please to bestow her in Marriage upon him. Which that he may atcheive with more success, he honors the Father with the greatest titles and names of renown that he can devise, at every one bowing the knee, as if he were treating with a prince. He stiles him with the High and Mighty Father, the Worshipful Father, as if he were one of the Patriarcks, the best and most illustrious Father, and no doubt if they were acquainted with the Roial title of His Majestie, He would not scruple to call him, the most Majestic Father. The Wine, that the Suiter is supposed to have brought along with him therewith to pay his respects to her parents, whom he pretends to, they call either Pouristwyn (that is) the Wine of prosperous access, or that Wine wherewith he designs to caress his Father and Mother in Law, that are to be; or else, Soubowiin (that is) the Wine of wooers which tis expedient for wooers to bestow, thereby to procure permission of converse with the daughter, and gain the favour and liking of the future Bride. But we must take notice, that the business is nor proposed to the maid her self first, but her parents; nor may the Suiter have any conference with her without their permission. Nay ’tis the usual custom, at this time to dispatch her away upon some sleevless arrand, either to the Rain-deers pastures in the Woods, or a Neighbors hut, so as neither the Suiter nor any of his company may have a sight of her; but if at last either she or some other woman procure leave for Her of her Parents or kindred, to speak to him, their entertainment finished he gets him out of the hut to his sledg, and then takes out his woollen Cloth-Garments, (such as they use to spruce themselves up withal, at their public Festivals, or more solemn affairs) and what else is requisite to the present business: when he has trimm’d himself up, he makes his address to his Mistress and salutes her. Their manner of Salutation is by a kiss; in which that they mainly aim at is, that each not only apply his mouth to the others, but also that both their noses touch; for otherwise it goes not for a true salute. Next he makes her a present of the rarest delicacies that Lapland affords, the Rain-deers tongue, the Beavers flesh, and other dainties, which she refuses to accept of in the presence of any body; presently after she is call’d aside to some convenient place without the hut, then if she profess her self willing to receive them, the Suiter farther puts it to her, whether she will grant him leave, that he may take his repose by her in the hut; if she grant it, ’tis concluded between them of their future marriage: withal he presents his gifts above mentioned. If she rejects his suit, she casts them all down at his feet. The Bridegroom usually carries them in his bosom, before he presents them. The full approbation of the Parents, and the celebration of the wedding is used oftentimes to be deferr’d for a considerable while, sometimes for two or three years together; and all that while they bestow upon courting their Mistresses. The reason why their time of Courtship or wooing proves so long, is because the Bridegroom is necessitated to gratifie with frequent presents, the parents and friends nearest in blood to the Bride, without the leave of each of which he cannot compass the possession of her. This is expressed by Samuel Rheen in these words, When any Person pretends marriage to the Daughter of one of the richer sort, he is obliged to make a present to her parents and nearest Kinsmen, such as is made for state to Ambassadors or cheif Officers, as large as his means will reach to, which present they call Peck, that is, Peices, every peice at least must contain two marks of silver, that is, six ounces, there are some too, that must contain twenty, forty, sometimes threescore ounces a peice, such peices the Bridegroom is bound to bestow upon His Mistresses parents and her near kindred. In what things these presents particularly consist, I shall mention hereafter, for they do not give barely silver, but moulded into some fashion, or other things besides; while therefore the Bridegroom is emploied in procuring these pieces, ’tis no inconsiderable while that passes.

In this interval he ever and anon makes a visit to his Mistress, to whom while he is travelling he solaces himself with a Love Song, and diverts the wearisomness of his journy. And ’tis their common custom, to use such kind of Songs, not with any set tune, but such as every one thinks best himself, nor in the same manner, but sometimes one way, sometimes another, as goes best to every man, when he is in the mode of singing. An ensampel of one they use in the Winter season, communicated to me by Olaus Matthias, a Laplander, I here annex.

The meaning of this Song is this,

This is a love Song of the Laplanders, wherewith they incourage their Rain-deers to travell nimbly along. For all delay, tho in it self short, is tedious to lovers. They use too at other times to entertain themselves with such Sonnets, when at some distance from their Mistresses, and therein to make mention of them, and extoll their beauty. One of this kind I received of the said Olaus, and seeing we have lit upon this subject, I here set it down.

The sense of the Song is thus,

As they come to visit their Mistresses, they are necessitated to bring along with them some spirit of Wine, as a singular and most acceptable present, and Tobacco too. But if in the mean while, as it often falls out, the father intends not to bestow his daughter upon the man that hath made pretensions to her, he seldom refuses them, but defers the positive answer till the year following, that he may the oftner entertain himself with the spirit of Wine the Suiter brings along with him. And thus he delaies his answer from one year to the other, till the Suiter perceive himself cheated, and be constrained to require at his hands his charges made to no purpose. There is then no other remedy to be taken, then bringing the business before the Judg, where the Maids Father is sentenced to refund either the entire sum, or half of it, as the case stands. Where withal we must observe this, that the expences made by the Suiter on the Spirit of Wine, at his first arrival, do not fall under this compensation, but he alone stands to the loss of that. But if after the downright refusal of the Maid, he of his own accord will show his liberality, he may try what luck he will have at his own peril. If all things happen conformable to his wishes, then some set day is appointed for the wedding. The day before it, all the kindred and Neighbors as well of the Bridegroom as Bride resort to her parents hut, and the Bridegroom presents them all with wedding gifts, about which they had agreed, and of which mention is made above.

The Bridegroom is bound to present the Father with a silver cup, to drink in; this is the first of those they call Stycke. The second is a large Kettle, either of Copper or Alchymy. The third, a bed or at least hansom bedding. The presents for the Mother are, first a girdle of silver, secondly a Robe of honor such as they use to call Vospi. Thirdly a Whisk, which they wear about their neck, and let it hang down to their brest, interlaced all about with bosses of silver, and this they call Krake. These are the presents for the Father and Mother: besides he bestows upon the Brothers, Sisters, and all the near kindred, silver spoons, silver bosses, and some other such kind of things of silver, for each of them must be presented with some gift by the Bridegroom, if he mean to obtain his Bride. These are the presents, which the Bridegroom is more especially bound to make to his Father and Mother in law that are to be, and the rest of the kindred. And he makes them in his father in laws hut, in the sight of all there. The day following the wedding is celebrated, first by the ceremonious joining of the Priest in the Church, afterwards by a set dinner. The new Wife together with the Bridegroom walk along, both dress’d in the best clothes they can procure at their own charges. For ’tis looked upon among them as unhansom to make use of the borrowed cloths of others, unless it be wool as I have elswhere shown. They take saies TornÆus so great pleasure in good cloth of what ever color, that as far as their patrimony will permit, they procure their extraordinary apparel and festival Garments of that kind: who declares expressly that their festival apparel, or that which they wore on more solemn daies, was not of skins but rich cloth. These Garments the Bridegroom girds up with a silver girdle, but the Bride first looses her hair: and the fillet wherewith she bound it up together before, she gives to the Virgin that is next a kin to her: afterwards, on her bare head, and loose hair she puts a kind of a silver fillet gilt over, or two, such as is the womens custom to wear at other times besides, instead of a Garland or Coronet, so that by how much this fillet is looser, then to environ only her head; so much it hangs down the more behind: likewise about her middle they put on a silver girdle. This is the Brides apparel, unless that sometimes they put upon her head something of linnen, instead of a veil, which at other times the women use when they have a mind to make themselves extraordinary gallant, for as for what appertains to their garments, we have before observed, that both the Bridegroom and Bride wear their own, and those their best, and such as on festival daies they deck themselves withal. We have shown in another place, that the womens were called Volpi, and were made either of wool, or the richer sort of cloth, so that neither about this does Olaus Magnus in his place a forecited, concerning the Lapland Bride, sufficiently agree with their custom at this day. They set the Bride saies he, apparell’d in Ermins and Sables skins on a Rain-deer. At this day both dress’d very fine are carried to the Church or Priest, to be joined in Marriage; this was not the custom in old times, if we give credit to Olaus Magnus, for then they were joined at home, not by the Priests but the Parents, his words are in Lib. 4. Cap. 7. in which place he treats of the Laplanders weddings, as the Title of the Chapter informs us. In the presence of friends and kindred, the Parents solemnly ratifie their Childrens Marriages, and that too by the striking of fire with a flint and steel, particularly there he makes the Parents joining them, and adds moreover the manner, viz. by fire striken out of a flint, which without doubt as some other things, he cull’d out of Zeigler, but as for the parents doing it, Zeigler has nothing of that, the manner of their joining he explains in these words, They ratifie their Marriages, and begin them in a ceremony of fire and flint, so pat a conjugal mysterie, that they think nothing can be more agreeable, for as the flint conceals within it self fire, which by concussion breaks forth, so in both sexes there is life hid, which by the mutual coupling of marriage is propagated at last to be a living ofspring. And just so Olaus has it, so that there can be no doubt made but that he followed Ziegler. When they arrive near the Church, they observe in their procession a certain order, first walk the Men, the Women follow. The Men are led up by a Laplander, whom they call Automwatze, or foreman, then follows the Bridegroom, after him the rest. Some number of Virgins lead up the womens company, after them comes the Bride led between a man and a woman, next to her follow the rest of the women. Tis here to be observed that the Bride like one strugling against it, and endeavoring the contrary, is dragged along by the man and woman that are to wait upon her, and would seem to admit of her marriage with great unwillingness and reluctancy, and therefore in her countenance makes shew of extraordinary sadness and dejection: so afterwards in the Church they are joined together by praiers and benediction according to the Christian rite. After the same manner does John TornÆus relate this busines, only that he saies the Bride is led by two men, her Father and Brother, if alive, or otherwise by her two next Kinsmen. The portraicture of the Bride in her wedding apparel, and with her two leaders you have in the next page. After the solemnity of the marriage is ended, there follows a wedding feast, that is made in her Parents hut, and as for the provision, each of the persons invited contributes his share of the victuals, tho they bring it not thither just then, but the day before: when the Bridegroom distributes his presents to the Brides parents and kindred, then every one brings his victuals that will be serviceable to the feast. But because the meat they bring is ordinarily raw, they deliver it to a Laplander, on purpose appointed to that office, viz. to receive it of every Person that brings, and afterwards to boil it, and lastly to distribute it among the guests, tho commonly the greatest part of the provision be made, by the Bridegrooms as well as Brides parents. In their sitting at table they keep this order, in the uppermost places sit the Bridegroom and Bride next to one another, then follow in order the rest, as the parents, and kindred. At the table no person helps himself, but receives his meat from the hands of a Laplander, who is both dresser and carver of it. First of all he serves the Bridegroom and Bride with their portion, and in order the rest. Now they who by reason of the scantiness of room in the hut, cannot be admitted to the feast, such are boies and girles, climb up to the roof of the hut, and from thence let down threds with hooks tied to them, to which they fasten pieces of meat, and the like, so that they also enjoy their share of the banquet. The entertainment ended, they give thanks, as at other times they use, and shake hands one with another. The last thing wherewith they shut up the merriment of the feast, is drinking Spirit of Wine, which if they can light upon, they then are sure to buy; first the Bridegroom drinks, then the Brides parents, then each man shifts for himself, and so they make merry, but this custom the richer sort only observe, and those too who have the opportunity of buying, by the presence of those who sell these commodities; as for the meaner sort they are accustomed to divert themselves with talk. When the Wedding is over, the Husband may not take along with him his Wife with her goods and fortune, but must remain for an whole year in service with his Father; when that time is past, if he sees convenient he may set up for himself, and turn housekeeper; and then the Father bestows upon his Daughter at her departure, the Rain-deer, which are her due, because given her in her younger years: he gives her also other gifts besides, and what furniture will be requisite for the new married couple, particularly he gives for her dowry an hundred or more Rain-deers, as likewise silver, copper, Alchymy, a tent, bedding, and other houshold-stuff. And next all the kindred, the Brothers and Sisters, and whoever have received of the Bridegroom his gifts of respect, are likewise obliged to return him back again some present, so that he who had received one or two markes of silver, returns for a gift again one or two Rain-deers: so that it comes to pass, that the Laplanders, who can gratifie the friends and kindred with numerous presents, if they wed a rich Laplanders Daughter, come to great wealth in Rain-deer by this kind of marriage. These are the cheif things the Laplanders observe in their contracts and marriages, which before we quite leave, we may take notice first, that it is unlawful among them, to marry a wife too near in blood. And they have so special a regard to the degrees of consanguinity and affinity, that they never request marriage in the prohibited ones. And again ’tis unlawful, having one wife to marry another, or when one is married to put her away, by Divorce. Polygamy and Divorce were never heard of among the Laplanders, neither in the time of Paganism, saies TornÆus, nor afterwards, but they alwaies observed marriage honestly and like Christians; yet in former daies perhaps they did not altogether abhor the communicating their wives, whom they permitted to strangers especially and guests. So indeed writes Herberstenius. But John TornÆus mentions an instance of later date, and the Testimony too of a Laplander of Luhla, tho he doubts to give credit to him. ’Twas reported to me, saies he, that in the time of my Predecessor of Luhla-Lapmark, a certain immodest Laplander, came to lodg with another, in Torne-Lapmark, a civil honest man, as was his whole family, who could read books, and lived a pious life, for which he was stiled by scorners Zuan Bishop. Then the Man of Luhla, when he had disordered himself with drinking Spirit of Wine, addressed himself to his hosts wife, in hope of debauching her, but because there were there present two officers, who had Spirit of Wine to sell, the Zuan Bishop call’d for them, and told them the fellows design, desiring likewise that they being Ministers of the State, would apprehend and bind him: they immediately bound him to a Tree, and left him there for a whole Winter night together, to be frozen with cold. At last he was forced to regain his liberty with mony; and pleaded it as an excuse, that it was the custom in Luli-Lapmark, that if any person visited another, the entertainer permitted such familiarity with his Wife. Thus saies TornÆus, but doubtingly, for the fellow might have only framed this for his own excuse; ’tis certain no other person has taken notice of it in them of Luhla, and the other Laplanders are so ignorant of this communion of their wives, that they cannot endure they should look upon other men. The Laplanders dwelling towards Norway at the river Torna are so jealous, that if a Woman chance to meet a man, and speak but a few words to him, they immediatly fall into a suspicion of her.