The Reindeer . 
123 
annoyed with gulons [gluttons], and generally all beastes that live 
upon the spoile of flesh, are enemies unto them, and desire to destroy 
and eate them. In their pace, both slow and speedie, the articles of 
their legs make a noise like the craking of nuts. There was one 
of these beasts given unto the Duke of Saxony in the year of our Lord, 
1561.” 
Olaus Magnus, the chronicler of Northern Europe 
referred to in the preceding passage, informs us that—• 
« £ in the northern parts of both the Bothnians, (for so are the utmost 
parts of the north countrey called, as if it were from the bottome of a 
vessel) and Great Lapland, there is a beast with three horns, that is of 
the kind of stags, hut is far taller, stronger, and swifter: and it is 
called rangifer, for two reasons; one is, because it carryeth high horns 
on the head, like the boughs of an oke-tree ; the other is, because the 
instruments that are put upon the horns and breast to draw their 
waggons withall in winter, are called in that language rancha and 
lochai , of these horns it hath two bigger than the rest, growing as the 
stags horns do; hut they are with more branches, and farther out, for 
they augment to fifteen branches. Another stands in the middle of 
their head, with little small branches shorter than the other, standing 
round about it. These arm the head on all sides against the beasts 
that are enemies unto b it, especially wolves; and it shews comely, and 
to be admired amongst strange things. The meat this beast eateth 
is mountain moss, that is white, chiefly in winter, that lyes on the 
superficies of the ground covered with snow. And though these snows 
be thick, yet by an instinct of nature, will it ’dig in them like a wilde 
horse to seek for its meat. In summer it feeds on leaves and boughs 
of trees, better standing and going, than stooping down the head, 
(because the horns are too crooked forward) and that inclining the 
head obliquely, and on one side. It hath a mane like a horse, and the 
hoofs are divided in two. 
“ If they he carried into other countries, especially beyond seas, they 
will not live long, either by reason of the climate changes, or unusual 
food they feed on, unless their ordinary keeper feeds them; as I 
remember that formerly the most illustrious Prince of Sweden, Steno 
Sture, the younger, sent six of these rangifers to Frederick Duke of 
Holsatia, and he sent two keepers with them, the man and wife that 
were Laplanders; these being carried out of their native countrey, and 
being under the government of others, because they wanted their rest, 
and manner of living, neither they nor the beasts, wanting a particular 
care for them, did live long. Likewise in the year of our Lord, 1533, 
