3 10 
GENERAL REMARKS 
of greater moment, fuch as ficknefs, a mortality among# the 
cattle, or the like, they apply to privileged foothfayers or magi¬ 
cians : thefe are called in the Lapland tongue Noaa/ds, and are re¬ 
gularly educated in the art. Thefe men are completely initiated 
by frequent interviews with the fpirits in Jabme-amo; befides 
which, they pretend to be in poffeffion of runic drums which 
have defeended to them from anceftors famous in remote times 
for their fkill in divination. The Noaaid obferves much the fame 
method with that already deferibed, 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 quan¬ 
tity he takes of brandy and tobacco during his operation. By the 
effect of thefe aids to infpiration, he at length becomes fo intoxi¬ 
cated, that he falls into a deep fleep, which the {landers by fup- 
pofe to be a trance. When he awakes he pretends that his foul 
has been conveyed away to fome pajfe-warck, or hoi}- mountain, 
w'hich he mentions by name, and attempts to reveal his interwiew 
and difeourfe with the deities. At the fame time he names a 
facrifice which mu# be offered on a certain day, confifting, for the 
mo# part, of a well fed rein-deer; and this being complied with, 
he encourages the hopes that the deity who is concerned will prove 
favourable. The Ncaaid’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 doc¬ 
tor to another, until they have expended the la# farthing of their 
money) 
