Throndheim Society's transactions in 1903, gave in a special degree an impulse to the inquiry into Scandinavian loans which has been going on in late years.
This Närö-manuscript has among other things the following description of the heathen sacramental rite which the Laplander performs with his family before he goes to church to receive the Christian sacrament:
"When the day on which he is to communicate arrives, before he goes to church he (as well as his wife and children and all married and unmarried Finns who go to the Lord's Supper) first takes a glass of beer, or preferably a glass of spirits, if he has it, and dips three fingers in it with which he makes the sign of a cross on his forehead which is to signify Thor's crosshammer (this he does to assure Thor of his steadfast faithful service). A second time he dips his fingers into the beer or spirits and makes therewith three marks, one for each finger, on his bare breast (this he does so that jami, the dead, and especially his deceased kinsmen and family may guard him so that no confession of that or any other idolatry may come from his mouth or heart in case the priest should want to question him narrowly on that matter, thereupon he throws out the fourth part of the beer or spirits into his fire-place, if he is at home, or on the floor where he is standing if he is in a farm-house, to the heathen goddess Sarakka, and then puts the glass of spirits to his lips with these words: "dat le Sarakka Gare" (this is Sarakka's chalice) and when he has drunk it, casts himself upon his knees and makes this prayer to Saracha … This prayer I saw in Lappish at Lector von Westen's, but did not get time to copy it out."[1]
- ↑ »Naar nu Dagen er ankommen, paa hvilken hand vil communiceris, da førend hand hengaaer til Kirken, tager hand (det samme giør hans Kone og Børn, og alle saa vel giffte som ugifte Finner der gaae til Herrens Nadvere) et glas øll, men besynderlig et Glas Brendeviin, om hand det haver, og dypper de tre Fingre der udi, hvor med hand i siin Pande teigner et Kaars, som skal betyde Thors Kryds-Hammer (dette giør hand til at forsikkre Thor om sin stedsvarende troe Tieniste), anden gang dypper hand Fingrene i Øllet eller Brende
