Page 145 - Panjek, Aleksander, Jesper Larsson and Luca Mocarelli, eds. 2017. Integrated Peasant Economy in a Comparative Perspective: Alps, Scandinavia and Beyond. Koper: University of Primorska Press
P. 145
livelihood diversification in early modern sami households in northern sweden
could use when preaching sermons. Moreover, in one account the author
actually mentions his interpreter, which clearly shows that not all priests
could speak Sami, and that interpreters were used not only for sermons but
also for other forms of contact between missionaries and Sami (Tornaeus
1983, 61). All in all, it seems to have been quite possible for missionaries and
Sami to bridge the language barrier, either using Swedish or Finnish; using
an interpreter; or more rarely using Sami language.
Missionaries aside, a number of Swedish and foreign travellers in the
18th-century lappmark recorded their encounters with the Sami. Most fa-
mous among these is perhaps Carl Linnæus who, as a young man in the
spring and summer of 1732, journeyed to Lapland at the behest of the Roy-
al Academy of Sciences in Uppsala. On his travels he visited both the Ume
and Lule lappmarks, making countless useful observations on Sami liveli-
hood. He noted and illustrated many of his observations in a personal diary
that was supposedly never intended for publication. His edited journal first
appeared in English in 1811 (Linnæus 1811a, b). The Swedish version, which
has been edited and republished several times, was published most recent-
ly in three volumes by the Royal Skyttean Society in 2003 (Linnæus 2003).
Almost a decade later another young man, Arwid Ehrenmalm, trav-
elled from Stockholm to the Åsele lappmark in southern Lapland on behalf
of the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences. On his return to Stockholm he
wrote a book about his experiences, its final section describing Sami cus-
toms and habits (Ehrenmalm 1743). Both these travelogues contain detailed
and useful information allowing us to understand more about Sami subsis-
tence. These accounts, however, share similar source-critical problems with
the missionary accounts described above, some of which will be elaborated
upon in the next section.
The prime objective of the journeys by Linnæus and Ehrenmalm was
to investigate the natural resources of northern Sweden, and to ascertain
how the area could best be exploited from a Swedish point of view. As part
of their task the travellers also provided valuable insights into Sami subsis-
tence. However, as with the missionaries described above, the travelogue
authors came from a different context to the Sami they described. This
sometimes shines through by way of derogatory descriptions, especial-
ly related to Sami beliefs, appearances and manners, and more so for Eh-
renmalm than for Linnæus. Nevertheless, both authors are more objective
and matter-of-fact when describing various aspects of Sami trade, reindeer
husbandry, fishing, and their use of other natural resources. As neither of
143
could use when preaching sermons. Moreover, in one account the author
actually mentions his interpreter, which clearly shows that not all priests
could speak Sami, and that interpreters were used not only for sermons but
also for other forms of contact between missionaries and Sami (Tornaeus
1983, 61). All in all, it seems to have been quite possible for missionaries and
Sami to bridge the language barrier, either using Swedish or Finnish; using
an interpreter; or more rarely using Sami language.
Missionaries aside, a number of Swedish and foreign travellers in the
18th-century lappmark recorded their encounters with the Sami. Most fa-
mous among these is perhaps Carl Linnæus who, as a young man in the
spring and summer of 1732, journeyed to Lapland at the behest of the Roy-
al Academy of Sciences in Uppsala. On his travels he visited both the Ume
and Lule lappmarks, making countless useful observations on Sami liveli-
hood. He noted and illustrated many of his observations in a personal diary
that was supposedly never intended for publication. His edited journal first
appeared in English in 1811 (Linnæus 1811a, b). The Swedish version, which
has been edited and republished several times, was published most recent-
ly in three volumes by the Royal Skyttean Society in 2003 (Linnæus 2003).
Almost a decade later another young man, Arwid Ehrenmalm, trav-
elled from Stockholm to the Åsele lappmark in southern Lapland on behalf
of the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences. On his return to Stockholm he
wrote a book about his experiences, its final section describing Sami cus-
toms and habits (Ehrenmalm 1743). Both these travelogues contain detailed
and useful information allowing us to understand more about Sami subsis-
tence. These accounts, however, share similar source-critical problems with
the missionary accounts described above, some of which will be elaborated
upon in the next section.
The prime objective of the journeys by Linnæus and Ehrenmalm was
to investigate the natural resources of northern Sweden, and to ascertain
how the area could best be exploited from a Swedish point of view. As part
of their task the travellers also provided valuable insights into Sami subsis-
tence. However, as with the missionaries described above, the travelogue
authors came from a different context to the Sami they described. This
sometimes shines through by way of derogatory descriptions, especial-
ly related to Sami beliefs, appearances and manners, and more so for Eh-
renmalm than for Linnæus. Nevertheless, both authors are more objective
and matter-of-fact when describing various aspects of Sami trade, reindeer
husbandry, fishing, and their use of other natural resources. As neither of
143
