Caspar Peucer (sometimes spelled Paucer, Latinised Casparus Peucerus or Peucerius), 1525–1602, was a professor of mathematics at the University of Wittenberg from 1550 and a medical doctor from 1560. In his work Commentarius de praecipuis divinationum generibus (Commentary on the Principal Types of Divination), he argued for his view that astrology was a valid form of science, referencing earlier and contemporary accounts of various forms of divination. This work was published in a large number of editions: first in 1553, then twice in 1560, and again in 1572, 1580, 1591, 1593 and 1607. The first of the two 1560 editions contains the same text as the 1553 original, but the second one enlarges it. Amongst the added material is a reference to Sámi practices, including their use of drums.
Nec miremur has diaboli præſtigias & machinationes, cum tetriora multo & quæ minus uero conſona uidentur, exerceat & perficiat in extremo Septentrione, ubi homines hactenus cultui dæmonum dediti fuerunt. Inter reliquas enim illius ultimæ oræ gentes, Pilappij extremam Scandinauiæ peninſulæ partem ad mare glaciale inhabitant. Hi nec agros colunt, nec ullum animal alunt præter Tarandum, quo utuntur pro iumento tempore hyemis, quando congelate aquæ conſtiterunt & omnia obriguerunt frigoribus. Viuunt ex uenatione & piſcatione, & coluerunt hactenus pro dijs ligna & lapides. Ituri uenatum aut piſcatum, aut aliud aliquid incepturi, præmißis quibusdam adiurationibus ſuos Deos quos conſulunt, tentant loco mouere. Hi ſi facile ſequantur, annuunt inſtituto & ſucceſſum promittunt: ſi renitantur, ſucceſſus negant: ſi omnino mouere ſe loco non patiantur, offenſos ſeſe oſtendunt. Tales ergo ſacrificio placandos exiſtimant, quod in hunc modum inſtituunt. Tympanum habent æneum, in quo depicta ſunt ea quadrupedum auium & piſcium genera, quæ ipſis non est difficile conſequi. Habent & ranam æneam, ferreæ perticæ annexam, quam in medium Tympani ad perpendiculum defigunt. Poſtea adiurationibus editis pulſant Tympanum, ad cuius ſunitum deſilit rana in depictorum animalium aliquod. Illud animal, cuius effigem petijt rana, mactant dijs. Caput ſuſpendunt ab arbore, quam ſacram habent: Reliqua coquunt & amicis adhibitis conſumunt, ſeq́ue illo omnes perfundunt iure, cum quo hoſtia decocta est. Talibus peractis ſacris ſuccedere, quæ moliuntur & parant, experimento ſeſe didiciſſe aiunt.
Si quis peregrinus cupiat de ſuorum conditione certi quid cognoſcere, præſtant ut intra uiginti quatuor horarum ſpacium reſciſcat, quid com illis agatur, uel ſi trecentis miliaribus abſint, hoc modo. Incantator poſtquam uſitatis ceremonijs euocados Deos ſuod compellauit, ſubito collabitur & exanimatur, quaſi extincto illo reuera abſcedat à corpore anima. Neque enim aut ſpiritus in eo reliquus eſſe, aut reſtare cum uita ſenſus aliquis & motus uidentur. Sed ut adſint ſemper aliqui oportet, qui proiectum & exanime corpus cuſtodiant, quod cum non fit, dæmones id abripiunt. Horis uiginti quatuor elapſis, reuerente ſpiritu ceu è profundo ſomno cum gemitu expergiſcitur exanime corpus, quaſi reuocetur in uitam ex morte qui conciderat. Poſtea ſic reſtitutus ad interrogata reſpondet, & ut fidem faciat percontatori, recenſet aliquid, quod agnoſcat ille & certo ſciat in ædibus ſuis aut cognatorum fuiſſe.
Ingens apud eosdem est numerus & ingens potentia ſpectrorum, quæ uerſantur, conuiuantur & colloquuntur cum ipſis, neque arceri aut abigi ulla ratione queunt. Cumq́ue præcipue terreantur et exigitentur à manibus cognatorum post mortem, ne id fiat prohibent cadaueribus defoßis & ſepultis ſub foco. Hac medicina ſola contra Dæmonum ſeſe uexiationes & terriculamenta muniunt ac tutos præſtant. Id enim ſi faciant, nullæ in poſterum illorum umbræ cōparent amplius: ſi negligant, obuerſantium perpetuo cognatorum umbris turbantur & infeſtantur. Hoc tempore minus est ibi incantationum, quam fuit antea, quod Sueciæ Rex, ne ijs amplius utātur, ſeuerißime prohibuit, & quantum potest, curat eos de religione noſtra recte erudiri, quamuis hoc ſit difficile, cum certas non habeant ſedes, ſed uagentur in ſyluis. Regiones quas incolunt paluſtres ſunt, noc niſi hyberno tempore peruiæ, quando omnia congelantur. Paſtores ex Finlandia, Nortbotnia, Angermania, Midelpadia, Helſingia & uicinis regionibus hyeme ad eos accedunt, & quos adipiſcuntur docent orare ac mediocriter inſtitutos baptiſant. Dicunt quod ſi prouectiores ætate baptiſmum ſuſcipant, ij communiter intra ſeptimum aut octauum diem à Baptiſmo moriantur, idq́ue præcipuè admirabile est. Hæc ex narrationibus hominum dignißimorum fide recitaui, ut cum hæc conſideramus, exuſcitemus nos ad ardentius & uigilantius ſtudium cauendi inſidias diaboli, & ad precandum ardentius, ut Filius Dei, qui miſſus set ut deſtruat opera Diaboli, regat & feruet nos, nec ſinat ab ipſo auulſos in Diaboli poteſtatem redigi.
The strange term “Pilappi” is also found on maps, globes and geographical literature from the late fifteenth and early sixteenth centuries. If it is a corruption of a more sensible name, “Finlappi(a)” would be the most similar, especially if taken from a cramped map legend with the n represented by a nasal bar above the i. However, at least one source equates it with “Vuildlappmanni”, which in the earliest map with a version of this term, contrasts with both “Findhlappi” and “Findlandi”. This does not rule out the straightforward corruption, though, as the work equating the two terms presumably just tries to harmonise two map traditions with no knowledge of how each of them came to be.
Let us nor be surprised at these tricks and deceits of the devil, since he exercises and perfects those things which seem much more disturbing and less in tune with the truth in the far North, where men have hitherto been devoted to the worship of demons. For instance, among the other nations of that farthest coast, the Sámi inhabit the extreme part of the Scandinavian peninsula by the icy sea. They neither cultivate fields, nor feed any animal except Reindeer, which they use as cattle in the winter season, when the waters have stopped due to freezing, and all things become frozen by the cold. They live by hunting and fishing, and have hitherto worshiped wood and stones as gods. ⚠ unfinished
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