Those who inhabit the frontiers of Finland, have adopted some of the
expressions of their neighbours, as happens to every people: but when
two nations give to things of common use, to objects which are
continually before their eyes, names absolutely different, it affords a
strong presumption, that one of them is not a colony from the other. The
Finlanders call a bear Karu, the Laplanders Muriet: the sun in the
Finnish language is called Auringa, in the Lapland tongue Beve. Here is
not the least analogy. The inhabitants of Finland, and Swedish Lapland,
formerly worshipped an idol whom they called Iumalac, and since the
reign of Gustavus Adolphus, to whom they are indebted for the
appellation of Lutherans, they call Jesus Christ the son of Iumalac. The
Muscovite or Russian Laplanders, are at present thought to be of the
Greek church; but those who wander about the mountains of the North
Cape, are satisfied with adoring one God under certain rude forms, as
has been the ancient custom of all the nations called Nomades, or
wandering nations.
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