The Laplanders are great believers in spirits. To summon these they use drums or tambourines, consisting of a ring of wood over which a membrane is tightly stretched. This has jingling objects fastened to it which make a noise when the instrument is beaten or rattled. Upon the membrane are rudely painted, curious figures, usually in red. Thus the sun, animals, and human beings are pictured, and are believed to help the drummer. The Lapps greatly fear their god of storms. He is believed to drive the storms forth from his cave with a club and to bring them back with a shovel. They fear him most at the season when the young reindeer are born, and then pray to him not to let loose the storms, lest the little creatures perish. Through their sorcerers they secure from this god, storm strings with three knots tied in them. Each of these knots represents a storm. If one knot is untied, a little storm is let loose; if two are untied, a greater one; if three, there is a fearful tempest. These strings are used against enemies or those who have tried to do them harm. The neighbors of the little Lapps think these can do them much harm with their wind strings and other magic, and they dread and hate them.
With the Turks we pass from the peoples of Europe to those of Asia, for the European Osmanli Turks are only the most settled branch of a large group of peoples, most of whom lead wandering lives and live in Central and Northern Asia. All speak almost the same language. Formerly there was a great Turkish Empire, which stretched from the borders of China to the Caspian Sea. The present peoples of the Turkic group live within this area and in European Turkey. Among the most important of these peoples are the Yakuts, Turkomans, Uzbegs, Nogais, Cossacks, and Osmanli,—the latter being the Turks of European Turkey.
We shall speak only of the Yakuts, Turkomans, and Osmanli. The Yakuts occupy an area along both banks of the Lena River and extending west from it. They are wanderers and raise herds of cattle and horses. They live chiefly on the produce of their herds, eating horse flesh especially, and making much cheese. Like many of their neighbors they are fond of _koumyss_, a drink prepared by fermenting mare’s milk. Those living farthest north, near the delta of the Lena River, also hunt small animals for food. These wandering herders, living in tents, are not quarrelsome; they respect age, and the old men control affairs and determine the time for moving camp. Women are well treated by their husbands, but one man may have several wives. In such cases, the wives live each in a separate tent, and these tents are placed about the tent of the husband. Men pay the father of their wives, for these, with cattle and horses. When a man among the Yakuts dies, they dress him in his best clothing and place in the grave with him his knife, a flint and steel, some tinder, and a little food. The burial is always under a tree, and two graves are dug. In one the man is buried with his head turned toward the west. The man’s favorite horse is brought in his finest harness and loaded with presents: a fat mare is also brought. These are both killed and buried in the second grave that they may accompany their master.