Altera sa est opinio bona de majoribus suis, qui existimant non suiss ineptos, ut nescirent, quid pro numine deberent venerari.

The other is a good opinion of their elders, who think that they are not so stupid as to not know what they should venerate as a deity.

Lapponia, Johannes Schefferus

Imo hanc putant se debere illis reverentiam, ut ne recedant ipsorum instititutis, & per hoc inscitiæ vel impietas eos argo.

Indeed, they think they owe them this reverence, so that they may not depart from their own inclinations, and thereby accuse them of ignorance or impiety.

Lapponia, Johannes Schefferus

Superstitiones majorem suorum diligunt plurimum, ac pro ratione istoc afferunt, quod sic vixerint & majores, quos parentes antiquos appellant, talesque ritus adhibuerint & usurparint. Accedit & tertia causa, inveterata consuetudo. Nam & ipsa aegre traditur oblivioni, cum presertim legis instar habeat.

Superstitions of their elders they love the most, and as a reason they adduce that their elders, whom they call their ancient ancestors, lived thus, made use and adopted such rites. There is also a third reason, long-standing custom. For even this is hard to forget, since it has the appearance of law.

Lapponia, Johannes Schefferus

“..en nú vitum vér eigi hvárt heldr er, at vér munum frelsi þegit hafa, eða mantu nú láta þrælka oss af nýju með undarligum hætti, at vér munim hafna átrúnaði þeim, er feðr várir hafa haft fyrir oss ok alt forellri, fyrst um brunaöld, en nú um haugsöld, ok hafa þeir verit miklu göfgari en vér, ok hefir oss þó dugat þessi átrúnaðr.“

“…but now we know not if we indeed have got our freedom, or if you would thrall-bind anew in this strange custom, that we must forgo the faith which our fathers and all our fore-elders had before us, first in the Burning Age, and now in the Mound Age; they were much greater than we, and all the same this faith has availed us well…”