a tale in the Eastern language (Skolt Sámi), from J. A. Friis, Lappiske Sprogprøver (1856)

Friis printed this tale under the heading "Nuortalaš giella", "the Eastern language": the speech of the Skolt Sámi, whom his glossary places on the Russian side of the Varangerfjord. Of two brothers, the poor one skis into the forest to find his own luck asleep, beats it awake, and is given a stone that makes money, and later a bag with its own way of giving wits.

Translation

There were two people, and they were brothers. The two of them lived, the one richer, the other poorer. The one was still rich, but the other grew poor, and he had nothing more to eat. Then he thought to himself how food was to come to him: why should he not begin to work at something, if he was to get himself food?

Then, as he lay sleeping, he woke out of his sleep and looked out through the window: "It is light outside already; surely it is day now; why should he not get dressed?" So he dressed, and took an axe, and stepped outside. Then he took his skis. Then he heard an axe, as another man was chopping in the forest. So he skied off to where that man was, nearest by.

When he came to the man, he greeted the man, and the man greeted him too. Then he looked the man over; he did not know him; he saw that he was shaping wood into blanks; he had not said a word. Then he skied on, skied to another man, greeted him, and that one greeted him too; and he did not know that man either. He thought to himself, what sort of people were these, since he knew neither of the two men.

Then he asked: "What sort of person are you?" "I am the luck of the people of this place!" "Who is that, nearest here?" "That is the luck of the people of this place." "Who is that one, farther out?" "That is your brother's luck!" "Do you know my luck, or do you not?" "I know: your luck is asleep." "Could you not take me there?" "I will not take you; I would show you how; you will find him yourself. You will see the high ground yonder, and you must ski over that high ground. Then the land slopes down, and you must look beside a big stone, and you will find him."

So he skied off there, skied over the high ground, and went down the slope. Then he saw a big stone, and when he skied up to the stone, he saw him: he was sleeping there. Then he turned back again and cut himself a stick. Then he came with the stick and began to beat the man. Then that one woke. Then he said: "No wonder I am so poor, when you cannot be bothered to work at anything at all! With other people, every man's luck works ahead of him."

Then he said: "You must not beat me. I will give you a stone, and the stone is such that, when you take the stone in your hand and throw it to the other hand, and catch it with the other hand, a fistful of money comes. Whenever you wish, toss out for yourself as much money as you like; and if you can use it, you will have from that stone to eat all your life. Only you must tell no one. If anyone should think to ask about the money, where this wealth has come to you from, you must tell no one at all."

Then he went back, and when he came to his house, he tried throwing that stone of his from one hand to the other. He caught it with the other hand, and a fistful of money came; and then he tossed out for himself as much money as ever he wanted. Then he began to buy himself food and things for everyday use, and after that he began to live more richly. Then his brother began to see that his brother was now beginning to live more richly.

Then he called his brother to him and gave him wine to drink. Then he asked his brother: "Where have these goods come to you from?" He knew nothing: "Why, God has given them to me!" Then his brother went back again. And he lived on after that, I do not know how long it may have been.

Then he called his brother to him a second time and gave him wine to drink, until he grew drunk. Then he asked him: "Tell me truly, my brother, where has this wealth come to you from?" "Why, God has given it to me!" "Surely God does not give with his own hands; surely it has come to you from somewhere. Why will you not tell me where you got it? There are no other people here but the two of us, so you should tell me!"

Then the other said again: "I have a stone such that, when I throw it with my hand to the other hand, a fistful of money comes to me." "Will you not sell me that stone? I will give you a great deal of money." Then the other agreed. Then he gave him money, as much as he himself wanted. Then the other gave him his stone. Then he himself lived on after that a long time, and then his living began to dwindle.

Then he thought to himself: "How am I to live now? The food came from that. What am I to set to work at now, and where is food to come to me from? I will go a second time to look for my luck." So he went to look for his luck at that same time of night. He skied there a second time and cut a stick. When he came to the stone, the man was sleeping there under blue clothing. Then he began to beat him with the stick. The other felt it at once and woke.

Then he himself said: "Do not beat me; I will give you a bag! You must carry the bag to your hut and hang it on a peg. Then you yourself must bow to your bag and say: 'Now, bag, give me wits!' And after that you must say again: 'Enough, bag! Now enough, bag! Now the man's wits have grown!'" Then the man took the bag. Then the other said: "Another time you must not come to me any more; if you should come and trouble me, I will not let you go alive."

He took the bag and skied off to his hut. He hung it on a peg, then he himself bowed and said: "Now, bag, give me wits!" Then out of the bag sprang two soldiers, each with a tampa in his hand. They dragged him down to the floor and began to beat him. Then he begged: "Let me go again, for God's name's sake!" They do not let go; they go on beating. Then he remembered: "Now, bag, there has been beating enough; now the man's wits have grown!" Then the two soldiers went back into the bag.

After that he began to think how he might palm the bag off on his brother: why should he not invite his brother to visit, and give him wine to drink? So he invited his brother, and his brother came to visit him, and he gave his brother wine to drink. Then, in drink, he said to his brother: "I have now, my brother, such a bag that in a short while it adds to one's wits. Would you not like, my brother, to add to your wits?" The other said he would not buy it. "Would you give it for a short while?" "He can give it to you for a short while, so that you too may get wits, so that you may learn." Then that brother stood up, took the bag, put it on his shoulder and walked off.

He carried the bag to his house and hung it on a peg. Then he bowed: "Now, bag, now add to the man's wits!" Then two soldiers sprang out of the bag, each with a tampa in his hand, and they dragged the man down to the floor, and the two of them began to beat him. Then he shrieked and begged: "Let me go, for God's name's sake!" They do not let go. Then that man's wife sent her children to their uncle: "Uncle, what sort of bag is this you have, that two men sprang out of the bag? Father is being beaten now; they all but take his jeg. Can you not free him from those two men?"

"He will not free him first, before you give me back that stone, and also whatever money you may have got from that stone. As soon as you give it all back, then I will free him from those two men." Then he went along with the children and came to his brother's wife. Then his brother's wife said: "Could you not set him free? It is enough." "If you give me back my stone, and give also the money that you two have got from that stone, then I will free him."

Then he went there, to his brother, and said: "Enough, bag! Now the man's wits have grown!" Then the two men sprang into the bag. Then the mistress of the house, the wife, said to her husband's brother: "Take that bag of yours away, where his ear shall not hear it, nor his eye see it." Then he took the bag, and got back his stone, and got besides all the money that he may have tossed out with that stone.

Colophon

Translated from the Sámi of Lappiske Sprogprøver: en Samling af lappiske Eventyr, Ordsprog og Gaader, edited by J. A. Friis (Christiania: J. W. Cappelen, 1856), pp. 108–112, where it stands alone under Friis's heading Nuortalaš giella, "the Eastern language". Friis gives no place for it; his glossary defines nuortalaš Samek as the north-eastern Sámi, "the so-called Skolt Finns", who live on the Russian side of the Varangerfjord, and it marks many words of this tale as Skolt. Friis printed it in Sámi only. The text was transcribed from the page images of the New York Public Library copy, and Friis's own correction for p. 108 was applied (bardne for barde in the title). The tale is printed in Friis's orthography and much of it reads through North Sámi; its Skolt words were read with the Sámi–Norwegian glossary that Friis printed at the back of the same book, which glosses them for this very tale, and with his larger Ordbog over det lappiske Sprog (1887), whose entries for Russian Lapland usage supplied a few more. The translator's command of Skolt is lower than of North Sámi: the course of the story and most sentences are secure, but some Skolt verb forms (tense, mood, person) are read from context rather than looked up.

Oasse is a share, lot or luck, and here each person's luck is a man in the forest; lauka is a bag or satchel; jirbme, jirme is understanding, wits, so the bag that "gives wits" gives them with a beating, and the formula that stops it, norraji … âlbmaja jirbme, is read with the glossary's Skolt norrat, "grow, be increased". The glossary quotes this tale itself for Skolt ouda, "no wonder that I am so poor", and for goastedet, to palm something off on one's brother. Dievvadaddat (Skolt) is to dress oneself; oudal "before", so every man's luck "works ahead of him"; goččot to bid or call, and gorrases "to himself", so he "called his brother to him"; laggestet (Skolt) to throw; davetet to grip, catch; goabmer dievva a fistful; dægje (Skolt) money; suoppot (1887) to throw, cast out, so the money is "tossed out"; annamaš (Skolt) the things of everyday use, such as clothes and tools; avnastet to shape a blank; miettalak a downward slope; vatte (Skolt) clothing, and alek blue; barta, which the glossary gives as "Stue", a room or small dwelling, here the man's hut; goddestet (Skolt) to hang up, and cagge a peg; gobmerdet to bow; rottit to drag violently, and šalde (Skolt) the earth floor of the turf hut; vuollad (Skolt) to spring; annetet (Skolt) to beg; gavva, genitive gappaj (Skolt), a wife; čiecce a father's elder brother, here "uncle"; vajed (1887, Russian Lapland) to be able; danab (1887, Russian Lapland) more. Two words are in neither dictionary and are left in Sámi: tampa, what each soldier holds in his hand to beat with, and jeg, in "they all but take his jeg", which in context may be "life". Read from context: uccanest … æv valde, literally "by a little they do not take", as "they all but take"; du akka borrad as "to eat all your life", taking akka with the glossary's akke, "age, lifetime" (its akka, "wife", is also possible, though this tale calls a wife gavva); jejađ as "yourself"; buođai as "came"; âlbmaja in the bag's formula as "the man's", though its case is not certain; mo, which the glossary gives as short for mon, "I", also as "me" and "my"; di as "this"; makt, mak and makte as "how" and "what sort"; ni with a negative as "at all"; and vast, which the 1887 dictionary gives as "again", also as "back". Danše ajge ikka is read as "at that same time of night", taking danše as dan, "that", with the glossary's še, "also", and ikka as its ikko, "at night", though the print has a for o. In "Would you give it for a short while?" the Sámi names neither the thing nor who is to receive it. The question "Do you know my luck, or do you not?" is put to more than one (diettavettetgo … æppet). The verb ending -šgoattet, -šgoeđe, which the glossary gives under -goattet as "begin, set about", is rendered "began to" where a beginning is meant; the tale also uses it where none seems meant, as in vigašgoeđe jimma, "I will not take you", and oastašgoeđe son i, "he would not buy it", and there, as in "he himself lived on after that a long time", the English has a plain verb. Twice the poor brother speaks of what he will do as "he" (son), not "I": "he can give it to you for a short while", and "he will not free him first, before you give me back that stone", where bæstet, "free", takes an object, so son is the one who frees. The English keeps "he" in both places.

No complete English translation of Friis's collection is known to us.

© 2026 Tianmu Anglican Church. This English translation is licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 4.0: you may share and adapt it for non-commercial use with credit to the Good Works Library, tianmu.org. The source text keeps its own terms. For other uses, see Rights and Reuse.

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Source Text: Vajvaš bardne ja su oasse

Sámi text as printed by Friis (1856), pp. 108–112, under his heading "Nuortalaš giella" ("the Eastern language"), in his orthography, with Friis's correction for p. 108 applied to the title; line-end hyphens are joined. Friis's single paragraph is divided here at the same places as the English.

De legje guökte olbmu, vielljačak legje. De soaj ællev, nubbe riggasab, nubbe vajvašab. De nubbe ajn rigga, nubbe nævratuvvai, i læh sust šute borrat maidege. De son jurda mielastes, makt sunne galga borramaš boattēt: manne son i alge rievgad maid, jos son oaǯǯe allases borramaš?

De son lii oađđemen, de son morrani nakkarest, gjiččasti ikkan mild: „Olgon čuovgad jo, alma ane bæjve li, manne son dievvadade i?“ De dievvadadai ja valde agše ja livtai olgas. De son valde sævekik. De gulai agše, go nubbe àlmaš čuöppa mæcest. De čuöjgali, goggo dat âlmaš lii aldemasast.

Go boeđe dan olbmu lus, de son diervati dan olbmu, dat âlmaš še diervati so. De gjæčča dan olbmu oula; i son dovda, oajna, atte avnas-muora lii dat avnastæmën; son i nannadamaš (bakkadamaš) maidegen. De čuöjgali, čuojgai nubbe olbmu lusa, diervati dan, diervati dotge so; ige son dovda dan âlbma. Son jurda mielastes, mak dak læh olbmuid, go i son dovda goabbage olbmu.

De son gačali: „Mi don læh olbmuid?“ „Mo lem di bajke olbmui oasse!“ „Gi dat lii dast aldemasast?“ „Dat lii di bajke olbmui oasse“. „Gi duot li olgolist?“ „Dat li villjad oasse!“ „Diettavettetgo, vaj æppet, mo oasse?“ — „Dieđam, du oasse li oađđemen.“ — „Jikgo mataši mo dokka vikkat?“ — „Mon do vigašgoeđe jimma, mon do matateššim, don gavnak so ječanad. De oajnak duo alla ædnam, de galgak čuojgat bagjel dan alla ædnam. De miettalak šadda, de galgak gjiččat stuorra gæđge lunne, de gavnak.“

De son čuöjgali dokka, čuojgai bagjel dan alla ædnam, ja de vulgi miettalak. De son oajna stuorra gæđge, ja go čuojgai dan gæđge lusa, de oajna, lii dast oađđemen. De macca fast ja čuöppa allases soabbe. De boeđe deina soabbin ja riekkašgoeđe dan olbmu. De dat goccaji. De son cælka: „Ouda jo lem mon nutte vajvaš, go don jik viš rievgad ni maid! Olbmuin ærrasin juokkasast oasse oudal rievga.“

De son cælka: „Jik galg' mo riekkad, mon dunne oudam gjæđge, de dat gjæđge li nuvdem, atte go don valdak dan gjæđge giettasad ja laggestak nubbe giette, ja nubbin gieđain davetak, de šadde dægje goabmer dievda. Go datošekj, de suöppa, jos man ænaj dejid allasad, ja go matašekj annet, læǯ dan gjæđgest du akka borrad; lašša jik galga sarnad ni gæs'. Jos arvaläš dej gajaš, gost dunne dat riggesvuotta li boattam, de jik galga sarnad jik gjæsegen.“

De son vulgi mavsat, ja go boeđe son vistasis, de son gjæččal dain gjeđgines laggestet gieđast nubbe giette. De daveti nubbin gieđain, de šadde dægje dievda goabmer, ja de suöppai allases, jos man ænaj dejid ješ læǯ dattam. De son oastešgoeđe allases borramašaid ja annamašaid, ja dast maŋŋa son riggasabbut ælašgoeđe. De su villja oajnašgoeđe, atte su villja ælašgoeđe ane riggasinnjat.

De gočai villjas gorrases ja jugati vinin. De gača villjastes: „Gost dunne dat ælla li boattam?“ I son dieđe: „Alma munne immel li oudam!“ De manai su villja fast mavsat. De eli dastmaŋŋa, jim dieđe, man gukka læǯǯa.

De gočai villjas nubbe vuöra gorrases ja jugati su vinin, dassago jukkamaš šaddai. De gača das: „Sarna, villjam, duođai munne, goste dunne dat riggesvuotta li boattam?“ — „Alma munne li immel oudam!“ — „Almat immel i oude gieđaines, alma dunne li boattam gostene, manne munne jik sarna, gost don læk valdam? Æi dast læk æres olbmuk, go moi guövtes, de galgašekj sarnad munne!“

De nubbe fast cælka: „Li must okta gjæđge nuvdem, go mon laggestam gieđain nubbe giette, munne dægje šadde goabmer dievda.“ — „Jikgo gavpaš munne dan gjæđge? Mon dunne ænaj dejid oudam.“ De duot aštaji. De oude sunne dejid, man ænaj son ješ datai. De duot oude sunne dan gjæđges. De ješ dastmaŋŋa ælašgoeđe gukka ajge, de sust ællamaš gæppanašgoeđe.

De son jurda mielastes: „Makte mon galgam ane ælašgoattet, das borramaš buođai; maid galgam mon ane rievgašgoattet dal, gost munne borramaš galga boađašgoattet? Vuölgam mon nubbe vuöra oassam occat.“ De vulgi oases occat danše ajge ikka. De čuojgai nubbe vuöra ja de čuopai soabbe. Go boeđe dan gjæđge lusa, de dat olmaj oađđa dast alek vatte vuölne. De riekkašgoeđe soabbin. Dat gulai dallakanna ja goccaji.

De ješ cælka: „Æle riekka mu, mon dunne oudam lauka! De dan lauka galgak guöddet bartasad ja goddestet cagga. De ješ galgak gommerdet laukasad ja cælket: „Na, lauka, adde munne jirme!“ De dast maŋŋa galgak fast cælket: „Galle lauka! de galle lauka! de norraji âlbmaja jirbme!“ De valdi dat olmuš dan lauka. De duot cælka: „Nubbe vuöra jik galga dænab boattet mu gorra, go boađešekj ja vuorjak mu, mon du jejađ ællemen jim luöšte.“

De dat valdi dan lauka ja čuöjgali bartasis. De goddesti cagga, de ješ gommerdi ja celki: „Na, lauka, adde munne jirme!“ De lauka sist vuöllajin guökta saldat, guabbasistge tampa gieđast. De rottijin su šalda ja riekkašgoeđin. De duot anneta: „Luöšted mu vast jimmel nama diette!“ Duok æva luöšte, duok äjn riekkav. De son mujštiji: „Na, lauka, de galle riekkamen, de norraji âlbmaja jirbme!“ De dak guökte saldat lauka sis vast manain.

De son dastmaŋŋa jurdašgoeđe, makt son galga dan lauka villjasis goastedet: manne son i villjas gočča das guössa jugatet vinin? De gočai villjas, de villja boeđe guössa sunne; de son jugati villjas vinin. De vina oajvest villjaines cælka: „Muste, villjam, li ane lauka nuvdem, oanekas bajest jirme laset; jikgo, villjam, don dataši allasad jirme lasetet?“ Nubbe dagja, oastašgoeđe son i. „Oudešikgo oanekas bagja?“ — „Satte son dunne oudet oanekas bagja, vaj donge jirme oaǯak, vaj matejak.“ De duot villja čuöǯǯali, de valde dan lauka ja biji oalges oula ja vaʒʒeli.

De guödde dan lauka vistasis ja goddesti cagga. De gommerdi: „Na, lauka, de laset âlbmaja jirme!“ De vuöllajin guökte saldat lauka sist, guabbastge tampa gieđast, de rottijin dan olbmu šalda, ja de soi riekkašgoeđin. De dot halva ja anneta: „Luöšted mu immel nama diette!“ Æi dak luöšte. De dom âlbmaja gavva vuölgati barnaides čieces lusa: „Mi, čieccam, li dust laukaid, go guökte âlbma vuöllajin dan lauka siste? De äččam ane læh riekkamen, uccanest jeg æv valde. Jikgo vaje su bæsted dan guövte âlbmast?“

— „I son vuost bæst' oudal go oudešid munne vast dan gjæđge, ja maid vel leǯǯid dan gjæđgest dejid oaǯǯam. Dego oudešid vast buok, de dalle mon bæstam dan guövte âlbmast.“ De vulgi dai barnai mild ja boeđe villjas gappaj lusa. De su villja gavva cælka: „Jikgo vajaši bæsted su gallas?“ — „Go oudešid mu gjæđge vast, ja oudešid val daid, maid læpped dan gjæđgest oaǯǯam dejid, de mon bæstam.“

De manai dokka villjas gorra ja celki: „Galle lauka, de norraji ane âlbmaja jirbme!“ De dak guökte âlbma vuöllajin lauka sis. De dat æmed, gavva, cælka dain boadnjas villjain: „Varde mædda dan laukad, gost su bællje i galgaše gullad, ige su čalme galgaše oajned.“ De dat varde dan lauka ja oaǯai vast gjæđges, ja oaǯai vel ajn daid dejid, maid de leǯǯe dain gjeđgin suöppam.

Source Colophon

J. A. Friis (ed.), Lappiske Sprogprøver (Christiania: J. W. Cappelen, 1856), pp. 108–112, with Friis's correction for p. 108 from his list of misprints. Public domain. Transcribed from the page images of the New York Public Library copy, digitized by Google (Internet Archive identifier lappiskesprogpr00friigoog); a former owner's handwritten marks in that copy are not part of the text. Friis's letters are kept as printed, including â, à, ä, ö, ë, ē, č, đ, š, ŋ, and both ʒ and ǯ, which he distinguishes.

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