Maximilianus Hell (1720-1792) - Munin

Mysterious the work of God, that made me choose Father Sajnovics, who knows
our language, as the travel companion of this expedition of mine. Let us praise
God for the discovery of our brothers [i.e., the Sámi]!
Another letter from Vardø, addressed to Antonius Pilgram, the substitute at the Imperial and
Royal Observatory, contains an even more bewildering statement (Vardø, 5 April 1769): 233
[You] must have had a prophetic spirit, when You in Your letter to Sajnovics
wrote: “I salute the dark pastorella a thousand times”, and “I expect Lappish
eclogues from him”; in fact, You, and the entire European world of learning
may expect concerning the Lappish race a new discovery, which will be
received with bewilderment by entire Europe. I, who formed this conjecture
about the Lapps from the very beginning, gave him some rules and criteria,
according to which he was to do this research, and now we have reached such
clarity, that no human being will doubt this. Indeed, indeed, Sajnovics is in fact
able to make “Lappish eclogues”; I am quite satisfied to have chosen him as my
travel companion, he who so readily and in such a brief span of time was able to
learn the Lappish language. I have asked him to extract some memorable stories
from our diary and send them to [You], so that You may share them with our
friends in Vienna. [...] I beg you, however, to please make sure this discovery
arrives to the ears of Herr Van Swieten; he will find pleasure therein, since he
was the one who bade me do this investigation [my italics]; but please give him
only the general information that they [scil. the Sámi] are no Americans, but real
Orientals, as we will have the honour to inform him in detail upon our return.
The very idea of investigating the origin of the Sámi population is here attributed to (the anti-
Jesuit!) Van Swieten, a detail which was never to re-emerge in Hell’s or Sajnovics’ texts. In
search for an explanation of Hell’s jealous claim to the honour of the discovery, one should
look into the local contexts in which the Demonstratio was promoted.
While they stayed in Denmark-Norway, Hell and Sajnovics enjoyed the patronage of the
mighty Interior Minister, patron of the University of Copenhagen, praeses (‘president’) of the
Royal Society of Sciences in Copenhagen and head of the ‘missionary collegium’ that was
233 Hell to Pilgram, Vardø 5 th April 1769 (quoted after Pinzger 1927, pp. 67-68): “Euer Erhw. müssen einen
prophetischen geist gehabt haben, da Sie an Hh. Saj. in Ihrem brieffe geschrieben: Nigram Pastorellam ... millies
saluto, et Lapponicas ab eo Eclogas exspecto: in wahrheit, Sie, und die gantze europäische gelehrte welt haben
eine neue entdekung der Lappländischen nation zu erwarten, die gantz Europa mit erstaunen vernehmen wird;
ich der ich gleich anfangs von denen Lappländern diese muthmassung gefasset, gab Ihm einige Regeln und
criteria, nach welchen er diese untersuchung machen solte, und nun sind wir so im klaren, dass kein mensch
daran zweiflen wird. ja ja in wahrheit, er ist in stande Lappländische Eclogen zu machen; ich bin recht vergnügt,
dass ich ihme zum Reise gefährten gewählet, der so fertig und in so kurtzer Zeit die Lappländische sprache hat
erlehrnen können. ich habe ihme gebetten, auß unserm diario einige merkwürdigkeiten auß zu ziehen und an
Euer Ehrw. zu schreiben, die sie mit unsern Wienner-freunden communiciren könen [...]. Machen Sie doch, ich
bitte Sie, dass diese entdekung zu ohren des Hh. von Swietten komme; sie würden ihm ein Vergnügen machen,
als welcher mich ersuchet, diese untersuchung zu machen; melden Sie Ihm aber nur en general, dass Sie keine
amerikaner, sondern wahrhaftig orientaler sind, wie wir die Ehre haben werden, ihm außführlich zu berichten”.
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