Fragments of Lappish Mythology

The book was originally written for the French-funded La Recherche Expedition of 1838–1840, but was lost and forgotten for many decades thereafter.

Laestadius was the field guide for the Norwegian Atlantic islands and in the interior of Northern Norway and Sweden, studying and describing both plant life of the high arctic, and the culture of the Sami people at the time of the expedition.

Laestadius delayed in sending the complete work of the project rather than piecemealing in single parts, and he personally lacked the money to publish the text himself.

[3]Læstadius Fragments...Because of the delay in the French government's receipt of Laestadius's manuscript, it was not published in the expedition's final publication work.

The leader of the expedition, Joseph Paul Gaimard, held Laestadius's work in his private collection until his death in 1858.