Finnish and Related People's History, Culture and Language
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Uralic People
The Uralic Family of languages is comprised of
two branches: 1) Finno-Ugric, and 2) Samoyedic. The Baltic Finnish/Karelian and Estonian
(Finnic), Hungarian (Ugric) and Lapp (Saami "saw-me") people belong to this distinct group of
linguistically related people. Uralic people are by definition indigenous people of the northern regions between the Urals and Norway. Ancient Finno-Ugric people even hunted in Central Europe at least during periods of glaciation. If this is the case, assimilation of these northern tribes has been going on for over ten thousand years. The process has been so gradual that their language has been preserved though genetically Finns are to a great extent European. Some believe that until a thousand years ago, Finland was occupied only by Saami and that Finns migrated from the east and settled there. This theory has been disproven and ancestors of Finns have been there much longer as the agreement between archeology and linguistic theory has shown. The writer's own theory of Finno-Ugric occupation of the North has solid research backing which opens the door to even greater possibilities in the quest for ancient origins of Finns. The estimated resource area per person is between 0.1 - 0.5 sq. km. to survive in the north, and this meant travel. Boat People Theory To traverse the huge numbers of lakes in Finland in winter, early Finns invented ice skates.
There are many related groups in the
former Soviet Union, most of which are quickly being assimilated into the dominant Russian
language and culture. Just as the western Finns have had Germanic influence, the eastern Finnish
cultures have developed with many Turkic/Indo-Iranian and Slavic cultural, religious and linguistic
influences. The eastern Finnish languages cannot be understood by Finns today as contacts to the east have been more or less cut for eight hundred years of Russian history. At times, glaciers also separated the Eastern Finno-Ugric people from their relatives that once extended from the Netherlands to the shores of the Black Sea in the South. So of course Finns would have some "Eastern" genes since their hunting and trading range to the East may have reached Siberia.
Place-names which stretch all the way to the Ural mountains are ancient
Finnish related in origin which can be seen in the map section. Many place names have
similar prefixes although they might be several thousand kilometers apart. Finno-Ugric place names based
on the root "sum" and "sam" testify to the large area Finns once called their land. "Suursuomi" movement or the idea of rebuilding a larger Finland that Slavs conquered, gained strength in 1941 when the Finns set out to take back land Russia annexed the year before. Russians had grossly underestimated Finnish ingenuity, determination and stamina, rooted in their racist feelings toward Finns who they have practiced genocide on for hundreds of years.
Many Finns and Estonians have a keen interest in their relatives to the east with whom many still feel some kinship ties. Recently, due to events in Russia against Finno-Ugric people by Moscow, there has been increased interest in this topic from many countries.
Finnish culture, which is the main focus at this page, is very Scandinavian
in style, but Finno-Ugric origins make the people distinct in many ways.
Who are the Uralic people? Where did they come from? Where do they live? What
is their language and culture like? This web page explores these and many other questions
relating to Uralic people: their past, present and future.
One
cannot understand Finnish language, history and culture without some
knowledge of related people. Finnish history and culture are presented against a background of the other Finno-Ugric
people, the original Europeans. (Fin.) Finnish written history is only from the second millennium,
but fortunately the Finns have a strong oral tradition going back to
the ice ages. Finns, and Karelian tribes in particular, had a strong oral
tradition of rune singing their history of their ancient shamanistic beliefs,
myth, magic, love and war. These traditions survived in Karelia probably
because of the relative isolation from the early Finnish church. These
stories were collected in the 19th Century and compiled into one story,
composed of a masterful collection of epic poems that reveal the daily
life of the people over millennia. Karelia has a long history going back
over eight thousand years.
Today, Finns love their
Kalevala which is read and enjoyed as a rich historical and mythological legacy of their ancestors. As for the reliability of the information contained here, of course there may be some outdated material as some sources are very old.
You can also read about the period in which the slavs began intercepting Karelian trade with the Norwegians and Volga traders and study the maps showing the land they called their own. When the population exploding slavs came and took over the key trading posts to the East, they forced the inhabitants to move West. Timing is everything; the Slavs were two hundred years too late. By the time Russians arrived, the Perm ivory trade was in decline as new sources became available in Africa. Trading posts in Northwest Russia that were established by Finns were reestablished by Russians (e.g. Ustjug). Most of them were taken from their original owners by force after they made several friendly visits. It was providential that the Western Finns were "protected" by Sweden for 700 years, which gave this nation the opportunity to become what it is today rather than suffer genocide and absorption. Both Sweden and Russia fought for control of the land between Lake Onega and the Baltic, but the real owners of this land are Baltic Finns themselves, mainly Tavastians, Karelians (Eastern and Western), Veps, (Southeastern Karelians) and Ingrians who live between Estonia and Karelia.
Since the last war, misinformation flooded the world's knowledge base and many false teachings have been spread about the Finns, Karelians and their rightful heritage in the north. These must be set straight. Viipuri (Vyborg) for example, which is not far from St. Petersburg, on the Gulf of Finland, was established by Finns and built by Finns - not Russians. Russian pamphlets state that the natural harbor city of Viipuri used to belong to Russia (when Finland was for a time a Russian Grand Duchy with an autonomous government) and now it is back with the rightful owners. Finland "belonged" to Sweden a lot longer than it did Russia, in fact about 700 years. The fact is that Viipuri and indeed all of Karelia (to the shores of Onega) and Finland belong to the Finnish people.
Also personal views may sometimes blur the facts as the writer adds
his own interpretations though great effort has been expended in minimizing such
artifacts.
You will also find famous Finnish
products, CD's, Videos, books and other links provided for your convenience and enjoyment at
the Uralic City Center. Check out Pirkko Kiansten's Internet radio show Saturday mornings
9:30 - 11:00 AM Pacific time. Uralica is happy to offer some of Pirkko's finest shows from archived files. She appreciates your feedback; to keep her on the air, please let her know that you are listening. listen to finnish music now Finnish music has reached a peak in the last 50 years. The quality and quantity of music ranging from classical to chamber choir music has no rivals in the world today, even from larger countries.
If you are interested in war history, may I recommend
Antti's exclusive WW2 Continuation War Photo Gallery. There are dozens of photos
taken in 1941-42 on Lake Laatokka (Ladoga), scanned from our family album. I hope you enjoy
your stay and that you will come back often to see what's new. Please bookmark it now for
future reference.
Most Russians are generally nice people, but for the purposes of homeland defense, Finns used to have a saying: "a Russian is always a Russian, even if fried in butter." This wariness of Russian leaders has saved their bacon many times because the Finns were hard to trick into complying with "requests." That is just an old Finnish tradition.
Today with terrorism threatening every country, Finns don't have a saying for terrorists, who are mostly (unfortunately but true) Muslim. Muslims have flooded into Finland, as they have into most Scandinavian countries, and the people have stated their concerns due to being forced to alter their own lives to accommodate these newcomers, who many perceive as not participating fully in their democracy but taking advantage of it. This is not the place to expand on the "why" and "what have they done wrong" - suffice it to say that the word is traveling by word of mouth about activities/crimes and the lack of action by authorities, and proper reporting by the media. You may find articles elsewhere on these subjects.
The cause of Muslim violence around the world according to former Finnish president Ahtisaari, who won the 2008 Nobel Peace Prize, and the UN, is Human Rights violations. The prevalent theory is that if we fix it, the violence will stop. Ahtisaari stated: "Observing the human rights will ensure sustainable peace." This may be true in some (normal) cases, but two wrongs never made a right, and blaming the victims of violence is wrong in a civilized society. In fact I heard a Muslim leader in Finland state that the suicide pilots must have had a serious grievance to do what they did. And I agree - except that their grievance is hatred of everything Western and nothing to do with Human Rights violations. The Taliban, who is supposed to be holier than us Westerners are full of human rights violations especially against the weakest in their society: women. Only cowards will hit a woman, but that is what every Muslim is taught, unless they skip that part in the Qur'an! We cannot make accommodations to appease those who attack us - which is exactly what they are fighting for, and eventual Muslim rule over the face of the Earth. Problems arise when fear drives governments to drastically change laws, make accommodations, or otherwise alters daily life. Muslims themselves do more Human Rights violations than anyone else, as in most Muslim countries. The problem is, the Jihadists want to be the ones who define Human Rights violation. If it is for Allah, it's OK. By inviting immigration from Muslim countries, unwary politicians are sentencing their population to the possibility of future violent Jihad right in their midst, culminating possibly in an Islamic state. What more intelligent Europeans did to push Muslims back hundreds of years ago in France and Austria, is being undone by brain dead politicians in modern Europe. Here is the normal progression of Islam on the move: first they are accepted, then they become the majority due to high birth rates, then the militants take over and kill everyone, as in Lebanon. The end of freedom is a mathematical certainty in many cases. The writer deeply regrets having to make these statements, but someone has to. We can't listen to the crap we hear in the news and from the politicians forever. And we are also tired of the stuff we don't hear in the news: the silence also speaks loudly for those who want to hear. It has been said, and it's true: there is no man so blind as he who will not see, or so deaf as he who will not hear. Let us open our eyes and ears and perceive what is being thrust upon us - from all quarters.
Karelians are waiting for their land to be returned because it was taken illegally. Russia signed the (Atlantic Charter, 1942) which means they promised not to engage in land grabbing in exchange for foreign aid. Now that Karelia is occupied by Russia, Putin has embarked upon a restructuring of historical facts to consolidate these gains as legitimate.
In researching sources such as the Encyclopaedia
Britannica be aware that it may contain Soviet era disinformation regarding areas they
"liberated." The elite have always had their way, employing writers to write or invent history. They are very clever at it, and you can easily miss the lie if you don't have enough background information to spot it. For example, when Finland was attacked by Russia, fancy weapons were scarce, so they invented the Molotov Cocktail, a solution of flammable liquid that destroyed tanks. Now these thieves are claiming it was their invention all along. Actually, historians place the creation in the Spanish civil war, but the term was coined by the Finns. Putin and company in Russia are very busy at changing history right now. Whether or not something is "true" is not important to these people if they want it for their new and "improved" Russia (not). They want to erase any negatives and make the forever school-yard bullies, the Great (ethnic) Russians, saints. The intention here is to correct history, not alter it, and to expose lies. Every lover of truth must empathize with this. An old Finnish saying: "”SE PUU KAATUU, JOKA JUURENSA UNOHTAA” means that the tree that forgets its roots will fall. If the Finns forget their nationhood, this is what will happen.
Finland and The Finnish People
Finland
(Suomi), a northern European country of 5.2 million people, is a land
where peasants have always been free. Historically, Finns are stubbornly independent and hard-working.
Since 1155, Finland had been in the Swedish realm. Finland became the
borderline between the Orthodox east and Western Christianity. Most Finns are Lutheran, which is basically
Protestantism. Simply put, the Bible is the highest authority for Christians, and the worship of icons, saints and special intercession and interpretive powers for priests was discarded by Martin Luther. The "just shall live by faith" and belief in Jesus and God's grace is sufficient to be saved. The dominance of Christian faith, and the attendant freedoms and prosperity it has created in Finland is now in question. (freedom)(Bilderberg Group)
In 1808, Finland became a
Russian autonomous Grand Duchy, a special status giving the Finns great control of their
internal government. After the Bolshevik Revolution in 1917, Finland became an independent republic
with a social democratic government. The Finnish Independence Day is December 6.
At 337,000 sq. km. (130,128.01 sq. mi.), with 60,000 lakes, Finland is a
little smaller than Montana, about the size of New England, New Jersey, and New York
combined, or 4/10 the size of British Columbia, Canada. Finland's southern shores are at
the approximate latitude of Yukon/Northwest Territories/British Columbia border. Mapquest Stats summary with
map
Finland can boast a little bit when confronted with one-up-manship of neighbors. Finland's education system is rated (2002, 2003) third best in the world, and in 2006 ranked the highest.
NEW YORK - No country has an economy more conducive to sustained growth
than Finland, so says the World Economic Forum (WEF) in its
Global Competitiveness Report. Forbes, 2004
Freedom of Press: which country is tops? You guessed it. Reporters Without Borders
These values and identity that built and sustained Finland should be preserved.
Sixty Minutes TV show reported that Finns are the shyest people on earth. I know this to be accurate to some extent having been born there, but they are making good progress.
I took a trip to the country where I was born before going to University, as a sort of "Rite of Passage." There I met the Finns themselves, who were not that shy once you got to know them. Shyness is a national character and does not necessarily mean they are depressed or antisocial. You must realize that Finns are originally a forest/river/lake people and as such are comfortable being alone in the vast wilderness of the north; living with crowds is alien to the Finnish spirit - the exception being (e.g. Tango) dance halls. The Show takes the extreme point of view, but here it is.
In
1939 and again in 1944, Finland was almost swallowed up by its giant
communist neighbor, the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics headed by the
dictator Joseph Stalin. Although Finland managed to remain outside
the Soviet Union, she lost most of the province of Karelia and about 450,000 people were relocated in Finland, which included the writer's
parents and grandparents. European Council on Refugees and Exiles (ECRE) is addressing the needs of people who were displaced in wartime. Central issue is the return of assets taken, especially real estate. This will be interesting to follow, to see how willing Putin is in returning booty USSR took illegally. (Russia signed the Atlantic Charter) Since Karelia was a part of USSR which no longer exists, Russia has actually annexed Karelia after the fall Communism. Karelia should have gone back to Finland at that time. Return Karelia
Finland (like many other European States, e.g. Poland and Baltic States) failed to obtain assistance from United States and Britain in the WWII. The "Third Aggressor of WWII" received assistance "to beat Hitler" but this aid was used to annex millions of square Kilometers of land to the Soviet Union.
It may sound silly but, nowadays Russia still actually claims that tiny Finland attacked the giant Soviet Union and that they were fighting Fascism. Even Churchill pointed to Finland's "Fascist" leanings, though all Finland wanted was Karelia back where it belongs. Perhaps by the same logic, England had Communist leanings since they were friends of Stalin. A mouse does not normally attack an elephant, but that Finnish mouse did roar when attacked. Finland was never, and never will be Fascist - it is against the Finnish nature which accepts everyone, while one of the main goals of Fascism is to cull away all undesirables of the face of the earth. Finland was, in fact, fighting its age-old war: trying to prevent Russians from annexing/occupying/absorbing, Russifying and finally enslaving the people. From the Baltic to the Pacific, if the Slavs had to give up all the land they stole, they would have nowhere to go. Yet, they claim old Finnish cities such as Viipuri as "Old Russian" city they liberated from the Finnish thieves. Russian history books are great fiction, but when repeated in the West, their "history" becomes a serious thing the Finns have been trying to correct.
Accusing the other side of aggression is merely a normal war formality. The Finns did not have a death wish. The old sport of "the Russians crossing the Finnish Line" (where they often got Finnished) goes back hundreds of years, but Churchill and Roosevelt chose to ignore that fact in 1941-44, an about face from 1939, when Russia tried to annex little Finland. That the war was not just is refuted or accepted by Russian leadership depending on who is in power. The present administration claims Finland attacked, which was the Soviet position. Russia downplays the first 1939-40 Winter War (which is easily seen as Russian aggression) but emphasizes Finland's 1941 offensive to take back the lost territory with German aid. Hence Soviets claim that the land they took in 1944 was liberated from the fascists, (therefore morally right) though Finland is and has always been, a Social Democratic country - and fiercely independent. The counter culture of 1970's called stealing "liberating" - which is what the Russians still call it today. The indigity done not just to the Finns, but the other Baltic countries as well, by the Soviets - and picked up by and repeated by the Western press - is that anyone fighting with the Nazis against Soviets, were Nazis themselves. This lie cast a shadow over the Finns and helped the Soviets annex Karelia in front of the noses of Churchill and Roosevelt, and with their blessings. They hoped that by giving Stalin what he wanted, he would cooperate with them later. But fighting with the Nazis, or being occupied by them was of little consequence, for the results would be the same: annexation, enslavement and forced deportation and/or death. The use of the word "Nazi" by the Russian people, even today often extends to anyone opposed to Russian influence. Russian propaganda only focuses on the millions of people the Nazis murdered, but seldom do they recall for the people the millions of people Stalin, one of their own, murdered.
The world has a right to be concerned today about the direction Russia is headed under Putin et al. Russia has become a tyranny of the majority, with much Nazi-like behavior like German brown shirts of the 30's, and even the news is under government control. Putin stages rallies to stay in power Perhaps there is more Fascism and Communism still in the world than we would like to admit, both sides of the Atlantic. Which one is worse is anyone's guess as both want total control over the people's wishes.
Putin has also reinstated the alliance between the Russian Orthodox Church and Government - as in the days of the Czars. The Church supported Putin and in return, Putin agreed to begin persecution of all other religions, as in the old times. The door has all but closed for evangelism, and gathering in homes to exercise religious liberty is now a crime. What makes the west so strong and free, is their willingness to accept various religious beliefs, allowing them to freely exercise worship. The Russians still don't get it. Putin in bed with the Orthodox Religion IRR/TV - Christian broadcasting to Russia, by Hannu Haukka CEO, from Vancouver BC.
Finnish Society underwent a profound transition in the last part of the
second millennium, and continues in the new one. On the 1st of January 1995, Finland
joined the European Union (EU, former EEC
or EC), losing a lot of her autonomy in the process. Finland is participating in the Economic and Monetary Union
(EMU); the currency (markka, abbr. mk or FIM)
is now replaced by Euro (with a ratio of 5.94571 FIM = 1 euro). (There
are so many songs in Finland with Markka in it. Will they have to change
the words? "Ei ole mulla Euroja taskussa..." = I don't have any Markkas in my pocket..) In February 2000, Tarja Halonen
became the first woman president of Finland. She is active in charting
a "humane" (if that is possible!) path for globalization, women's rights
and human rights. She is a walking contradiction, for her values are at odds
with Finnish tradition. She is a pacifist yet the head of Finland's armed
forces. She is head of the Church of Finland, yet doesn't go to church,
being a secular humanist, socialist and globalist. Globalism, defined
as increased movement of money, culture (people) and commerce, is already making
a significant impact in Finland. Globalism, to the writer means making collectives in global regions, controlling their internal affairs, and finally uniting them into One World Government. And we have been warned about what that means; there are many theories how it will all play out in the end, and we should probably be cautious about supporting its ultimate aims. In fact, there is a world-wide backlash to thwart these goals that will only benefit the elite and take away what rightfully belongs to the people. Further, among their goals is to destabilize countries by taking away their natural desire to defend what is rightfully THEIRS ALONE: the sovereign right to determine their own internal affairs, especially with regards to forced immigration, and what they call "human rights" but which is only designed to destroy local cultures, religions and nationalistic feelings. And one major associated problem is control of food production, which should be ONLY in the sole control of the people. This is slowly disappearing and outsiders are beginning to dictate how farmers can grow food - an extremely worrisome thing because people want food without poisons - while globalist controls favor methods that their scientists say are safe, but which are definitely anything but.
President Halonen supports Turkey's bid to join EU, and has not recognized the Armenian Genocide by Turkey. This is just political correctness played with over a million innocent Christians massacred by Turks. Nothing much has changed there. Turkey is outwardly a "democratic" free country but inwardly a repressive typical Islamic regime, though somewhat less than other countries in the region. The question of Islamic violence is a no-brainer: they exterminated Christians and Jews off the face of the Arabian peninsula, over a thousand years ago. This is the true Islamic tolerance, recorded into history forever. Countries recognizing the Armenian Genocide.
Turkey wants to project an image satisfactory to the people of EU, but it is (in the opinion of the writer) a dishonest image. Their Constitution guarantees "Freedom of Religion," but in practice it represses all religions but Islam. Atom Egoyan's film Ararat is about the Armenian Genocide by Turkey. (see DVD in left column) In 2007, United States Senate has proclaimed the killing of at least one million Arminian Christians in Turkey as genocide, a charge they deny. Turkey was the country that was trying to take over Europe in the Middle Ages. Now are Europeans thinking of inviting them to take over? Perhaps EU members should think again when dealing with Turkey. A Muslim country will never be a truly open, or free, society although each one claims to be just that. If the Muslim holy books were not of a "respected" religion, they would be banned due to the violent example given to the followers by Muhammad himself. What is their Heaven 1?....2?
No country in EU represses religion, but this will change if Turkey joins. Christians who preach in Turkey are typically arrested and jailed for two years and released just before the trial. Most Christians have left. Finnish president Halonen would welcome Turkey into EU, despite gross human rights violations. If you are a Christian living in Europe and you want to start a church in Turkey, you will be jailed. (Southwest Radio Church) Christians in Cypress have their properties taken away. Cypress There isn't much difference in Turkey and Russia in how they treat their neighbors or those of competing religions. What Muslims do to women according to Muslims themselves.
Which path has Finland chosen to set for itself? The new millennium has brought many potential traps to which unwary nations could easily become prey. By joining EU, it has set its path with the collective, which means much less control of ones own destiny. The folly of EU becomes the folly of Finland. The successes of EU become the successes of Finland, at least in theory.
Many Finns are just beginning to find out exactly what it means to be in this
union, and some are having second thoughts about losing their hard fought for and won,
independence. Once again, Finland and the Finnish language is in a minority position in a
larger union. The Finns are generally very enthusiastic about this relationship, but not
all news is positive about the EU affects on the Finnish people, especially farmers. There is also a lesson from the past. In the late 1600's when Finnish troops were fighting Sweden's battles, far away from their land, Finland was attacked by Russians, which ended up being a massive setback for all Baltic Finns. Could this be repeated if war breaks out and Finnish troops have to go defend Central Europe, leaving Finland vulnerable?
The future of Finnish culture and language is daily becoming increasingly fragile. Not
only is Finland engulfed in EU, a massive surrender of sovereignty, but the people embrace western culture to a great extent,
and in their enthusiasm to do so, have suffered linguistic and cultural decrement recently
to powerful, magnetic Americanism that is readily available through all media sources. There are many ways Finns could suffer greatly in this union. If EU accepts Codex Alimentarius, Finland may have to also accept it.
The
Finnish language is unique, musical and beautiful and should always be appreciated or it
may, in the near future, be lost. The Finnish vocabulary, being agglutinative, is self-defining, and offers unlimited combinations to form meanings. "Keuhkoputkentulehdus" is formed from three words: keuhko, (lung) putki, (tube) and tulehdus (inflammation). The definition is contained in the word itself. English words, by contrast, can only achieve a few forms and meanings, and you have to remember the definition. But Finnish has already been radically adultrated by English
words, and that's a "fakta" - and they listen to their favorite music "biisi" piece. The Finnish "kappale" and "pala" no longer work to discribe music. The average Finn spends 3 hours per day watching television. No wonder they are
picking up these words so quickly. Perhaps there are some changes to be made... The
January 2003 programming for TV2: 9 American films, 4 Finnish films and 3 other. Finland
faces West, even past its EU brothers.
Finland has a national knack for mobile communications and
information technology and a vision for combining the two. Finland has the world's highest
per capita cellular phone and Internet users. In fact, as of January 1999, there were more
cellular phones in Finland than regular, and Nokia is now the largest cellular
communications company in the world. I hope Nokia invents a safer cellular phone that won't fry the brain with microwaves.
They even use telecommunications to do access services such as washing cars.
Finland : A Rising Nationality, by Peter Kropotkin - 1885 observations
about Finland and Finnish people. "Never having been a personal serf, he is not
servile; he always maintains his personal dignity and speaks with the same grave
intonation and self-respect to a Russian Tsar as to his neighbour. A lymphatic
temperament, slowness of movement and of thought, and sullen indifference have often been
imputed to him."
Alexis Kivi was a very important writer at a time when Finland was beginning to
assert its own nationhood after seven hundred years in the Swedish realm and a hundred
years associated with Russia. His most famous book is Seven Brothers. Story From Seven Brothers (in a sauna)
by Alexis Kivi
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