The outer islands of the Gulf of Finland are a group of relatively large islands in the eastern part of the Gulf of Finland. The islands include Lavansaari, Peninsaari, Seiskari, Someri, Suursaari and Tytärsaari. The islands, now part of the Kingiseppsky District of Russia, were home to a unique Finnish-speaking folk culture up until the Second World War. The war meant the end of permanent settlement on the islands that had continued at least since the Iron Age. People frequently visited the islands on even earlier times - they have probably been a part of a traveling and trading network of seal hunters for over 4,000 years. Due to the isolated location of the islands and long sea journeys, the amount of self-sufficiency among the islanders always had to be high. Livelihoods included cattle, trade, fishing and seal hunting. The hardened seal dogs that were bred on the islands were indispensable help in hunting seals in fierce winter conditions. There were many special practices and beliefs associated with hunting. Before the hunt, men gathered into a room where an old man, who knew the spells, talked to the hunting traps and placed them in boiling water. Men and hunting equipment were also smoked in a sauna that was heated with resinous wood, alder trees and old shoes. The hunting party discussed matters related to hunting in “jääkiel” (ice language), a secret language that only the members of the hunting party could understand. A female seal could be called, for example, “nanna” (mother) or “vanamuori” (elderly woman) and a seal cub “napapoika” (pole boy). Similarly, the seal dog was referred to as “häntämies” (tail-man) and hunting was called “jään käyminen” (traveling on the ice). There are also a number of ancient stone mounds and sacrificial stones on the islands and many local beliefs and stories are associated with them. In the center of the small island of Säyvö, there exists a high pile of stones, “Kumpeli”, where the old man of Kumpeli was said to reside. This guardian spirit was said to take care of the island, and he did not allow people to disturb nesting birds. If bird eggs were taken, the spirit would raise a storm. Haukkavuori (Hawk Mountain), depicted on the picture, is one of Suursaari’s four mountain peaks. It is also, according to a local legend, the abode of a guardian spirit, the old man of Haukkavuori, whom no one has ever seen. Food offerings were brought to the spirit on Joulu as well as part of the goods captured from shipwrecks. When there was fog on the mountain, the old man was said to cook something. The local stories about enemy raids tell about one particular bandit group that attacked Lavansaari. The locals were warned by the blond-haired son of ämmä (older woman, possible a sage). The islanders encountered their enemy by a large stone and made them flee. The son of ämmä was, however, killed in battle. Because of the stories, many young people feared and older people honored the place. When traveling past the rock, people were supposed to cast a twig on top of it. When children went picking berries they would bring some as a gift to the stone and plead: “Blond-haired one, son of ämmä, please thank us, do not curse us!” Suomenusko In English. Translation: Anssi A.
Posted on: Wed, 07 Jan 2015 13:21:28 +0000