PREHISTORY OF FINLAND

In the year of 98 AD, the famous Roman historian Tacitus wrote the most detailed early description of Fenni, a people of the north. This was probably the first reference to the Finns in recorded history. According to Tacitus, the poor and savage Fenni lived somewhere in the north-eastern Baltic region. This northern region Tacitus mentioned, was at that time already inhabited by peoples of various origin. Who were the Fenni? And when was the first human settlement established in Finland?
Today many researchers believe that the Fenni can be identified with the Sami people. This old hunting culture of the north has left little trace on the archaeological record. In addition to Finland, Sami also lived and live in Norway, northern Sweden, and on Kola Peninsula.
The long process, which finally led to permanent settlement of Finland, began over 10 000 years ago, when the last Ice Age came to an end. Small groups of people followed large prey animals as they migrated into Finland. The pioneers of settlement in southern Finland came from many directions, mainly from the south across the Gulf of Finland from Estonia, and from the southeast, from central Russia.
The earliest stage of occupation is called the Stone Age (c. 8000-1300BC). During that time tools, weapons and ornaments were made of stone or other organic materials like bone and wood. The population lived by hunting and fishing and the animals most important to them were the elk, the seal and the beaver. At the very end of the Stone Age agriculture and cattle breeding made their first appearance in Finland.

Finnish Rock Paintings

 An ancient man has also left his own marks on Finland’s rocks. In 1911 the world famous Finnish composer Jean Sibelius had a walk nearby the summerhouse of his friend. Suddenly he saw grid-like marks high on the cliff of Vitträsk, in Kirkkonummi. Sibelius had actually found the first officially discovered rock paintings in Finland.
Today there are over 80 prehistoric paintings found in Finland, and the most typical images are human figures, hand-marks, animals and boats. Hunters and fishers who once created these beautiful pictures moved along waterways and ridges. Finnish rock paintings have at least a partial connection with hunting magic. They are manifestations of animal ceremonies and the shamanistic traditions associated with them. Most of these paintings have been found in eastern Finland, around the waterways of Lake Saimaa and the River Kymi.

Bronze Age in Finland

Between East and West Finland has always been a meeting place for eastern and western cultural influences and this position strengthened during the Bronze Age (c.1300-500BC). New incomers from Scandinavia reached the southwest coast of Finland and they also brought a new religion and burial customs with them. This new bronze culture from the west buried their dead people under the great stone cairns, which were built on high rocks close to the sea. The Finnish name for these cairns is Hiidenkiuas and nowadays these magnificent cairn burials still remind us of the Bronze Age.
However, the Stone Age way of life did not chance dramatically during the Bronze Age, and most of the population still lived by hunting and fishing. The significance of bronze implements in everyday life was quite marginal. They were mainly rare status symbols. The art of casting bronze was known especially in eastern parts of the country, but many implements were imported to Finland ready-made.

Finland during the Iron Age

It was the adoption of iron manufacture, that marked the beginning of a new era in Finnish pre- history. During the Iron Age, agriculture and cattle breeding became more important and the human settlement in southern Finland became more concentrated. Individual small farms evolved into clusters and many historically known Medieval villages had their origins in the Iron Age. The waterways were still important traffic routes at this time, but an old overland Ox Road (Härkätie) from Turku to Hämeenlinna probably also dates back to this period.
The excavations of burial sites have revealed much information about the Iron Age, because costumes, jewellery and weapons were often buried with dead people. Men’s weaponry was largely imported, but the skills of Finnish smiths developed, and high-quality weapons were also produced at home. The excavation of burial sites has also enabled the reconstruction of several women’s costumes. Copies of Iron Age women’s jewellery are very popular today as well.

Kalevala and ancient Finnish mythology

Ancient Mythology and Christian Faith Old Finnish mythology survived as oral tradition well into 19th century. Although the oral poetry goes back to the prehistoric times, it was first compiled by Elias Lönnrot in 1835, when Kalevala, the national epic of Finland, was published. Lönnrot collected the songs of unlettered folk singers and joined them into a long narrative poem, centered around cultural heroes and great magicians like Väinämöinen, Lemminkäinen and Louhi.
The Kalevala begins with the story of Creation, which explains how the world was once created from broken eggshells. Part of the traditions inherited from Kalevala poems are from the Iron Age. These poems have preserved information about old beliefs, legends and myths. The descriptions of magic in the Kalevala have survived from an ancient time, when shamanism was an important part of

Finnish tribal life.

Finland was one of the last pagan areas in Europe and Christian influences from both east and west reached the country over a thousand years ago. Orthodox Christianity from Novgorod began to spread in Karelia and in the eastern parts of the country, and Western Finland was under the influence of Roman Catholic Church. In the historical era Finland remained a crossroads for these two cultures. The efforts of the Roman Catholic Church were stronger, and by the beginning of the 14th century most of Finland were under the western form of Christianity and Swedish rule. However, the old pre-Christian beliefs continued their living in everyday life for a long time. Even in the 19th century the old gods were still worshipped in some places.

In: www.theancientweb.com/ edited and adapted to be posted by Leopoldo Costa.