Swedish American Genealogist

Volume 28 | Number 4 Article 8

12-1-2008 and --two countries Elisabeth Thorsell

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Recommended Citation Thorsell, Elisabeth (2008) "Sweden and Finland--two countries," Swedish American Genealogist: Vol. 28 : No. 4 , Article 8. Available at: https://digitalcommons.augustana.edu/swensonsag/vol28/iss4/8

This Article is brought to you for free and open access by the Swenson Swedish Immigration Research Center at Augustana Digital Commons. It has been accepted for inclusion in Swedish American Genealogist by an authorized editor of Augustana Digital Commons. For more information, please contact [email protected]. Sweden and Finland two countries – one future

And a long history together

BY ELISABETH THORSELL

Sweden and Finland are during the Swedish sovereignty over the area, years 2008-2009 commemorating the which was sparsely inhabited. ominous years 1808 and 1809. In During the following centuries those years Finland was separated many Swedes moved across the sea from Sweden and became a grand and settled along the coast, where duchy of Russia, and Sweden lost there are still many Swedish-speak- about a third of its realm. ing inhabitants. The Swedish and Finnish govern- Swedish became the dominant ments have started a project called language of the nobility, administra- Märkesåret (Year of Remembrance), tion, and education, as well as for the and there will be several events clergy and local courts, even in pre- during the year in both Sweden and dominantly Finnish-speaking areas. Finland. The above headline is the Finnish was chiefly a language for motto for the project. the peasantry. There is a link to the official web The Bishop of was the most site on page 30 [the English link does socially preeminent person in Fin- not work in early March]. land before the Reformation. There will be seminars, art exhi- During the Reformation, the Finns bitions, festivities at the Skansen gradually converted to Lutheranism. out-door museum in in In the 16th century, Mikael Agricola Finland was considered a part of May, a reenactment of the Battle of published the first written works in Sweden, just as Småland or Väster- Sävar, near Umeå, in August in the Finnish. götland, and it was not unusual that presence of the King and Queen, and The first university in Finland, officials moved from one side of the Finland will be the theme for the The Royal Academy of Turku (Åbo Baltic for a couple of years and then giant Book and Library Fair in Göte- Akademi), was established in 1640, returned. Many poor students pre- borg in September. If you are coming the third university in Sweden; the ferred to study in Turku (Åbo) as that to Sweden or Finland this summer, second was the Academia Gustavi- was cheaper than going to Uppsala check out the web site. ana in Dorpat in , established or to Germany. Even students from in 1632 (the University in Lund was Värmland in western Sweden went How it all started founded in 1666, after Skåne became to Åbo. The Swedish Earl Birger, who lived Swedish). After Finland had been conquered around 1250, felt that the Swedes Finland suffered a severe famine by the Russians in 1809, it was should also go on a crusade, but in 1696-1697 and almost one third of named as a Russian grand duchy, and where were the closest heathens? the population died. In the 18th for many years was allowed to follow The answer were the wild Finns, century, wars between Sweden and the laws from the Swedish times, and across the sea, who sometimes came Russia led to the occupation of Fin- keep their church and court records and burned Swedish villages and land twice by Russian forces, known in Swedish. But also during this pe- pillaged there. So Birger went with to the Finns as the Greater Wrath riod the Russian influences grew, an army to Finland and conquered (Stora ofreden) (1714–1721) and the which fostered a resistance, and quite an area there and established Lesser Wrath (Lilla ofreden) (1742– people started to say “We are not 1743). allowed to be Swedes, we do not want

16 Swedish American Genealogist 2008:4 to become Russians, so let us be Finns.” This started around the 1850s, and has been steadily growing Peasant Paavo since. This movement encouraged High among the pines of Saarijärvi “Paavo, Paavo, born to feed mis- people to study the old Finnish Peasant Paavo farmed a frosty home- fortune, myths, and some of them were pub- stead, Let us die, for God has us forsaken. lished in the , which had a Tendered it with unremitting labor, Death is hard, but living worse than great impact on many, and caused But for increase trusted in the Lord death.” many to change Swedish surnames And he bided there with wife and Paavo took her hand and said, all to Finnish ones [example: Renberg to children, patient: Reenpää], and also change their Ate in sweat his scanty bread beside “God but tries us, he does not forsake language to Finnish. them, us. The compiler of Kalevala was Dug his ditches, plowed the land and Mix the bread with bark, a double called Elias Lönnrot (1802–1884), sowed it. measure, who was born in a poor family in Springtime came, and when the I shall dig my ditches even deeper, southern Finland, and grew upp snowpack melted But I look for increase to the Lord speaking Finnish, but also learnt Half the sprouting seeds were car- So the extra bark went in the bread Swedish, as that was the learned ried with it; dough, language. As a student he travelled Summer came, and in a storm of hail- So he dug his ditches wider, deeper, in eastern Finland and collected old ing Sold the cows, and bought the rye and folktales, which became the basis for Half the ears were beaten down by sowed it. his masterpiece. hailstones; Another famous poet from the Autumn carne, and frost killed what Springtime came, again the snow- middle 1800s was Johan Ludvig Ru- was left. pack melted, neberg (1804–1877) who wrote in Paavo’s goodwife tore her hair de- Taking with it, not a single seedling; Swedish and also became very popu- spairing: Summer came, and brought the hail lar in Sweden. In one of his early col- “Paavo, Paavo, born to bear mis- as ever, lections of poems, Idylls and Epi- fortune, But no ears were beaten down by grams (1830), one can first learn that Take your staff! for we are hailstones; he romanticized the poor Finnish Godforsaken; Autumn came, and frost, the fields peasant, who stoically accepted his Hard it is to beg, but worse to starve.” avoiding, fate, and still decided to help his Paavo took her hand and said, all Let them stand in gold and wait the neighbor, when he was in trouble, as patient: reaper. in the poem to the right. “God but tries us, he does not forsake Then upon his knees fell Paavo, say- Later Runeberg wrote poems us. ing: about the simple soldiers of the 1808– Mix the bread with bark, a half of “God but tries us, he does not forsake 1809 war, who became heroes in either, us.” many ways in his work “The Tales of I shall dig me twice as many ditches, And his goodwife knelt beside him, Ensign Stål” (Fänrik Ståls sägner), But for increase wait upon the Lord.” saying: which was still read in schools in So she kneaded bark into the bread “God but tries us, he does not forsake Sweden in the 1960s, and from where dough, us.” many phrases have become part of Paavo dug him twice as many But to Paavo then she said rejoicing: everyday speech. Runeberg was ditches, “Paavo, Paavo, wield your sickle married to Fredrika Tengström, and Sold the sheep, and bought the rye gladly, they had eight children. Mrs. Rune- and sowed it. Now’s a time for pleasure and good berg was also a talented writer, but living, had to do her writing early in the Springtime came: the snowmelt off Now’s a time for bark to be got rid of, morning, before the family awoke the plowland And to bake our bread of rye alone.” and all the chores needed doing. Never washed away a single seedling; Paavo took her hand and pressed it, Summer came, and when the hail fell saying: rattling “Woman, woman, he but bears the Half the ears were beaten down by trying hailstones; Who will not forsake a needy fellow. (Translation of “Peasant Paavo”, by Autumn came, and frost took all the Mix the bread with bark, a half of Judith Moffett in The North! To the rest. either, North!. Published by Southern Illi- Paavo’s goodwife beat her breast For our neighbors’ fields stand black nois University Press 2001.) despairing: and frozen.”

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