FINNSAM
To make co-operation and common activities easier to arrange, people interested in the forest Finns started a network organisation called FINNSAM (Finnbygder i samverkan - Finnbygder i samvirke - Forest Finn areas in cooperation) in 1992. FINNSAM arranges at least two conferences annually, which are hosted by the different areas in turn. FINNSAM is also involved in projects dealing with subjects such as literature, preservation of buildings and genealogy.
Who were the Forest Finns?
Who
were the Forest Finns? Well, the
end of the 16th century saw the start of a westward migration of
Finns from Eastern Finland to the Scandinavian conifer belt. These so-called Forest Finns settled throughout Scandinavia from Tiveden in southern Sweden to
Lapland in the north, from Gästrikland on the east coast to Norwegian Telemark
in the west.
Today forest Finn buildings are still to be found in certain areas, place names recall the Finnish language and the old villages are still called Finn-villages and Finn forests.
Background
From
the 13th century until 1809 Finland was part of Sweden, and strictly speaking
the forest Finns were also Swedes. But, since the culture and background history
of the two peoples were so different, we use the term Swedes to denote those
people originating in Sweden proper and Finns to denote those originating in
Finland. During the whole of this period there was a constant flow of ideas,
inventions, labour and culture between the two cultures.
In
the Middle Ages Eastern Finland was sparsely populated though some areas, (Sw
‘erämarker’), were used for hunting and fishing. Here, Eastern Finnish and
Slavic tribes developed a slash and burn technique for cultivating rye in the
vast conifer forests, a technique which was later adopted by the people of
Savolax.
The permanent settlement of Eastern Finland’s ‘erämarker’ which began during the late Middle Ages was given a boost by the Swedish king Gustav Vasa (1523–60) who tried to encourage farmers to settle new lands by granting tax exemption for as many as 6–15 years. Farmers from Western Finland and Sweden showed little interest in settling these forest areas, but the people of Savolax, who had learned an effective slash- and burn technique colonised the area in great numbers. During the 16th century a great number of Savo people settled in northern Tavastland, especially the area of Rautalampi, but also in Österbotten and the area of Ruovesi. The drawback with this method of cultivation was that every single farm required a vast forest area and consequently, by the end of the 16th century, Eastern Finland, although sparsely populated by today’s standards, was effectively overpopulated. Those seeking new lands to colonise had no choice but to look Westwards to the Swedish side of the Baltic Sea.
Text: Maud Wedin
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