Chill out in the North with Kalevala, the Finnish National Epic Poetry

Today is the Day of the Finnish National Epic Poetry "Kaleva". I'll point out, really heavy storytelling Check it out! Here for you Live Lemminkäinen , some storytelling and a images in a video. And here the Kalevala-jewellery, Kalevala-koru. They have character indeed...

By the way, I found in the web a Russian folk metal band called Kalevala. Listen to their tune Son-Reka. Super! I found also "Sampo en España", relatos de Kalevala for kids. Hmmm...Of course there are also other versions in Spanish. Read here about Kalevala in Spanish and about the Kalevala-versions you can find in Spanish. And here the same info in Russian. Or check here "Kalevala in the World": http://kalevalamaailmalla.kalevalaseura.fi/ (choose "Kielet", that is languages).

As in wiki, The Kalevala or The Kalewala is a 19th-century work of epic poetry compiled by Elias Lönnrot from Karelian and Finnish folklore mythology. It is regarded as the national epic of Karelia and Finland and is one of the most significant works of Finnish literature. The Kalevala played an instrumental role in the development of the Finnish national identity, the intensification of Finland's language strife and the growing sense of nationality that ultimately led to Finland's independence from Russia in 1917.The first version of The Kalevala (called The Old Kalevala) was published in 1835.

Here for you some examples of Kalevala-books in different languages. You can find Kalevala also as comic book from Kristian Huitula. Or in the Stories of Tolkien, the Tolkien Gateway to Kalevala.

To finalize. Singing a Kalevala Runo in Finnish by Ensiferum (translation in English there). Do you know that in the tune above was used the national instirument of Finland which is called "Kantele". Here you can read more about kantele, which can be found nowadays also as an electric version. The other very interesting Finnish instrument is "Jouhikko". Listen to Pekko Käppi, the Finnish Maestro of Jouhikko!

Chill out in the North with Sámi, they have a Wonderful Culture

I hope it is okay for the Sámi people that I tell in this blog of mine a little bit about them, having been visited in the northern part of Finland during last 5 years various times.

And informing you already now, look to the end of this story of mine. Two info bits of very interesting kinds... 

In winter and in summer. Sámi have their national day soon, that is on the 6th of February.

In my opinion it is nice that we have here in Finland such a wonderful culture present and they are one and only indigenous people group in the European Union.

I have had a wonderful opportunity to visit 2 festivals of Sámi people up in the North, in Lapland. Ijahis Idja, the "Nightless Night" Indigenous Music Festival is held in August

and the Skábmagovat Indigenous Film Festival is held in January. About "Ijahis Idja" I have also written an article. You can read it here.

 

So the Sámi live in the Northern part of Finland, Norway and Sweden as well as in parts of North-Eastern Russia. All in all there are about 75 000-100 000 Sámi. Sami languages are classified as a branch of the Uralic language family. the same language family where Finnish also belongs. Here you can hear a little bit how Sámi language sounds.

In Finland, the Sámi population is approximately 9 000 strong. There are 3 Sámi languages spoken in Finland: North Sámi(1), Skolt Sámi(3) and Inari Sámi(2). Of these languages, Inari Sami is spoken by about 600 speakers as well as Skolt Sámi too.  Inari Sámi is the only one that is used entirely within the borders of Finland, mainly in the municipality of Inari. Talking about Skolt Sámi, so far I have understood there are very few Skolt Sámi speakers left in Russia left.

About Popular Music of Sámi

Check below what kind of popular music they make! Some examples

Ailu Valle, Rap 
Amoc, Rap
Niillas Holmberg and Roope Mäenpää, Singer-Songwriter
Tiina Sanila, Rock
Somby, Rock
Wimme, Joik
Angelin Tytöt, Joik

To end this story of mine, here for you to listen one new, very good Sámi band from Norway, the Arvvas. Yes, do not miss to listen to it...you will fall in love as I did.

And everybody knows Mari Boine from Norway, I suppose so...Here a wonderful video from her.

So visit Lapland!

But did you know that...

PS. I just read that the forefathers of Sámi came to Finland at the end of ice age. From Spain and France along the cost of Norway. Little bit later they began to arrive in Finland from Ukraina and Southern Russia and through Baltic countries. Probably Sámi are descendants of these people. (Docent, antropologist Markku Niskanen, University of Oulu/Newspaper Karjalainen 6.2.2016)

PS2. Dear friends / buorit ustibat / hyvät ystävät!

I am extremely happy to tell you that my dream of publishing a bilingual book in Northern Sámi and English has finally become reality. You can already order The Way Back from Francis Boutle Publishers (link below). 

Of course I am happy for myself for this achievement, but what is more important is that this is a very rare possibility for English speakers to have a peek into modern Sámi literature. 

The poems in this book are fresh and they haven't appeared in my previous Sámi volumes. They are translated into English by me, Lisa Jokivirta (CA) and Clive Boutle (UK). 

You can order the book and read more about it here . Feel free to share the news with the link in social media. 

Finally, I want to thank everyone of you for supporting me and Sámi literature over the years! GIITU!
Niillas Holmberg

YLE: Rare Poems from Niillas Holmberg.

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Munnje lea stuorra illun muitalit ahte mu niehku almmustahttit guovttegielat diktagirjji davvisáme- ja eaŋgasgillii lea šaddan duohtan. Girjji namma lea The Way Back ja dan sáhttá dál jo diŋgot lágádusastan, Francis Boutle Publishers (liŋka vuollelis). 

Lean dieđusge ilus maiddái iežan dihtii, muhto ávvudan eandalit dán hárvenaš vejolašvuođa eaŋgasgiela hálliide guovllastit dálá sámegirjjálašvuođa máilbmái. Girjjis leat ođđa divttat eaige dat leat almmuhuvvon mu ovddit diktačoakkáldagain. Divttaid leat jorgalan eaŋgasgillii mu lassin Lisa Jokivirta (CA) ja Clive Boutle (UK). 

Dáid ođđasiid ja liŋkka oažžu áinnas muitalit viidásut sosiálamedias.

Háliidan maiddái giitit din buohkaid mu ja sámegirjjálašvuođa doarjumis dáid vássán jagiid áigge! 

Dearvvuodain Niillas Holmberg.