350 “FINLAND. 
Fioland. resembles the primeval instrament of agriculture in The Finnish abounds in proverbs, bearing Finland, 
——’ Egypt and other eastern countries: Its form is that of wach comatlenstie tkiencattessl tee, =e 
an alpha placed horizontally, and having one side shorter and generally expressive of sound sense and acute re- 
than the other < , which, being ti with metal, en- mark. They are in Runic or alliterative verse, 
ters the ground, while the cattle are attached to the and divided into two ‘the latter of which 
longer limb: (See Clarke's Travels, vol. iii. p. 216.) contains an illustration of the former. “ A good man 
Inhabitants, The Fins appear to have been the —- inhabitants spareth from his peck, b 
of Sweden, and to have proceeded their settle- from 
ments around the White Sea, a country formerly styled shall do, 
Permia, or Biarmia, and still exhibiting remains of their ed which is ; is 
ancient prosperity. They are short in stature, with shall 1 do ?"—‘ The tool of 
flat faces, dark grey eyes, a thin beard, tawny hair, and sharp, but the plough-share of the fool 
a sallow complexion ; but those who inhabit the more a 
southern and western districts of Finland, while they inhabitants of Finland are not t 
retain the national features, havea superior appearance, the influence of music; but, owing probably to the 
and are scarcely to be distinguished in their manners imperféction of their national instrument, they have ‘ 
from the Swedes. In Russian Finland, however, they not made much progress in the art. Their native in- 
have a slowness of motion, a depression of spirits, a strument, the harpu, consists of five strings or chords ‘ 
"simplicity, and almost stapidity of look, which forma of metal, each of which sounds a distinct note, G60, 
striking contrast with the livelyaspect, alert movements, d, ¢, and within the compass of these five poo = 
the 
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and cheerfuf humour of the Russians ; but these cir. whole of their music is confined. But 
cumstances miy be chiefly owing to their condition as been introduced in later times; and the music of 
a conquered , imitating and dreading their mas- Finlanders is beginning to acquire a more varied cha- 
ters. More ly than the Muscovites, they are notso racter. ~ 
warmly clothed, and seldom wear the sheep skin ; but 
have a coat of coarse woollen stuff, made without re- without any variety of step or motion, except alter- 
gard to shape, and tied round the body with a band, a nately laying the arms over each other ; and the whole 
pair of coarse linen drawers, or loose pantaloons, straw ‘exercise is performed with sufficient vigour, but with 
shoes, and pieces of woollen cloth, or ropes of straw entire gravity, and most unexpressive countenances. . 
ve 2 
‘wrapped round their legs. ‘ The houses in Finland, and frequently even the Houses. 
Language. _ It is chiefly in the northern parts of Finland, or ra- churches and_other public edifices, are constructed of 
ther in Lapland, that the ancient Finnish language is wood, generally painted red ; but they are nevertheless 
heard. Along the gulfs of Finland and Bothnia, the _ sufficiently warm, and sometimes too much so for the 
Swedish language prevails in the towns; and the ings of those; who are not accustomed tova close at- 
eantry speak a mixed dialect —— — —_ ere. The habitations of the its are well 
‘Fins were subj d by Eric I ing weden, built, and afford complete protection the severity 
and couteratontieCicaoten faith in 1156; and from of the winter cold; and, notwithstanding the du- 
that period, literature, especially eI paar ration of that season, and the seeming sterility of the + 
Poetry. more generally cultivated a them. The verse soil, | i 4 d 
"which they employ is ealled Runic, in which the lines than the same class in more southern regions, They 
“consists of eight syllables, a long and a short in suc- nae! Sym set before the traveller at least fresh and 
‘cession ; but, instead of aR ee rhymes, they - milk, salt herrings, or a little salt meat ; and 
begin with alliteration, having at two or more they are rich in all that they consider as stituti 
words which agree in the same letter or sound, as in the enjoyments of life. If at any time they have 
the following specimen : ‘money than i th 
ther lay it up for future emergencies, or convert it into 
Nuco nuco pico Tinto 0 
Drese. 
some 
Wessi wessi wester eki. small wooden dwelling, to see the water presented in a 
These Runic verses are rarely committed to the press, women are warmly clothed, and above their other gar- 
or even to writing, but are chiefly transmitted by oral ments wear a large linen shift, which gives them the 
communication ; and none are found of an earlier date appearance of bemg'in an house, th 
than the era of the Reformation. ‘men generally throw off their coat, and even in that 
In the more inland districts, the peasantry are much bat whch they go ot tages date inthe in { 
in 
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addicted to this species of composition; and many of but when they go out to a distance 
them, unaided by education, are capable of producing ter’season, wear a kind of short coat made 
these verses on ordinary subjects, sometimes in a great skin, or a woollen surtout, fastened round the middle 
measure extempore. The recitation or composition of ‘with a girdle; and pull over their boots coarse woollen 
such songs, sometimes accompanied with the harp, stockings, both for warmth and for on 
forms one of the most frequent amusements of the the ice. Most of the peasants have a small house for 
Se Sa . Onthese ‘the of taking the warm bath, which is done in 
occasions, the reciter or peet stands in the midst of a the following marmer. A number of stones in the. 
circle of auditors, and having sung or delivered one nermost part of the chamber are heated by fire till tl 
line, a coadjutor, bey the ‘last word, or the last become red; and water being thrown upon them in th 
‘but one, finishes the line along with him, and then re- state, the bathers are involved in a cloud of thick - 
it alone ; which gives the er time to recol- » in an atm of 70 or 75 degrees of Celsius. 
or compose the succeeding line, which he then [n this heated oppressive air, they remain nal 
‘sings, and his assistant repeats in like manner, until for the space of half an hour or evena whole hour, : 
“the poem is ended. wit bing their bodies, or lashing them with bunches | 
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