Part 18 (1/2)

Aino Saima Helmi Aili Kyllikki Eine Aura Sirkka Lempi Sivia Rauha (Friede, Irene) h.e.l.lin Ainikki (Kalevala) Ilpotar ”

Inkeri ”

Louhi ”

Lyyli, or Lyylikki Mielikki (Kalevala) Tellervo ”

Tuulikki ”

Hilja Tyyne Suoma Alli Impi Laina Ilma Iri

SURNAMES.

Aaltola Vuorio Lallukka Ritola Aitamurto Haapaoja Hakli Sutinen Poso Matikainen Koskinen Piispanen Pilvi (a cloud) Vitikka Vipunen (Kalevala) Korhonen Lyytikainen Paivarinta Paivio Makkonen Porkka Rahkonen Ojanen Reijonen Alkio Teittinen

Winter in the South of Finland generally sets in about the last week of November, and when it comes is usually very severe, while the nights are long and the days short. As a rule the air is dry, and therefore that delightful fresh crispness, which is so invigorating, prevails, as it does in Norway, where, one day when we were with Dr. Nansen at Lysaker, the thermometer registered 9 below zero Fahr., yet we found it far less cold than England on a mild damp day.

The mean temperature of the North of Finland is 27 Fahr., and round _Helsingfors_ in the South, 38 Fahr.

As November advances every one in the Southern districts looks forward eagerly to black ice; that is to say, that the ice should form before the first fall of snow covers the land. This often happens, and then the lakes, the rivers, and all round the coast, rapidly freeze some inches thick, the surface being as flat as a looking-gla.s.s, unless the wind has seriously disturbed the ice much while forming, and Finland becomes one enormous skating-rink from end to end. Every one throughout the country skates--men, women, and children. Out they come in the early morning, and, with some refreshments in their pockets, they accomplish visits and journeys which, to the uninitiated, seem impossible. Fifty or sixty miles a day can be managed on skates, and even the peasantry avail themselves of this opportunity of enjoying sport, and, at the same time, accomplis.h.i.+ng a vast amount of friendly visiting and work. It is during this black ice that the ice-boats are most in requisition; for the b.u.mpiness so often experienced when snow has settled on the frozen surface does not exist, and the ice-boats' speed, which is tremendous at all times, becomes absolutely terrific and wildly exciting, as we know from our experiences in Holland.

However, Finland is not always so fortunate, and sometimes the frost and snow come together; and then, although the peasantry, as in Holland, skate over the waterways to market and on business, the better-cla.s.s folk, who skate for amus.e.m.e.nt, betake them to rinks.

Roadways are marked out on the ice in Finland the same as in Norway; that is to say, little holes are dug along the would-be path into which small fir-trees are stuck, and therefore these impromptu roads look like little avenues.

In the case of an ice-rink, fir-trees are planted all round the edge in a veritable wall, to keep out the non-paying public. Bands play in the afternoon and evening, and when it becomes too dark to see by nature's light, electric lamps are kindled, and the place becomes a regular rendezvous, not only for skaters, but for onlookers, who walk about on those bright starlight evenings, chatting to their friends, sipping their coffee, and listening to the music.

As a rule, in Finland they go in more for distance than figure-skating, as is also the case in Holland, Norway, etc., where long distances have to be traversed, and speed is of more importance than style. Still, in the Finnish towns, where people skate on rinks merely for amus.e.m.e.nt, some beautiful figure-skating may be seen.

Once a Finnish lady went over to Paris and received the sum of 120 a month for giving entertainments in figure-skating. All Paris was charmed, and Finland naturally felt proud.

Sledging, of course, is everywhere necessary in Finland in the winter, and only those who have enjoyed the delights of a drive, with a good horse briskly pa.s.sing through the crisp air to the tingling of sleigh bells, can realise its delights.

_Skidkning_ is also much in vogue, but in Finland it is not so dangerous as in more mountainous countries. In Norway _ski_ are absolutely essential. There the snow lies so deep on the mountains and in the valleys that the peasantry could never get about at all were it not for their _ski_. But in Finland the country is so much flatter, and the lakes so much more numerous, that people can walk on the hard-frozen surface readily. Therefore the peasantry--except in certain districts--do not use _ski_ so much as a necessity, as for pleasure and sport. The upper cla.s.ses go on _skidor_ as constantly as they skate.

They get up compet.i.tions; they go for whole days' expeditions into the country, and, on their ”wooden shoon,” enjoy themselves thoroughly in the winter months.

In a _Winter Jaunt to Norway_, I described a jump of eighty-eight feet made on these strange snow-shoes, and the _ski_ themselves, as follows:--

It is perhaps a bold statement to call _ski_-racing one of the finest sports of the world, but to our mind it undoubtedly is, and one which requires wondrous pluck and skill, and for a man to jump eighty-eight feet from a height, with a pair of _ski_ securely fixed on his feet, requires some courage!

They are utterly unlike Canadian snow-shoes, because they are required for a very hilly country, and over a great depth of snow.

An ordinary-sized man's _ski_ are eight or nine feet long. They are only about 4 inches wide, and an inch at the thickest part, that is to say, immediately under the foot, but towards either end they taper to half this thickness. As a rule they are both the same length, and pointed upwards at the toes; but in some of the Norwegian valleys and in Finland, one _ski_ is much longer than the other, and that one is usually quite flat.

In the middle of this plank-like piece of wood, which is split with the grain to stand the great strain often imposed upon it, and never sawn at all, the toes are fastened by a leather strap.

Another strap goes round the heel in a sort of loop fas.h.i.+on, securing the foot, but at the same time giving the heel full play.

A special _ski_ boot is worn over enormously thick horsehair stockings. This boot has no hard sole at all, and, instead of being sewn at the sides, the large piece of thick leather which goes under the foot is brought well over the top and secured to what might ordinarily be called a leather tongue. At the back of the boot is a small strap, which is used to fasten the _ski_ heel-strap securely to the boot. Once fixed on the _ski_, the foot is so secure no fall can loosen it, and the only way to extricate the foot is to undo the three straps. Outside these huge ungainly hair stockings and strangely comfortable boots very thick gaiters are worn. It is very necessary to keep the feet and legs warm in such a cold land as Norway, where the mercury freezes oft-times in the thermometers, and snow six or seven feet deep covers the land sometimes for months. Such cold sounds appalling, but it is quite the reverse. The air is absolutely dry, and there is seldom any wind.

At the given word, No. 1 rushed from the plateau on the hilltop, down the hill itself. The pace, in consequence of the steepness, was tremendous. On he came; on to the little platform built out from the mountain-side he rushed; then, with a huge spring, his legs doubled up, and whirling his arms like a windmill to keep his balance, he jumped.

Oh, what a moment of profound excitement! Would he regain his footing all that distance below? Balancing himself for a moment in the air after his jump, he regained his footing, and sped away down the hillside, stopping himself by a sharp turn of the _ski_ as he was nearing the loudly applauding spectators. One after another they came, and at least 50 per cent, succeeded in landing on their feet and speeding away.

The longest jump of all was 26 metres, that is to say, nearly 88 feet, and this was done by Ustvedt; but he did not regain his footing. Ingemann Sverre, who jumped 22 metres, and landed on his feet to continue his course, won the king's cup and the ladies'