Part 33 (1/2)

”I do not want to, and I will not come,” she answers.

And then came a poor man, whose only wealth was bread. It is not gold, nor silver, nor copper, nor iron, but bread that is the staff of life.

This is emblematical, to show that money does not make happiness, and so _Annuka_, the maid of _bo_, takes him, and sings--

”Now I am coming to you, my husband. _Annuka_, the maid of _bo_, will be happy now, and happy evermore.”

Many old Finnish songs repeat themselves like this, and most of them are very sad.

Our dear old woman was moved to tears as she sang in her squeaky voice, and rocked herself to and fro.

As she sang a b.u.t.terfly flew past us, and was quickly joined by a second, when a small fight ensued, the pretty creatures coming together as though kissing one another in their frolicsome short-lived glee, and then separating again, perhaps for ever.

”_Ukonkoira_” (b.u.t.terflies), remarked the old woman, beaming with pleasure. Then our student explained that the b.u.t.terfly was looked upon as sacred, and its flight considered a good omen.

We had been much impressed by our old dame; her innocence and childish joy, her love of music, and her G.o.d-fearing goodness were most touching.

We cannot repeat too often that the Finn is musical and poetical to the core, indeed, he has a strong and romantic love for tales and stories, songs and melody, while riddles are to be met with at every turn, and the funny thing is that these riddles or mental puzzles often most mercilessly ridicule the Finns themselves.

No language, perhaps, is richer in sayings than the Finnish. When a Finn sees any one trying to perform some feat beyond his power, and failing, he immediately laughs and cries, ”_Eihan lehma puuhun paase_” (the cow cannot climb a tree). Or, when speaking of his own country as superior to every other land, he invariably adds, ”_Oma maa mansikka muu maa mustikka_” (my own land is a strawberry, all other lands are bilberries).

These proverbs and riddles, of which there are some thousands, are the solace of the winter evenings, when the old folk sit opposite one another in the dark--more often than not hand in hand--each trying who will give in first and find his store of riddles soonest exhausted. In fact, from childhood the Finn is taught to think and invent by means of riddles; in his solitude he ponders over them, and any man who evolves a good one is a hero in his village. They meet together for ”riddle evenings,” and most amusing are the punishments given to those who cannot answer three in succession. He is sent to _Hymyla_, which is something like being sent to Coventry.

He is given three chances, and if he can answer none every one sings--

_Hyys hyys Hymylaan!

Kun et sitakaan tieda._

Meaning, ”Well, well, off you go to Coventry as punishment for ignorance.”

Then the poor delinquent is made to play the fool. He is set on a chair in the middle of the room, dressed up as fancy pleases the audience. His face is often absurdly painted, and after enduring every indignity, to the amus.e.m.e.nt of his friends, he is escorted from the room to ponder over the answers to the riddles. How they chaff him. Does he enjoy _Hymyla_? Are the dogs howling and the children running away? If he wants to come back he had better harness a mouse to his carriage, find a cat to act as coachman, and a saucepan for a sledge. He must wash himself with tar and paint himself with feathers.

And so they chaff and laugh on during those long winter evenings, in their badly-lighted homes, where books are still rare.

Every one in Finland can read to-day, but the first Finnish book was published in 1542, by _Mikael Agricola_, the Bishop who made the first translation of the New Testament; but they cannot read much in their dimly-lighted houses during the long winters, and therefore it is that they sing so constantly, and repeat mythical rhymes, or riddles and proverbs, which our host and hostess declared they loved.

Their _Savupirtti_ and land did not belong to them, the latter told us.

The actual owner was a farmer who let it out in various _torps_. Our particular friend, the _torppari_, paid him one-third of all he made off his holding, and gave him besides eight days' work during the year--being called upon for this manual contribution whenever the farmer was himself most pressed.

This particular little chimneyless house lay eighteen kilometres from _Iisalmi_, where the nearest shops were to be found. The poor old woman told us that she had had nine children, out of which number she had lost seven. When we considered the smallness of her home, the terrible want of ventilation and sanitation, the poverty of the people, and the hardness of their lives, we were not in the least surprised at her statement, but we marvelled much at the mother having survived all she must have gone through.

She made a wonderful picture as she sat on the wooden bedstead, her bare feet playing a tattoo on the wooden floor, while her clean clothes seemed absolutely to s.h.i.+ne against the darkness of the wall behind her.

Although so far removed from civilisation, and from luxuries of any kind, the old couple knew how to read, and they had one or two treasured books. Poor as they were, they, like every other native peasant, possessed a _Piplia_ (Bible), a _Katkismus_ (catechism), a _Virsikirja_ (hymn-book), and an _Almanakka_ (almanac).

We ventured to ask the good soul if she ever read them. ”Of course,” she replied, ”or what should we do at the _lukukinkerit_?”

”And what may that be?” we asked, surprised; only to learn that in the winter months the priests travel about by means of sledges from one big peasant's house to another, where the smaller _torpparis_ all a.s.semble, and there hold an examination of the people in order to ascertain their holy knowledge.

The peasants rather dread these _lukukinkerit_, as the priest asks them difficult questions, which it is considered an absolute disgrace not to be able to answer satisfactorily. As we know, this was formerly the custom in Scotland, and severe punishments were given to those who could not answer rightly, and prove themselves thoroughly versed in Bible history. This custom is now practically done away with in Scotland, although the examination for the communion, which takes place twice a year in the Highlands, partakes somewhat of the same nature. In Finland the winter examinations are very serious matters, and therefore it is that the Bible, prayer-book, and hymn-book are to be found in every peasant's home, while a profound knowledge of their contents is general.