#Vilja Matsintytär

[soffiisims]

1324

My main household in 1320s!

First two portraits up left: Anne Matsintytär and Mihail Karelia

down left: Kerttu Matsintytär, Solja Erikintytär and Dmitri Karelia

Third portrait left: Johannes Matsinpoika, Solja Erikintytär and Vilja Matsintytär

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[soffiisims]

Vilja as a child!

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[soffiisims]

1321

As the girls grew older they were able to take more responsibility at the farm. Kerttu has become a great cook and Anne loves to spend her time in the garden with the crops. They have been a massive help! Now more than ever. They have also been helping my brother and his family, now that Valpuri gave birth to a son and has two little ones. I can manage well with two toddlers. It is nothing compared to when Kerttu and Anne were born and had their brother Erik too. Oh, that was a task!

Kerttu and Anne do not remember their brother much anymore. We visit often at his gravesite, because I want them to remember him and their other siblings as well. They remember that they had a triplet and some short glimpses of his laughter (he had a very unique laughter), but not very much more. Johannes does not remember his twin Mats at all. He was so young, when we lost Mats. Sometimes I wonder, what our life would be like, if all of us could have been together.

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(somehow we suddenly jumped over one year, do not ask how or why, i don't know 😅)

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Vilja as a toddler!

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[soffiisims]

1319

Main families in 1319

From left: Vilja Matsintytär, Katarina Matintytär, Valpuri Antreaantytär, Johannes Matsinpoika, Matti Erikinpoika, Solja Erikintytär, Anne Matsintytär and Kerttu Matsintytär

We lost so many during the famine 🥲

...

Also, I messed up in previous post with baby names! Matti and Valpuri's infant is called Katarina, not Matti. Spoiler alert, Matti is about to be born 😅. I fixed the post, sorry about the confusion! (just me getting confused, when writing these posts months and months after taking the screenshots... 🥲)

Anyways, happy Holidays, if you are celebrating! 🎄

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[soffiisims]

1319

Precious familytime 🤎

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[soffiisims]

1318

Summer has arrived. Our harvest is in full green. Oh, how wonderful it is to see that again! Little Vilja has indeed brought us good fortune, and I am glad. After the night my son visited me in a dream, I have had a peculiar peace in my mind. I am here and I am alive. I have a purpose here. The Watcher has given me purpose. Seeing smiles on my children's faces and hearing them laugh after such a long time, almost makes me burst out of happiness!

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[soffiisims]

1324

Mihail and Anne married in the last warm days of summer. We had many days of music, mead, food and dancing. Even Kerttu couldn't stay gloomy the whole time.

Night before the wedding day Anne washed herself up in the sauna with her sister Kerttu. Before the wedding maidens bathe in the sauna and enchant. I remember these traditions, when I married Mats. I bathed with my aunt, she wasn't married then. Elzebe opened my braids as a symbolic gesture, because after marriage I would have my hair knotted under my veil. Oh, how magical it was! And how I miss her! She would have loved to be part of Anne's wedding.

I had taught my daughters all the spells they needed, when leaving their maiden days behind. They had done that before of course, when my cousin Ingrid got married three years ago. I think the girls made up while bathing. My presence might have prevented that, so I am glad they had some time just the two of them.

My uncle Pietari, who is a clergyman, wed Anne and Mihail at our farm. The ceremony made me a little melancholic, because if Mats had been alive, as the father of the bride he could have done the wedding instead of my uncle. But I think he is watching us, like Elzebe, and all of them who we have lost. This is the beginning. Today we celebrate life.

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Wedding traditions in medieval Finland, resource: Aalto, Ilari. Vuosi keskiajan Suomessa. Atena Kustannus, 2015. p. 156–157.