#svedjefinnar

[fluffycloudprincess]

DON'T STOP

DON'T STOP CALLING YOURSELF SÀMI

DON'T STOP CALLING YOURSELF KARELIAN

DON'T STOP CALLING YOURSELF FOREST FINN

DON'T STOP CALLING YOURSELF KVEN

DON'T STOP CALLING YOURSELF INGRIAN

DON'T STOP CALLING YOURSELF SETO

DON'T STOP CALLING YOURSELF LIVONIAN

DON'T STOP CALLING YOURSELF THE NAME YOUR ANCESTORS SHOUTED WITH LOVE AND BLED FOR !!!

(One of the deadliest weapons of genocide is forced assimilation through language and self-identificstion)

[fluffycloudprincess]

Next time someone asks me what it is to be a Forest Finn, I'm showing them this

katfishdraws

[whitewaterpaper]

SoIF03: ”Avgrunden” [Kapitel 13–14].

En läsecirkel tillsammans med @kulturdasset, delmål 6:6.

Författare: Margit Sandemo. Serie: Sagan om Isfolket, Bok 3.

Publicerad: 1982. Medium: eBok/eLib (2019).

¡Oi! Spoilers, stavfel och alternativa fakta kan förekomma rakt föröver!

Mycket händer under de här sista två kapitlen, och Sol är givetvis främst den som står i centrum. Jag gillar hur Sandemo lyckas tona ned Dag och Liv till bakgrunden utan att det känns som att hon vill bli av med hela den intrigen.

Scenen med Bödeln och Sol i sängen vet jag inte vad jag skall tycka om… Dels tycker jag det är aningen out-of-character för Sol att helt sonika ignorera det och framför allt direkt obehagligt. Samtidigt så verkar Sol själv vara nöjd med att låta det bero. Något som jag däremot gillar med hela mötet med bödeln är att bödeln nämner att Tengel behandlat honom. Från vad jag läst om bödlar så var det inte samhället mest populära individer, speciellt i gamla tider och fick oftast hålla sig för sig själv.

När jag för en tid sedan snubblade över ett forum för Sagan om Isfolket så talade man där bland annat om hur Sandemo plötsligt talar om Tengels ögon som blå (i första boken) och senare som gula (bland annat i den här boken). Det spekulerades i om detta var medvetet eller omedvetet från Sandemos sida. Och själv är jag böjd att hålla det som en förändring som kommer av att använda magin.

Tengel sa vemodigt: — Jag har sett medlemmar av Isfolket fångade i sin egen ondska. Du är fångad i din dubbelnatur. Du vet det inte själv, Sol, men ditt yttre är mycket förändrat. — Hur då? sa hon genast. — Nej, du är lika vacker som förr. Men dina ögon. De är vargvilda och vanvettstrolska.

Apropå magi så ger Sandemo besked om vad blåkullaritterna är, och hon nämner det först helt kort i det 13e kapitlet att salvan tänt hennes sinnerlighet under trancen. Och senare i kapitel 14 går hon längre in på detaljer:

Sol hade aldrig förstått — eller inte velat förstå — att det var bolmörten, odörten och nattskattan i förening som gav henne de ljuva, hetsande drömmarna om en fantasigestalt. För henne var salvan bara ett magiskt medel, en nyckel till att nå Avgrunden, inte visste hon att det var örterna själva, som framkallade hallucinationer.

Nattskattan ensam stod för de groteska, mardrömslika scenerierna på Blåkulla, bolmörten för den svindlande, gungande färden över hav och land. De tre örterna var alla var för sig dödligt giftiga om de togs in, men som de nu smordes in i huden — i precis lagom blandning — gav de tillsamman också starka lustretningar. Sandemo verkar här ta den ståndpunkten att blåkullaritterna specifikt främst är en biverkning av narkotiska örtblandningar. Och som alla narkotiska preparat gör de den verkliga världen lite gråare och lite trängre.

Så… Var det bara jag som blev förvånad över att se Hemming (från främst första boken) göra en kort, storstilad, comeback i storyn. Liet kände jag att jag borde ha listat ut det på förhand att det var han som Sol fått ögonen på – men av någon anledning slog det mig aldrig in. Och Hemming möter så då sin baneman i en lada… Om det här bara var ett sätt för Sandemo att knyta ihop hans del i intrigen (innan serien på allvar går vidare till nästa generation) så var det ett snyggt sätt att göra det på.

Lite har man funderat kring hur det hela skulle sluta för Sol, hon är ju tanklös som få och har en tendens att försätta sig i klistret med en rasande talang. Och visst har man spekulerat lite i om det är eldslågor man ser på omslaget och i så fall, vad de betyder. Sol gör givetvis ett försök med att migrera till Sverige och Svedjefinnarna (även kallad Skogsfinnar) men kommer givetvis snabbt på kollisionskurs med dem. Vi får inte veta så mycket av det utan förblir i Lindallén tills Sol dyker upp med dottern Sunniva. Från vad jag förstår var Svedjefinnarna en grupp finnar som flyttade från Finland till Sverige/Norge och som bland annat försörjde sig på Svedjebruk. Dvs ett skogsområde som ”tillfälligt” bränns ned till förmån för lantbruk och betesodling.

Jag vet dock inte om jag riktigt räknat med att Sol skulle ge upp som hon gör. Men jag antar att med den press och stress hon faktiskt lever i så har hon antagligen en depression som heter duga och givetvis hela problematiken med de narkotiska inslagen. Och det var lite förvånande att det avlöper relativt smärtfritt – men jag misstänker att när det gällde häxor kanske man inte ville bråka för mycket.

Men vägen dit…? Till det eviga livet i Avgrunden. Den gick genom bålet. Häxbålet.

…han var Sols egen demon. Och han slöt henne i sina armar och viskade: — Äntligen är du hos mig, min älskade. Nu ska vi vara samman för evigt.

Jag kan bara spekulera i hus besviken fogden blir när Sol är död i sin cell, och kanske är det ett rätt fint slut för en så rastlös karaktär – att skicka ut henne på en sista evighetslång blåkullaritt. Kanske var det lättare för familjen att leva med, än att se/veta att hon dog på häxbålet?

Jag gillar också hur man låter de magiska träden i lindallén få ge beskedet:

— Det kom från Lindallén, sa han. — Jag tror det var ett träd. — I allén? — Så är det över, viskade Liv, så oändligt trist i rösten. En rastlös själ hade funnit ro. Slocknat mitt i sitt livs vackraste kärleksdröm.

Och jag undrar lite över Hannas profetiska ord om att Sol bara var ett blindspår, Sol fick ju barn. Och det återstår bara att se vad som händer med flickebarnet.

 🏁 🏁 🏁 

Avslutningsvis vill jag passa på att tacka @kulturdasset​ för ännu en omtyckt rond i vår pågående läsecirkel. Och jag ser fram emot att sätta tänderna i den 4e boken direkt nästa vecka.

Källor:

Boken @ Goodreads.

Boken @ libris.kb.se.

eBibliotek @ Axiell Media.

Biblio @ Axiell Media.

Svedjefinnar/Skogsfinnar @ sv.wikipedia.org.

Svedjebruk @ sv.wikipedia.org.

[fornsed-blog]

Forest Finns

Forest Finns (Norwegian: Skogfinner, Swedish: Skogsfinnar, Finnish: Metsäsuomalaiset) are people of Finnish descent in the forest areas of Eastern Norway and Central Sweden. The Forest Finns emigrated from Savonia in Eastern Finland during the late 16th and early to mid 17th centuries, and traditionally pursued slash-and-burn agriculture.

Painting by Eero Järnefelt showing forest burning. The use of the term "Forest Finns" is first reported in sanctions issued by the Dano-Norwegian king in 1648, although they (at least locally in Norway) more commonly were known asSavolaksfinner (Savonian Finns), Rugfinner (Rye Finns) from their major crop, or notably Svedjefinner (Slash-and-burn Finns). The people itself often use the term Finnskoginger(People from the forest of Finns).

A part of the province where i live (Småland/Smolandia) is called "Finnveden".

[fluffycloudprincess]

Wake up, New Forest Finn doc just dropped!!!! 🤭🤭🤭🤭 I'm so excited to watch ittt and inevitably see them talking about us in the past tense whilst somehow both demonising our excistsnce and denying the impact we had on Nordic culture as it stands today

[fluffycloudprincess]

So excited to watch this ^^^^ the blatant erasure of kvens is disgusting and the fact that even other nordic/scadi minority ethnic groups who have louder voices in the community don't use their platforms to speak on it is disheartening and vile.

PLEASE use your voices, nomadic and indigenous people will not know peace and freedom until we ALL do 🩷🩷🩷

MANALAISET - A poem and film, about the   erasure of the kven minority in Scandinavia. 

[fluffycloudprincess]

Day 3 of me making a post to attract other Forest finns/Finnskoginger to form a more active online community - including those of us who don't speak our language/dialect and thus feel distanced from our community 🙏🏽

***** Fun migration fact *****

Many people believe Forest Finns came from Savonia then lived and died in Sweden and Norway BUT that's not true.

Many of us (like my ancestors) fled the persecution we faced and went back to Finland only to keep travelling around it (and other neighbouring countries) and in doing so meeting other now considered minority ethnic groups - in my family this was mainly the Sàmi, Karelians and Ålanders

[fluffycloudprincess]

Day 1 of me making a post to attract other Forest finns/Finnskoginger to form a more active online community - including those of us who don't speak our language/dialect and thus feel distanced from our community 🙏🏽

[fluffycloudprincess]

People can be so cruel

I tell you our homes were burned down

I tell you we were beaten

I tell you we were spat on

I tell you we were killed as "witches"

I tell you that our language is buried deeper than our ancestors

I tell you that even though i don't know you, your name to me will always be friend - because all of us are wandering through unknown forests, even men born and raised in grey toned cities

And you call me a foreigner? Tell me my people have nothing to be proud of? Tell me our practices are stupid and backwards that they somehow destroy the earth more than your fossil fuels and fraking? Tell me my people are dead? Tell me you're glad that we're not even a footnote in history? Tell me you're glad to see me beg on the Internet (offering up my pride like a lamb to our now forgotten gods) for someone from my community who speaks my language because I'm so alone?

But I'm a Forest Finn, and so my name for you will always be friend.

[fluffycloudprincess]

[fluffycloudprincess]

I’m indigenous heligolandic Frisian and Nigerian and I love your account because I relate to so many of your posts. But I’m just wondering how you balance your identity yk? Cause I’m so proud to be heligolander because of how fiercely we fought for our island and I feel almost nothing in relation to my Nigerian side.

Sorry this took so long and sorry this is so long 💛💛💛💛💛

Honestly, I'm not sure I do balance my identity. I feel more like a pendulum swinging between extremes than an artist walking a tightrope. I go weeks and months hyperfixating and exploring my Forest Finn identity (as I did while making this account) and then weeks and months exploring what it means to be Ghanaian and a proud Pan-African.

I believe all things can and do coexist, and there will always be cultural similarities that help reunify a split self, but overall my brain is very dichotomous.However, to address the internal schism that multi-ethnic individuals experience, we must analyze the roots of the divide. I spent so long feeling there was an inherent internal divide due to cultural clash, but in actuality, that had little to do with my feelings. For me (and maybe for you, since we have a similar mix, which is very cool—it’s like meeting someone from an alternative universe in a TV show—I love it), the main issues stem from racism, language, and cultural clash.

Racism

"Hurt people hurt people." A part of me hates this phrase; it always felt like a cop-out, a half-apology whispered under someone's breath or a statement before a plea deal. It wasn't until I realized that unless I saw through this lens, I would never be able to reconcile my people who fought, whose homes were burned, who traveled through ice and tundra, who sang bear songs in the forest with my people who now call me a stranger, who poke and prod me like a piece of meat, asking questions they don't really care to have answered.

It still hurts when I go to my church (a Finnish church) and have to literally prove my ancestry at the doorstep, when I pronounce something wrong and they laugh, when I join an online group and get kicked out when they find out I'm not like them. It hurts because it doesn't make sense—how can my people, my motherland, reject me? "Hurt people hurt people" is the only thing that's gotten me through.

They have spent their lives being the prey and now, finally, they can be something else, someone else. They can become the hunter, so they take the chance—they pick up the spear and throw it at the easiest target.What they fail to understand is that by doing so, they have compromised themselves and only themselves. They have sided against our ancestors who bled, fought, and died to be recognized and to live free from the oppressors and xenophobes.

For me, being a Forest Finn means continuing to fight the battles of my ancestors and never compromising myself as some modern Forest Finns do. To do this, we must never reject who we are. Just as your ancestors fought fiercely for your land, so too must you fight fiercely for your place on it.

Language and Culture

Another reason for my internal schism is language. Forest Finns spoke Värmland Savonian, a dialect of another dialect of an already widely agreed hard language to learn (Finnish). Due to forced assimilation, most modern Forest Finns speak Swedish, or the few who migrated back either speak Finnish or (like me) English.

This disconnect only emphasizes the divide I already feel due to being a proud Ghanaian. Sometimes communities lend out faux acceptance if you minimize your identity—please don't do it. They are lying and trying to play mental tactics, as i said just as your ancestors fought fiercely for your land, so too must you fight fiercely for your place on it.

I'm awful at languages. I'm thinking of learning Twi, but languages are not my strong suit. I even tried learning Ladino and found it incredibly difficult.Not understanding languages makes maintaining community significantly harder. However, due to the racism and xenophobia in white ethnic minority groups, I no longer view this as a negative. Instead, I see it as my ancestors keeping me safe and not allowing racists to sully my connection with them.

Instead, I try to reconnect with Forest Finn ideas and philosophies that are timeless (great respect for the bear, respect for our ancestors, respect for the forest as our home and protector). I then draw parallels with traditional Ghanaian beliefs such as those found in Vodun (great respect for our ancestors, great respect for nature as our home and protector).

In this way, the body becomes a temple and a melting pot—a sanctified space for the merging and birth of a third culture, born from the union of two previously separated cultures.You said that you feel a strong connection to being Heligolander but less so to feeling Nigerian. There are myriad reasons this might be the case. For me, it was due to internalized anti-African sentiment, which I broke down when I saw others reframe being native African as indigenous, I also explored traditional spirituality, followed more West African TikTokers and influencers, and listened to moreq Afrobeats (I love Rema so much and his new album is a perfect display of resistance that we're seeing in our new generation, an out right refusal to allow others or ourselves to demonise our cultural traditions in the name of white western acceptance) and Afro-origin based music in general.

Nigeria has fought for its land and independence just as hard since the dawn of its creation as any other nation and I can say that we Ghanaians (as much as we love to bicker with you) are so proud when we see you win, because you have always been at the forefront of so many movements throughout time.

As a West African, I understand how our governments currently aid the interests of the West rather than the indigenous peoples (us). However, what's happening in our neighboring countries with the alliance of Sahel states (Niger, Burkina Faso, and Mali) and the riots in Kenya has empowered me and MANY others to become even more Pan-African, breaking down prior internalized thoughts and ideals.

It's funny, before I saw your message, I was thinking of pivoting this blog towards documenting my journey with Vodun, Pan-Africanism, and creating a space for an anti-colonial resistance group to form. But then I thought, "No, I can't. This blog is strictly Forest Finn." But I guess I need to take my own advice—this blog isn't just about being a Forest Finn; it's about the nuances of identity. So, thank you so much for asking this because it's honestly helped me align some of my ideas and musings that I've kept locked away.

Identity is never easy, especially when the world tells you your identity innately clashes. I hope I've managed to answer your question somewhat and hopefully helped a tiny bit. I'm always here to chat, and my inbox is always open. I'd love to hear more about both indigenous Heligolandic and Nigerian culture, especially since we have very parallel identities in that sense so if you have a blog about it I'd love to follow it or as i said I'd love to also just hear about your experiencs of both cultures. But if you'd prefer not to and this is the last we speak, then I wish you the absolute best and hope you find the balance you're looking for.

[fluffycloudprincess]

Me: A mixed Forest Finn girl from the UK who only speaks English

Me: Decides to learn my ethnic groups' language - it's extinct

Me: Is isolated from my community

Me: Has to learn the oppressors' language now just to communicate with my community

Me: 🕺🏽

[fluffycloudprincess]

Me coming back after disappearing off of the face of the earth for no reason with no explanation as to why

[fluffycloudprincess]

I always get sad when i remember that if my Forest Finn ancestors saw me, they would instantly see me as a foreigner.

Even if i could speak their tongue

Even if i wore traditional dress

Even if i sang our songs in perfect pitch and read aloud our poems at perfect pace

A big part of reconnecting is being one with your community - past and present, but nobody ever speaks about how anti-blackness can strip you of it all in a moment.

I still love my people, still wonder at the long arduous path they took it's just I hope they remember that they too were "foreigners" in a land with people who couldn't understand them.

I just hope they remember that skin is skin - that the forest knows all men by their bones and footprints.

[fluffycloudprincess]

Day 2 of me making a post to attract other Forest finns/Finnskoginger to form a more active online community - including those of us who don't speak our language/dialect and thus feel distanced from our community 🙏🏽

Forest Finn Food Fact #1

. Aside from eating typical Finnish food and the foods of the places we reside we also have some of our own dishes one of these is called Mutti, a dish made from rye or roasted oat flour often eaten with pork belly/fat. 🩷