Conference turris::scandia

  Reading about all this reminded me of something that we do in
  Finland on New Year's Day as soon as the year has changed.We
  have little pieces of pewter usually cast in the shape of a
  horseshoe, which we melt in a gadget (sort of a ladle) over the
  stove burner. Once it has melted, we pour it into a bucket of
  cold water, pick it up and read our fortune for the new year.
  If you can't make out what it represents you can try to look at
  the shadow that it makes and see if your future is any clearer.I
  wouldn't be surprised if the Swedes did this, too.
  
  Sirkku Johnson
  (using hubbie's account)

  Re: .1: 
  
  Yes, Sirkku, attempting to predict ones future with lead seems
  to be a Swedish tradition also.  Here's part of what the book, 
  "Round the Swedish Year" has to say about New Year:
  
     "There's your fortune to be told in the molten lead 
      throw into a bucket of cold water.  What do you see?
      Has the lead formed into a flower?  Well, your future
      looks promising.  But there are other, more sinister
      shapes, less easy to foretell."
  
  Given the movement of people between Finland and Sweden, I wouldn't
  be surprised if many traditions are held in common between these
  two countries.
  
  Thanks for the contribution and suggestion!  How do you say Merry 
  Christmas and Happy New Year in Finnish?
  
  Neil

  Hi.  As a Finn I'm always interested in anything concerning
  Scandinavia. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year is "Hauskaa Joulua
  ja Onnellista Uutta Vuotta" in Finnish. Anything else you want
  to know?
  
  Sirkku

  Re: .3:
  
   Yes, well...perhaps some personal stuff, such as where in Finland
  you come from.  What your life there was like; how long you lived
  there - stuff like that.
  
  However, I suggest we 'write' a *new* topic (in old terminology:
  a new base note) rather than hide Finland behind "Swedish
  Christmas."  What do you say?  Want to try it?
  
  Also, I read that the term "Finn" was originally applied to the
  Lapps ("Samen" as they are also called in Sweden).  Do you know
  anything about that?  How about "Why do they call us Finns" as
  a topic, too?
  
  Neil (soundlessly trying to pronounce Hauskaa Joulua ja Onnellista
  Uutta Vuotta as a Swede might say it and wondering if that's
  close)
  

  Sirkku, where are you? I'm surprised to hear from a Finnish DECcie
  out there that side of the pond. I'd love to hear more of you.
  In the meantime I guess I have to start that new base note...
  
  Timo Lehtinen
  Helsinki, Finland

  I'm not exactly a DECcie, but hubby works for VMS.  However,
  it would be nice to know if there are any Finnish DECcies in
  the US.  (Our family is Finnish-Danish-Swedish.)
  By the way, what happened to the base note you were going to
  start?  Also, would you mind adding the information concerning
  Finland to note 5?  Kiitos!
  
  Sirkku

  Re: .5 & .6:   Had you looked at Note 24, Sirkku?
  
  Neil

From: [email protected] (Tom Haapanen)
Newsgroups: soc.culture.nordic
Subject: Re: Christmas Peace
Date: 8 Jan 90 15:06:09 GMT
Organization: WATMIMS Research Group, University of Waterloo

>Sirpa Saarinen <[email protected]> writes:
>> In the past Christmas peace (Joulu Rauha) was
>> announced in all villages/cities and the strict rules (especially those
>> against crime like burglaries and 'noise') were followed. Why it is only
>> announced in Turku anymore I cannot remember.

 Harold Stuart <[email protected]> writes:
> As I remember, it has something to do with Turku being the former capitol of
> Finland.

Well, sort of.  Joulurauha (Christmas Peace) is announced at noon on
Christmas Eve from Turun Tuomiokirkko (Turku Cathedral).  I believe the
reason it is announced in Turku (and broadcast throughout Finland) is
that Turku has tradtionally been the main cathedral in Finland.

The announcement asks all people to observe the Christmas peace, and
anyone breaking that peace should be prosecuted and convicted using
the most severe penalties available under the law.

                                        \tom haapanen

    From: [email protected] (Thomas Tornblom)
    Newsgroups: soc.culture.nordic
    Subject: Re: Disney movie on Swedish TV at Christmas
    Date: 26 Nov 90 10:29:05 GMT 
    Organization: Telesoft Uppsala AB
 
    In article <[email protected]> [email protected] (Dave Walden)
    writes:
 
 
	      I was having lunch with a couple of girls from Stockholm
	   two days ago, and I was telling them about the humming birds
	   that are attracted to the flowering plants on the restaurant
	   patio in the Spring.  One mentioned that the only humming birds
	   she's seen are in a Disney cartoon movie that appears on Swedish
	   TV every year at Christmas time.  According to her, every Swedish
	   family gathers around the TV set and watches this movie together.
	   It has become quite a tradition.  Every year, same movie, same
	   station (of course!), same time, same day.  Everybody watches it.
	   She is 23, and she can remember watching it with her family since
	   she was 2 years old.
 
	      I was amazed.  In a country where most of the population
	   has drifted away from religion, a modern day entertainment
	   product has risen to the status of religious icon and ceremony.
 
	      Now I wonder.  Is this woman exaggerating the movie's
	   universal popularity and family focus at Christmas time?
	   What is the title of this movie?  Should I go out and buy
	   or rent a copy at the video store so that my Swedish friends
	   don't feel culturally deprived this Christmas?  Am I missing
	   something?
 
 
    She most definately is not! Swedish TV has shown the Disney movie since
    1959(?)! Every year at 15:00 on Christmas eve. 
 
    A couple of years ago TV3, a company not affiliated with Swedish TV,
    bought the Scandinavian Disney rights. Swedish TV still can show this
    movie though, it would have been to much bad will for Disney and TV3
    not to allow it.
 
    The movie is a collection of scenes from various Disney cartoons. The
    content changes slightly from year to year, the selection is done by
    Disney.
 
    Thomas

 -- 
 Real life:      Thomas Tornblom             Email:  [email protected]
 Snail mail:     Telesoft Uppsala AB         Phone:  +46 18 189406
                 Box 1218                    Fax:    +46 18 132039
                 S - 751 42 Uppsala, Sweden

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
    From: [email protected] (Hans Henrik Eriksen)
    Newsgroups: soc.culture.nordic
    Subject: Re: Disney movie on Swedish TV at Christmas
    Date: 26 Nov 90 09:07:27 GMT
    Organization: Institutt for informatikk, Universitetet i Oslo
 
 
    (The show in question is a "Christmas compilation" of various Disney
    cartoons, all introduced by Jiminy grasshopper and Mickey Mouse...)
 
    This is almost so in Norway, too.  Only this year the national TV
    company (NRK) decided NOT to send the show because some people didn't
    want their kids watching Disney on Christmas eve.  Too bad for those
    who can't receive Swedish TV broadcasts.
 
    Of course, a lot of people disagree and friday there was a rally with a
    couple of hundred university students outside the NRK building (it is
    located next to campus) demanding that the entertainment department of
    NRK changed their decision.  Given that the rally was not anounced long
    in advance, it was 15 deg F and snow outside AND exam time, the number
    of parttakers was impressing!

                                                Hans Henrik Eriksen
                                                [email protected]

    From: [email protected]
    Newsgroups: soc.culture.nordic
    Subject: Re: Santa - human or ...?
    Date: 24 Jun 91 07:49:27 GMT
    Sender: [email protected] (Uutis Ankka)
    Organization: University of Helsinki
 

    In article <[email protected]>,
    [email protected] (Leif Sjoblom) writes:

  >> The Swedish/Finnish word julbock/joulupukki leaves serious doubts 
  >> about Santa being human. As a matter of fact, I have an old book 
  >> (Petters och Lottas Jul, published around 1945 I think) where 
  >> "Santa" is clearly portrayed as a "buck" with horns, beard and 
  >> everything. (My daughter thinks this Santa is much more fun...)
  >> 
  >> The Santa you have in mind is either a reincarnation of the 
  >> real thing or a fake. Are there any people remembering the old 
  >> tradition reading this?
 
 
    	The tradition of "joulutonttu/jultomte" is quite recent. The
    nowadays joulutonttu with red clothes and presents to give to the
    children is probably a creation of some scandinavian artists such as
    Viktor Rydberg , who wrote a story about them in 1871. The origins of
    them lies in the nordic tradition of the house or stable gnomes, who
    took care of a house or a family.
 
    Joulupukki/julbock etc. tradition is a little bit more complicated than
    that. It was a custom in the 19. century and beginning of this to visit
    the neighbours during the time between Christmas and new year. Usually
    you were dressed up as a buck then. Sometimes you even gave them small
    presents. This tradition has probably its origins in the same Catholic
    tradition that incluedes the "nuutti" in the 13. january (We used to be
    catholics over here also, you know - and, it can also be a later
    borrowing from the Continental Europe).

    This old tradition was blended with the that of St. Nicholaus of
    Western Europe first in the beginning of this century. First the
    nowadays so common joulupukki was seen with the overclass families ,
    but became soon popular all over. from the old tradition was not much
    moore left than the name joulupukki" - Christmas buck. When this
    tradition came to Finland - probably from Germany - as so many of our
    christmas traditions - it hadn`t been much longer in Sweden (or Norway)
    either - allthough I`m not as aquainted with their Christmassis. Anyway
    the joulupukki we know is a blend of older and newer tradition but most
    of it has been borrowed from St. Nicholaus.

    What comes to the livingplace of St. Nicholaus/joulupukki it is clear,
    that everybody want`s to have him as their own. i have never heard any
    wide spread claims of his norwegian or swedes origins so I will not
    discuss of them here. Probably the claims that St Claus lives in the
    North Pole are most ancient. They are natural - because the North Pole
    was long an unknown snowy and cold area. An ideal setting for a
    fairy-tale figure with connections to winter and snow. Korvatunturi in
    Finnland was for the first-time mentioned as a home for joulupukki in
    1927 by Markus-set�, who used to have programs for children in the
    Finnish radio.

    Of course it is quite possible that St. Claus has moved from the North
    Pole to Korvatunturi - or has houses in the both places. It can also be
    true that St. Claus and joulupukki aren`t the same person. They can be
    cousins ore brothers or...After all, there ARE many thousands of houses
    to visit only during one night :-).
 
                          Tom Sj�blom, Department of Comparative Religion,
			  Univ. of Helsinki, Finland.
 
 

    Re .10:
    
    Just a comment on the swedish word "julbock", which I wouldn't 
    translate as Christmas buck. "Bock" is the male of either a goat	
    or a roe deer, but the image you get of a "julbock" is definitely
    the first of these.  Christmas he-goat?
    
    Hans

    Newsgroups: soc.culture.nordic
    From: [email protected] (Torsten Poulin Nielsen)
    Subject: Re: Denmark - Christmas?
    Sender: [email protected]
    Date: Sun, 12 Dec 1993 22:27:33 GMT
    Organization: Department of Computer Science, U of Copenhagen
 
    [email protected] (Bill Barrett) writes:
  
    >Would someone (few) please write a paragraph or
    >two about Christmas in Denmark.  Is there a
    >Santa Claus, St. Nick, or who?
 
    Yes, we call him "Julemanden" (i.e, "The Christmas Man"). The word jul
    is the same as English yule. Even though Denmark converted to
    christianity 10 centuries ago, the name of the ancient pagan midwinter
    festival celebrating the return of the sun is still used.
 
    Christmas is celebrated in the evening on the 24th of December.  After
    having had dinner, people "dance", or rather walk, around the christmas
    tree while they sing. After that the presents are opened.
 
    A traditional christmas dinner includes roasted pork ("fl�skesteg")
    (with crisp skin, very delicious and very bad for your health :-) or
    roasted duck ("andesteg") or both. To that you would serve, among other
    things, potatos -- usually prepared in two different ways.
 
    After having eaten yourself through all that, you get to the so-called
    "risalamande", a dessert made of rice (kind of like porridge) with warm
    cherry sauce. A whole almond is hidden in the dessert (which is full of
    pieces of almond, too). The person who finds the almond wins a present
    called "mandelgaven" (ie., "The Almond Gift").
 
 
    [Stores] use plastic decorations, usually of "nisser" which are
    somewhat similar to your elfs, but have there roots in Danish folklore
    and superstition (they are supernatural beings, originally a sort of
    house spirits); they are one of "The Other People" (det andet folk),
    like trolls, elfs, mound dwellers, etc., sharing the world with man,
    but that's a different story...
 
 -Torsten
 -- 
 Torsten Poulin Nielsen, stud.scient.|"When I use a word, Humpty Dumpty said
 DIKU (Dept. of Computer Science)    |in a rather scornful tone, it means
 University of Copenhagen, Denmark   |just what I choose it to mean - neither
 email: <[email protected]>            |more nor less."  - Lewis Carroll

    Newsgroups: soc.culture.nordic
    From: [email protected] (Norbert Strade)
    Subject: Re: House Spirits
    Sender: [email protected]
    Organization: Humanistisk fakultet, Aarhus Universitet
    Date: Fri, 14 Jan 1994 14:38:03 GMT
 
    The Danish house spirit is called "nisse", pl."nisser". Originally they
    were thought to be the spirits of the deceased ancestors and
    considered harmful. That's why they were given food two times a year,
    at midwinter and  midsummer. At these times spirits were thought to
    come out into the open. As ancestors of peasants they wore the typical
    Danish peasant dress. But sometimes they could take the shape of black
    dogs, especially around ancient tombs.
    
    The feeding of the Nisser at midwinter soon became a Christmas custom,
    and  from there it is only a little step to the modern use of Nisser in
    Christmas advertising everywhere in Scandinavia and Finland.
    
    The Swedish "tomtar" and their Finnish counterparts "tonttuja", though,
    seem to be a little different.
 
    Norbert

    From: [email protected] (Halldor Arnason)
    Newsgroups: soc.culture.nordic
    Subject: Iceland's Yuletide Lads
    Date: 17 Nov 1994 06:22:50 GMT
    Organization: University of Washington
 
    The Icelandic names of [Sheep-cot Clod, Gully Gawk, Shorty, Spoon
    Licker, Pot Scraper, Bowl Licker, Hem Blower, Skyr Gobbler, Sausage
    Swiper, Window Peeper, Door Sniffer, Meat Hook, and Candle Beggar] are:
    Stekkjarstaur, Giljagaur,  St�fur, �v�rusleikir, Pottaskefill,
    Askasleikir, Faldafeykir, Skyrg�mur,  Bj�gnakr�kir, Gluggag�gir,
    G�tta�efur, Kj�tkr�kur and Kertasn�kir.  
 
    However I do miss Hur�askellir (Door Slammer) from the list and think  
    Faldafeykir (Hem Blower) should not be there since that is just a 
    different name for Askasleikir (Bowl Licker).  He snuck into the  
    dwelling quarters of houses and hid under the beds waiting for a chance  
    to steel a bowl to lick and passed the time while waiting by blowing up 
    the skirt hems of the women.   At least this is how my mother explained  
    to me why there were fourteen names for thirteen lads. 
 
    Their names indicate what their speciality was in annoying people.  
    Nowadays their role is to bring small gifts to children the night they 
    come from the mountains.  Children leave a shoe in their window and in 
    which the gift is put.  The night before Christmas eve is the  night of
    Kertasn�kir (Candle Beggar) and then Children leave a candle in  the
    shoe in exchange for the gift. 
 
    Their mother is Gr�la, whose husband is Leppal��i.  Some stories claim 
    that he is not their father, but some person named Lo�inbar�i.
 
    Another folklore creature connected to Christmas, is the Christmas 
    cat.  It is said to feed on people, specially children, that do not 
    receive a new piece of clothing for Christmas.
 
    Halldor

   From: [email protected] (Saemundur Bjarnason)
   Newsgroups: soc.culture.nordic
   Subject: Re: Iceland's Yuletide Lads
   Date: 19 Nov 1994 01:05:16 -0000
   Organization: Islenska menntanetid
 
    In a beautiful Icelandic Yuletide Calendar recounting the adventures 
    of the 13 Yuletide Lads you can find a lot of information on these 
    boys.
 
    The calendar is published in collaboration with the National Museum by
    Snerruutgafan sf., P.O Box 12210, 132 Reykjavik, Iceland. Drawings are
    by Selma Jonsdottir and text by Hakon Adalsteinsson.
 
 
    Some excerpts:
 
    In a cave high up in the mountains, a place fit only for ogres and 
    trolls, Mother Gryla stirred the brew, throwing sheep dung into the 
    fire. father Leppaludi sat on his bed, which he never left, unless  he
    had to.
 
    From a dark corner there came a rumbling, loud yawning, quarrelling 
    and kicking about. After their long sleep, limbs stiff and shaky, 
    their heads unclear, the Lads were awakening. With the approach of yet
    another Yuletide they were getting on their feet again.
 
    The lads grew merrier by the hour, and the Yuletide Cat came slinking
    in, sensing something tastier in the offing than the mice of past
    months. The Lads wolfed down Gryla?s brew and prepared for their
    annual journey.
 
    The Yuletide Lads meant mischief, and each day another one made his 
    way down from the mountains. Under cover of darkness they approached 
    the homesteads, the hissing Yuletide cat close upon their heels.  At
    the farms, from then on, things began to disappear. Deplorable, 
    really, the way these Lads behaved.
 
 
 1. Arrives on 12. Dec.  Leaves on 25. Dec.
    Sheep-cot Clod  -  Stekkjastaur
 
    When this clumsy fellow entered the sheep-cot, he gave the sheep no 
    peace nor rest. He was having such great fun until the ram came up  to
    check on the intruder and went straight for the Lad, butting Sheep-cot
    Clod into the muck.
 
 2. Arrives on 13. Dec.  Leaves on 26. Dec.
    Gully Gawk  -  Giljagaur
 
    Gully Gawk slid silently into the cowshed, saw the bull and didn't 
    want to come closer. Looking into every corner he didn't see a soul 
    and thought he might try and get some milk. He took hold of a teat, 
    and milk ran into his palm, but the cow was annoyed and gave him a 
    kick.
 
 3. Arrives on 14. Dec.  Leaves on 27. Dec.
    Shorty  -  Stufur
 
 4. Arrives on 15. Dec.  Leaves on 28. Dec.
    Ladle Licker  -  Thvorusleikir
 
 5. Arrives on 16. Dec.  Leaves on 29. Dec.
    Pot Scraper  -  Pottasleikir
 
 6. Arrives on 17. Dec.  Leaves on 30. Dec.
    Bowl Licker  -  Askasleikir
 
 7. Arrives on 18. Dec.  Leaves on 31. Dec.
    Door Slammer  -  Hurdaskellir
 
 8. Arrives on 19. Dec.  Leaves on 1. Jan.
    Skyr Gobbler  -  Skyrgamur
 
 9. Arrives on 20. Dec.  Leaves on 2. Jan.
    Sausage Swiper  -  Bjugnakraekir
 
10. Arrives on 21. Dec.  Leaves on 3. Jan.
    Window Peeper  -  Gluggagaegir
 
11. Arrives on 22. Dec.  Leaves on 4. Jan.
    Door Sniffer  -  Gattathefur
 
12. Arrives on 23. Dec.  Leaves on 5. Jan.
    Meat Hook  -  Ketkrokur
 
13. Arrives on 24. Dec.  Leaves on 6. Jan.
    Candle Beggar  -  Kertasnikir
 
 
    Regards
 
   Saemundur Bjarnason
   [email protected]