Kansantaruja Laatokan luoteis-rannikolta: kesällä 1879

The collection captures a summer in 1879 when a curious recorder traveled along the northern shores of Lake Ladoga, listening to villagers recount the ghosts of a forgotten past. He gathers tales of the towering Meteliläiset and the wandering Sámi, whose footprints are said to linger in the fertile fields and stone piles that dot the landscape. The stories weave together memories of giants who once plowed the earth, of mysterious burial grounds, and of hidden iron tools that hint at a civilization long vanished. Through these oral histories the listener glimpses a world where myth and geography merge, painting a vivid picture of the region’s ancient identity.

Beyond giants, the work surveys the many hill forts, rock castles and small forts that crown the lake’s islands and peninsulas. Each mound is described with the local lore that credits either the giants or the early Sámi with its construction, while still hinting at later battles and medieval churches that later claimed the sites. The narrator also notes scattered archaeological finds—bone fragments, metal rivets, and stone markers—suggesting a layered tapestry of peoples and cultures. As the journey unfolds, the audio guide invites listeners to walk the old paths, hear the whispers of past peoples, and imagine how the landscape itself became a living archive of folklore.