Lapin muisteluksia

This volume offers a vivid portrait of the remote wilderness of northern Finland as seen through the eyes of its longtime inhabitants. During three summer expeditions in the early 1920s, the author trekked across the tundra, valleys and isolated villages of Lapland and Peräpohja, recording the stories, songs, superstitions and everyday practices that the local elders still remembered. The result is a mosaic of narratives—tales of reindeer migrations, folk riddles, old prayers, and humorous anecdotes—presented exactly as they were told.

Organised into sections such as the conquest of Lapinkorpi, the beaver and the elk, and the recollections of the village of Sieppijärvi, each chapter reads like a conversation around a fire, complete with original sketches and period photographs that bring the landscape to life. The author acts as a careful interpreter, letting the voices of the “äijit” and “ämmit” speak while gently guiding them into coherent stories. Listeners will feel the crisp northern air and hear the echo of ancient chants, gaining a rare glimpse into a culture that was already fading.