author
Jakob Esaiaksenpoika Fellman
1795–1875
A Finnish priest, explorer of Lapland, and early collector of Sámi oral tradition, he spent years documenting northern life with unusual care. His work also helped open the way for Sámi-language publishing in Finland.
1 Audiobook
Poimintoja Jaakko Fellmanin muistiinpanoista Lapissa
by Jakob Esaiaksenpoika Fellman
About the author
Born in Rovaniemi on March 25, 1795, he became one of the best-known early interpreters of Lapland for Finnish readers. Sources describe him as a priest, researcher of Lapland and Russia, and a collector of Sámi folk tradition. He is also credited with compiling the first Sámi primer based on dialects spoken in what is now Finland.
Ordained in 1815, he later served as parish priest in Utsjoki from 1819 into the early 1830s, and then in Lappajärvi. Reference works also note his strong interest in natural history, especially botany, alongside his pastoral work.
What makes his legacy stand out is how closely he tied scholarship to language and everyday life in the north. Biographical sources say he wanted education for Sámi communities to happen in their own language, and he became one of the first people in Finland to publish literature in Sámi. He died in Lappajärvi on March 8, 1875.