Larin Paraske

author

Larin Paraske

1833–1904

A legendary runo singer from Ingria, she became one of the most important voices behind the preservation of Finnish-Karelian oral poetry. Her performances and vast memory helped scholars record thousands of lines of traditional verse, laments, and proverbs.

1 Audiobook

Parasken runot

Parasken runot

by Larin Paraske

About the author

Born Paraskeva Nikitina in 1833, Larin Paraske was an Ingrian Finn remembered as one of the great singers of Kalevala-meter folk poetry. She lived in the village of Lempaala in Ingria and became widely known for her extraordinary memory and powerful performances of traditional songs, laments, and sayings.

In the late 19th century, collectors and scholars traveled to hear her sing and write down her repertoire. The material recorded from her ran to tens of thousands of lines, making her one of the most significant sources for the study and preservation of Finnic oral tradition.

Her fame reached beyond folklore circles during her lifetime, and artists as well as writers took an interest in her. Today she is remembered not just as a source for researchers, but as a remarkable performer whose voice carried an older oral culture into the written record.