Finland, forming part of the Russian Empire, is bordered on the south and west by the Baltic Sea (Gulfs of Finland and Bothnia) and stretches as a narrow band almost north and south. There has been much discussion as to just what and who the Finns are. Some writers think them true white Europeans related to the long-headed, fair whites; others believe them Mongolians who have moved from Asia into Europe, where they have changed their color and appearance—partly by marrying with fair whites and partly by the influence of climate and other conditions—but who retain their old Asiatic language.

Whichever is right, the Finns are an interesting people. There are about one million and a half of pure blood dwelling in Finland. There are two quite unlike types,—the Tavastland and Karelian Finns. The Tavastland Finns are rather tall and large built, with a large and broad head, a long and large face, light skin, light hair, and large and light eyes. They are rather quiet, a little morose though kindly, and have a great love for their old life and customs. The Karelian Finns are darker, with dark brown or black hair and dark eyes. They were quite tall, but less strongly built than the Tavastland Finns; they have a longer head and smaller head and face; they are more lively, gay, and enterprising. It is the Karelians who more nearly resemble the Finns of Asia, Ostiaks, and Samoyeds. Both kinds of Finns, though differing in appearance, speak one language, which is not Aryan, and is related to the languages of Northern Asia. The Lapps, Turks, and some other peoples of Southeastern Europe speak tongues related to the Finnish.

In the cities and towns of Finland the people are much like their Swedish, German, and Russian neighbors. But in the small towns and villages and in the country they retain many old and curious customs. There they live in old-fashioned houses or even older-fashioned tents. The houses, built of logs, had low, broad, two-pitched roofs and consisted of a single room; there was one door and some small windows. Only recently have they used glass in the windows. The furniture is simple. Clothing and other articles are hung on pegs against the wall or over poles which are supported by hooks from the roof. Big, ring-shaped loaves of rye bread are hung up on these poles also. Outside the house are several small buildings used as store-rooms for treasures and the sweat-bath house.

The old tents are now rarely seen. They were circular, and their framework was made by setting poles in the ground so that their upper ends met; branches were worked in to fill the spaces between these and form walls, and moss and turf were tightly packed in to fill all openings. A doorway was left and a smoke hole.

The sweat-bath house is found everywhere. It is large enough to accommodate a good many bathers at once. Two sets of wide benches run around the inside of the house, one higher than the other: these are for the bathers to sit or lie upon. They reach the higher benches or platforms by means of a short ladder. In one corner of this sweat-house is a dome-shaped oven or fireplace built of stones. This is heated very hot, and then dippers of water are thrown upon the hot stones, until the steam fills the whole building. The bathers bask in the vapor, rub and strike themselves with bunches of birch twigs, and then dash cold water over themselves. They delight in these vapor baths, and every one—men, women, and children—takes them. We would not enjoy it much, for there is much smoke mixed with the steam. Similar vapor baths are used in Russia, and recently “Russian baths” have come much into use among ourselves.

Like many other northern peoples the Finns make many articles from birch bark. Boxes, vessels, carrying sacks, and even shoes are made from it. The climate of Finland is rather bad; winters are long and severe. The people raise some plants, but their agriculture is simple and old-fashioned. They burn over the space to be planted, work the ashes and soil with crude tools, and plant the seed. Their crops sometimes fail and terrible famines result. At such times they have made bread from bark and roots crushed between rude grinding stones. Such bread is called famine bread.

The Finns love song and poetry. It is said that every village has one poet, or more, and that he prepares a new song whenever aught of importance occurs. Besides these new songs they have many ancient songs, of which they never tire. When they sing the songs of the olden time, two men seat themselves face to face upon a bench, join hands, and rock backward and forward in time to the song. First one sings a line or passage, and then the other repeats the same, and so they continue, rocking back and forth and singing the whole night through. Sometimes a third man plays upon the kantele, while the others sing. This kantele is somewhat like a zither; it has a flat sounding-body upon which are strung from three to eight strings of different lengths. It is usually picked with the fingers like a guitar. It is said that the first kantele was made of fish-bones, though it is not easy to see how that could be.

Until less than a hundred years ago, although these old songs were much loved, no one had written them down. They were learned by heart from father to son, and thus kept alive through the centuries. A man named LÖnnrot became interested in them and copied many of them from the mouths of the singers. In 1825 he printed a book of them, and later he gathered and published still more. To this book of songs he gave the name of the Kalevala. It is one of the great poems of the world, and it tells of the life and doings and beliefs of the Finns of the old, old time. The style of the Kalevala is lively and quite unlike most English poetry. In Hiawatha, Longfellow copies this style; so when you read Hiawatha again, remember that it is like the old Finnish songs.

The Finns are very fond of the Kalevala and their other ancient songs. They are jealous, too, of their old customs, and dislike to see them pass away. They have some societies the purpose of which is to keep alive a knowledge of the past of Finland. But though the Finns love Finland and its old life, they are not to-day an independent nation. They were invaded long ago by Sweden, and later on by Russia. For a time Finland was a half-independent kingdom under Russian control, but lately its power has been again reduced, and it is part of Russia itself.

What we have said of the Finns is true of the country people. In the cities things are much the same as in other European cities. In Helsingfors we should find one of the great universities of Europe, and many educated and distinguished men Finns by birth and language.