Finland Travels - Kierikki Stone Age Center

On our way down from the Arctic Circle we had to make a few stops! I was on the lookout for sites of archeology and traditional culture, and of course beautiful natural beauty. 

We got all of that, and some learning, at Kierikki. The site includes a nice museum with interpretive material in English as well as Finnish. There's a mix of general information about Europe in the time period, the probable lives of humans at the time, and actual artifacts from the excavations here.

And a living history village! A number of reconstructions were built along the river, each one outfitted more or less as we expect they would be thousands of years ago. From the tanning hides and fire pits, to storage pits.

There were examples of traditional craftwork, using tools from the stone age. Many of these items were made by folks at Estonian Craft Camp as well, the tools were modern but the techniques are unchanged!

And of course, how could we skip the opportunity for a photo shoot? We need a few more longhaired rockers and we can start our own Scandinavian Metal Band.

Down by the river was a sunken storage house, for keeping food in summer and winter. In the Neolithic this settlement was on the ocean, and seemed to provide enough food for year-round living without agriculture. Seals seemed to have been an important source of both food and trade materials.

There was a row of these thatched long houses, often several connected so one could more between them without going outside! It seems like an important consideration in the long dark winters...

Since these ancient peoples would have also hunted for much of their food there were examples of traps and snares.

Most were constructed based on a mix of archeological evidence and ethnographic examples. Hunting remains very important to the Finns and Lapps, but more and more as recreation instead of a lifestyle.

Some traps were a bit cruel, trapping the animal alive. Below you see a circle of snares, and a small fall trap.

And how about this diabolic looking piece? I'm presuming they have a safety set up on this, as I imagine it would kill a human as readily as any large animal!

A classic pit trap, complete with spikes in the bottom! Simple, yet effective.

A very large fall trap. This seemed to be for trapping bears, which have great significance to traditional spiritual practices. Trapping a bear would be extremely dangerous, but also very important.

And finally, a box trap. The resemblance to a modern "humane" trap is uncanny...

A friend to guide us on our trek....

As with many spots we visited in this part of the country the ground was very wet and spongy. Great growing conditions for many of the native berries, not so great for keeping one's boots dry. Thus, a walkway built above the soft sections of forest.

The entire area along the river seems to have been occupied in the Neolithic and Early Bronze age. That indentation is a likely house site, and will be excavated in a coming season. Such indentations are common along this section of ground.

This season's active excavation, complete with grids and sifting bins. Despite the age of the site there is not a terribly thick layer of silt to work through.

The museum at Kierikki was fascinating and engaging, and the reconstructions are a wonderful touch for the history enthusiast. We sat and had our lunch around a fire, and enjoyed the forest walk. If you're ever in the area I would highly recommend!

Muhu Island - Ancient Stones

 In our second day on Muhu Island we went to the "Ancient Culture Trail". It connected a number of Pre-christian sacred sites which continued to have cultural significance for the locals into the modern period.

It wound through old forest and along pastures and fields. On such a small island it was amazing to find places so hidden and wild! We were encouraged, with informational signs, to honor Tenn - the Forest Father and Mother Earth at each stop.

 First was the meeting of Seven Roads, an ancient offering stone where small favors are left for the Forest Father.

 To make a request of Uku, the thunder god of the Finnic peoples, one hits the small stone on the larger. It's suggested not to make wishes for one's self, but for others.

 The road carried on, winding through the woods. We passed a healing rock, which did not seem to want a photo taken. There, a strange red moss grows there that grows nowhere else on the island. Healing rites are done and items and water are brought to the stone.

 The last stone we visited was Lalli Slide Rock, one of several such stones in Estonia. It is suggested that one make wishes for any new endeavors, or for a safe childbirth.

 Ready, set, weeeeeeee!

 We won't tell our wishes, then it won't come true!

 More of the lovely traditional architecture, the path snuck behind small farmsteads and around the edges of of the fields.

 Our last visit of the day was a different type of sacred stones, an ancient burial ground. The oldest artifacts date to the 1st-2nd century, the oldest burial dates to the 5th. Interestingly, the site was used several times over several hundred years, with each burial being slightly different as the culture changed. We paid our respects and enjoyed the peaceful woods.

Muhu Island was a fascinating place, the local culture has several distinct features that result from sea trade and cultural contact. But it has held fast to many old traditional practices. It was the site of the last resistance to Crusaders from western Europe, and I think the folk there have not forgotten.

For more from our Estonian travels, here's the first post on Muhu Island, Tallin - the capital and medieval fortress, Tartu - the college town, and Villjandi - a large castle and a small town. Also, Oluvestre manor - the host of Craft Camp.

Samhain Season

Today, the world is shrouded in silence. Snow coats the trees and houses, it is a reminder that this is the season to stay inside, and reflect.

Several sources close to me have pointed out, that the ancient celts did not celebrate Samhain on just one night. Indeed, the first night of Samhain may have had many of the festivities we now associate with Halloween, but Samhain was in fact an entire lunar month. Samhain was a season.

I recently did some house cleaning and rearranging. A cleared off bookshelf now hosts a small shrine (shrines happen!) with a focus on the dead. Nearby are photos of family, both living and passed, and an old envelope with my full name on it. My paternal grandfather died before I was even a year old, but when I was born, as with the dozen grandchildren before me, he wrote me a check. It was, naturally, never cashed. It's hard for babies to get bank accounts, after all. But it serves as a reminder - He wanted me to be Prosperous. 

Just two years ago my maternal grandfather passed, in about this same season. I recall, in fact, that Thanksgiving plans were made to accommodate him, and he was unable to attend. He too was concerned about the prosperity of the family, making extensive estate plans to ensure that his wealth would benefit his children and grandchildren. Both of my grandfathers were very involved in securing a good future for their families.

My Grandfather was born a very serious looking old man.

And too, did my grandmother work tirelessly. Her concerns were more immediate. She was always baking and cooking, checking to see if people were comfortable. From Her and my mother I learned to bake  - a box still exists with box sides and handwritten cards, recipes used again and again. We have never worked ourselves up in Holiday hype in December (I'm rather a Humbug type myself) but cookie baking is a holiday standard. Recipes with old fashioned ingredients, recipes that call for "a piece of butter the size of an egg."

And so, from them I learned to invest, and I learned to be generous. I learned to plan for the future, and to be frugal. (Grandpa Popo would warn that one should only ever borrow money to buy the family's house or start a business.) And so, as a gift demands a gift, I must be concerned with their prosperity too.

Many folk around the world, Pagans and pagans alike, engage in Ancestor worship. Some are concerned very much with the memory of the dead. Others are concerned with creature comforts. I am often rather equivocal about the afterlife, I am unwilling to commit to any idea with much fervor. If I expect the summerlands of the Vanir, is that optimism? Is that a reflection of the heaven of the Abrahamics? But the cold, dark realms of the Lady Hel, is that a fearful punishment to encourage warriors? But, no matter the shape of the afterlife, if I spend time communing with my ancestors - engaging with them, then there is a realm where they must dwell. And so, as they were concerned with my wellbeing, I am concerned with theirs. I set out for them a piece of fresh baked bread, or fruit, or tea. But on Samhain eve I offered them a fine treat, popcorn and rootbeer floats, much like we had every Sunday at Gramma and Grampa's house.

Because I am now responsible for ensuring for them, all the prosperity that they worked so hard to give to me. And I wish to stand, not in their shadows, but on their shoulders.