Suistaman virzie - 9 revived Karelian poem songs
This is a small collection of traditional Karelian poem songs that Karelian Finnish artivist Mirva Haltia has reclaimed, revived, and restored for use within their family and to be passed forward in their community.
This video contains 9 poems:
Lähemmös laulamah (Let us sing)
Suikahti suga mereh (Comb that slipped into the sea)
Muailman syndy (Creation of the world)
Puun syndy (Creation of the tree)
Kolme kägyö (Three cuckoos)
Kuldapyörätammi (Golden Wheel Oak)
Marketta (How sage Marketta's child was born)
Meren kylvendä (Sowing of the Sea)
Meren kosijat (Suitors of the Sea)
The tradition of poem singing in Karelian-speaking Karelia nearly perished, but it is now being reclaimed by both new and old generations. Karelian poem songs, known as "virzi" in Karelian, are an integral part of Karelian culture. They recount the story of Karelian’s origins, myths and traditions. Being Karelian encompasses a deep intertwining of spirituality and practicality, which is reflected in how the myths and words of the poem songs are used to serve the purpose of various occasions.
In compiling their own collection, Haltia has utilized recordings and transcriptions from Suistamo that are available online and in the Finnish Literary Society archives, particularly the database at skvr.fi. While they have incorporated as much material as possible from their own known relatives in Suistamo, they have also sought to include material from other singers in the region. Moreover, Haltia has consciously focused on poems that may be less familiar to the Karelian community.
Since many of the poems have been translated into Finnish during the collection process, Haltia has made every effort to translate them back into the Karelian language, specifically the Southern Varzinkarjala / Suvikarjala dialect spoken in Suistamo. As Haltia has compiled the poems, she has adjusted them to fit her personal sense of rhythm and rhyme. Whenever possible, Haltia has opted for more inclusive and equitable language choices.
Lyrics, singing and illustration by Mirva Haltia
Copyright: Mirva Haltia
All rights reserved.
Do not copy or redistribute this material or screenshot or in other way use the imagery. Do feel free to share the link to this video in social media for the purpose of reviving Karelian language and culture.
For other permissions or collaborations contact: [email protected]