Finnish Singing

Two Finnish Christmas carols: "Sylvian Joululaulu," ("Sylvia's Christmas Song") performed by Sulo Saarits and "Kun Joulu On" ("When it is Christmas") sung by Taru Valjakka. ( Full lyrics for Sylvian Joululaulu here )

Another carol, "En Etsi Valtaa, Loistoa," ("I do not seek power or glory") performed by Rajaton Choir. (Lyrics)

"Laps Olen Karjalan," ("I am a Child of Karelia") a lament for the Karelian territories lost to the USSR.

Posting

For family reasons, I will not be posting much for the rest of this week. I will be back on Monday. God bless.

Norwegian Royal Guards

Another interesting article from The Mad Monarchist, on the Norwegian royal bodyguard. They played a heroic role during World War II in protecting the royal family from German capture.

In the Kingdom of Norway the protection of the monarch, royal palaces and the city of Oslo falls on the shoulders of Hans Majestet Kongens Garde (His Majesty the King's Guard). They are a colorful but highly trained and motivated fighting force. The Guard was formed in 1856 during the union of Sweden and Norway when an all-Norwegian company of guards was formed by King Oscar I drawn from the troops of the Norwegian Jaeger Corps. Northern Huseby farm near Oslo was purchased by the government as a barracks for the new unit and it is still the home base of the HMKG to this day. When Norway became independent of Sweden in 1905 King Haakon VII raised the company to the status of a royal guard and increased them in size to a full battalion...(more)

A Controversial Decision

As a young Tsarist cavalryman, Finland's national hero, Gustaf Mannerheim, served with distinction in the Russo-Japanese War (1904-1905). Yet his decision, while stationed in St. Petersburg, to volunteer for this campaign was deeply controversial for his relatives. The Mannerheims were a patriotic, liberal, aristocratic family, with long traditions of public service in the autonomous duchy of Finland, and appalled by the oppressive Russification policy aiming at the destruction of Finnish institutions. How could Gustaf, at the height of the crisis (indignation in Finland had just come to a head with the murder of the Russian governor-general), risk his life for a Tsar and a system of government responsible for these measures? Gustaf's own brother, Carl, a young Helsinki lawyer, had recently been exiled for his attempts to oppose Russification on constitutional grounds. Volunteering for the Far East seemed a betrayal not only of Finland but also of the Mannerheim family. Gustaf's father, Count Carl Robert, traveled to St. Petersburg to discuss the situation with his son. His brothers, Carl and Johan, wrote him sharply critical letters. The family suggested that Gustaf should resign altogether from Russian service. Strong mutual loyalty and affection had always characterized the Mannerheims; now Gustaf was risking a rupture with his nearest and dearest. Yet, he defended his decision, in a thoughtful and articulate letter to Carl, dated June 28, 1904. He began by assuring his family that he was as deeply disturbed as they were by the Russification policy and his brother's exile. Yet, he continued:

...A year ago, when we felt extreme bitterness over your banishment, I would have regarded throwing everything up as only a justified expression of opinion. What would then have been a justified expression of opinion would assume a totally different character and name today- in other words, it is at present absolutely impracticable...

Most if not all opinions are usually represented within a country's army. To demand the voluntary repudiation of all opinions other than the official one only helps indirectly to strengthen a cause which does not command support. So long as you do not come into a direct conflict of loyalty, I cannot see the advantages of this principle. On the contrary, I see the most practicable course as being to try to obtain as strong a position for yourself as possible, taking an active part in all that concerns the army and using every opportunity to try to develop your abilities and gain experience. Although not a soldier, you must easily realize that nothing corresponds to this aspiration, which in my opinion is an absolutely creditable one, so much as participation in a thoroughly serious campaign. In a foreign war the individual is not fighting for a régime but rather for the country to whose army he belongs...

You must also understand and recognize that seventeen years' service and residence in a place must form certain bonds and impose certain obligations which men of all opinions have to respect...Besides these purely theoretical reflections, I have several personal reasons as well. I am thirty-seven years old. Serious campaigns do not occur often, and if I do not take part in this one, there is every chance that I shall become a mere armchair soldier, who will have to keep silent while more experienced comrades make the most of their wartime impressions. After a war such as this the number of the "more experienced" will run into thousands.

(Mannerheim: Marshal of Finland, by Stig Jägerskiöld, 1986, pp. 14-15)

These arguments failed to convince Gustaf's relatives, yet, in the end, they loyally accepted his principled decision, and family relations continued to be warm and affectionate. The war proved to be an important stage in Mannerheim's career and development, and, undoubtedly, contributed to the military and political skill he would later put so brilliantly to his country's service. So, on the whole, his participation in the Russo-Japanese War probably aided not only Russia but Finland.

What do you think of his decision?

Opening of Hermitage Museum, Amsterdam

The Royal Forums reports on a unique meeting of cultures: the inauguration of the renovated Hermitage Museum in Amsterdam, dedicated to the famous museum of the same name in St. Petersburg, and featuring a splendid exhibit on the Russian imperial family and Russian court life. The grand opening took place on Friday, June 19, in the presence of Russian president Medvedev and Queen Beatrix of the Netherlands:

...The festivities around the opening were organized outside the museum, on the river Amstel. Choreographer Hans van Manen, made a ballet especially for the opening, which was performed by two Russian dancers of the National Ballet. The most important part of the festivities was the performance of the piece ‘Paintings at an Exhibition’from Russian composer Modest Mussorgski (1839-1881), played by the orchestra of the royal navy. The festivities were closed with fireworks, after which the guests attended a reception inside the new museum. During the entire show a lot of references were made to Russian-Dutch connections, and at one point two enormous portraits of king Willem II and his Russian wife queen Anna Pavlovna were floating over the Amstel river...(more)

The Danish Royal Life Guards

The Mad Monarchist reports:

The Danish Royal Life Guards are a unit of the Danish Royal Army charged with the security of the royal family and their residences. The Lifeguard is a palace guard with all of the parade ground precision and spit and polish one would expect of the guardians of Europe's oldest monarchy, however, they are also a a front-line combat regiment that serves on Danish military missions overseas. H.M. King Frederik III founded the Lifeguards in 1658 as a royal bodyguard and a line infantry regiment. Since that time the Royal Lifeguard has seen service on a wide variety of battlefields in numerous wars throughout the history of Denmark such as the Great Northern War, the Napoleonic Wars, the Schleswig Wars, the German occupation of Denmark and more recently in the conflicts in Afghanistan and Iraq...(more)

The Family of Alexander III Before Christ

A striking painting, by Ivan Makarov, of Tsar Alexander III, Empress Maria Feodorovna, and their children, receiving Christ's blessing. 

Kyösti Kallio

An excellent article on Finland's fourth president, Kyösti Kallio (1873-1940), a peasant politician who served as head of state during Finland's heroic but tragic Winter War (1939-1940) against the Soviets. When signing the Treaty of Moscow, (which surrendered 10% of Finnish territory to the USSR), the deeply religious Kallio, in his agony of mind, quoted from Isaiah: 

"Woe to the worthless shepherd that leaveth the flock! the sword shall be upon his arm, and his right eye shall be utterly darkened."

Only a few months later, Kallio suffered a stroke which paralyzed his right arm. He resigned the presidency and prepared to return to his home in Ostrobothnia. Helsinki prepared a moving farewell for Kallio and his wife, whose integrity and patriotism had won them deep love and admiration. Yet, sadly, at the railway station, amidst the farewell ceremonies, Kallio collapsed and died. Marshal Mannerheim described the scene in a letter:

...(I)n front of the centre of a guard of honor, to the sound of the Pori March, the poor, sick President's strength deserted him, and he staggered and collapsed and quite simply disappeared within his overcoat. With a great effort we succeeded...in getting hold of him and carrying him to the carriage a few paces further on. A couple of doctors who had rushed up found him unconscious, and the end came a few moments later. Yet another victim of war had done his duty and departed into the unknown. It was an impressive death, if such is wanted, but one would so gladly have let this dutiful man spend the evening of his life far from the bustle of the world among his own people in his beloved Nivala...Mrs. Kallio, who is a wonderfully courageous and warm-hearted woman, invited us into the carriage, where with the words "Now the journey is accomplished" she came out and thanked everyone. It was all deeply touching.

(quoted by Stig Jägerskiöld in Mannerheim: Marshal of Finland, 1986, pp.135-136)

Kallio at the station a few moments before his death

Assassination of Nikolai Bobrikov

Today marks the 105th anniversary of the assassination of the hated Russian governor-general of Finland, Nikolai Bobrikov. On June 16, 1904, the young Finnish nationalist Eugen Schauman ran up to Bobrikov on the staircase of the Senate building in Helsinki and fired several times at him; the governor died some hours later in the hospital. After fatally wounding Bobrikov, Schauman immediately committed suicide.

More information HERE. 

Engagement Interview

An interview with Crown Prince Frederik of Denmark and his Australian-born wife, Mary Donaldson (now Crown Princess Mary), on the occasion of their engagement in 2003. Although I did not care for all of the questions posed (eg. when the interviewer asks Mary: what is the first thing you would like to change (about Frederik)?), I thought the couple were lovely in this clip.

The Legend of Bishop Henry

Henry trampling his murderer (ca. 1450)

One of the best known figures from medieval Scandinavia is Saint Henry of Finland. According to tradition, Henry, originally Bishop of Uppsala, accompanied King Erik of Sweden on his crusade to convert the pagan Finns to Catholicism, and was martyred on the mission around 1150. His cult spread through Finland, to Sweden, Denmark, Norway, and Northern Germany. Throughout the centuries, he has played a central role in Finnish Christianity; he is still venerated by Finland's small Catholic community, and by several Protestant churches. His life, mission, and death are now the subject of great historical controversy; his very existence is questioned, yet such a strong tradition seems difficult to discount.

Henry baptizing Finns (1830's)

Different accounts of Henry's life have been passed down through the generations. According to the official Latin legend, written around 1300, Henry was an Englishman by birth, who became Bishop of Uppsala. He accompanied Erik on his Finnish crusade, and remained there after the King's departure, serving as a missionary and popular preacher. When he attempted to bring a murderer to justice, he was himself killed by the enraged man, and was considered a martyr.

His death was reported to have been followed by a number of miracles. These varied depending on different accounts, but included:

1. the murderer lost his scalp when he put the bishop's mitre on his head

2. the bishop's finger was found the next spring

3. a boy was raised from the dead in Kaisala

4. a girl was raised from the dead in Vehmaa

5. a sick woman was healed in Sastamala

6. A Franciscan, called Erlend, had his headache healed

7. a blind woman's sight was restored in Kyrö

8. a cripple was healed in Kyrö

9. a sick girl was healed

10. a group of fishermen survived a storm

Murder of Bishop Henry (1854)

The traditional Finnish ballad, The Death-Lay of Bishop Henry, ( a version of which is included in the Kanteletar, a 19th-century compilation of Finnish folk poems), differs markedly from the official legend. According to the poem, Henry grew up in "Cabbageland," a name that has consistently baffled Finnish historians. Some speculate it may refer to Kaland, a coastal area in southern Finland. With his "brother," King Erik, Henry journeyed to Finland to convert the pagan inhabitants. His killer was a certain Lalli (Laurentius), who axed the Bishop to death on the ice of Lake Köyliö. The background was that Henry had vainly sought hospitality from Lalli's wife, the ungracious and thoroughly unpleasant Kerttu (Gertrude), who later slandered him to Lalli, falsely claiming he had robbed food from the family manor. Infuriated, Lalli pursued and murdered the Bishop. The oxen pulling his hearse came to rest in Nousiainen, where Henry was then buried. Many folk traditions enumerated the chastisements suffered by Lalli, who eventually drowned himself in despair.

More information here.

Empress Dagmar

Here, we see Empress Maria Feodorovna, (1847-1928), consort of Tsar Alexander III and mother of the ill-fated Nicholas II. She was born Princess Marie Sophie Frederikke Dagmar of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Glücksburg, into an impoverished, cadet branch of the Danish royal family. She later became known as Princess Dagmar of Denmark, when her father, the future Christian IX, was appointed heir-presumptive to the Danish throne. He became King of Denmark in 1863. 

His children's brilliant dynastic marriages earned Christian the title "Father-in-law of Europe." Dagmar's older sister, Alexandra, was Queen Consort of Edward VII and mother of George V of the United Kingdom. Her older brothers, Frederik and George, became, respectively, the monarchs of Denmark and Greece. Dagmar, for her part, became engaged, in 1864, to Nicholas, eldest son and heir of Tsar Alexander II, but her fiancé died the following year. Dagmar, who had become deeply attached to "Nixa" and to Russia, was distraught. The tragedy, however, brought her even closer to the Russian imperial family and, in 1866, she became engaged and married to Nicholas' younger brother, Alexander. Raised as a Lutheran, she converted to Russian Orthodoxy and took a new name, Maria Feodorovna.

Alexander and Maria had six children: Alexander, who died in infancy, Nicholas, the tragic future Tsar, George, who died in his youth, Xenia, Michael (killed, like Nicholas, by the Bolsheviks), and Olga. The family enjoyed a tranquil life until the murder of Maria's father-in-law, Tsar Alexander II. Despite his liberal sympathies and reform efforts (he had, famously, liberated Russia's huge serf population) he was assassinated by revolutionaries on March 13, 1881. Under these tragic circumstances, Alexander and Maria became the new Emperor and Empress of all the Russias. They would live with the constant threat of further assassination attempts. 

Nonetheless, Maria brilliantly fulfilled her role, presiding over Russian high society with great dignity, elegance, taste, and spirit. She largely avoided involvement in politics, preferring to devote her time to charitable works. In the political realm, however, she did exert some influence. Her anti-German feelings, provoked by Germany's annexation of Danish territories, contributed to her husband's hostility to Germany. With her Scandinavian sympathies, Maria was also a strong supporter of the autonomous duchy of Finland, ruled by the Tsars since 1809. In turn, she was greatly loved by the Finns. In his memoirs, Finland's Marshal Mannerheim, when discussing his years in the Chevalier Guards (whose Colonel-in-Chief was Empress Maria), recalled:

...The Empress, daughter of Christian IX of Denmark, had always shown great interest in Finland, and was by us Finns affectionately called Princess Dagmar, the Scandinavian name by which she was known as a girl. On several occasions in the 1920's when I passed through Copenhagen where the Empress spent the last years of her life, I had the opportunity to offer my former Colonel-in-Chief my homage...

With her infant son, Nicholas

Maria was a devoted wife and mother, but controversy arose in the imperial family over the marriage of her eldest son, Nicholas. Alexander and Maria did not approve of his choice, Princess Alix of Hesse (the future Alexandra Feodorovna), considering her odd and unfit for the role of Empress. In the end, however, faced with Nicholas' insistence, the imperial couple yielded. Relations between Maria and Alexandra, however, were always marked by tension and rivalry. 

In 1894, Tsar Alexander III died. He was only 49 years old. Maria wrote in her diary: "I am utterly heartbroken and despondent, but when I saw the blissful smile and the peace in his face that came after, it gave me strength." Nicholas and Alexandra ascended the throne and Maria began a new life as Dowager Empress. Less in danger of assassination attempts, she lived with greater freedom and peace of mind, until the disastrous events culminating in the Bolshevik Revolution in 1917. 

After Nicholas' dethronement, Maria, along with a group of other Romanovs, took refuge in the Crimea. She was deeply traumatized by the events of the Revolution. In 1918, she received the terrible news of the massacre of her son, Nicholas II, and his family, by the Bolsheviks in Ekaterinburg. Unable, however, to face this tragedy, she dismissed the report as rumor. Despite the danger to her life, she refused to flee Russia until 1919, when she finally departed, albeit unwillingly, escaping to England by sea. 

She later returned to her native Denmark, settling at the Hvidøre villa, near Copenhagen, where she spent her final years. To the Russian émigrés, who had escaped to Denmark, she always remained a beloved and revered Empress. Ostensibly, at least, she always refused to believe that her son and his family had been killed; she insisted they must be hidden somewhere in Europe. In 1925, she lost her much-loved sister, Queen Alexandra, a final blow to the old Empress, burdened by so many tragedies. On October 13, 1928, Maria died, at the age of 80. She received a Russian Orthodox funeral, and was buried in Roskilde Cathedral. In 2006, her remains were transferred to St. Petersburg, and she was re-buried, beside her husband, Alexander III, in the Peter and Paul Cathedral. 

May she rest in peace. 

With her daughter Xenia

Paintings by Maria Feodorovna

Paintings by Empress Maria Feodorovna of Russia (formerly, Princess Dagmar of Denmark), (1847-1928), consort of Tsar Alexander III and mother of Nicholas II. 

Still-life, 1868.
The Miser, 1890. 

Eva Mannerheim Sparre

In an earlier post, I discussed Marshal Mannerheim's older sister, Sophie, a leading Finnish nurse. Eva Mannerheim Sparre (1870-1957) was one of the Marshal's younger sisters. She was a prominent artist and author. 

Eva was the fifth of the seven children of Count Carl Robert Mannerheim and his wife, Hélène von Julin. Like her siblings, she had a difficult childhood, overshadowed by her father's bankruptcy and abandonment of the family, and by her mother's death. Swedish relatives took charge of little Eva, and she attended school in Stockholm. She became interested in art and studied woodcarving and leatherwork at the Stockholm Technical School. In 1891, she returned to Finland, and taught leatherwork at the Ateneum Art School in Helsinki. 

In 1893, Eva married the Swedish painter, Count Louis Sparre. The couple had two sons, Pehr and Clas. The Count was an enthusiast for all things Finnish. He ardently embraced Finland's Romantic Nationalist movement, seeking artistic inspiration in the country's legend and landscape. Louis and Eva, in fact, considered settling in the countryside, but decided to remain within the urban artistic environment, first in Helsinki, and later in Porvoo.

In 1897, Louis Sparre and his brother-in-law, Carl Erik Mannerheim (the Marshal's older brother), founded the Iris company, specializing in furniture and ceramics. The enterprise failed, however, and Louis and Eva subsequently set up a textile design business. 

In 1908, as the political situation worsened in Finland (due to the Tsar's attempts to Russify the country, as well as internal social problems), the Sparres moved to Stockholm. Louis returned to painting, and Eva devoted her time to bookbinding. 

Eva became famous for her books and albums, magnificently decorated with relief work, dyeing and leather mosaic. In her earlier years, she favored the art nouveau style, featuring plant motifs and curving lines. She also used landscape motifs and rich symbolism. Her compositions, always highly original, won international attention. From 1902-1904, illness interrupted Eva's artistic work. When she resumed her activities, she altered her style, moving towards classicism. She abandoned relief work and concentrated on engraving. She also experimented with different methods of treating and dyeing leather.

In 1936, an accident ended Eva's artistic career. She became a writer, publishing her memoirs, discussing her childhood, marriage, and artistic life. She also authored a famous cookbook, Kokbok för finsmakare och vanliga hungriga ("Cookbook for connoisseurs and ordinary hungry people"), featuring recipes inspired by French, Russian, and Swedish influences.

An interesting lady; the whole Mannerheim family was full of talent.

Birthday of Marshal Mannerheim

On June 4, 1867, Carl Gustaf Emil Mannerheim was born on his family's estate of Louhisaari.
He was the third child and second son of Count Carl Robert Mannerheim and his wife, Hélène von Julin. At birth, he held the rank of Baron (the title of the younger sons in the Mannerheim family of Counts). At the time of Carl Gustaf's birth, the Mannerheims were one of the most distinguished and wealthy families in Finland. The future looked promising for the little boy; this promise would be fulfilled, but not before many dramatic reversals of fortune...

In honor of the day, I decided to post the national anthem of Finland. In Finnish, the song is entitled Maamme; in Swedish, Vårt Land; the English translation is "Our Land." I chose this video because it includes some lovely pictures of Helsinki and the Finnish countryside. 

Colonel Järvinen on the Winter War

I wanted to include these reflections on the Winter War (1939-1940), by Finnish Colonel Y. A. Järvinen, as I think they express all the finest qualities in the Finnish national character: courage, resilience, honesty, modesty, and contemplative tenderness.

Many winter snows have fallen on the bloody battlefields of the Winter War. The sadness and grief brought on by this war have now given way to more practical considerations. The true front line soldier does not hate or despise an enemy who bravely and honestly fights him to the end. In this sense the Finnish soldier will give his Russian adversaries his sincere respect. Their bravery and endurance against cold, hunger, and hopelessness and their acceptance of the Russian military discipline were admirable, sometimes even awesome. On the other hand, the Russians, now that they have had their big battle for their Fatherland, understand what the Winter War meant to the Finns, and see that Viipuri, Salmi, and Raate Road were our "Volokolamski highways," and Summa, Kitelä, Tolvajärvi, and Suomussalmi were Finland's small Stalingrads.

From the humane point of view, the end result of this war perhaps should have compensated us better for our efforts and sacrifices. But being a straightforward people and being used to the thought that it is more important to fight well than to win, the loser is proud of his brave battle. If war and peace could be decided by the front line soldier, wars would be few and far between, and peace would be just. He knows the horrors of war and gives credit to his adversaries' efforts and accomplishments. 

With these thoughts, the Finnish soldier of the Winter War can now say to his former adversary: "Step into my house. Let us reminisce about the past. There is something here that I can put on the table for us to share. I have hung my knife on the wall, so would you leave your ax on the porch?"

(The Winter War: The Soviet Attack on Finland, 1939-1940, by Eloise Engle and Lauri Paananen, 1971, p. 149)