Seinävyö pattern: Suojärven nuodivo

Pattern design for a contemporary Karelian seinävyö for people with Suojärvi region ancestry. Instructions in English and Finnish. Note: this product only includes the pattern yarn counts and setting, no other instructions for sprang.
//
Kuosi moderniin perinteiseen karjalaiseen seinävyöhön suojärveläisille. Ohjeet suomeksi ja englanniksi. Huom: tässä tuotteessa on ainoastaan lankamäärät ja asetteluohjeet, ei muita viitelöintiohjeita.

You are free to use this pattern to make belts for your own use and as gifts. You can also use this purchased pattern to commission a belt, meaning you can ask someone else to make the belt for you either for free or for a fee if, for example, you cannot make the belt yourself. If you are a Karelian artesan and your client wants a belt with this pattern, please guide them to purchase the pattern here first . All other commercial use is prohibited and if you want to negotiate commercial usage rights for the patterns, please contact: mirva@enzalgu.fi

//

Saat valmistaa itse tällä ostamallasi kaavalla vapaasti vöitä omaan käyttöösi ja lahjaksi. Saat myös käyttää tätä ostamaasi kaavaa toimeksiantoon eli siihen, että pyydät jonkun toisen tekemään vyön sinulle ilmaiseksi tai maksua vastaan, jos esimerkiksi et osaa tai pysty itse tekemään vyötä. Jos olet karjalainen käsityöläinen ja asiakkaasi haluaa vyön tällä kaavalla, ohjaa hänet ensin tänne kaavaostoksille. Kaikki muu kaupallinen käyttö on kielletty ja mikäli haluat neuvotella kaavojen kaupallisista käyttöoikeuksista, ota yhteys: mirva@enzalgu.fi

Suistaman virzilöi

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

Itkunaiga

Short film about the Karelian lamenting tradition.

This short film is told a Karelian poem song format and tells the story of Karelian lamenting. The beginning of this film is sung in the style of Karelian poem singing, and the latter half is a Karelian lament – a lament on behalf of the voiceless lamenters. Portions of the lament are included in the poetry book 'Gruuga.'

Among the Karelian people, there existed a strong and distinct tradition of lamentation prior to World War II, especially in regions such as Viena, Seesjärvi, Border Karelia, Aunus, and Tver. The Karelian diaspora was scattered, and in their new homes, many were forced to conceal their language and traditions to assimilate. As a result, neither the Karelian language nor the lamentation traditions were widely passed down to subsequent generations. Even today, it remains challenging to find accurate information about Karelian culture and language on the internet.

I am Karelian, and laments run in my blood. However, I was never taught the language of my ancestors or the heritage of laments. It was only after I began learning Karelian and its laments that many aspects of my identity started to make sense - the way I use my words, my general approach to language, and the rhythm of my expressions. Everything suddenly aligned in a way that is difficult to articulate. Without the Karelian language and the tradition of laments, I felt a part of me was missing. I was voiceless in a way I hadn't realized until I reconnected with it. Today, very few people continue to lament in the Karelian language and tradition.

Script, direction, filming, acting, and vocals by Mirva Haltia.

Published on March 14, 2022.

Seinävyö pattern: Suojärven nuodivo
(EN & FI)

Access / Pääsy materiaaliin

Intellectual property / Tekijänoikeudet

Stay Connected