Singing of incantations in Nordic tradition
Spoken recitation became established as the mode of delivering the Finnish incantation. The ordinary incantations connected with everyday life in agrarian society were recited with little ceremony, in a mumble, a whisper. Finnish researchers of folk belief have described the incantation as a genre c...
Published in: | Scripta Instituti Donneriani Aboensis |
---|---|
Main Author: | |
Format: | Article in Journal/Newspaper |
Language: | English |
Published: |
The Donner Institute
1990
|
Subjects: | |
Online Access: | https://journal.fi/scripta/article/view/67176 https://doi.org/10.30674/scripta.67176 |
id |
fttsvojs:oai:journal.fi:article/67176 |
---|---|
record_format |
openpolar |
spelling |
fttsvojs:oai:journal.fi:article/67176 2023-05-15T17:00:10+02:00 Singing of incantations in Nordic tradition Siikala, Anna-Leena 1990-01-01 application/pdf https://journal.fi/scripta/article/view/67176 https://doi.org/10.30674/scripta.67176 eng eng The Donner Institute https://journal.fi/scripta/article/view/67176/27474 https://journal.fi/scripta/article/view/67176 doi:10.30674/scripta.67176 Copyright (c) 1990 Anna-Leena Siikala https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0 CC-BY-NC-ND Scripta Instituti Donneriani Aboensis; Vol 13 (1990): Old Norse and Finnish Religions and Cultic Place-Names; 191-205 2343-4937 0582-3226 Singing Music Ritual Christianity Shamanism Shamans Finland Scandinavia Leadership Religious Ecstasy Language and religion Folklore Finnish info:eu-repo/semantics/article info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion 1990 fttsvojs https://doi.org/10.30674/scripta.67176 2020-05-29T23:18:42Z Spoken recitation became established as the mode of delivering the Finnish incantation. The ordinary incantations connected with everyday life in agrarian society were recited with little ceremony, in a mumble, a whisper. Finnish researchers of folk belief have described the incantation as a genre characterised by spoken delivery and a verbatim adherence to a traditional scheme. The European incantations noted down in the past few centuries are indeed formulae with a seemingly mechanical effect. The performer aims not at personal contact with the other world or an opponent, but believes rather that he will achieve his goal through his command of secret knowledge and magic techniques. Anyone is capable of reciting an incantation, and the mode of delivery is of no vital significance. This description, however, only partially corresponds to the essence of the Finnish incantation tradition. The incantations of Eastern Finland differ from those of the western tradition in their breadth and wordiness. They have also been characterised by a wealth of variation. These characteristics are reinforced by the tietäjä institution which persisted late in the area. From what we know of the tietäjä's behaviour, the incantation uttered in a normal speaking voice is a late phenomenon. It also appears that the Eastern Finnish and Karelian tietäjä institution in particular retained elements of the pre-Christian, Scandinavian belief tradition longer than any other. Article in Journal/Newspaper karelia* karelian Federation of Finnish Learned Societies: Scientific Journals Online Scripta Instituti Donneriani Aboensis 13 191 205 |
institution |
Open Polar |
collection |
Federation of Finnish Learned Societies: Scientific Journals Online |
op_collection_id |
fttsvojs |
language |
English |
topic |
Singing Music Ritual Christianity Shamanism Shamans Finland Scandinavia Leadership Religious Ecstasy Language and religion Folklore Finnish |
spellingShingle |
Singing Music Ritual Christianity Shamanism Shamans Finland Scandinavia Leadership Religious Ecstasy Language and religion Folklore Finnish Siikala, Anna-Leena Singing of incantations in Nordic tradition |
topic_facet |
Singing Music Ritual Christianity Shamanism Shamans Finland Scandinavia Leadership Religious Ecstasy Language and religion Folklore Finnish |
description |
Spoken recitation became established as the mode of delivering the Finnish incantation. The ordinary incantations connected with everyday life in agrarian society were recited with little ceremony, in a mumble, a whisper. Finnish researchers of folk belief have described the incantation as a genre characterised by spoken delivery and a verbatim adherence to a traditional scheme. The European incantations noted down in the past few centuries are indeed formulae with a seemingly mechanical effect. The performer aims not at personal contact with the other world or an opponent, but believes rather that he will achieve his goal through his command of secret knowledge and magic techniques. Anyone is capable of reciting an incantation, and the mode of delivery is of no vital significance. This description, however, only partially corresponds to the essence of the Finnish incantation tradition. The incantations of Eastern Finland differ from those of the western tradition in their breadth and wordiness. They have also been characterised by a wealth of variation. These characteristics are reinforced by the tietäjä institution which persisted late in the area. From what we know of the tietäjä's behaviour, the incantation uttered in a normal speaking voice is a late phenomenon. It also appears that the Eastern Finnish and Karelian tietäjä institution in particular retained elements of the pre-Christian, Scandinavian belief tradition longer than any other. |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Siikala, Anna-Leena |
author_facet |
Siikala, Anna-Leena |
author_sort |
Siikala, Anna-Leena |
title |
Singing of incantations in Nordic tradition |
title_short |
Singing of incantations in Nordic tradition |
title_full |
Singing of incantations in Nordic tradition |
title_fullStr |
Singing of incantations in Nordic tradition |
title_full_unstemmed |
Singing of incantations in Nordic tradition |
title_sort |
singing of incantations in nordic tradition |
publisher |
The Donner Institute |
publishDate |
1990 |
url |
https://journal.fi/scripta/article/view/67176 https://doi.org/10.30674/scripta.67176 |
genre |
karelia* karelian |
genre_facet |
karelia* karelian |
op_source |
Scripta Instituti Donneriani Aboensis; Vol 13 (1990): Old Norse and Finnish Religions and Cultic Place-Names; 191-205 2343-4937 0582-3226 |
op_relation |
https://journal.fi/scripta/article/view/67176/27474 https://journal.fi/scripta/article/view/67176 doi:10.30674/scripta.67176 |
op_rights |
Copyright (c) 1990 Anna-Leena Siikala https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0 |
op_rightsnorm |
CC-BY-NC-ND |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.30674/scripta.67176 |
container_title |
Scripta Instituti Donneriani Aboensis |
container_volume |
13 |
container_start_page |
191 |
op_container_end_page |
205 |
_version_ |
1766052797382393856 |