Seer Paavo Kuosmanen’s Conversion and the Foundation of an Eastern-Finnish Revivalist Movement as an Interaction between Lived Religion, Emerging Reading Culture and Pietism

Authors

• Olli Viitaniemi Helsingin yliopisto, Teologinen tiedekunta https://orcid.org/0009-0001-3557-6275

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.30666/elore.132074

Keywords:

pietism, literacy, lived religion, folk religion specialist, ecstatic movements, religious spirituality

Abstract

In this article, I scrutinise the early stages of pietist awakenings in Savo-Karelia from the perspectives of lived religion, emerging reading culture and spiritual authorship. Pietist revivals began to occur sporadically in various parts of eastern Finland at the turn of the 19th century. Since the revivals were later grouped under the leadership of ley preacher Paavo Ruotslainen (1777–1852), the history of the revival movement called, “herännäisyys” (Awakenism), has traditionally been told following Ruotslainen’s life story. However, in North Karelia the conversion of seer (tietäjä) Paavo Kuosmanen has been considered the starting event of the revivals instead of the influence of Paavo Ruotsalainen. According to Kuosmanen’s conversion narrative, Kuosmanen went fishing on Maundy Thursday, but in the early morning he encountered a strange angelic figure who blamed him for violating the Sabbath. As a result of the strange experience, Kuosmanen shifted the magic he practiced to the Holy Scripture and devotional gatherings with other villagers from Keyritty village. The awakened were first called “keyrittyläiset” after the village, and later “kerettiläiset”. Against the odds, the Finnish word “kerettiläinen” originally meant ‘pietist’, and only towards the end of the 19th century did its current meaning of ‘heretic’ become prevalent.

Since the reading culture of the common people was limited to rote reading of the catechism, the “kerettiläiset” became known for their unusual desire to read religious literature. However, analysis of Keyritty village parish records shows that Paavo Kuosmanen and his fellows were hardly semiliterate. Reading books aloud was one way of justifying spiritual authority in the gathering, but alongside it there were also various forms of ecstatic spirituality, the similarities of which to the techniques of folk religion specialists are discussed in the article. In 1819 the revival escalated into a crisis known as the “rytäkkäkesä” (rush summer) when the boundaries of conventional sexuality norms were violated. At the centre of the crisis was the ecstatic preacher Antti Timonen, who felt that he was directly connected to God and was above all human authorities. The crisis was resolved when Paavo Ruotsalainen was called to the scene. Based on the Bible and devotional books, he explained why it was necessary to return to normal peasant life. After the crisis, spiritual authority was based on the ability to interpret devotional literature.