Horkka ja uskomustarinat

Authors

• Piret Paal

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.30666/elore.78630

Abstract

This article investigates ague (malaria) in Finnish-Karelian belief legends. The author examines the legends that tell about ague in rural Finland. The concept of belief legends is hard to define, as the legends are very heterogeneous in their form and content. As the comparative method is one of the best possibilities to reveal the characteristics of a certain culture, the author uses it in examining Finnish and Estonian ague legends. The research material, altogether 1000 text units, originates from Finnish and Estonian Folklore Archives. Typically, in Finnish-Karelian tradition ague was present in the form of a man. The disease-spirit had an ability to transform, while it entered a human body. During the day it called its victim in a familiar voice. It was possible to imprison the transformed ague spirit, or take it on a horse to a farm nearby. The author suggests that these legends shared the information about the aetiology of ague disease. Furthermore, these legends enabled to acquire basic knowledge about the causes and symptoms of the disease, also providing guidance on how to avoid and defeat it. After ague had become eradicated as a dangerous disease, the legends were told more due to their entertaining function.