Fatalistic traits in Finnish proverbs

Authors

• Matti Kuusi

DOI: https://doi.org/10.30674/scripta.67009

Keywords:

Fate and fatalism, Finland, Finnish language, Language and religion, Finno-Ugrians, Finno-Ugric languages, Linguistics

Abstract

In this paper the author examines proverbs in Finnish language. For example, the verb luoda, which in modern Finnish has the basic meaning 'to create' with a strong Christian colouring, was obviously used earlier to express fatalistic ideas. Its primary meaning appears, for instance, in a laconic pro-verb from Perniö (in south-western Finland): Tam lua, literally "The oak creates", which is given the following explanation: It is the weather in January [tammikuu, month of oak] that in some way predetermines what the spring and the summer will be like.