The Baltic Finns are a Finno-Ugric group of peoples of Northeastern Europe whose modern
descendants include the Finns proper, Karelians, Veps, Izhorians, Votes, Livonians and Estonians
who speak Baltic-Finnic languages and have inhabited the Baltic Sea region for 3,000
years according to one theory, or up to ten thousand years according to another theory.
Theories of origin According to the Migration Theory that was
based primarily on comparative linguistics, the proto-Finnic peoples migrated from an
ancient homeland somewhere in northwestern Siberia or western Russia to the shores of
the Baltic Sea around 1000 BC, at which time Finns and Estonians separated. The Migration
Theory has been called into question since 1980, based on genealogy, craniometry and
archaeology. Recently, a modified form of the Migration Theory has gained new support
among the younger generation of linguists, who consider that archaeology, genes or craniometric
data cannot supply evidence of prehistoric languages.
During the last 30 years, scientific research in physical anthropology, craniometric analyses,
and the mitochondrial and Y-chromosomal DNA frequencies have reduced the likelihood of
the Migration Theory - a major westward migration as recently as 3,000 years ago. The Settlement
Continuity Theory asserts that at least the genetic ancestors of the Finno-Ugric peoples
were among the earliest indigenous peoples of Europe.
The origin of the people who lived in the Baltic Sea area during the Mesolithic Era
continues to be debated by scientists. From the middle of the Neolithic Era onwards, there
is agreement to a certain extent among scholars: it has been suggested that Finno-Ugric tribes
arrived in the Baltic region from the east or southeast approximately 4000–3000 BC
by merging with the original inhabitants, who then adopted the proto-Finno-Ugric language
and the Comb Ceramic culture of the newcomers. The members of this new Finno-Ugric-speaking
ethnic group are regarded as the ancestors of modern Estonians. The Y-chromosomal data
has also revealed a common Finno-Ugric ancestry for the males of the neighboring Baltic peoples,
speakers of the Indo-European Baltic languages. According to the studies, Baltic males are
most closely related to the Finno-Ugric-speaking Volga Finns such as the Mari, rather than
to Baltic Finns. The indicator of Finno-Ugric origin has been found to be more frequent
in Latvians and Lithuanians than in Estonians. The results suggest that the territories of
Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania have been settled by Finno-Ugric-speaking tribes since the early
Mesolithic period. On the other hand, some linguists do not consider
it likely that a Baltic-Finnic language form could have existed at such an early date.
According to these views, the Finno-Ugric languages appeared in Finland and Baltic only
during the Early Bronze Age, if not later. Baltic Finnic oral poetry
The Baltic Finns share a common cultural heritage: the art of ancient "rune" singing in the Kalevala
meter, estimated to be 2,500–3,000 years old. The Veps are the only Baltic Finnish
people with no significant corpus of Kalevala meter oral poetry. The poetic tradition has
included epic poems, lyric poems and magic chants.
The ancient rune singing has inspired the creation of the national epic of Finland,
Kalevala compiled by Elias Lönnrot, and the music of Arvo Pärt, the best known Estonian
composer in the classical field. J. R. R. Tolkien has highlighted the importance
of Kalevala as a source for his legendarium, including The Lord of the Rings.
History of the Baltic Finnic peoples
The Mesolithic Period The region has been populated since the end
of the last glacial era, about 10,000 BC. The earliest traces of human settlement are
connected with Suomusjärvi culture and Kunda culture. The Early Mesolithic Pulli settlement
is located by the Pärnu River. It has been dated to the beginning of the 9th millennium
BC. The Kunda Culture received its name from the Lammasmäe settlement site in northern
Estonia, which dates from earlier than 8500. Bone and stone artefacts similar to those
found at Kunda have been discovered elsewhere in Estonia, as well as in Latvia, northern
Lithuania and southern Finland. The Neolithic Period
Around 5300 BCE pottery and agriculture entered Finland. The earliest representatives belong
to the Comb Ceramic Cultures, known for their distinctive decorating patterns. This marks
the beginning of the Neolithic Period Comb Ceramic Culture
Until the early 1980s, the arrival of Finnic peoples, the ancestors of the Estonians, Finns,
and Livonians on the shores of the Baltic sea around 3000 BC, was associated with the
Comb Ceramic Culture However, such a linking of archaeologically defined cultural entities
with linguistic ones cannot be proven and it has been suggested that the increase of
settlement finds in the period is more likely to have been associated with an economic boom
related to the warming of climate. Some researchers have even argued that a form of Uralic languages
may have been spoken in Estonia and Finland since the end of the last glaciation.
Bronze Age The beginning of the Bronze Age in Estonia
is dated to approximately 1800 BC, in present-day Finland some time after 1500 BCE. The coastal
regions of Finland were a part of the Nordic Bronze Culture, whereas in the inland regions
the influences came from the bronze-using cultures of Northern Russia. The development
of the borders between the Finnic peoples and the Balts was under way. The first fortified
settlements, Asva and Ridala on the island of Saaremaa and Iru in the Northern Estonia,
began to be built. The development of shipbuilding facilitated the spread of bronze. Changes
took place in burial customs, a new type of burial ground spread from Germanic to Estonian
areas, stone cist graves and cremation burials became increasingly common aside small number
of boat-shaped stone graves. The Iron Age
The Pre-Roman Iron Age began in about 500 BC and lasted until the middle of the 1st
century AD. The oldest iron items were imported, although since the 1st century iron was smelted
from local marsh and lake ore. Settlement sites were located mostly in places that offered
natural protection. Fortresses were built, although used temporarily. The appearance
of square Celtic fields surrounded by enclosures in Estonia date from the Pre-Roman Iron Age.
The majority of stones with man-made indents, which presumably were connected with magic
designed to increase crop fertility, date from this period. A new type of grave, quadrangular
burial mounds, began to develop. Burial traditions show the clear beginning of social stratification.
The Roman Iron Age is roughly dated to between 50 and 450 AD, the era that was affected by
the influence of the Roman Empire. In material culture this is reflected by few Roman coins,
some jewellery and artifacts. The abundance of iron artifacts in Southern Estonia speaks
of closer mainland ties with southern areas while coastal Finland and the islands of western
and northern Estonia communicated with their neighbors mainly by sea.
By the end of the period, clearly defined tribal dialectical areas -Finns, Tavastians,
Karelians, Northern Estonias, Southern Estonias, and Western Estonias including the islands
- had emerged, the population of each having formed its own understanding of identity.
Early Middle Ages Finnic peoples in chronicles
The word Finn is first mentioned in the form fenni in the 1st century AD by Tacitus, the
Roman historian. However it is possible that he was referring to the people of northern
Europe in general, particularly the Lappic or Sami people. After that the name finni
is used by Claudius Ptolemaeus and the Byzantine writer Jordanes in his Getica. References
to Finnic tribes become much more numerous from the Viking era. It was not until about
1171 that the word Finni was employed to mean the Finns.
The term Eesti, the name of the Estonians, occurs first again in Tacitus; however, it
might have indicated Baltic peoples. In Northern Sagas the term started to be used to indicate
the Estonians. In a Norwegian text the name 'Kiriali referring
to Karelians, and the term 'cornuti Finni, interpreted as referring to the Lapps or Sami
people, first appear. The Russian Primary Chronicle's opening chapter
lists the following peoples living "in the share of Japheth" among others: Chud, Merya,
Muroma, Ves, Mordvin, Chud beyond the portages, Perm, Pechera, Yam, Ugra, Liv.
The name Sum, possibly meaning Suomi, is found in Nestor's Chronicle. The names of other
Finnic tribes are also listed including Veps, Cheremis, Mordvin, Permian.
The Chudes, as mentioned by the monk Nestor in the earliest Russian chronicles, were the
Ests or Esthonians. According to the Russian Primary Chronicle Chuds bordered on the Varangian
Sea. In 1030 Yaroslav I the Wise invaded the country of the Chuds and laid the foundations
of Yuriev,. They remained until 1061 when, according to chronicles, Yuryev was burned
down by the Chudes. According to Old East Slavic chronicles the Chudes were one of the
founders of the Rus' state. The Northern Chudes were also a mythical people
in folklore among Northern Russians and their neighbours. In Komi mythology, the Northern
Chudes represent the mythic ancestors of the Komi people
Middle Ages In the 13th century the east Baltic world
was transformed by military conquest: first the Livs and Estonians, then the Finns underwent
defeat, baptism, military occupation and sometimes extermination by groups of Germans, Danes
and Swedes. See also
Volga Finns Pomors