Everything You Ever Wanted to Know about Finland

I have developed a sudden and overpowering obsession with Finland. A reader informed me, you see, that the Finnish word for 'hedgehog' is 'siili', which is just about the cutest thing I've ever heard in my entire natural life. I wish to learn Finnish. Right now. The words just look so gosh-darned cool. All those beautiful, beautiful vowels...

Michael Palin once sang a song about Finland.

Perhaps you have heard of Apocalyptica? A band composed entirely of Finnish cellists, who made a name for themselves originally by doing covers of Metallica? Good covers, at that? I quite like 'Wherever I May Roam'. Possibly more than I do Metallica's original. They're playing Friday in St Petersburg, if you're in the area...

One of the members of Apocalyptica lists as a musical influence Sibelius, a Finnish composer, one of whose works I'm sure I've heard performed...I am very fond of the name 'Sibelius' because it looks almost but not quite like Latin.

Completely unrelated to Sibelius is the Nuntii Latini, a weekly summary of world news broadcast from Finland, which can apparently be heard on shortwave, and also is streamed online. It is done, as the name suggests, entirely in Latin. I only catch isolated words, listening to it. But it's worth catching for, if nothing else, the chance to hear Classical Latin pronunciation. None of this Ecclesiastical 'pa-che' for 'pace' crap.

A Finnish scholar, one Dr Jukka Ammondt, has recorded an album of Elvis Presley tunes, all sung in Latin. This album features the immortal line "Ne calces mi glaucos calceos". Or, if you must, 'Don't step on my blue suede shoes.' I think Martial would have approved. I cannot find this album, try as I might, on eBay.

Apparently gay partnerships, similar, though not entirely equivalent, in legal status to marriage, have been officially recognised in Finland since 2002.

Tom of Finland, or Touko Laaksonen, for many decades drew quite detailed and famous pictures of very butch men with immense wangs getting it on.

The Finnish Constitution specifically forbids discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation.

And now it is late and I shall go to bed.

Posted by aloysius at May 14, 2003 12:13 AM |