"KOKKO" FIRES
As we stood on the little pier at _Rättijärvi_, waiting for the steamer
which was to bear us down the beautiful _Saimen Canal_, we were somewhat
horrified to find that the only other probable passengers were two men,
both of whom were practically unable to keep on their feet. In honour of
the day they had apparently been having a jollification, and it will
ever remain a marvel to us that they did not tumble over the side of the
pier--which had no railing--into the water beneath.
It seemed almost impossible, under the circumstances, to believe that in
the rural districts of Finland generally there are no licensed houses,
except in a few health resorts, where a medical man is stationed. Also
at a few railway stations _bona fide_ travellers may be supplied. There
is a strict law against importing spirits at all into Finland, while if
more than ten litres are sent from one place to another in the country
they are "subject to control." Indeed, no person, unless licensed to
sell spirits, is allowed to keep more than six litres in his house for
every grown-up individual living in the establishment; and the same
rigorous rules that apply to spirits are enforced against liqueurs
which, when tried at a temperature of 15° Celsius, are found to contain
more than twenty-two per cent. of alcohol.
The temperance regulations are most stringent, and yet we are
reluctantly obliged to own we saw a vast amount of drunkenness in
_Suomi_. Small wonder, then, that the moment women became members of
Parliament the first thing they did was to legislate for the diminution
of this lack of sobriety.
The Civic Authorities can, and do, give the whole trade of wine,
spirits, and liqueurs as a monopoly for two consecutive years to
companies who undertake to sell, not for their own gain, but "in the
interests of morality and sobriety;" three-fifths of the profits being
paid to the town for general purposes of usefulness, and the remaining
two-fifths to the State.
As regards beer--in the country the County Councils rule the selling, in
the towns the Civic Authorities. The brewers are, however, allowed to
sell beer, provided they do not give more than twenty-five litres to one
person.
The Senate or the Governor can, in some cases, grant special licenses,
to sell wines and spirits to bathing-places, steamers, etc.,--from all
of which careful, not to say stringent, regulations, it may be inferred
that Finland is rigorous as regards the drink question; wherefore
strangers feel all the more surprised to meet inebriates so constantly,
as we must, unfortunately, admit was the case when we were in Finland.
The two men rolling about at the end of the pier and, singing lustily,
sadly disturbed our peace of mind, for my sister and I were going back
to _Ilkeäsaari_ alone, and as they seemed likely to be our only
companions, we felt a couple of hours spent in such society would be
rather more than we cared for. They might be affectionate or abusive, or
they might even commit suicide, they were so deadly drunk.
Ah! what was that? Emerging from a lock came a bower of greenery rather
than a steamer. The little ship was literally covered, not only with
branches, but with whole birch-trees, and very pretty she looked as she
glided towards us, decorated for the famous _Juhannus-ilta_ (Midsummer
Day).
Taking hasty farewells of Grandpapa and the _Magister_, whom we were to
meet again a week or two later, we hurried on board, and found to our
joy that the unsteady Finlanders were not allowed to follow us. With a
puff and a whistle the steamer left such undesirable passengers behind,
and the last we saw of them was fighting and struggling with one
another, each man apparently imagining, in his muddled imbecility, that
his own companion had kept him from going on board, whereas in reality
the ticket-collector, now safely journeying with us, was the sole
offender.
It is a delightful journey down the famous _Saimen Canal_, and there was
a particular charm about it that night, because, as evening advanced,
great beacon fires illuminated the scene.
This _Canal_, which took eleven years to make, is very beautiful. It
passes through twenty-eight locks, generally with a fall of about nine
feet for each; that is to say, the entire fall is nearly three hundred
feet. The canal is only wide enough for one ship to pass at a time,
except at the _crossing_ places; and when steamers pass up or down, all
other traffic has to draw into one of these sidings.
We thoroughly enjoyed the beautiful night as we glided over that
wonderful achievement of engineering skill. The locks were only just
large enough to admit our steamer, and it really seemed as if but a few
inches at either end and at the sides were to spare.
It was Midsummer Day; the greatest day of the whole year in a Finn's
estimation. Hence the decorations. We passed steamers all gaily
festooned with the sacred birch, as our own little ship, and huge barges
of wood ornamented in similar fashion floating down to the sea.
Picturesque little girls, with handkerchiefs tied over their heads, were
running about on the banks selling wild strawberries. They were dressed
in long skirts, which hung to their ankles, and wore no shoes or
stockings.
In spite of the terrific thunderstorm on the previous night, the
thermometer had stood all day at about 96° in the shade. As we glided
along, a lurid black sky looked threatening behind us, while forked
lightning--such forked lightning as we had never seen before--played
games in the heavens. And yet, at the self-same time, on the other side
was to be seen one of the most glorious sunsets that can possibly be
imagined; one of those marvellous bits of colour which make those who
behold it feel how inadequate are brush and canvas to reproduce such
glorious tones.
These Finland skies and glorious nights, almost midnight suns, in June,
July, and August, are worth the journey. The sunrises and sunsets of the
Arctic are more beautiful than in the Tropics.
We were now returning to finish our visit at _Ilkeäsaari_, and, it being
the Finnish Midsummer Day, we had been compelled to hurry our trip from
_Sordavala_ somewhat, so as to be back in time to see the famous pagan
_Kokko_ fires.
As is well known, it was--till comparatively recent times--the custom
even in England to light on St. John's Eve _Bael_ or _Baal_ fires, which
were really a survival of pagan Sun Worship. All over Finland _Bael_
fires are still lighted on _Juhannus-ilta_ (Midsummer Eve).
The people look forward from year to year to these _Kokko_ fires, as
_Juhanni_ is the great festival both for rich and poor. All is bustle
and confusion on the 23rd of June, preparing for the event. Then comes
the lighting of the _Kokko_, and, later in the evening, the _bond-dans_
or ball--no one apparently going to bed that night--which ball is
followed by a universal holiday.
As to the origin of the _Kokko_ fires, no one in Finland seems very
certain. The custom must be a very ancient one, though it is continued
universally in that little-known country to the present day. As a rule,
the bonfire is lit on the top of a hill, or in places where there is
water at the water's edge, preferably on a small island, or sometimes on
a raft which, when ignited, is floated out over the surface of the
lake.
The 24th of June being about the brightest day in a land where, at that
time of year, it is everlasting daylight, the effect of the brilliant
artificial illumination is marred in consequence of the absence of a
gloomy, weird, and mysteriously indistinct background of night, the sky
in those high latitudes being, during the summer nights, never darker
than it is in England at dawn. Nevertheless, the _Kokko_ are so big that
they assert themselves, and as we sailed down the canal we must have
passed a dozen or more of those flaming beacons. It is difficult to
estimate their size. Wood in Finland is comparatively valueless; tar is
literally made on the premises; consequently old tar-barrels are placed
one on the top of another, branches, and even trunks of trees, surmount
the whole, and the erection is some twenty or thirty feet high before it
is ignited. Imagine, then, the flames that ascend when once the magic
match fires the much-betarred heap.
For hours and hours those _Kokko_ fires burnt. Indeed, it would be
considered ill luck if they did not smoulder through the whole of the
night. And it is round such festive flames that the peasant folks gather
to dance and sing and play games, and generally celebrate the festival
of the ancient god _Bael_. The large landed proprietors invite their
tenantry to these great ceremonies, and for hours before it is time to
light the fire, boats are arriving laden with guests.
When we landed about ten o'clock on the private pier at _Ilkeäsaari_, at
which we had asked our captain to set us ashore, we were warmly met by
our former hostess, and told that their _Kokko_ was ready and only
waiting our arrival to be ignited. So away we all sped to the other side
of the island to see the fun.
All the members of the family had assembled--some thirty or forty
people, in fact, for Finland is famous for big families--and tables of
cakes and coffee were spread at a point from which every one could see
the enormous _Kokko_, as high as a haystack, standing on a lonely rock
in the water. The boatmen went off and lighted it, having thrown
turpentine over the dried branches, and stacked up tar-barrels, so that
it might the more readily catch fire, and in a few moments huge volumes
of smoke began to ascend, and the flames danced high into the heavens.
Great tongues of fire leapt and sprung on high, only to be reflected in
all their glory in the smooth waters below. Peering down an avenue of
pine-trees to the lake beyond, that fire looked very grand--a splendid
relic of ancient heathenism.
Every one sang as the _Kokko_ burst into flame. The General of the
garrison, the dapper young lieutenant, the dear old grandmother, the men
and women students of the party in their pretty white caps, the children
dressed as dear little Swedish peasants--all joined the choruses; while
behind were the servants and the real peasants themselves. The tenants
had come over the water to enjoy the fun at their master's home in boats
so gaily decorated and garnished with huge boughs of the sacred
birch-tree that the boat itself was almost hidden. Finnish singing is
generally rather weird chanting, sad and melancholy, but not without a
strange fascination, and the way a number of odd people in that huge
assembly could sing together, each taking his or her own part, without
any previous practice, again showed the marvellous amount of music
inborn in the Finlander.
It was a beautiful night. The rich shades of the sunset fighting the
warm colours of the flames, the gurgling of the water, and the surging
of the peasants' boats, or the swish of their oars as they rowed
to the festival in gay holiday attire, was something to be
remembered--something picturesque and almost barbaric. The surroundings
were poetical, the scene weird, the music delightful, and a glowing
lustre overspread it all as the ascending flames shed lurid lights on
the faces of the spectators, while the rocks on which we stood reflected
the warm colours caught by the trunks of the pine-trees, whose tops
soared heavenwards as though trying to kiss the fleeting clouds.
Laughter and merriment rent the air, as youth mingled with age, riches
with poverty, in true happiness, for was it not _Juhannus-ilta_--a night
when all must be gay!
Gradually, as the time wore on, the fires burnt low, the lights and
reflections became less and less distinct on the water, the shadows of
evening fell, and the dew of night was in the air; then, and not till
then, did we repair to a huge room adjoining the house, used for the
grandchildren to play in during summer, or for weddings and such like
festivals, and here the family, the guests, the servants, and the
peasants danced. It was like a tenants' ball at a Scotch castle or Irish
domain, with a touch of greater novelty. Finnish dances are strange; a
young man spies a young woman, he rushes at her, seizes her by the
waist, dances lustily, and then lets her go as if she were a hot potato.
But that night there was a hero--a real live hero--the native of a
neighbouring village, who had been away in America for seven years, and
just returned rich and prosperous, and full of adventures, to his
fatherland. His advent had been awaited with keen interest by all the
village maids; rivalry for his favours ran rife. Every girl in the place
was dying to talk to him, to dance with him, and he, in return, told
them "how beautiful every woman was in America, how they talked, and
sang, and danced, and laughed, and how America was enchanting," until
all the maids grew jealous.
We slipped off to bed at midnight, tired after our tedious journey, and
anxious to read quietly the bundles of letters from folk at home, which
had been awaiting our return, but the _bond-dans_ went on till
breakfast-time, for a Finn who cannot dance the _jenka_ all through the
midsummer night is not considered worthy of his country.
The festivals continued all the next day for those who were not too
sleepy to enjoy them.