Finnic Peoples in the Ancient World
The Finnic peoples, whose early history is somewhat enigmatic due to scant written records, have inhabited the region now known as Finland for thousands of years. Around the beginning of the common era, the ancestors of modern Finns are believed to have migrated from what is now Estonia. The Finnish language belongs to the Finno-Ugric family, which includes languages like Lappish and Estonian, and is distinct from the predominantly Indo-European languages of Europe. The term "Finn" is derived from the word "Fenni," used by the Roman historian Tacitus, and reflects perceptions of the region as a frontier or borderland. Throughout the centuries, Finland experienced influence from various cultures, including the Roman Empire, Viking invaders, and later Swedish dominance by the twelfth century. Archaeological findings indicate a blend of Finnish, Roman, and Germanic cultural elements, particularly in grave sites revealing imported bronze and iron artifacts. The original Finns engaged primarily in hunting and fishing, with their settlements located mainly in the southwestern part of Finland. Despite their rich cultural history, the Finns did not form an independent nation until the twentieth century, and they refer to their homeland as "Suomi," meaning "marshland." This complex history underscores the diverse influences that shaped the identity of the Finnic peoples in the ancient world.
Finnic Peoples in the Ancient World
Date: 1-700 c.e.
Locale: Coast of Baltic Sea, Finland
Finnic Peoples in the Ancient World
The early history of Finland is somewhat mysterious because of a lack of written materials, but the area seems to have been inhabited for several thousand years. At the beginning of the common era, the ancestors of the people known as Finns migrated into the area, probably from the area that is now Estonia.
The Finnish language is part of the Finno-Ugric language family, which also includes Lappish, Estonian, Lithuanian, Latvian, and a few obscure languages spoken in northwestern Russia. These languages are not known to be related to the Indo-European family, which gave rise to most of the languages spoken today in Europe. It appears to be distantly related to the Magyar languages, the only modern example of which is Hungarian.
The words “Finn” and “Finnish” arise from the term used by the Roman historian Tacitus in his De origine et situ Germanorum (c. 98 c.e., also known as Germania; The Description of Germanie, 1598). His reference to the “Fenni” consists of only about one hundred words, and his description of a primitive, forest-dwelling tribe suggests that he may very well have been referring to the Lapps rather than the Finns. The term “Fenni” probably comes from the Latin “finis,” suggesting that the area was considered an edge of civilization, or a borderland.
This description is, in a way, accurate. The Finnish people are situated between the much more powerful and numerous Slavs to the east, Germans to the south, and Scandinavians to the west. From about 1 to 400 c.e., Finland was occupied by the Roman Empire. After the Romans left, the area was dominated by invading Vikings, and by the twelfth century c.e. was actually a part of Sweden. Swedes still make up a significant part of the population, and both Finnish and Swedish are official languages of modern Finland.
Therefore, it is somewhat difficult to isolate a Finnic culture, as such. The earliest archaeological evidence of the period, primarily grave sites, already shows a mixture of Finnish, Roman, and Germanic cultures. Most of the tools, weapons, and ornaments found in the early graves are of bronze or iron and may well have been imported as completed objects from other areas around the Baltic Sea.
The original Finns were primarily hunters and fishermen, and their settlements were concentrated in the southwestern part of the country. The north was, and remains, sparsely populated and represents the greatest concentration of Lapps.
Finland was never a political unit and did not exist as an independent nation until the twentieth century. The Finns have always referred to their land as “Suomi,” a name that translates roughly as “marshland” and is probably a distant cognate of the English “swamp.”
Bibliography
Aini, Ranjanen. Of Finnish Ways. Minneapolis, Minn.: Dillon Press, 1981.
Derry, T. K. A History of Scandinavia. Minneapolis: University of Minnesota Press, 1979.
Kivikoski, Ella. Ancient Peoples and Places: Finland. New York: Praeger, 1967.
Singleton, Frederich Bernard. A Short History of Finland. New York: Cambridge University Press, 1998.