Saint Henrik, Bishop and Martyr
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According to tradition, while on a missionary journey in 1156, Bishop Henrik stopped at the home of Lalli, an affluent farmer and convert. Lalli was not at home and Lalli’s wife, Kerttu, did not want to offer the bishop anything to eat. The bishop insisted that custom dictated that she supply him with his needs. Upon leaving Bishop Henrik paid the mistress of house for the provisions he had received.
When Lalli returned home Kerttu related the story of the bishop’s visit, but intentionally did not mention that he paid for his food. In anger Lalli started out after the bishop and caught up to him on the frozen surface of Köyliö Lake, where Lalli murdered the bishop.
The grisly tale continues with Lalli removing the bishop’s miter and placing it upon his own head. When Lalli returned home and attempted to remove the miter his scalp came with it.
An equally gruesome tale states that Lalli attempted to steal the bishop’s ring from Henrik’s thumb, but Lalli could not remove it. Finally, in desperation, Lalli cut off the bishop’s thumb in order to secure the ring. The ring fell into the snow and could not be found. Traditions and folktales developed around Saint Henrik’s murder. It was believed that the missing bishop’s ring can be seen through the crystal clear waters of Köyliö Lake, and although it can be seen shimmering in the waters it can never be reached. Other folktales state that a blind fisherman caught the ring and placed it on his eyes, causing him to immediately regain his sight.
Bishop Henrik’s body was buried at Nousiainen. In the 1290’s his remains were removed to the site of the new diocesan center in Turku. It was during the end of the thirteenth century that Henrik was elevated to the position of national saint. His death date of January 19th was the highest feast-day in the calendar of saints of the Diocese of Turku, which covered the whole of Finland at that time. Great masses were said on Saint Henrik’s day and Henrik’s cult and legends highly influenced both ecclesiastical art and literature in Finland.
And what of Lalli? Tradition states that Lalli died within the year of killing Bishop Henrik. During this time he led a cursed life. Mice attacked Lalli as if they were going to eat him alive. Fleeing his home, Lalli took up residence in a root cellar, but the rodents were able to find him there as well. Finally Lalli escaped to a place called Kiukanen, in the village of Harola. He built a small cabin there on a place still called Lallinmaa (Lalli’s land). Even here the mice tormented hapless Lalli. In the end Lalli was driven up a large tree by the mice. The mice began to gnaw at the tree until it came crashing down, sending Lalli and the mice into the lake, where they all drown. To this day this lake is called Hiirijärvi (Mouse Lake). In medieval times and long afterwards, Lalli represented paganism and St. Henrik, the victory of Christianity. In art, the figure of Lalli is most often shown lying under the foot of St. Henrik, subdued and scalpless. In the more recent past, some people have attempted to portray Lalli as a symbol of Finnish independence and unwillingness to submit to authority.
St. Henrik’s Day (Heikinpäivä) was the tradition halfway mark of winter among the rural Finns. Heikinpäivä has also been called Keskitalvi (mid-winter). As with many Finnish name days, there are folk sayings associated with Heikinpäivä. There are three that are still commonly recited in the Copper Country today: Karhu kääntää kylkeä. (The bear rolls over to the other side.), Talven selkä taittuu (Winter’s back breaks.) and Heikki heinää jakaa (Heikki divides the hay.) It was a time when the farmer took stock of his hay, grains and other commodities, making sure that there was at least half left. The folklore traditions have diminished in Finland much more than among the Finnish-speaking people in the Copper Country. Because of the loss of the Finnish language amoung the following generations, Folklore traditions are dying out here also. In all our Finnish-American communities there exists a treasure trove of folklore, such as folksaying, stories, Finnish place names and traditions. It is vitally important that we all collect and preserve as much of this legacy as possible.
