The
Baltic Finns are a linguistical group of peoples of
northern Europe including the
Finns proper,
Karelians (including
Ludes and
Olonets),
Izhorians,
Veps,
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
The theories of the origin of the Baltic Finns include the Migration Theory and the Settlement Continuity Theory.
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 eastern Russia to the shores of the
Baltic Sea around 1,000 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.
[Kallio, Petri 2006: Uralilaisen kantakielen absoluuttista kronologiaa. (With English summary: The absolute chronology of the Proto-Uralic language.). Virittäjä 2006]The Settlement Continuity Theory is based on
archaeology and
genealogy. Genealogic studies have shown that the Baltic Finns have a much closer genetic relationship to the northern and central Europeans than to the eastern
Finnic peoples such as the
Volga Finns. The theory suggests that Baltic Finns have lived in the region for up to 10,000 years, rather than the 3,000 years suggested by the Migration Theory. Some linguists have also supported this theory, but the issue is hotly debated, as genetic continuity does not necessarily prove continuity of 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 for 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 early indigenous inhabitants of Europe by ][ ]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 4,000–3,000 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 (42%) and
Lithuanians (43%) than in Estonians (34%). 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 Finno-Ugric 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 (ca. 1,800 BC), if not later.
Baltic Finnic oral poetry
The Baltic Finns share a common cultural heritage: the art of ancient "rune" (poem) 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 (known mostly in
Karelia and
Ingermanland, perhaps as survivals from an earlier, wider distribution), 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.
See also
