Windy woodland of the North to be created at Häme Castle – new exhibition about the royals of the forests

Media representatives will be introduced to the exhibition on 15 June beginning at 11.30. Please sign up in advance with Communications Officer Katariina Käyhkö, tel. +358 (0)295 336 145, katariina.kayhko@kansallismuseo.fi.

The Royals of the Forests exhibition explores the thousand-year relationship of the Finnish people with the bear, the elk, the wolf and the lynx. This group of animals has commanded fear and respect, but they have also been hunted and depicted in decorative and utility items. Parts from these animals have been regarded as magic talismans, and the animals have starred in numerous fairy tales.

The exhibition is based on the extensive collections of the National Museum of Finland and the archaeological collections of the Finnish Heritage Agency. One of the oldest items on display at the exhibition is the elk’s head of Säkkijärvi, which will be displayed alongside the extremely rare elk-head axe made of stone that was found in Kuusamo only about a month ago.

The elk’s head of Kuusamo resembles the elk’s head of Säkkijärvi so closely that the two items, which will be displayed side by side at the exhibition, may have been made by the same stonemason; they both date back to the late Stone Age, the 2000s or the early 1000s BCE. The newly discovered elk’s head can be considered to be one of the most significant findings in Finland this millennium in terms of both its aesthetic and technical implementation.

The royals of the forests remain significant

The bear, the wolf, the elk and the lynx have always been associated with a special power, and they remain part of mythology and beliefs to this day.

They also needed nicknames, several of which remain in use today. “In addition to names that signify power, such as jäänmurtaja (icebreaker) or Susijengi (wolf gang), the Finnish language has also been coloured with proverbs and sayings, such as tavaran katoaminen hukkaan (items being lost to the wolves), and diverse euphemisms. Back in the day, they originated from the belief that saying the animal’s name out loud would call it forth,” explains Exhibition Producer Emma Eskola from the National Museum of Finland.

The exhibition showcases items related to customs and traditions. Visitors to the exhibition can marvel at items such as bear’s ear sticks and eye pads used at memorial feasts for slain animals to prevent the animal from knowing who killed it. These feasts and some other traditions are still honoured today, and only their meaning has changed. In the olden days, the traditions included religious rituals intended to appease the soul of the slain animal.

The animal parts on display at the exhibition, such as bear teeth and claws, were also thought to contain special power. They were used as protective amulets from the Iron Age to the 19th century. People would hang teeth on their belt and hide claws under their pillow to ward off evil.

“On the other hand, the bear is the only one among these four animals to have gained a reputation for being cute in the world of toys through teddy bears. The exhibition celebrates this in the form of a teddy bear cavalcade,” says Eskola.

Pine cone overcoat almost three metres tall and animals gazing towards it

Just like Stone Age rock paintings, the royalty of the forests continues to fascinate artists today. The art of sculptor and environmental artist Jenni Tieaho, whose works are featured at the exhibition, is based on legends about forests and Finnish mythology. Her large works are made of materials such as willow and birch bark, and her almost three-metre-tall pine cone overcoat is made of pine cones.

The exhibition also features nature photographs by the 26-year-old photographer Ossi Saarinen, which have gained immense popularity on social media. In his remarkable close-ups, Saarinen depicts forest-dwelling animals in their natural environment, and it feels as though the animals are looking directly at the viewer.

A dark forest accompanied by the hum of the wind will be created at Häme Castle for the duration of the exhibition. “The exhibition is strongly atmospheric. We hope that it will delight visitors and help them find new meaning in the dwellers of the forests,” says Head of Exhibitions Minerva Keltanen from the National Museum of Finland.

The Royals of the Forests exhibition is intended for people of all ages, for anyone who has ever read stories, and for those who are interested in beliefs and mythologies.

The exhibition also includes loaned items from the Hunting Museum of Finland, the Finnish Museum of Natural History Luomus, the municipality of Ruovesi and the Finnish Literature Society SKS.