From 8 –12 October the attention of the world’s book lovers will be focused on the Frankfurt Book Fair. As always, a country has been selected as Guest of Honour; this year Finland and its cultural diversity will be at the centre of attention, with over 500 events inviting visitors to familiarise themselves with the literature and broader culture of the Scandinavian country.

Besides exploring Finland’s diversity as a book market – covering everything from classic novels, recent fiction and poetry to children’s books and a lively comics scene – the Fair will also look at the culture of Finland. The ‘Finland.Cool’ cultural programme, ranging from present-day art and photography to film, contemporary dance and Finnish tango, will extend beyond the dates and physical bounds of the book fair.

The Deutsche Digitale Bibliothek, too, has its own angle on the theme country. Its participating institutions have provided digitised material that is often international in scope. So it is that the DDB contains items reflecting the multilingual, multicultural history of Finland.

The Museum of European Cultures in particular, in the portion of its material viewable online, has a variety of items relating to the cultural sphere of the Sámi. an area encompassing Finland, Norway, Sweden and parts of Russia and Ukraine. Of central importance to the Sámi is their transnational heartland comprising the Swedish province of Lapplands and Finland’s Lapin province.

DDB users are afforded a glimpse of traditional Sámi tools, including implements that are still in use today. Objects include a hide scraper used in the curing of leather, a rucksack aof woven birch bast, a snare for catching ermine and utensils associated with reindeer husbandry and exploitation, such as bridles, belly boards and lassos.

The Deutsche Digitale Bibliothek also contains fascinating depictions of objects relating to indigenous customs. These include an elaborate soul bird that served as a funerary adornment. Birds played an important part in Finnish mythology, watching over the soul of a person, bestowing a soul on the person at birth and protecting the person’s soul while he or she slept, to prevent it from losing its way amidst the person’s dreams. The soul bird in the grave is said to ensure safe passage for the soul after the person’s death.                                                

The DDB also gives users insight into a rich handicraft tradition and an unmistakeably Finnish design industry, be it in the form of a lantern or a carafe, both provided by the Museum Kunstpalast Düsseldorf foundation.

So whether you are visiting Frankfurt or the Deutsche Digitale Bibliothek: Tervetuola, Suomi!

External Links:

Finnland.Cool
Franfurt Book Fair