Finno-Karelian Lament and The Modernity of Tradition

Finland underwent rapid modernization in the twentieth century. The result for traditions like Karelian lament was grim. Yet much of modern existence is lamentable, and calls for heartfelt lament! It turns out that modernity doesnπt always simply eliminate tradition. This lecture explores how closely intertwined åtraditionπ and åmodernityπ can be. It describes the Finnish Lament Society (http://www.inkeri.com/aanella.html), started in 1999 as a perfectly appropriate expression of life in a (post)modern nation, and how activists have worked with scholars and Karelian tradition-bearers to keep lament alive and make it relevant for a new generation.