The Dark and The Dead

« Even in darkness, there is light. A few photos from Pyhäinmiesten Päivä in Hietaniemi Cemetery. »

In spite of the pissing rain on saturday, I dragged my camera and my poor umbrella-toting assistant cum husband out to Hietaniemi Cemetery to wander amidst the candlelit graves illuminated for the Finnish All Hallow's, Pyhäinmiesten Päivä. I have always found the abundance of candles, each representing a member of the living hauling themselves out to the cemetery in usually disagreeable weather to remember their dead who have returned to the dust from whence they came, a touching and beautiful sight. The cemetery was mostly quiet by the time we arrived save for the hissing and sizzling of rain as it landed on the hot metal tops of the candles. I had hoped to take more, and more interesting, photos but the steady rain made it a challenge to use the tripod which was slippery so I only took a couple of shots with it. I also didn't want to change rolls of film with no dry place around, either. So, I figure it at least got us both out of the house and I will think to bring a towel and ziplock baggies in the rain next time.

November begins with the dead as All Hallow's is the first saturday and continues with ever increasing darkness as the year slides towards the Winter Solstice. Even the name itself, Marraskuu, means dead month, though it is likely more in the sense of harvest than Halloween. Pyhäinmiesten Päivä (holy men day) is a wee bit of a misnomer since in the cemetery it is not the saints the candles pay tribute to, but to all the dead, a.k.a. All Soul's Day which was abolished in many protestant churches in the Reformation. In the dark northern latitudes, it is rather plain to see that the christian church co-opted the tradition of Samhain, repackaged it in a different mythology and resold it to the locals, but it retains much of its pagan flavour since, at least traditionally, the day involves not only lighting the darkness but offerings of a harvest meal and sauna. Vuotuinen Ajantieto also mentions a few bits of lore such as if the sun shines at all between All Hallow's and Christmas, then there will be a beautiful summer. While I doubt there is any truth in that, it's good to have something to look forward to in this, the most dark and difficult month in the Finnish year.