Ostrobothnians (, ) are a

subgroup In group theory, a branch of mathematics, a subset of a group G is a subgroup of G if the members of that subset form a group with respect to the group operation in G. Formally, given a group (mathematics), group under a binary operation ...

() of the

Finnish people Finns or Finnish people (, ) are a Baltic Finns, Baltic Finnic ethnic group native to Finland. Finns are traditionally divided into smaller regional groups that span several countries adjacent to Finland, both those who are native to these cou ...

who live in the areas of the historical province of Ostrobothnia in the northwestern parts of Finland.

History

Ostrobothnians descend from

Tavastians The Tavastians (; ) were an ancient Finnish tribes, Finnish tribe that inhabited the historical province of Tavastia (historical province), Tavastia (). In Russian sources, they are called ''Yem'' (Емь) or ''Yam'' (Ямь), but the term later ...

and

Savonians Savonians (; ), or Savo Finns, are a subgroup (''heimo'') of Finns who live in the areas of the historical province of Savonia. History Savonians are descendants of Tavastian and Karelian peasants who, during the Middle Ages, had settled ...

, the latter started to settle in Ostrobothnia during the 1500s. A notable historical event involving the Ostrobothnians is the

Cudgel War The Cudgel War (also known as the Club War; ; ) was a 1596–1597 peasant uprising in Finland, which was then part of the Kingdom of Sweden. The name of the uprising derives from the fact that the peasants armed themselves with various blunt wea ...

, in which peasants led by the local rebel leader

Jaakko Ilkka Jaakko Pentinpoika Ilkka (1550s, Ilmajoki – late January, 1597, Isokyrö) was a wealthy Ostrobothnian landowner and leader of the Cudgel War, a 16th-century Finnish peasant revolt against Swedish rule. Life Early years Ilkka's father, P ...

rose in a revolt against the nobility during the Swedish rule.

Dialects

The South Ostrobothnian dialect is characterized by the changed of in Finnish to in Ostrobothnia (), the middle vowel in () and the diphthongs , and changing into , and . Keski- ja pohjoispohjalaismurteet

The Central and North Ostrobothnian dialects have been influenced by the

Savonian dialects The Savo dialects (also called Savonian dialects or Savo Finnish) () are forms of the Finnish language spoken in Savo and other parts of Eastern Finland. Finnish dialects are grouped broadly into Eastern and Western varieties; Savo dialects are o ...

. They have changed the written Finnish sound of into or and the vowels and into and .

Culture

Descriptions

The stereotypical Ostrobothnian is brave, calm and dependable.

National dresses and textiles

File:Stamp of Finland - 1989 - Colnect 47258 - Woman in Veteli costume.jpeg, Woman in Veteli national dress.

Religion

Many Ostrobothnians are either

Laestadians Laestadianism (; ; ; ), also known as Laestadian Lutheranism and Apostolic Lutheranism, is a pietistic Lutheran revival movement started in Sápmi in the middle of the 19th century. Named after Swedish Lutheran state church administrator and t ...

, or active in the

Awakening movement The Sons of Iraq ( ''Abnāʼ al-ʻIrāq''), also known as al-Sahwah (), were a coalition in the Al Anbar province in Iraq between Sunni tribal leaders as well as former Saddam-era Iraqi military officers that united in 2005 to maintain stabil ...

(''körttiläisyys'').

Notable Ostrobothnians

Alvar Aalto Hugo Alvar Henrik Aalto (; 3 February 1898 – 11 May 1976) was a Finnish architect and designer. His work includes architecture, furniture, textiles and glassware, as well as sculptures and paintings. He never regarded himself as an artist, see ...

, architect and designer *

Heidi Hautala Heidi Anneli Hautala (born 14 November 1955) is a Finnish politician and Member of the European Parliament (MEP) from Finland. She is a member of the Green League, part of the European Green Party. She is currently a Member of the European P ...

, politician *

Antti Isotalo Antti Isotalo, also known as Isoo-Antti, Isoon talo(o)n Antti or Isontalon Antti (born 30 August 1831 in Hanhimäki, Alahärmä - died 8 August 1911 in Alahärmä) was a Finnish farmer and puukkojunkkari, who led the criminal gang ''Isoo-joukk ...

, criminal and

Puukkojunkkari (, translated to English as knife-fighter; ) or () was a term used of troublemakers who were active in the Southern Ostrobothnia region of Finland in the 19th century. Fights among puukkojunkkaris were common, and often resulted in death. Puu ...

Jussi Jokinen Jussi Petteri Jokinen (born April 1, 1983) is a Finnish former professional ice hockey forward. After playing in his native Finland with Oulun Kärpät of the Liiga he was drafted by the National Hockey League (NHL)'s Dallas Stars in 2001 in t ...

, ice hockey player *

Kyösti Kallio Kyösti Kallio (, 10 April 1873 – 19 December 1940) was a Finnish politician who served as the fourth president of Finland from 1937 to 1940. His presidency included leading the country through the Winter War; while he relinquished the post ...

, president of Finland between 1937-1940 *

Mari Kiviniemi Mari Johanna Kiviniemi (born 27 September 1968) is a Finnish politician, who served as the 41st and second female Prime Minister of Finland from 2010 to 2011. Since 25 August 2014, she is Deputy Secretary-General of the OECD. Life and career ...

, politician *

Jorma Kontio Erkki Jorma Kontio (born August 7, 1953 in Oulu, Finland) is a Finnish Harness racing driver. With more than 11,000 wins, he is the most victorious harness driver in Scandinavia. Kontio started his career in the late 1960s. Since 2000 he has live ...

, harness racing driver *

Petri Kontiola Petri Kontiola (born October 4, 1984) is a Finnish professional ice hockey centre currently playing for Ilves of the Liiga. Kontiola has previously played in the National Hockey League (NHL) for the Chicago Blackhawks, the organization that draf ...

, ice hockey player *

Pekka Korpi Pekka Korpi (born 11 November 1949 in Oulu) is a Finland, Finnish harness racing trainer and driver. With more than 5 000 wins he is one of the most successful harness drivers in Scandinavia. Since 2011 Korpi has been training and driving mostl ...

, harness racing driver *

Timo Kotipelto Timo Antero Kotipelto (born 15 March 1969) is a Finnish musician best known as the lead singer of the power metal band Stratovarius, whom he joined in 1994, as well as fronting his own band Kotipelto. Biography He studied vocals at the pop/ja ...

, musician * Vilho Lampi, painter *

Jari-Matti Latvala Jari-Matti Latvala (; born 3 April 1985) is a Finnish rally driver who has competed in the World Rally Championship (WRC). His co-driver for most of his career was Miikka Anttila, who co-drove for Latvala between the 2003 Rallye Deutschland and ...

, rally driver *

Jarppi Leppälä Jarno "Jarppi" Leppälä (born 11 August 1979) is a Finnish television personality and a member of the stunt group the Dudesons. Biography Leppälä was born in Seinäjoki, South Ostrobothnia. Around 2001, Leppälä (along with childhood fr ...

, stunt performer and member of

The Dudesons The Dudesons () are a Finnish entertainment group. They are best known for their TV shows and live performances, which are a combination of stunts and comedy. Their early TV shows were similar to '' Jackass''. Starting their television career in ...

Juha Mieto Juha Iisakki Mieto (born 20 November 1949) is a Finland, Finnish former Cross-country skiing (sport), cross-country skier, who was born in Kurikka. He competed in the 1972, 1976, 1980 and 1984 Olympics and won five medals, including a gold medal ...

, cross-country skier * Teemu Mäki, artist and writer * Antti Niemi, footballer *

Janne Niinimaa Janne Henrik Niinimaa (born May 22, 1975) is a Finnish former professional ice hockey player. He played 10 seasons in the National Hockey League (NHL) for the Philadelphia Flyers, Edmonton Oilers, New York Islanders, Dallas Stars, and Montreal C ...

, ice hockey player *

Jorma Ollila Jorma Jaakko Ollila (born 15 August 1950) is a Finnish businessman who was chairman of Royal Dutch Shell from 1 June 2006 to May 2015, and at Nokia Corporation chairman from 1999 to 2012 and CEO from 1992 to 2006. He has been a director of Ota ...

, businessman and former CEO of

Nokia Nokia Corporation is a Finnish multinational corporation, multinational telecommunications industry, telecommunications, technology company, information technology, and consumer electronics corporation, originally established as a pulp mill in 1 ...

Jorma Panula Jorma Juhani Panula (born 10 August 1930) is a Finnish conductor, composer, and teacher of conducting. He has mentored many Finnish conductors, such as Esa-Pekka Salonen, Mikko Franck, Sakari Oramo, Jukka-Pekka Saraste, Osmo Vänskä, Klaus ...

, conductor and composer *

Tero Pitkämäki Tero Kristian Pitkämäki (born 19 December 1982) is a Finnish retired track and field athlete who competed in the javelin throw. He is a World Champion, having won gold in 2007. His personal best throw of 91.53 m, set in 2005, ranks him eleve ...

, athlete *

Erkki Raappana Major General Erkki Johannes Raappana (June 2, 1893 – September 14, 1962) was the commander of the 14th Division of the Finnish Army during the Second World War. Raappana was born in Oulujoki. From 1916 to 1918, he served in the 27th Jäg ...

, Major General * Jukka Rautakorpi, ice hockey coach *

Topi Sorsakoski Pekka Erkki Juhani Tammilehto (27 October 1952 – 13 August 2011), better known by his stage name Topi Sorsakoski, was a Finnish singer. His father was Finnish tango singer Yrjö Johannes "Tapio" Tammilehto. Career Sorsakoski started his caree ...

, singer *

Jutta Urpilainen Jutta Pauliina Urpilainen (born 4 August 1975) is a Finland, Finnish politician. She was the first female chair of the Social Democratic Party of Finland, which she led from 2008 to 2014. She was the Minister of Finance (Finland), Minister of Fin ...

, politician *

Hannu Väisänen Hannu Pekka Antero Väisänen (born 2 October 1951) is a graphic artist, painter and writer from Finland Finland, officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country in Northern Europe. It borders Sweden to the northwest, Norway to the ...

, artist, painter and writer *

Juha Väätäinen Juha Väätäinen (born 12 July 1941) is a Finnish former athlete. He is the winner of the 5,000-meter and 10,000-meter gold medals at the 1971 European Championships, held in Helsinki. He was the eldest of the successful Finnish runners, the o ...

, athlete * Niilo Yli-Vainio, preacher

References

{{Finns Ethnic groups in Finland

History

Dialects

Culture

Descriptions

National dresses and textiles

Religion

Notable Ostrobothnians

See also

References