Lalli
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Lalli is a character in Finnish history. According to the legend, he killed the Bishop Henry on the ice of lake Köyliönjärvi in Finland on January 20 1156.
The Legend
Lalli's existence is disputed. His name is unusual, and it has been thought as a form of Laurentius. According to the legend, Lalli was a rich Finnish man who resisted the bishop's attempts to christianize Lalli's family. The legend has it, that Lalli returned home and his wife informed him of Henry's new visit to the house, and lying about the bishop leaving without paying for food, drink and fodder. Lalli became enraged and chased Henry down, cut his head off with an axe or sword after the bishop's entourage fled and hid in nearby woods at the bishops bidding.The legend has been solidified by a famous folk poem Henrikin surma (The Slaying of Henry). All the details in the poem follow a pattern typical to the era's style: Lalli takes the bishop's hat from his removed head and cuts off his finger to have his ring. The hat became infused on Lalli's head and when he tried to remove it, he tore his scalp in the process. When Lalli tries to remove the ring from his own finger, it tears his finger away. Lalli drowns in the lake after this. As per the bishop's last wish, his body parts were collected by his servants and transported with oxen. Where the oxen stopped, there was built a great church (the first church in Finland).
The poem makes use of figures such as a talking statue of Christ, and a lying spouse who works as an instigator. She seals Henry's fate with her false accusations that Henry left Lalli's house without paying for food and fodder for the horses. This sort of negligence was probably seen as criminal at the time's harsh surroundings, but the poem also presents Lalli as a violent madman. The poem is found in the Kanteletar, a collection of old Finnish folk poetry.
Significance
Lalli is a well-known figure in Finnish mythology. He has been depicted as a lowly figure under the feet of the bishops in the wooden Christian statues of bishop Henry. Present days Lalli has been seen as a figure demonstrating a positive rebellion against oppressive authority. He is a hero for many present day Pagans, since his story reflects the battle between original beliefs and Christianity. As a character, he has probably influenced Eino Leino's cruel and power-hungry Pagan figures of Helkavirsiä.Controversy
In 2005, Tuomas Heikkilä, pro tempore professor of history in the University of Helsinki, claimed that Bishop Henry was completely fictional character. According to Heikkilä, there is no real evidence about his existence. He pointed out historical facts that don't match. Most importantly, Bishop Henry's name cannot be found anywhere in the archives of the Catholic Church.The local administration of Köyliönjärvi got enraged, and insisted that the slaying really took place; they pointed out that bishop Henry's name can be found in Vatican's records. Also, Henry's martyrdom has long been regarded as a fact. The question is likely to remain unsolved.
References
External links
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