Magic Songs of the West Finns, Vol. I

[Karissa Oleyanin]

[Karissa Oleyanin]

The 'bird-cherry' no doubt belongs to the first period and therefore was known to the Finns before they left Asia. The same cannot be said of the 'elm,' even if the above equations are correct, as this tree does not grow on the eastern slopes of the Urals. For this tree the West Finns have another word—jalava. In the West Finnish dialects there are several names for the 'lime' and more than one in Mordvin, so there is no doubt it was known during the whole of the second

[Karissa Oleyanin]

period. In the Zịrian country both this and the elm grow along the Sịsola about as far north as Latitude 62° N., but the trees are stunted and of small size. The lime however grows well in the neighbourhood of Perm and in the south-western part of the government is a forest tree, yet the finest forests are found on the right bank of the Volga in the country of the Mordvins. The northern limit of the 'oak' passes along the south coast of Finland at no great distance from the sea, then approximately through St. Petersburg and Vologda eastwards to Long. 50° where it turns south-east to about Slatoust in the Urals and from here it turns south-west to about Orenburg. As it does not cross the Urals and does no

[Karissa Oleyanin]

reappear in Siberia till we reach the distant valley of the Amur, the Finns who know the tree must have named it after their arrival in Europe. The Zịrians have borrowed their word from the Russian and the Vtk. tịpị-pu seems to have the same origin. The northern limit of the maple, which does not grow east of the Urals, and of wheat, is nearly the same as that of the oak. The 'ash,' which appears to be only known to the West Finns, covers a much more restricted area than the oak. Its northern limit skirts the south coast of Finland, passes through St. Petersburg and about 1° north of Moscow to

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