The Kantele, Mystically and Magically Musical
by Larry LaBounty
A Riddle : Born in the forest, Grows in the woods, Stands on the wall, Sings on the knee.
There are many facets to this instrument that can be discussed but a historical overview and analysis of the “spirit” or mystique of the fascinating kantele is in order.
The kantele is classified as a Baltic Psaltery (a stringed musical instrument of the harp or zither family). One of the first references to the psaltery comes from the Bible. Psalm 71:22 “I will also praise thee with the psaltery….unto thee will I sing with the harp”.
There has been a lot of research done, concerning the origin and dispersion of the kantele. However there is nothing definitive. My personal favorite is the Oriental theory developed by Curt Sachs , about 1916.
Sachs suggested an Asian origin for Baltic Psalteries, but didn’t discuss the route by which they arrived in the Baltic area. He used linguistic evidence as the basis for his ideas:Keliy – Hebrew, Kanon – Greek, Qanun – Arabic, Cannele – German, Kankula – Georgian. Then Kantele ,Kankle, Kannel, Kankle, Kokle, Kandele….
At any rate, the age and early history of the Kantele remain up in the air.
There is a suggestion that the Kantele came to Finland through Karelia and the Savo speaking people. To me, that makes some sense, because the limited archaeological data comes from Novgorod, south of St. Petersburg, Russia.
Now that we have placed the Kantele in Finland, it’s important to discuss the parts that define a kantele. Shown below is a basic outline of kantele parts.
The strings fan from the varras which basically holds the strings in place. The strings go across the lapa or blade, or perhaps better described as the top of the body. The ponsi is on the end and covers the strings. The tuning peg end is oblique to the varras. These terms apply to the carved kantele which we are more familiar with. The carved kantele is 
somewhat different in that it is made from one block of wood, whereas others are constructed of many pieces of wood.
In hollow or box kanteles, the sound holes provide the exit for the sounds produced by the plucked strings, of which there are many kinds. Other variations include the concert (mechanical) kantele, the Jouhi-kantele (Jouhikko) , and the virsi-kantele (1 or 2 strings, played with a bow, for home hymn singing).
The carved kantele was made and played, improvisationally, in farm homes in Finland. It also was used in shamanic rites involving charms and the casting of spells. Interestingly, some studies have shown that the sound holes on some instruments mimic images painted on drums used by Sammi shamans.
At some point in time, the carved kantele nearly disappeared from the scene. It remained in use in very rural areas of eastern Finland and Karelia, but died out pretty much everywhere else. Why did the Kantele disappear?
One theory is that after the Reformation, the kantele was looked down upon, due to its shamanistic background and many were hidden away from the Lutheran clergy and eventually destroyed. The Orthodox clergy, in the West, seems to have had a more tolerant attitude about past customs, and that may be why the Kantele and ancient runes remained a bit stronger in Karelia. Also, the Kantele is a wood artifact and , except under the best of conditions, wouldn’t be likely to survive. So the carved Kantele settled down for a couple of hundred year snooze not to awaken with full vigor until the 1970’s.
During the Romantic period in the mid 1800’s, when Elias Lonnrot was collecting the ancient runes and assembling them into the Kalevala the “carved” kantele began its resurgence. This more “modern” instrument evolved into the box Kantele, made from separate pieces of wood and having up to 40 strings.
The box kantele is the instrument that eventually came to America. Among many Finns, the Kantele became more than just an artifact. It became a symbol of what was left behind in Finland. A number of immigrant players wrote nostalgic music for the Kantele….sort of the Finn blues…
Immigrant players also played at the Finn Hall, dances, and even in Church.
It seems that this immigrant kantele tradition was most prevalent in Minnesota, Northern Michigan and Maine. In my sixty-some year association with NEO Finns, I had never heard of the Kantele, until I attended a performance of the Lake Erie Kanteles. Since that time, a few immigrant box kanteles have come out of the closet. In fact we have one on display here at the Museum.
To conclude, this “reading” accurately describes what I call the “spirit” of the Kantele. It is reprinted below:
QUIET ENTHUSIASM
At the beginning of 20th century, Armas Otto Väisänen, folk music researcher, travelled several times through Karelia and made phonographic recordings and transcriptions of Karelian kantele music. At that time, there were not so many instruments left and the players were mainly old men. For example, Jaakko Kulju was 93 years old when Väisänen met him in 1917, and this is what Väisänen wrote about this special meeting:
"...Many of us may have experiences of the 'quiet enthusiasm' of folksingers and musicians. I have noticed this from many kantele players. The players' fingers touch the strings according to the tune, but his eyes do not follow the activity - instead they are dreamily vacant. As one old man from Suojärvi was playing his endless dance tune in a log cabin that was slowly getting dark, I took a photograph, exposing the frame for a rather long time, and marvelled at how he did not blink at all, nor did he pay any attention to my photography whatsoever. He had lapsed into his world of quiet playing. Gradually, as the same tune continued with constant variations, his body began to fall against the table, his eyelids closed, the old man played as if in his sleep. Although I was listening with the curious ears of an obdurate transcriber, I felt enchanted. After this experience it was easy to believe the old man Onoila when he told me of one man from Olonetsia-Karelia who could play so sadly that he made his listeners cry, and so joyfully that he made them dance…"
Copy © Larry LaBounty, top picture by Lasse Hiltunen
