RESEARCH PROJECT - What Survives: Vernacular Religion in Modern Finland and Finnish-Americans

What is "vernacular religion"? To define it loosely, it is the lived religious beliefs and practices of a people. Many of those things fit the mold of the canon of religion. However, the things that interest me the most are the things that are not a part of church teachings. This vernacular religion is often found in the modern day under the secular guise of "superstition" and "tradition" and represents the contemporary evolution of folk religion as we think of it.

Most of the ethnographic studies and research on this material draws from a time period spanning the 1700s - 1950s. That is nearly 100 years ago and I want to learn more about what survives; what has remained relevant in the popular imagination. This gives us a crucial clue into the old magic traditions that are mostly easily tapped into today.

So, if you are a member of the Finnish-American diaspora -OR- a Finn living in Finland I want to talk to you! I want to hear what's been passed down, what survives, what grandma taught you that has stuck with you still. Please CONTACT ME if you are interested in participating in my amateur ethnographic survey!