Rhymes from Finland

Körö körö kirkkoon

(a nursery rhyme with eastern origin)

Körö körö kirkkoon,

papin muorin penkkiin,

ruskealla ruunalla,

valkealla varsalla,

kolipäällä koiralla,

pikipäällä pässillä,

laukkipäällä lampaalla -

peltojen ylitse,

aitojen alitse,

kilikello kaulassa,

punaisessa nauhassa,

pom pom, pom pom, pom!

This nursery rhyme is commonly used as a play with a small child. A parent is holding the child on her/his lap and rhytmically bounces the child to imitate riding a carriage. "Körö körö" in the beginning imitates riding a horse carriage and with the carriage the parent takes the child to the church. The carriage is pulled in turns by a brown gelding, a white foal, a bald dog, a black ram and a lamb. The journey takes the child over the fields and under the fences with a bell around the neck in a red string.

                 Illustrated by Jenna Hakari

Entten tentten

(a nonsense rhyme with eastern origin)

Entten tentten

teelikamentten

hissun kissun

vaapula vissun

eelin keelin klot

viipula vaapula vot

Eskon saun

piun paun.

Nyt sää lähdet

tästä pelistä pois!

"Entten tentten" is a nonsense counting rhyme that is commonly used to choose volunteers for a task or a game. It reminds of English "Eeny, meeny, miny, moe".

Illustrated by My Snellman

 

Virvon varvon

(a traditional Palm Sunday rhyme with Russian Orthodox origin)

Virvon varvon

tuoreeks terveeks,

tulevaks vuodeks.

Vitsa sulle, palkka mulle.

Waving a Twig

I wave a twig

for a fresh and healthy

year ahead.

A twig for you,

a treat for me!

Finnish children decorate willow twigs with colourful strings and feathers. They dress up in colourful outfits (i.e. trulli = easter witch) and walk from house to house on Palm Sunday. They recite the rhyme, wave a decorated willow twig and at the end give the twig away. As a reward, they receive candy or small coins.

Illustrated by Jenna Hakari

Lilleri Lalleri

(a nursery rhyme with Western/English origin)

Lilleri Lalleri aidalle kipusi,

Lilleri Lalleri aidalta putosi,

eikä edes tohtorit kuninkaan,

voineet Lilleriä parantaa.

Humpty Dumpty

Humpty Dumpty sat on a wall,

Humpty Dumpty had a great fall.

All the king's horses and

all the king's men,

couldn't put Humpty

together again.

One of the most well known nursery rhymes with Western origin is originally English. It is assumed, though, that it came to Finland via Sweden. It proves that along everything else, literature also "travels around and invades new territories".

 

Illustrated by Pinja Pirkkalainen