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What’s with this “Wren” thing?
The oldest extant version of the fable
we
are presenting here appeared in 1913 in the first volume of a two-volume anthology
of Low
Saxon folktales (Plattdeutsche
Volksmärchen “Low German Folktales”)
collected by Wilhelm Wisser (1843–1935). Read
more ...
Sámi
Possibly
one of Europe’s longest surviving ethnic groups,
the Sámi people have come a long way as an historical-
ly
opressed minority in four countries, are now asserting
themselves
and are taking
advantage
of today’s
oppor-
tunities.
Results of DNA
studies seem to indicate
that
their ancestors were isolated for
a very long time.
Language information:
Sámi (also known as “Saami” or “Saame,” formerly “Lapp” or “Lappish”) is
the indigenous language of the Sámi people. These days it is used by between
35,000
and 40,000
persons.
Today’s area
of
Sámi language
and culture spans much of the polar circle regions of Norway, Sweden, Finland
and the Kola Peninsula of the far northwest of the Russian Federation. In Norway
and Sweden it extends to some regions farther south (Hedmark and Dalecarlia).
It is believed that the Sámi area was much larger before Germanic, Slavonic,
Finnish and Karelian spread.
Sámi is a
Uralic language group, is thus a relative of the Finnic, Ugric and Samoyedic
languages (including Finnish, Estonian and
Hungarian). It consists of three broad variety groups (or languages) with subdivisions,
of which some have further dialectical divisions:
(Those varieties marked with * above have written standards.)
Being a minority
language in four countries in which it is indigenous, as well as in overseas
areas
(especially in North America), the
Sámi
language
has
been struggling to survive. While some dialects are still struggling,
the
fate
of
the language as a whole appears
to
be
improving
lately,
thanks
to
more enlightened attitudes on the part of Norway, Sweden and Finland and also
thanks to increased
Sámi awareness and activism. The Sámi language is now officially recognized
in Norway, Sweden and Finland. It is used
in
the
media,
including
in radio
and
television, Sámi studies are offered at universities, and Sámi organizations
variously promote Sámi development, assertion and participation. This has resulted
in
political Sámi
representation and in increasing Sámi Internet presence. The situation of Sámi
in Russia remains worrisome despite some Sámi reassertion attempts in that
country. Due to the situation in that country, the Akkala (Akhkil, Babinsk),
Skold
and
Ter
Sámi
varieties are
now
virtually
extinct, and only a small number of speakers
of Kildin Sámi remains. Other varieties that are severely endangered are Inari
and Skolt
Sámi
(Finland) as well as Ume, Pite and Southern Sámi (Sweden).
Kemi Sámi (Finland) has now been extinct for a good hundred years, and few written
records from the 18th and 19th centuries remain of it.
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