Finland's National Instrument: The Kantele

[@Tbah83]

My wife is a professional Kantele player, so I get to hear it a lot. And don't get me wrong, I'd like to hear her play more! 😉 She has couple of 5-stringers, a 15-string one and her main instrument, a 39-string concert kantele. The sound is truly magical, especially if played in a wood-frame house which will act as a resonator for the instrument.

[@OldCanadianguy953]

What stage name does your wife perform Kantele with? Has she any recordings?

[@JarkkoToivonen]

Love the 39-string kantele’s sound when played by professional musician, Japan has couple of great 39-string kantele players.

[@Gibbetoo]

Kantele is big part of my "hometown"/city. they made us play 5 string kantele in elementary school alongside with recorder. i know many who are able to play it in professional level.

[@marsukarhu9477]

I don't know your hometown, but I went to school in Helsinki and everyone had to learn the basics of kantele there... but I doubt that any of us learned to play even close to professional level ;)

[@OldCanadianguy953]

I play Gusli and Kokle in Canada. I was once playing outdoors with musician friends and a tree was nearby. When it was my turn to play my 12 string Gusli - and all of the others witnessed this - the birds in the trees started to sing in time to my playing where they sang randomly previously. Quite an experience!

[@mustelidmama]

I don't have a drop of Finnish blood. As a member of a world wide historical reenactment organization (Society for Creative Anachronism) I found a SCAdian lady who lives in Lahti, Finland and I decided to learn what I could about her country. I love music, so I soon discovered the kantele, which fit in nicely with the historical interest.. I have a 5-string and an 11 string.No regrets here!

[@aaronstavern]

amazing!

[@emil4290]

kalevala laulettuna youtube channel sings Kalevala poems, and they usually play the kantele in the background.

[@aaronstavern]

Perfect! I'll check it out!

[@ukraine-gonna-beat-ruzzia]

I turned a small student-size guitar into a 6 string harp to play kantele songs. It sounds kind of like something between a harp, guitar, and kantele all at once.

[@aaronstavern]

Oh that sounds like an awesome hybrid!

[@ukraine-gonna-beat-ruzzia]

@@aaronstavern Thanks! I also experimented with different tones by comparing thinner steel and thicker bronze guitar strings. I imagine the medieval kantele strings were thicker and made of twisted horse hair like a jouhikko, with a rounder, darker tone and lower tuning. (But I might be wrong.)

[@leighharwood3886]

@@ukraine-gonna-beat-ruzzia The Celts used metal strings in their first harps, so kantelars could have begun using metal strings at the same time.

[@teemuviinikainen5455]

I have made kantele couple years ago, when my sister found unfinised kantele secondhand market. I think its must be some studentwork left behind. I decide finish it, and im pretty proud of it 😊

[@arno-luyendijk4798]

This is so lovely to listen to. The stories concerning the creation of the kantele have Orpheus-like connotations, especially the magic character of the sound taking all animals in a spell.

[@rahieitee]

you continue doing good research, much appreciation

[@ordyhorizonrivieredunord712]

Most exquisite representation of a very ancient musical instrument. Old archives called it a Psalterion, the Russians call it a Bandura. Germans call it a Zither, Irish call it a Harp, Antiquity called it a Cithar, and Even China has a name for it, the Ki. It can also be called a Dulcimer. There is no end to the beautiful tunes that can be played with the harmonics of the stings. 🎼

[@ordyhorizonrivieredunord712]

🎻No one knows when music started and no one knows when it will end.🎻

[@Tekyng_of_Baregan]

It will never end, even after the last note is struck, the silence will forever be a part of the great song

[@leighharwood3886]

I play Carolan on my 15-string FolkCraft kantele. The sound hole is a solar cross. After 25 years or more, the tone is exquisite. I don't know any of the traditional repertoire, alas. More music and info. is available now thanks to the Internet. I fell in love with this instrument at Lark in the Morning, a huge music shop in SF that allowed people to play all the floor models. I believe Lark is online now. Tour buses would stop at Lark, it was so fabulous. I miss old SF.

[@mattikarvonen5063]

Thanks. We have two kanteles at home. One "basic" 5-string and one my aunt-in-law made 36 string Kantele. Like Jouhikko, it has a silent but mystic voice, like is the Creators voice also. Sound of Kantele is calm and divine.

[@ilkkak3065]

I don't know If it's true but I like to think Kantele is the ancestor of the guitar. It's possible since roots of The Finns and The quitar roots lead to the same regions. 7:40 It sounds like a description of the world's first rock concert...😅

[@kalevala29]

No, it's not a precursor to the guitar. The guitar has its own separate origins In Spain. 16th century I think.

[@ukraine-gonna-beat-ruzzia]

@@kalevala29 And before that, the guitar descended from the lute, which descended from the oud, an ancient Arabic and Middle Eastern instrument. Great point about the world's first rock concert!

[@ordyhorizonrivieredunord712]

@@kalevala29 Way before there were Luths and Guitars as stated in the psalms in the bible David played the flute and was accompanied by musicians who could play on the Guith from Gath. The first string musical instrument was the bow and it is still played today by indigenous people. Adding strings evolved into Lyres Harps and Fiddles. . 📯

[@ikyfromnorth]

Kantele has its very wonderful sound, but it's cousin; jouhikantele (jouhikko) has its own rustic sound because of tail horsehair, and you play it like a violin. Thou it has little bit of differences.

[@smitemus]

I've only ever heard a Kantele being played once and that one had only two of its five strings left.

[@fortknobberdale]

Thank you for this! I am of Finnish and Swedish descent, and currently live on the border between these nations... My mother has always kept our roots alive by telling old stories like the one's you tell about here. 🥲 I recently bought myself an old Kantele, made of wood, and I love the sound it makes... so peacefully traditional, in a way. Again, thanks for the history lesson! 👍👌

[@Aurinkohelmi]

Learning to play was part of education at elementary school. Though I don't remember how to play anymore as that was decades ago 😊

[@paulwhite2162]

You made me remember a Finnish word, the name of an animation I randomly found last year. Noitarumpu from joulopukki ja noitarumpu. Of course the name had to be changed for english speaking children, a witches drum is far too sinister and scary

[@sixthdynamic9078]

Ida Elina is amazing. Great choice of reference

[@alaruno8325]

Interesting topic and I think you are making a very good work in spreading more information about the Finnic traditions and myths. However when you talk about the "Elks bone kantele" you show a picture of two wapiti deer (Cervus canadensis, a.k.a. elk in North America) fighting. You need to remember that in a European context an elk is what a North American would call a moose (Alces alces). In a Finnish/Finnic context an elk would thus equal a "hirvi" (i.e. Alces alces) and nothing else.

[@netwitchtatjana4661]

No story to tell other than yours. Just that the kantele is my most favourite instrument in the world with its magical healing sound. (Neither Finnish nor Irish - I'm German)

[@leighharwood3886]

There's a reason poets and shamans love this instrument. I'm a Celtic mutt. The first harps in Ireland and Scotland were strung with wire. They are also way expensive and not as portable. No way would I take a harp on the subway, for example.

[@gerbilios9902]

Finnish magic is described in Kalevala to be both musical and poetic, therefore it is canonical that we finns can rap you into a swamp.

[@worldwartanker4542]

I purchased an 11 String Kantrle from Finland (myself living in the U.S., and a part of the U.S. where I've never met a Fin nor 99% of people know what a Kantele is) and I've got to say, I've put off learning it for the last 8 months. It's very difficult and here in Northern California there isn't much of a support network. I've got a couple books to help me learn, but its a difficult instrument. I'm going to keep trying, but dang is it difficult

[@paullyle3461]

I've been playing Kantele for over 10 years built five kit or so. I pick with my fingers but lately I've been bowing it with a psaltery bow as I make the bows as well. Thanks for sharing their history.🌈🎶😎

[@ArtThingies]

I discovered the Kantele, as well as broader Finnish et al myatical tradition from a webcomic, *Stand Still, Stay Silent* Unfortunately, the author abandoned the comic after the second season, but it's by far my favourite webcomic

[@derandi2324]

thank you for Videos like these! as part of a personal hyperfixation i try to gather tidbits of knowledge to make proper characters for a fictional setting to one day make a game, and part of that are themes and Leitmotivs. and smth im interested in is also having specific instruments signifying a character ontop of their Leitmotiv . the character in question would be a wildlife photographer called turi (irish neutral name meaning little bear based of arthur ) matkala using the Finnish word (matka plus la to make it a last name) for journey being daughter to finnish Irish parents. in her case a combo of the kantele and a harp just seems perfect! the origin for her well, origins, came from trying to find a good name to reference bear as she has powers to turn into one and one of the most iconic pictures take of a bear is it overlooking a lake in finland if memory serves. a theme would be the take a moment to enjoy the beauty of life sitting down to enjoy the view as bears are occasionally observed to do in a urban fantasy setting (aka our world but myth and magic is real and integrated) so videos like these giving insight are tremendously helpful and just generally really interesting

[@markopelaa]

My mom still has 2 kanteles from my grandfather. One he build himself and other one is from his grandfather.

[@aaronstavern]

That's amazing!

[@something2knownow]

I’m a Finnish-American (all4 grandparents were born there and immigrated in the late 1890s) and am just now trying to learn the kantele. It is the most magical and meditative instrument and a joy to play. I have a 10 string made in California and would very much like to find a teacher that can take me beyond Nuku Nuku. Does anyone know of a teacher in the US?

[@0Tidus0989]

I've been living in Finland 3 years now and I still haven't managed to hear anyone play it live :( Do you know of any concerts or artists to follow so that I could finally hear it live?

[@gabrielgabriel5177]

I am finn I have kantele i like to play it

[@ՆաթանիելՄաշ]

Kantele and related instruments are the best. Väinämöinen is the Finnish equivalent of the Israelite King David, also a harp player.

[@0thepyat0]

Is there any relationship between the Welsh crwth and the Finnish jouhikko? Welsh nectar and Finnish sima? Modraniht and Helkafest?

[@patrickwoolery6000]

Both are bowed lyres, but beyond that, they are very different. I play jouhikko, but if you handed me a crwth, I would be at square one. If you cut the yoke off the crwth, you’d have a fiddle. Cut the yoke off the jouhikko and you have firewood.

[@wildautoharp]

I appreciate your scholarship and folklore. Given that the message of all these tales was the magical sound of the thing, it would be nice if you could let us hear the thing instead of talking ALL the time. Take a beat. The Music might be impactful.

[@martinyan2260]

oh shit that just looks like the Kanklė (we at least call them in lithuania like that) !

[@windsongshf]

Where do I get one? :)

[@Tbah83]

Koistinen Kantele is the largest (and best) manufacturer.

[@PohjanKarhu]

Some makers and sellers: - The Kantele Shop (Gerry Henkel), Minnesota, USA. - Koistinen (Finland) - Lovikka (Finland) - Melodia Soitin (Finland) - Baltic Psalteries (Russia) - Savita Music (Czechia) - Michael J. King (UK) - Ancient Music (UK) - Kandlekoda (Estonia) - Tmi J-A Kallioinen (Finland) - Soitinverstas Jyrki Pölkki (Finland)

[@PohjanKarhu]

I got my first one from Melodia Soitin. It's pretty good. They aren't of the absolute highest quality, but still very good.

[@windsongshf]

@@PohjanKarhu Thanks for the info! I used to play guitar back in the day. I'm finding a few KZbin videos on how to play them. :) I'm from Finnish ancestry. Great grand parents immigrated to the U.S. about a hundred years ago. My mom and dad were born in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. Lots of Finns around the Great Lakes.

[@valerieblessley4522]

You can get a wonderful kantele of all sizes from Lovikka kanteles in Finland. Blessley Instruments, in the USA (Washington State) also makes small kanteles.

[@MilenaAnnina]

I belong to "pelimanni" family. I have so many stories to tell. I'll send you email.😊

[@aaronstavern]

Please do! [e-mail]

[@rahieitee]

upvote, love the term and would like hear more

[@DR_REDACTED]

Its funny how i as a Finn learn more of my own coutrys folklore/myths from you than i have learned in all of my life tho of course i know Kalevala and others very well too. I still know other courtrys myths much better than my own🫣