Thank you to Finnish musician Emmi Kuitinen for sharing her research and practice. She brought her knowledge of the tradition of laments to the participants of a workshop sponsored by the Finnish American Folk School in April 2025. Ms Kuitinen also has adapted the lament into hauntingly beautiful songs.
In the past in Karelia, the lament was a necessary ritual. Death was a continuation of life, a journey into the hereafter. It was important to lament, or sing the dirge, to accompany the deceased on their journey, to remind the deceased of their transition. The lament also was intended to prevent the deceased from coming back as a ghost and/or bringing diseases. The itkettäjä is the person who performs the lament. The literal meaning of this word is "the one who makes you cry."
The lament was not only for deaths. There were wedding laments. These occurred during the engagement period prior to the marriage and sung at the bride's house. Laments were made for conscripts in the military. In Russia, the service in the army lasted from five to twenty years. The mother lamented for her son. Also, there were occasional laments for certain occasions. For instance, to say thank you or to express the loss experienced as a refugee. Many lament-performers of the past would not allow recordings nor would they perform a lament disconnected from death or the serious situation for which it was intended.
A lament is a crying with the voice, and it is not considered singing. However, it does have a set form. Nothing is said directly -- metaphors are used instead. The melody and rhythm vary, but often the lament has a descending melody characterized by improvisation and variation. Lament language has some common elements: a free meter, parallelism, alliteration, and the use of diminutives and plurals.
Many cultures besides Karelian culture had laments. It is an old tradition in the Middle East and in many places across the continents.
People believed if the bride didn't cry at the wedding, she would cry for the rest of her life. Loss is part of every life, and perhaps the lament is needed in order to hold and release grief. It must be heard by others before we can go forward. A good lament makes the listener cry.
Here is Mathilde ter Heijne - Lament, Song for Transitions post by Olaf Stueber:
https://vimeo.com/87757291?&login=true#_=_
Link to Emmi Kuitinen's music: Surun Synty
Please buy her album!
