Tavastia (; ; ; also called ''Yam'' (Ямь) or ''Yem'' (Емь) in Russian sources) is a historical province in the south of

Finland Finland, officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country in Northern Europe. It borders Sweden to the northwest, Norway to the north, and Russia to the east, with the Gulf of Bothnia to the west and the Gulf of Finland to the south, ...

. It borders Finland Proper,

Satakunta Satakunta (in both Finnish language, Finnish and Swedish language, Swedish, ; historically ''Satacundia'') is a Regions of Finland, region ( / ) of Finland, part of the former Western Finland Province. It borders the regions of Southwest Finland ...

, Ostrobothnia, Savonia and Uusimaa.

History

The province has been inhabited since the

Stone Age The Stone Age was a broad prehistory, prehistoric period during which Rock (geology), stone was widely used to make stone tools with an edge, a point, or a percussion surface. The period lasted for roughly 3.4 million years and ended b ...

. Northern Tavastia was for a long time a wilderness inhabited by Sami hunter-gatherers and frequented also by Finnish hunters. Only during the late

Middle Ages In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the 5th to the late 15th centuries, similarly to the post-classical period of global history. It began with the fall of the Western Roman Empire and ...

was agriculture slowly introduced to the northern parts of the province. Tavastia is first mentioned in an 11th-century Viking Age runestone ( Gs 13) located in present-day Gävle, Sweden, where it is referred to as '. At that time, Tavastia was said to stretch "from salt sea to salt sea," encompassing what would later become the provinces of Uusimaa and

, and including the inhabited regions of Southwest Finland within its arc. Numerous prehistoric weapons, like Ulfberht swords, and hillforts have been unearthed in the Tavastia region, indicative of its rich historical significance. The worldview of the Tavastians has been shaped by Finnish mythology. The prehistoric era of Tavastia can be said to end with the Second Swedish Crusade in 1239 or 1249, when it became part of

Sweden Sweden, formally the Kingdom of Sweden, is a Nordic countries, Nordic country located on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. It borders Norway to the west and north, and Finland to the east. At , Sweden is the largest Nordic count ...

. After the successful campaign into Tavastia, the Swedes advanced further east until they were stopped by a Novgorodian army led by Prince Alexander Yaroslavich, who defeated the Swedes during the Battle of the Neva in July 1240 and received the sobriquet ''Nevsky'' for his victory in the battle. The construction of the Häme Castle began in the 1260s, on the orders of Birger Jarl. It was to be the centre of the three Slottslänen - "castle fiefs, castle counties", sg. Slottslän - the other two being the castle of Turku () in Finland Proper and Viipuri () castle in Karelia. After the peace Treaty of Nöteborg in 1323 the castle lost some of its importance as a defence against the East but remained an administrative centre. When Finland was ceded to

Russia Russia, or the Russian Federation, is a country spanning Eastern Europe and North Asia. It is the list of countries and dependencies by area, largest country in the world, and extends across Time in Russia, eleven time zones, sharing Borders ...

in September 1809, the province ceased to be a part of Sweden. The provinces have no administrative function today but live on as a historical legacy in both Finland and Sweden. In the 19th century, the growth of the forest industry started to bring new wealth to the area. The waterways of Näsijärvi and Vanajavesi provided easy transport for timber. The most notable centres of the paper industry were, and still are, Mänttä and Valkeakoski. The most notable industrial center in historical Tavastia, however, is Tampere, where a number of large textile mills and metal factories have been operating since the early 19th century.

Administrative history

The historical province of Tavastia has undergone several administrative changes since the Middle Ages. From 1634 to 1831, it was part of the Nyland and Tavastehus County, which encompassed much of the historical provinces of Tavastia and Uusimaa. In 1809, Tavastia, along with the rest of Finland, was ceded to the

Russian Empire The Russian Empire was an empire that spanned most of northern Eurasia from its establishment in November 1721 until the proclamation of the Russian Republic in September 1917. At its height in the late 19th century, it covered about , roughl ...

and incorporated into the autonomous Grand Duchy of Finland. In 1831, the inland portion of Nyland and Tavastehus County, corresponding largely to historical Tavastia, was separated to form the Häme Province , which continued as an administrative province throughout the Russian era and into independent Finland. This province existed until 1997. As part of a nationwide administrative reform in 1997, Häme Province was merged into two larger provinces: Southern Finland and Western Finland, both of which were abolished in 2010 when the provincial system was discontinued entirely. Since then, the territory of historical Tavastia has been divided among several modern regions (''maakunta'', ''landscap''). The core area is now represented by Kanta-Häme, Päijät-Häme and Central Finland. Smaller portions also lie within the regions of Pirkanmaa and Kymenlaakso. In contemporary context, the name ''Häme'' is most commonly used for the region of Kanta-Häme located in the southwestern section of the historical Tavastia province.What is Häme?
Accessed on 21 February 2021.

Geography

Western Tavastia extends over both sides of the great Kokemäenjoki drainage basin. In Eastern Tavastia, the regions of Päijänne Tavastia and Central Finland are located around the shores of Lake Päijänne. The Southern borders of the province roughly follow the Salpausselkä ridge. The Southern parts of the province consist of

plain In geography, a plain, commonly known as flatland, is a flat expanse of land that generally does not change much in elevation, and is primarily treeless. Plains occur as lowlands along valleys or at the base of mountains, as coastal plains, and ...

s intermixed with fields and forests. Towards the north, the land gradually rises and becomes more hilly. At the same time, the proportion of cultivated land decreases, and forest and heath become increasingly dominant. The northern boundary of Tavastia is in Central Finland. As this area was settled only at the time of the replacement of the old provincial system with the county system, the ancient provincial boundary is uncertain in this area. The same applies to the northwestern border with Satakunta, which is located in Pirkanmaa. As a result of the original pattern of settlement, the inhabited areas are located around the waterways, fields encircling especially the largest lakes. The lakes are navigable but the rapids of Kymijoki and Kokemäenjoki restrict navigation to the sea. Similarly, the lakes form three separate navigable areas. Lake Näsijärvi can be navigated for over 100 kilometers north of Tampere, while the lakes Pyhäjärvi, Vanajavesi and Roine have been connected by canals since the 19th century, forming another significant waterway. On the other hand, Lake Päijänne, the second largest lake in Finland, connects Lahti and Päijänne Tavastia to Central Finland and Jyväskylä.

Heraldry

Arms granted at the burial of Gustav I of Sweden in 1560. The arms are crowned by a ducal coronet, though by Finnish tradition this more resembles a Swedish count's coronet. Blazon: "Gules, a lynx passant or, ear tufts sable; in chief three mullets of six, in base four roses, all argent".

References

Sources

* * {{coord, 62.1700, N, 24.5656, E, source:wikidata, display=title Historical provinces of Finland Kanta-Häme Southern Finland Province Western Finland Province