''The Sheep Eaters'' ( fi, Lampaansyöjät) is a humorous Finnish novel written by

Veikko Huovinen Veikko Huovinen (7 May 1927 – 4 October 2009) was a Finnish novelist and forester. As a novelist, his writing was known for its realism, pacifism, sharp intellect, and peculiar humor. He wrote 37 books, and one of his best-known humorous novels ...

in 1970, subtitled “Finnish Outing Story.” It tells the story of two men, Sepe and Valtteri, who embark on a special car trip in August. The intention is to hunt sheep, although towards the end of the book they get enough sheep meat and otherwise only

camp Camp may refer to: Outdoor accommodation and recreation * Campsite or campground, a recreational outdoor sleeping and eating site * a temporary settlement for nomads * Camp, a term used in New England, Northern Ontario and New Brunswick to descri ...

, also in neighboring countries. That part reflects on the way the world is going, and in fact the events only serve as a framework for the essential content of the book, that is, the discussions of “ male people” marked by the humor typical of Huovinen, which mixes the boundaries of folk and high culture. The novel has appeared in a Swedish translation, ''Fårätarna'', 1977, but not in English language. The book was made into a film by the same name directed by Seppo Huunonen in 1972, starring

Leo Lastumäki Leo Antero Lastumäki (28 December 1927 – 29 January 2012) was a Finnish actor, born in Liminka. He worked in theaters, films and on television, often collaborating with Spede Pasanen. Lastumäki worked as a freelancer from 1973. He died in K ...

(Valtteri) and

Heikki Kinnunen Heikki Kinnunen (born 8 April 1946, in Raahe) is a Finnish actor, who became well known in the beginning of the 1970s in the comedy program '' Ällitälli''. Kinnunen was known specially for his roles in comedy films and -series. He has played th ...

(Sepe). According to Leo Lastumäki, after the film there were cases where a model of Sepe and Valtteri's sheep hunting had actually been taken. The film was a success, it got viewers more than all the other domestic films of the year combined. ''The Sheep Eaters'' play was seen in 2006 at the

Pyynikki Summer Theatre Pyynikki Summer Theatre ( fi, Pyynikin kesäteatteri) is an open-air theatre operating in Tampere, Finland, known especially for its revolving auditorium. It is one of the largest summer theatres in Finland and has been running uninterrupted lo ...

in Tampere, starring

Kai Lehtinen Kai Lehtinen (born Kai Antero; 31 July 1958, in Kerava, Finland) is a Finnish actor best known for his work in the Finnish TV-series ''Raid''. Lehtinen originally began as an athlete and competed in the decathlon with a personal best of 6,265 po ...

and Antti Raivio. The novel made famous ''

rosvopaisti Rosvopaisti (Finnish lit. “robber’s roast”; sv, Rövarstek) is roast meat cooked in a cooking pit. It is said to have Mongolian origins and to have become generally known through Veikko Huovinen’s novel ''Lampaansyöjät'' ('' The Lamb E ...

'' ( Finnish lit. ‘robber’s roast’) that Sepe and Valtteri made from their prey.

References

External links

Lampaansyöjät
at Kirjasampo (in Finnish) {{DEFAULTSORT:Sheep Eaters, The 1970 books 20th-century Finnish novels Finnish comedy novels Finnish novels adapted into films Novels adapted into plays Novels set in Finland

See also

References

External links