 | This articleneeds additional citations forverification. Please helpimprove this article byadding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. Find sources: "Häme" – news ·newspapers ·books ·scholar ·JSTOR(May 2019) (Learn how and when to remove this message) |
Häme Tavastia | |
|---|---|
 Coat of arms | |
 Historical province of Häme in blue (borders of the modern regions in yellow) | |
| Country |  Finland Sweden (before 1809) |
| Regions | Major parts of: Kanta-Häme Päijät-Häme Central Finland Minor parts of: North Savo South Savo Kymenlaakso Southwest Finland Pirkanmaa |
Häme, also known asTavastia,[a] is ahistorical province in the south ofFinland. It bordersFinland Proper,Satakunta,Ostrobothnia,Savo andUusimaa.
The province has been inhabited since theStone Age. Northern Häme was for a long time a wilderness inhabited bySami hunter-gatherers and frequented also by Finnish hunters. Only during the lateMiddle Ages wasagriculture slowly introduced to the northern parts of the province.[citation needed]
Häme is first mentioned in an 11th-centuryViking Age runestone (Gs 13) located in present-day Gävle, Sweden, where it is referred to astafstalonti. At that time, Häme was said to stretch "from salt sea to salt sea," encompassing what would later become the provinces ofUusimaa andSatakunta, and including the inhabited regions ofSouthwest Finland within its arc.[3]
Numerous prehistoric weapons, likeUlfberht swords, andhillforts have been unearthed in the Häme region, indicative of its rich historical significance.
The prehistoric era of Häme can be said to end with theSecond Swedish Crusade in 1239 or 1249, when it became part ofSweden. After the successful campaign into Häme, the Swedes advanced further east until they were stopped by a Novgorodian army led by PrinceAlexander Yaroslavich, who defeated the Swedes during theBattle of the Neva in July 1240 and received the sobriquetNevsky for his victory in the battle.[4] The construction of theHäme Castle began in the 1260s, on the orders ofBirger Jarl.[5] It was to be the centre of the threeSlottslänen - "castle fiefs, castle counties", sg. Slottslän - the other two being the castle ofTurku (Swedish:Åbo) in Finland Proper andViipuri (Swedish:Viborg) castle inKarelia. After the peaceTreaty of Nöteborg in 1323 the castle lost some of its importance as a defence against the East but remained an administrative centre. When Finland wasceded toRussia 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.[citation needed]
In the 19th century, the growth of the forest industry started to bring new wealth to the area. The waterways ofNäsijärvi andVanajavesi provided easy transport for timber. The most notable centres of the paper industry were, and still are,Mänttä andValkeakoski. The most notable industrial center in historical Häme, however, isTampere, where a number of large textile mills and metal factories have been operating since the early 19th century.[citation needed]
The historical province of Häme has undergone several administrative changes since the Middle Ages. From 1634 to 1831, it was part of theUusimaa and Häme Province (Nyland and Tavastehus County), which encompassed much of the historical provinces of Häme and Uusimaa. In 1809, Häme, along with the rest of Finland, was ceded to theRussian Empire and incorporated into the autonomousGrand Duchy of Finland.
In 1831, the inland portion of Nyland and Tavastehus County, corresponding largely to historical Häme, was separated to form theHäme 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 andWestern Finland, both of which were abolished in 2010 when theprovincial system was discontinued entirely.
Since then, the territory of historical Häme has been divided among severalmodern regions (maakunta,landskap). The core area is now represented byKanta-Häme,Päijät-Häme andCentral Finland. Smaller portions also lie within the regions ofPirkanmaa andKymenlaakso. In contemporary context, the nameHäme is most commonly used for the region of Kanta-Häme located in the southwestern section of the historical Häme province.[6]
Western Häme extends over both sides of the greatKokemäenjokidrainage basin. In Eastern Häme, the regions ofPäijät-Häme andCentral Finland are located around the shores of LakePäijänne. The Southern borders of the province roughly follow theSalpausselkä ridge. The Southern parts of the province consist ofplains 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 Häme is in Central Finland. As this area was settled only at the time of the replacement of the old system ofslottläns with the system ofadministrative provinces, the ancient provincial boundary is uncertain in this area. The same applies to the northwestern border with Satakunta, which is located inPirkanmaa.
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 ofKymijoki andKokemäenjoki restrict navigation to the sea. Similarly, the lakes form three separate navigable areas. LakeNäsijärvi can be navigated for over 100 kilometers north ofTampere, while the lakesPyhäjärvi,Vanajavesi andRoine 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, connectsLahti and Päijät-Häme to Central Finland andJyväskylä.
Arms granted at the burial ofGustav 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".[citation needed]
"Емь" .Brockhaus and Efron Encyclopedic Dictionary (in Russian). 1906.Finland Proper |
|
|---|---|
Karelia |
|
Lapland | |
Ostrobothnia | |
Satakunta | |
Savo |
|
| Tavastia |
|
Uusimaa |
|
Åland | |
62°10′12″N24°33′56″E / 62.1700°N 24.5656°E /62.1700; 24.5656
