Wikipedia
Lapponia is a book written by Johannes Schefferus (1621 - 1679) covering a very comprehensive history of Northern Scandinavia topology, environment and Sami living condition, dwelling-places, clothing, gender roles, hunting, child raising, shamanism and pagan religion. It was published in late 1673 and closely followed by English, German, French and Dutch translations. Adapted and abridged version were also followed where only original chapters on shamanism and religion was preserved but the others replaced with tales on magic, sorcery, drums and heathenism.
The book uses "Lap" mainly to notice that Samis are still pagan and it is concluded that Lap is a word introduced by the Danish historian Saxo Grammaticus (ca. 1150 - 1220) to distinguish Sami peoples living near the ocean (coast-fenni) and in the woodland (lapp-fenni).
It was aimed to meet rumors, or as the council Magnus De La Gardie saw as degrading propaganda, from (particular German) pamphlets claiming the Swedes had used "Sami magic" on the European battlefields.
The book was not until 1956 (after 300 years) fully translated to Swedish (as Lappland, Acta Lapponica 8, Uppsala 1956). Its references is, however, based on "clergy correspondence" letters, i.e. reports made by priests.
A smaller part of the geographical region described in the book is today named Lappland (or Laponia.)
Lapponia may refer to:
- Laponia (historical province), a historical Swedish province
- Lapponia (book), a 1673 ethnographic account of the region by Johannes Schefferus
- Lapponia (train), a Finnish express passenger train
- "Lapponia" (song), a song by Monica Aspelund, covered by Northern Kings
- Lapponia (liqueur), a Finnish brand of lakka
"Lapponia" was the Finnish entry in the Eurovision Song Contest 1977, performed in Finnish by Monica Aspelund.
The song was performed sixteenth on the night, following Italy's Mia Martini with " Libera" and preceding Belgium's Dream Express with " A Million in One, Two, Three". At the close of voting, it had received 50 points, placing 10th in a field of 18. It became the first Finnish entry to be awarded with a maximum score (given by Ireland) since the start of the 12 point tradition in 1975. It would remain Finland's sole maximum score until 2006, when Denmark was first of eight to award 12 points to Finland's winning entry " Hard Rock Hallelujah".
Despite its moderate placing at the Eurovision final, "Lapponia" was given release in twenty European countries and also in Australia, Brazil, Israel and Turkey. Aspelund recorded "Lapponia" in six languages; Finnish, her mother tongue Swedish, English, German, French and Dutch. "Lapponia" afforded Aspelund a #5 hit in Finland and also reached #5 in Sweden.
The successive Finnish representative at the 1978 Contest by Seija Simola was " Anna rakkaudelle tilaisuus". In 1983 Monica Aspelund's sister Ami entered the contest with the song " Fantasiaa".
"Lapponia" was included on the double-disc sets of "Winners and Classics" produced to commemorate the Congratulations special of late 2005. This is in spite of the song placing substantially lower than Marion Rung's " Tom Tom Tom" of 1973 - at the time the CDs were made, Finland's highest Contest finish. As the liner notes indicate that it is a "distinctly Finnish" song, the argument can be made that Rung's Anglophone song was not quite as Finnish.
The band Northern Kings covered this song.
The Lapponia was an express passenger train operated by the Finnish State Railways, the predecessor of the current national rail traffic operator VR Group. The Lapponia trains operated on a direct route from Oulu via Seinäjoki and Tampere to Helsinki. Southbound Lapponia trains departed from Oulu at 7:00am, arriving in Helsinki at approximately 2:00pm. The returning northbound train left Helsinki at 4:00pm, arriving in Oulu at 10:45pm.
The Lapponia express train service began in 1974 as a fast and direct connection between Oulu and the nation's capital. In the beginning the trains had a maximum allowed speed of 120 kilometers per hour (74.5 miles per hour), but it was increased to 140 km/h (87.0 mph) in sections where the electrification was completed.
The Lapponia trains ran under that name until 1994 when Finnish State Railways discontinued the use of train-specific naming. More or less the same time express passenger trains were superseded by intercity train service.