Itä-Häme

Itä-Häme () is the eastern part of the historical province of Häme (Tavastia) in Finland. It is located in the modern regions of Päijät-Häme, South Savo and Central Finland.

Leivonmäki National Park is in Itä-Häme.

Itä-Häme is also known by manufacturing of sahti.

Municipalities

  • Hartola.vaakuna.svg Hartola
  • Heinola.vaakuna.svg Heinola (town)
  • Joutsa.vaakuna.svg Joutsa
  • Luhanka.vaakuna.svg Luhanka
  • Pertunmaa.vaakuna.svg Pertunmaa
  • Sysmä

Disestablished

  • Heinolan.maalaiskunta.vaakuna.svg Heinolan maalaiskunta (merged into Heinola in 1997)
  • Leivonmäki (merged into Joutsa in 2008)

Dialects

Despite being a part of Häme, only the dialect of Heinola is a Häme dialect. The dialects of the other municipalities are Savo dialects of the Päijänne subgroup, a group of Savo dialects with Häme influence; for example, they lack the type of consonant gemination found in most other Savo dialects (e.g. the partitive form of kala "fish" is kaloa, not kalloa/kalloo).

Most of the area may have adopted a Savo dialect due to the Cudgel War, in which many of the original inhabitants of the area were killed, allowing Savonians to settle in the area. Despite this, the people of the area still see themselves as Tavastians.

Comments