Page 122 - Panjek, Aleksander, Jesper Larsson and Luca Mocarelli, eds. 2017. Integrated Peasant Economy in a Comparative Perspective: Alps, Scandinavia and Beyond. Koper: University of Primorska Press
P. 122
integr ated peasant economy in a compar ative perspective
reasons to believe that a major change in the economy occurred during the
16th and 17th centuries and that this led to an expansion of nomadic reinde-
er herding in the mountainous parts of Lapponia, now Swedish Lapland.
Swedish historian Lennart Lundmark (1982) has forcefully argued that
the change was rapid during the first decades of the 17th century. When a
decline in fur trade coincided with the introduction of a new and burden-
some tax, the pressure on Sami families became too great. The solution was
a profound change in the Sami economy from hunter and gatherer with
some draught animals and a few reindeer for milk production to large-scale
reindeer herding. Lundmark has been heavily criticised for his view, and
the sources are indeed difficult to interpret. Nevertheless, it remains clear
that a shift in the economy occurred during the 16th and 17th centuries and
by the end of the 17th century a fully developed nomadic reindeer pastoral-
ism was in place. Written sources from the 16th century do not support that
nomadic reindeer herding was practiced at that time, but studies of rein-
deer DNA reveal a distinct transformation from wild to domestic reindeer
during the Early Modern period (Bjørnstad et al. 2012). The new economy
was more labour intensive, but the yield was higher. Once a large-scale no-
madic reindeer husbandry system had been introduced it was impossible to
go back to a hunting and fishing economy with only a few domestic rein-
deer.1
1.2 Tar distillation
While the introduction of large-scale nomadic reindeer pastoralism has
been debated, the introduction of large-scale tar distillation is a more stra-
ightforward story. In Ostrobothnia, western Finland, formerly part of Swe-
den, a remarkable increase in tar production for shipbuilding took place
during the Thirty Years’ War (1618–1648) (Villstrand 1992; 2000). The sharp
increase would not have taken place if peasants had not been under pressure
from the state, which demanded taxes to continue in order to pay for the
war and for men to fight in the war. It was difficult to avoid conscription,
but a man could pay someone else to take his place. However, the fee was
determined by supply and demand, and it was a seller’s market. To obtain
money, one had to produce a commodity that was in demand, and the na-
tural resources in Ostrobothnia were perfect for large-scale tar distillation.
The vast pine forests provided raw materials, a relatively flat landscape with
1 Lundgren 1987. For more about an integrated Sami economy, see Eva-Lotta Päiviö’s
Chapter 6.
120
reasons to believe that a major change in the economy occurred during the
16th and 17th centuries and that this led to an expansion of nomadic reinde-
er herding in the mountainous parts of Lapponia, now Swedish Lapland.
Swedish historian Lennart Lundmark (1982) has forcefully argued that
the change was rapid during the first decades of the 17th century. When a
decline in fur trade coincided with the introduction of a new and burden-
some tax, the pressure on Sami families became too great. The solution was
a profound change in the Sami economy from hunter and gatherer with
some draught animals and a few reindeer for milk production to large-scale
reindeer herding. Lundmark has been heavily criticised for his view, and
the sources are indeed difficult to interpret. Nevertheless, it remains clear
that a shift in the economy occurred during the 16th and 17th centuries and
by the end of the 17th century a fully developed nomadic reindeer pastoral-
ism was in place. Written sources from the 16th century do not support that
nomadic reindeer herding was practiced at that time, but studies of rein-
deer DNA reveal a distinct transformation from wild to domestic reindeer
during the Early Modern period (Bjørnstad et al. 2012). The new economy
was more labour intensive, but the yield was higher. Once a large-scale no-
madic reindeer husbandry system had been introduced it was impossible to
go back to a hunting and fishing economy with only a few domestic rein-
deer.1
1.2 Tar distillation
While the introduction of large-scale nomadic reindeer pastoralism has
been debated, the introduction of large-scale tar distillation is a more stra-
ightforward story. In Ostrobothnia, western Finland, formerly part of Swe-
den, a remarkable increase in tar production for shipbuilding took place
during the Thirty Years’ War (1618–1648) (Villstrand 1992; 2000). The sharp
increase would not have taken place if peasants had not been under pressure
from the state, which demanded taxes to continue in order to pay for the
war and for men to fight in the war. It was difficult to avoid conscription,
but a man could pay someone else to take his place. However, the fee was
determined by supply and demand, and it was a seller’s market. To obtain
money, one had to produce a commodity that was in demand, and the na-
tural resources in Ostrobothnia were perfect for large-scale tar distillation.
The vast pine forests provided raw materials, a relatively flat landscape with
1 Lundgren 1987. For more about an integrated Sami economy, see Eva-Lotta Päiviö’s
Chapter 6.
120
