Why do Sweden and other Nordic countries feature so heavily in British bushcraft?

[psy.]

I'd like to add that we learn english from a very early age.

 

[susi]

[jQUOTE=Imagedude;865069]In a word - marketing.[/QUOTE]


Probably true.

Also that what is regarded as "bushcraft" in the UK, along with all the stuff for sale under that banner, is considered just normal equipment up here. Maybe possessing the ability to cook over an open fire is considered something special in Britain?

 

[Martti]

One of the last remaining numerous indigenous populations are the Saami peoples whose traditional lands cover a huge swathe of northern Scandinavia. The Saami live in a very traditional way as reindeer herders, and knives and fieldcraft are an intrinsic part of their way of life.

Scientifically thinking there are more indigenous people in Fennoscandia other than Sámi people, Finns for example. However due of politics only the former ones have been dubbed as "indigenous".

Only part of the Sámi people have ever practiced reindeer herding and for example most of the Sámi now living in Finland adopted the reindeer herding at the same time as some Finns, that is during the 1100s and 1200s. Out of some 7000 Sámi living in Finland, only some of them own reindeers and even fewer ones earn their living from herding.

 

[Doc]

My guess is that it's allemansratt or the tradition of 'freedom to roam' because the outdoors is so accessible the populous never urbanised like we have in the UK

In Scotland we have the equivalent of Allemansratten/jokamiehenoikius. The law is new for us, but the tradition is not.

 

[bb07]

Same reason as Canada and New Zealand feature - they have genuine wilderness, more-or-less similar climates, recognisable and related cultures. For those reasons I think we in the UK can learn a lot from them (and it'd be nice to think they could learn stuff from us as well).

Learn stuff from our friends in the U.K.? Absolutely. This is a great forum

 

[Manacles]

Scientifically thinking there are more indigenous people in Fennoscandia other than Sámi people, Finns for example. However due of politics only the former ones have been dubbed as "indigenous".

Only part of the Sámi people have ever practiced reindeer herding and for example most of the Sámi now living in Finland adopted the reindeer herding at the same time as some Finns, that is during the 1100s and 1200s. Out of some 7000 Sámi living in Finland, only some of them own reindeers and even fewer ones earn their living from herding.

Cheers Martti, interesting, we tend in the UK only to hear of "laplanders" and generally that is linked to Santa Klaus. It's nice to get a perspective from someone "on the ground". I loved Finland when I visited , you are very fortunate to live there

 

[Tengu]

Thats true, the Fenni of classical times had no animals, and i presume so did not our `Finmen`

The Words for herding and related activities in Saami languages are loans!

 

[robin wood]

low population density.
speak English and like Brits.
lots of woodland and habitats not too dissimilar to our own therefore skills transferable.
good tools.

Main difference between Scandniavia and UK? very late industrialisation. Most Brits moved to towns and worked in factories from 18th century, in Sweden it was late 19th early 20th. That is a difference between the Swedes granddad living a basically self sufficient lifestyle where it was my granddads great granddad. Time cuts the link with the land. In the UK even those that lived in the country and farmed, were gamekeepers or whatever still went home and cooked in a factory produced oven and ate from factory produced crockery off a factory made table and chairs.

There are other interesting cultures where industrialisation came late and we can gain a lot. Being a woodworker I am particularly interested in Japan and American North West Coast Native cultures. If I was interested in very primitive technology (pre steel) then I would probably be looking to Indonesian or Amazonian cultures.