Velisurmaaja

Metadata

Gutenberg ID

78070

Title

Velisurmaaja

Language

fi

Book source

Project Gutenberg

Description max 80 words

Set in 15th-century Perä-Pohjola, this tragic drama explores the clash between noble ambition and ancestral shame. As the Kurki clan faces internal strife and external threats from Lapland rivals, a father's rage and a son's rebellion spiral into a fatal confrontation. Blending mythic atmosphere with intense human emotion, the play questions the cost of honor and the inescapable weight of family legacy.

Summary up to 500 words

Set in 15th-century Perä-Pohjola, Lauri Haarla's *Velisurmaaja* (The Brother-Murderer) is a tragic drama exploring the destructive cycle of violence and the burden of ancestral guilt. The play centers on the Kurki clan, ruled by Mathias and his sons Henrik and Niklas, who face deep-seated tensions with the Lapland people. Henrik, driven by a desire for vengeance against the Laplanders, clashes with his daughter Rauni, who carries the trauma of her mother's violent past and her own noble Lapland lineage. Her brother, Päivö, is a warrior trapped at home, longing for glory and freedom. The conflict escalates when Henrik's son is wounded in a skirmish involving Aimola, a Häme nobleman fighting to free his people from Kurki oppression. Consumed by rage, Henrik threatens to kill the boy's father, Anundi Sarre, unless he surrenders the youth. Bound by his people's laws, Sarre refuses, leading Henrik to order the boy's death. Despite Sarre's protests that he only followed orders, the boy is killed. The tragedy deepens when Henrik's son, Päivö, returns victorious but is horrified to learn of his brother's death. He blames Sarre, but Rauni reveals the complex web of guilt involving her family's history and the cruel necessity of their customs. As enemies approach, Henrik attempts to reconcile with his son, offering him a future of wealth and status, but Rauni rejects him, refusing to live with a murderer. In the final moments, the approaching enemy forces force a desperate choice. Henrik's son, Päivö, stands ready to defend his home, while Rauni prepares to flee. The play ends on a somber note of silence and death, leaving the audience to ponder the destructive cycle of violence that consumes the entire clan, where every participant bears a share of the guilt. The tragedy underscores how historical grievances and rigid codes of honor lead to inevitable destruction, binding the characters in a web of shared responsibility and sorrow.

LLM editorial rating

4.2/5

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https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/78070.epub.noimages

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Categories

• Drama
• Finnish Literature