The Story of an Evil Pajari

In Finland, Kitee is remembered well from middle age, When an evil and violent overseer Pajari affected among parish and congrecation. In those times Finland was under russia's power and all taxes were payed to the Emperor.

They say that Pajari wasn't allways as people use to remember him. He lived in his court on the high Pajari's hill with his young wife he loved very much. But when she died after she gave birth to thair first child Oiti, the overseer lost his mind with sorrow.

He rased taxes to absurd summs and those who weren't able to pay, were punished with violence. Often Pajari's military group made robberies within peasant people, more like destroying their hard work than taking anything with them.

In his subremary Pajari soon became impudent. He made a team of village people's wives who naked had to pull his boat high up to the Pajari's hill, where he let down the slope into the lake again and again.

At sundays he collecter all village people in his court and while husbands waited outside he told their wives to undress their bottom and next to eachother out their head under a bench, their backside up. And then one by one men came in with their eyes bounded to recognize their own with their hands. If they quessed right, they were free to go. If not, they were spanked.

So it came that every bride had to spend the first night of their marriage in Pajari's court against their own will.And soon after that order Kitee's peasant had enough. young man who didn't want to loose his love to the evil overseer, took his father with him and so they walked all the long way to Moskov to see the emperor and ask for help. The Emperor was pleased to get visitors from so far away and listened their stories with interest, but didn't believe them at first. He sent a command to Pajari to get him 3 barrels of ruffs and 3 barrels of rabbit's tallon. He got his order so soon he had to believe that Pajari wasn't doing his job with permitted means. so he gave those two men a scroll of his will: That any man was allowed to take the overseers life with the way he wanted.

So the men returned to Kitee with the scroll which was read to the people in the church. And so happy were people to hear it ,that a cry of relief filled the church...before the door opened and Pajari himself rode in the churhc. He took the croll from the preast and cut it in a half with his sword, then galloping out with an animal scream.

Kitee's rage filled peasants hunted him 3 days and finally ending up into a cape where the overseer was stoned down from the saddle and buried alive in a heap of stones. And afterwards, especially at holiday nights he was heard to moan from his grave: " Oh, my golden bridle! My silvery spuds!" - Whoever might had taken them.

Oiti, Pajari's daughter

Before riding his last journey, Pajari wanted to save his sweet daughter Oiti from peoples anger and sent her beyond the lake in a boat filled with treasures he had collected from people and taken to his court. From beyond the lake it was easy to continue along the river to southern part of Finland, where tha valua of money was more than in the wild north. he trusted his daughter in the hands of his main servant Black Huotari, who was willing to lead the boat and Oiti away.

As they got on the middle of the lake black Huotari saw a black bird flying fast with the wind towards them, and as it flied above them it dropped Pajari's blood dripping grown into the boat. Knowing his master was dead Huotari frightened jumped off the boat, the boat took water and the weight of gold took it into the bottom of the lake. Both, Huotari and Oiti drowned but the bird screamed as it flied to the horizon:

"No rest to Pajari's daughter before the sins of her father are forgotten!"

Under this curse Oiti can still be seen at some nights walking on the waters of the lake, trying to save those who are about to drown, and good luck follows those who have seen her. Making good things in this world she tries to render what her father had done, and finally get peace in the other side.

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