Jakolinja began to take shape already in the Stone Age: there was no talk of Finnishness yet, but our country was roughly formed by two peoples, the Western and the Eastern.
The dividing line settled in the same places for which the peace limit of Pähkinäsaari was defined in the Middle Ages in 1323. It would scratch Finland diagonally from the current South Karelia to the corners of Raahe.
The cultures of the West and the East lived for half an eternity without encountering each other. The common Finnish history is so short that the dividing line is still visible.
It is reflected in average income. Wealthier west, poorer east.
It is seen in diseases. Healthy west, heartbreaking east.
It is displayed on the speaker. We or we? Nothing or mehtää?
It shows in folk music. West of major chords, east of minor melodies.
It shows in attitudes. Is chatting strange or normal for strangers?
It appears in last names. The West is understood by the Great Houses and Kivimäe, the east by the cryptic Korhos and Räsäs.
It is reflected in the food tradition. To the west of hard perforated bread and sausages, to the east of roosters and pies.
And of course it shows in the genes. Western and eastern Finns are more distantly related to each other than the British and Germans.
The recent pandemic has highlighted another difference. The West may be richer and healthier, but in this comparison the settings are different.
The victory is clearly taken east.
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