Want Snow? Heikki Lunta delivers

Michigan's Upper Peninsula can get buried in snow during the winter. Some simply thank Mother Nature. Others use meteorology to explain it all. But to some members of the Finnish-American community in the Hancock area, the snow is because of Heikki Lunta. Legend has it, the mystical man's dancing has the power to summon snowstorms. Hilary-Joy Virtanen wrote her master's thesis on the the legend of Heikki, his not-so-ancient origins, and his role in preserving Finnish-American culture. GUEST: Hilary-Joy Virtanen, Associate Professor of Finnish & Nordic Studies at Finlandia University, a private Lutheran university in Hancock, Michigan ____ Looking for more conversations from Stateside? Right this way. If you like what you hear on the pod, consider supporting our work. Music in this episode by Blue Dot Sessions.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.