About Karhunpeijaispolska:

   The old legends tell that the bear was invited to a feast, slain, and then the bear's soul was told that it was a stranger at the feast, not a local, who'd slain him.  The people believed that the bear's soul would have revenge on the killers.  In the Haapavesi version the people calmed the spirit of the bear by playing soothing music on the kantele.  This is a dance, though more modern polskas are not in 4 but in 3.

Listen to karhunpeijaispolska

Karhunpeijaispolska

If you don't understand go back to the previous page and read again!

Part A: (both parts twice!)

  I               I  V

 - - -|- - - - - - - -1 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - |- - - x=|==1 - -1 - -1 - - -

*-x=|====>2 - - - - 2 - - - - - - - - - - - x=|=>2 - | - - - - - - - - - - - *

 - - -|- - - -3 - - - - - - - - -3 - - - - - - -3 - -|- - -x=|=== - - - - - - - -

*-x=|=>4 - - - - - - - - - - - - -4- - - 4---x=|====|===========*

 - - -|- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -5 - - - - |- - - - -- - - - - - - - - - - -

 \/                     \/ \/

Count:1(+)2 + 3(+)4(+)1(+)2(+)3(+)4 + 1(+)2(+)3(+)4(+)1(+)2(+)3(+4+) 

repeat the whole first line and then place this twice:

                   I   V

 - - - 1 - - - - - - - 1 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -| - - - -x=|= -1 - - 1 - -1 - -

* - - - -2 - - -2 - - - - -2 - - - - - - - - - - - - x=|= >2 - - | - - - - - - - - - -*

 - - - - - -3 - - - - - - - - - - 3 - - - - - - - -3 - - | - -  - x=|===== - - - - - -

*- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -4 - - - 4 - - x=|===== |==========*

 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 5 - - - - -| - - - - - -| - - - - - - - - - -

                           \/   \/

Count1 + 2(+)3(+)4(+)1(+)2(+)3(+)4 + 1(+)2(+) 3(+)4(+)1(+)2(+)3(4) 

After this you can try Maaherran polska (the governor's polska).  The story behind it:

In the old days the governor walked down the road and whistled this.  A kanteleplayer heard it and started to play it on his kantele.