User:Lucifer1300/Antti Keksi

Anders Mickelsson Keksi (tornedalsk namnform: Antti Mikkelinpoika Keksi, c.1622 - c.1705) was a poet from the Torne Valley. Of all his works, two survive.

Antti Keksi was likely born in the village of Lower Kuivakangas in the year 1622 (according to Recruitment and Inventory Rolls (sv: roterings- och utskrivningslängden) Keksi was 16 years old on 1 April 1639). He was possibly the son of  mercenary Mickel Mickelsson from Kaulinranta. In 1642 he became master of Keksi's homestead in today's Korva, which at the time belonged to Marjosaari village. He took over the farm after his mother-in-law Agnes who was the widow of Henrik Olofsson Nirviä (d. 1615), who belonged to a Birkarl family who had owned the farm since 1564. Antti Keksi and his wife, whose name is not known, had at least four sons. His son Josef Andersson Keksi took over the farm.

Antti Keksi wrote poetry in Kalevala-meter. His poetry is the oldest preserved (traded) works of literature written in Tornedalian Finnish. He is also the oldest known Finnish-language folk poet. His style was drastic, ironic, and humorous.

Apart from his poetry work, Keksi was also a soldier in the Västerbotten Regiment between 1669 and 1678. For a time he was a bailiff (fjärdingsman) in the parish of Övertorneå

Antti Keksi's two surviving works

 * Keksin laulu jäänlähdöstä Tornionväylässä vuonna 1677. Keksi's work on Islossning (Ice melting) in the Torne river in 1677. Often called simply Keksis kväde (Keksi's work). The flood which followed the ice loss has been given the name Keksin tulva (Keksi's flood).
 * Keksin laulu Nikolaus papista. Keksis' work on the priest Nikolaus (Nicolaus Nicolai Ulopolitanus). Even called Antti Keksin toinen runo, (Antti Keksi's other work), despite it being older than the work about ice melting.