Christianity The first church of Enontekiö was built in the 14th Century in Rounala (now part of NE Sweden). According to legend, it was built by three Sami brothers.
The first church of Enontekiö was built in the 14th Century in Rounala (now part of NE Sweden). According to legend, it was built by three Sami brothers. It was very small, only 5x7 m wide, built from timber and situated on the banks of Könkämäeno river (which nowadays belongs to Sweden) about 7 km north of Saarikoski. The church was well situated, in the centre of which was in those days a nomadic meeting place. Traders and tar burners came to the church during certain times (such as Maria’s Day) to trade items. Royal officials also visited the church at regular intervals, in order to carry out lawsuits. The functions of the church - funerals, christenings, marriages - usually took place during the spring season, when travel by reindeer was easiest and reindeer nomads were migrating, via Rounala, to the Arctic Ocean.
Enontekiö’s second church was built in 1611, in the village of Markkina 10 km north of Karesuvanto by Muonio River, which by then had become a significant meeting place for the Sami nomads. Markkina was situated on top of a hill, and so was well suited to its role. There was also a graveyard and a parsonage in the vicinity of the church. As well as royal officials, visitors to the parsonage included many foreign explorers, artists and scientists.
Church of Enontekiö Photo: Tapio Huttunen
Markkina’s first church was destroyed in the new year of 1661. Shortly after this, a second church was built in Markkina, but in 1826 it was taken to pieces and its logs were floated down the Muoniojoki River. The aim was to build a new church at that point where the logs stopped floating! This happened to be Palojoensuu, and so Palojoensuu became the site of the fourth church of Enontekiö. The church, however, remained in Palojoensuu for only a short period. The church’s sudden re-location was linked with the takeover of Finland, from being part of Sweden, to becoming part of the Russian empire, in 1809. The Muoniojoki River had become the border between the Swedish and Russian nations, and it was felt advisable to remove any important sites away from this vunerable border area. The role of the inland village of Hetta, as an old trading post by the shore of Ounasjärvi lake, had begun to spread, with more and more new dwellings. Thus it was decided to move the church there. Hetta’s church was built in 1864, but it was destroyed by Germans at the end of WWII, as they retreated from Lapland to the coast of the Arctic Ocean.
The present church of Hetta, the sixth church of Enontekiö, was built on the ruins of the old church. It was completed in 1952, with the help of subsidies from American Lutherian Christians. The church was designed by the architect Veikko Larkas. The organ was a gift donated from West Germany. The magnificent altar mosaic was designed by Uuno Eskola. The mosaic depicts the resurrection of Christ, and his blessing of the Lappish people and their everyday lives. The mosaic also shows wonderful views of the nature of the fells.