Tavastians (Hämäläiset, Tavaster, Емь, Yem, Yam; also known as Jäämit) are a historic people and a modern subgroup (heimo) of the Finnish people. They live in areas of the historical province of Tavastia (Häme) and speak Tavastian dialects.
Tavastia (Häme in Finnish) has been inhabited since the early Stone Age. The core area of ancient Tavastia was formed around Lake Vanajavesi. Example of organised cooperation of iron age Tavastians are the hillforts that form a clear line in south-north direction around Hämeenlinna. Most remarkable from these hillforts is the Rapola Castle which is the biggest hillfort found in Finland, but also Tenhola hillfort in Hattula and Hakoinen Castle were important fortresses. Villages were often developed around the fortresses and for example Hattula and Vanaja-Janakkala had their beginning in this way. In historical sources Tavastians are first time mentioned in 1042.
Possibly the oldest known road of Finland, Hämeen härkätie (the Ox road of Tavastia) connected Tavastia with the western coast of Finland. First signs of Christianity can be dated to the 11th century.
The Primary Chronicle and Novgorod First Chronicle describe Tavastians in frequent conflicts with Novgorod and Karelians as well as other Baltic Finns from 11th to 14th century.
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Finnish (endonym: suomi ˈsuo̯mi or suomen kieli ˈsuo̯meŋ ˈkie̯li) is a Uralic language of the Finnic branch, spoken by the majority of the population in Finland and by ethnic Finns outside of Finland. Finnish is one of the two official languages of Finland (the other being Swedish). In Sweden, both Finnish and Meänkieli (which has significant mutual intelligibility with Finnish) are official minority languages. The Kven language, which like Meänkieli is mutually intelligible with Finnish, is spoken in the Norwegian county Troms og Finnmark by a minority group of Finnish descent.
Tavastia (Tafæistaland; Tavastland; Häme; Old Russian Ямь or Емь) is a historical province in the south of Finland. It borders Finland Proper, Satakunta, Ostrobothnia, Savonia and Uusimaa. From 1997 to 2010 Tavastia was divided between the administrative provinces of Southern Finland and Western Finland. However, these provinces have been abolished, and Tavastia is now divided among five regions of Finland: mainly Tavastia Proper (Kanta-Häme), Päijänne Tavastia and Central Finland with smaller parts in Pirkanmaa and Kymenlaakso.