The Finnish Savusauna or Sauna
Historical evidence and records indicate that the Finns
built the first
wooden saunas in the 5th or 8th century. The early
Finnish sauna was dug into a hill or embankment. As
tools and techniques advanced, they were later built above
ground using wooden logs. Rocks were heated in a stone
fireplace with a wood fire. The smoke from the fire filled
the room as the air warmed.
Once the temperature reached desired levels, the smoke was allowed to clear and the bathers entered. The wood smoke aroma still lingered and was part of the cleansing ritual. This type of traditional smoke sauna was called a savusauna, which means smoke sauna in Finnish. The smell of smoke and wood is relaxing to most people, especially those who have never been to sauna before.
The evolution of the sauna
Eventually the sauna evolved to use a metal woodstove, or kiuas [ˈkiu.ɑs], with a chimney. Air temperatures averaged around 160-180 degrees Fahrenheit (70-80 °C) but sometimes exceeded 200 °F (90 °C) in a traditional Finnish sauna. Steam vapor, also called löyly [ˈløyly], was created by splashing water on the heated rocks.
The steam and high heat caused bathers to perspire, thus flushing away impurities and toxins from the body. The Finns also used a vihta [ˈvihtɑ] (Western dialect, aka vasta in Eastern dialect), which is a bundle of birch twigs, to gently slap the skin and create further stimulation of the pores and cells.
The Finns also used the sauna as a place to cleanse th mind, rejuvenate and refresh the spirit, and prepare the dead for burial. The sauna was an important part of daily life, and families bathed together in the home sauna. Those of differing sexes generally do not mix in public saunas in the modern era, though groups of friend sometimes do. Indeed Sauna was originally place of mystical nature where gender/sex differences did not exist. Because the sauna was often the cleanest structure and had water readily available, Finnish women also gave birth in the sauna.
When the Finns migrated to other areas of the globe, such as Minnesota, Northern Wisconsin, the Upper Pennisula of Michigan and Western Ontario, they brought their sauna designs and traditions with them, introducing other cultures the enjoyment and health benefits of sauna. This led to further evolution of the sauna, including the electric sauna stove, which was invented and implemented in the 1950s and far infrared saunas, which have become popular in the last several decades.
