The Origin of the Word Sauna

The Origin of the Word Sauna

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The very word ‘sauna’ is an age old Finnish word that comes from the distant, illiterate history of the Finns, more than a millennium ago. It is not Japanese because the ancient Finns, as well as the Europeans, did not know anything about Japan or the Japanese when that word and concept was invented by the Finns. Wherever the ancient Finns moved to settle in the wilderness, they first built a sauna. So, the whole concept of ‘sauna’ came into the world consciousness from Finland and the Finnish.

From ancient times, the real Finns have loved the sauna. Originally, it was a log cabin with a cobblestone oven inside and an opening in the roof for the smoke to go out. It was heated hot, somewhere around 80 degrees Celsius (about 200 degrees Fahrenheit), which I still do myself. We sauna goers sit on an elevated board and throw water, little by little, on the stones, which hiss like an angry tomcat. The healing effects of the combination of hot air and steam are best studied by the Japanese, as I think. I know the effects already, except that I am uncertain about the weight loss.

Well, there is some weight loss made by the sauna, which I don’t try to deny, but time spent in the sauna also increases the appetite. What the sauna takes off, the extra eating easily puts back on plus. Many Finns eat much baloney that they have roasted on the hot stones of the oven, even while bathing in the sauna and they gain weight, rather than losing it. With the baloney, they drink a lot of beer, which also contributes to the weight gain. I know that effect myself and do not eat baloney or other food in or after the sauna. I only drink water or some juice to compensate the water loss that the sauna causes. Also, the loss of salt has to be compensated.

Of course, several chambers similar to the original Finnish ‘sauna’ have been used in different parts of the world, like among the Russians, American natives, Turks and now Japanese. However, the sauna-maniac Finns have introduced the concept of the ‘sauna’ into the world consciousness. The Finns cannot live long without the sauna. Wherever they go around the world, they want to build a sauna or buy one, if it is on the market there already. I bet that the Japanese have learned the sauna-culture from the Finns also because I know that many Finnish saunas have been exported to Japan. The Japanese are intelligent and want to study all things thoroughly. So, they have studied the sauna more than the Finns have and discovered its healthy effects. The sauna also helps to remove the nuclear contamination from the human body, caused by the Fukushima disaster and other nuclear leaks.

For us Finns, the sauna is an inevitable tradition that does not need to be proven scientifically. Our lifestyle has proven that it is good. For others, it is better to be careful because the sauna-maniac Finns are used to using sauna regularly from their birth. Do not overuse it, especially if you suspect the strength of your heart. Still, there is one trap more if you visit the sauna of your Finnish friends. They may insist that you must run naked immediately from the hot sauna to a cold body of water, such as a river or lake and plunge yourself into the water. Keep a cool head and do not agree to all madness they propose. They only want a good laugh on your expense.