War or history buffs know the stories of plucky Finland fighting off the much larger Soviet armies on several occasions, but did you know that Finnish polka music also helped kick the Kremlin’s ass? Amusing Planet shares this story.
At the beginning of World War II, Russia invaded Finland, hoping to capture some territory to put between itself and Hitler’s Germany. However, the Germans soon helped Finland expel the Soviets and Finland regained its lands. On the way out, the Russians hid radio-controlled mines.
When they discovered the mines, the Finns thought they were time-triggered, but soon realized they were radio-controlled. In order to prevent the Soviets from triggering the mines, the Finns played a fast-paced polka song called Säkkijärvi polkka on a 24-hour loop for three months, until the batteries in the mines died. According to the story, only 12 of 1,000 mines detonated. Säkkijärvi polkka became an unofficial national anthem.
Is there a beloved song or other symbol in your novel that could have an extraordinary backstory? Can you use music, art, or literature to defeat an enemy without violence, or in some other unexpected way? What happens next?
