Alahärmä

ALAHÄRMÄ

Region : Etelä-Pohjanmaa
Former province : 1997-2009 Länsi-Suomi (until 1997 Vaasa)
Incorporated into: 2009 Kauhava

Official blazon

Hopeakentässä pai nanteisen pilvikoron rajoittama musta tyviö, jonka yläpuolella musta, punavaruksinen kar hunpää.

Origin/meaning

The arms were granted on January 10, 1958.

The bears' head is taken from the arms of Isokyrö, the parish of which Alahärmä used to be part of. The lower division symbolises the kyttlandsrökar (in Finnish Kytösavut). Kytö or kydötys is a form of slash and burn agriculture, savu(t) is smoke(s).

In Alahärmä and surrounding area it was practiced from 1600-century onwards. You dry up a patch of marshland by digging drainage, this may take something like 7 to 12 years. After draining peat is dug up, as well as any roots and tree trunks. These are piled up, covered with peat and burned. After burning soil is ploughed and rye sown.