Suicidal murder as a criminal, social, and cultural phenomenon in early modern Finland
Thesis event information
Date and time of the thesis defence
Place of the thesis defence
Linnanmaa, IT115
Topic of the dissertation
Suicidal murder as a criminal, social, and cultural phenomenon in early modern Finland
Doctoral candidate
Master of Arts Lauri Moilanen
Faculty and unit
University of Oulu Graduate School, Faculty of Humanities, History of Sciences and Ideas
Subject of study
History of Sciences and Ideas
Opponent
Docent Jari Eilola, University of Jyväskylä
Custos
Docent Mikko Myllykangas, University of Oulu
Suicidal murder as a criminal, social, and cultural phenomenon in early modern Finland
Europe saw an increasing number of murders committed in the hope of receiving the death penalty from the 1650s to the late 1700s. These acts, now called suicidal murders, were committed by self-destructive individuals who did not want to commit suicide but preferred to die by execution. This phenomenon belongs to the realm of self-destruction and can be characterised as indirect suicide, using the death penalty as an intermediary. Previous research, focusing on large northern and central European cities, has explained these acts primarily in a cultural-historical context: the suicide perpetrator was believed to go to hell, while the condemned to death was absolved and thus went to heaven.
This dissertation monograph studies suicidal murders committed in early modern Finland, the eastern part of the kingdom of Sweden. In order to improve our understanding of the prevalence and nature of this crime, the main task of this study is to analyse how suicidal murders committed in Finland compare with their counterparts elsewhere.
The study examines crime events, the backgrounds of the victims and perpetrators, and their thinking from the perspectives of historical criminology and social and cultural history. This approach brings a fresh perspective to the subject and critically examines prevailing interpretations. The main sources for this qualitative research are legal documents produced in the context of criminal proceedings, such as court records and correspondence between judicial bodies. A key methodological tool for the study is the use of crime profiles, developed in the context of historical criminological research, which are constructed through a comparative close reading of the sources and disaggregation of crimes.
The study identifies at least 35 murders interpreted as suicidal murders in Finland between 1693 and 1818, suggesting that they were part of a wider European phenomenon. This provides new insights and challenges previous interpretations of the nature of this crime.
This dissertation monograph studies suicidal murders committed in early modern Finland, the eastern part of the kingdom of Sweden. In order to improve our understanding of the prevalence and nature of this crime, the main task of this study is to analyse how suicidal murders committed in Finland compare with their counterparts elsewhere.
The study examines crime events, the backgrounds of the victims and perpetrators, and their thinking from the perspectives of historical criminology and social and cultural history. This approach brings a fresh perspective to the subject and critically examines prevailing interpretations. The main sources for this qualitative research are legal documents produced in the context of criminal proceedings, such as court records and correspondence between judicial bodies. A key methodological tool for the study is the use of crime profiles, developed in the context of historical criminological research, which are constructed through a comparative close reading of the sources and disaggregation of crimes.
The study identifies at least 35 murders interpreted as suicidal murders in Finland between 1693 and 1818, suggesting that they were part of a wider European phenomenon. This provides new insights and challenges previous interpretations of the nature of this crime.
Last updated: 7.5.2025