Nyland - Summary

L. Löfgren had created a rather large (219 pages) study on the anthropological qualities of the population of Nyland. The measurements had been performed between the years 1928 and 1932. They had studied 394 men, out of which 211 were Swedish speakers and 252 women, out of which 162 were Swedish speakers. The men were between the ages of 25-50 and women 20-50. The height of the Swedish speaking men averaged at 172,14cm, Finnish speakers 169,65cm. The Swedish speakers were said to be 2,49cm taller on average. The Swedish speakers in the western part of Nyland were taller than those in the east, however the Finnish speakers from the west of Nyland were not any taller than his counterparts from the east. The legs of the Swedish speakers were said to be longer than those of the Finnish speakers, whom on the other hand had longer legs than the Carelians. The cephalic index among Nyland's Finnish speakers was around 79,8% and 78,3 among Swedish speakers. On Westerlund's study the same numbers were 80,5 and 79,5 (see table 11)

The comparative information on Sweden's cephalic index division was based on the results of Lundborg-Linders. In their results the hyperbrachycephalics were summed among the brachycephalics. The Swedish speaking men of Nyland had longer faces in comparison to the Finnish speakers. However the Finnish speaking men and women of Nyland were more blond than their Swedish speaking countrymen. Löfgren had made several comparisons to earlier studies and studies of other countries. He was also very descriptive. The faces were mainly ellipse shaped, however this was more frequent among the Swedish speakers. The faces of the Finnish speakers showed more angularity (this was said to be the case also in Finland Proper). The people studied in Nyland often had medium-width and medium-height faces. The forehead was medium high and more often high than low. The Finnish speakers were said to have wider faces and Löfgren also points that the cheekbones were slightly prominent, however this was also the case among many European nations. This feature was more well-defined among the Swedish speakers, with the arch of the cheek being larger.

The Swedish speakers had a higher and more narrow nose. In both groups the male noses were mostly straight, women often had a concave up-tilted nose. The same phenomenon was found in SW-Finland. The nostrils were often long and oval in shape. (see table 12)

Table 12 - Nose shape among the Finnish and Swedish speakers of Nyland according to L.Löfgren (1937)

Extracts from Löfgren's study.

Nyland divided into areas


Gebiet = Area

Gebiet 1 = Bromarv, Tenala, Ekenäs, Pojo, Karis
, Spannertuna, Ingå, Degerby, Hangö and Ekenäs.

Gebiet 2 = Sjundeå, Kyrkslätt, Espoo, Helsinki
, Huopalahti, Oulunkylä, Brändö, Grankulla and Haaga.

Gebiet 3 = Sibbo, Borgå, Pernå, Liljendal, Lappträsk,
Ruotsinpyhtää and Lovisa.

Gebiet 4 = Karjalohja, Sammatti, Nummi, Pusula,
Pyhäjärvi, Vihti, Lohja, Nurmijärvi, Hyvinkää, Lohja
and Karkkila.

Gebiet 5 = Tuusula, Mäntsälä, Pukkila, Askola, Myrskylä,
Artjärvi, Anjala, Sippola, Pyhtää, Kymi, Vehkalahti,
Kotka, Hamina ja Kerava.

U:S = Areas 1,2,3 where only Swedish speakers
were measured, the average of those areas.

U:F = Areas 4 and 5 where only Finnish speakers
were measured, the average of those areas.

Cephalic indexes (men)


Cephalic index frequency table (men)



To classify cephalic indexes into groups, the following system was used

Dolichocephalic x- 75.9
Mesocephalic 76-80.9
Brachycephalic 81-85.4
Hyperbrachycephalic 85.5-x

Statistics about men.

Most dolichocephalic area = Area 1 (Bromarv, Tenala, Ekenäs, Pojo, Karis , Spannertuna, Ingå, Degerby, Hangö and Ekenäs) 33.90% dolichocephalics. Least dolichocephalic area = Area 5 (Tuusula, Mäntsälä, Pukkila, Askola, Myrskylä, Artjärvi, Anjala, Sippola, Pyhtää, Kymi, Vehkalahti, Kotka, Hamina ja Kerava.) 6.51% dolichocephalic

Most mesocephalic area = Area 3 (Sibbo, Borgå, Pernå, Liljendal, Lappträsk, Ruotsinpyhtää and Lovisa) 55.06% mesocephalic. Least mesocephalic area = Area 5 (Tuusula, Mäntsälä, Pukkila, Askola, Myrskylä,
Artjärvi, Anjala, Sippola, Pyhtää, Kymi, Vehkalahti, Kotka, Hamina ja Kerava.) = 45.75%

Most brachycephalic area = Area 5 (Tuusula, Mäntsälä, Pukkila, Askola, Myrskylä, Artjärvi, Anjala, Sippola, Pyhtää, Kymi, Vehkalahti, Kotka, Hamina ja Kerava.) 34.05% brachycephalics. Least brachycephalic area = Area 2 (Sjundeå, Kyrkslätt, Espoo, Helsinki , Huopalahti, Oulunkylä, Brändö, Grankulla and Haaga) with 16.13% brachycephalics.

Most hyperbrachycephalic area = Area 5, least Area 3.

Cephalic indexes (women)


Cephalic index frequency table (women)


Most dolichocephalic area = Area 2 (15.38%)
Least dolichocephalic area = Area 5 (4.12%)
Most mesocephalic area = Area 2 (69.23%)
Least mesocephalic area = Area 5 (47.43%)
Most brachycephalic area = Area 5 (31.96%)
Least brachycephalic area = Area 2 (15.38%)

Area 3 (31.67% brachy) was quite close to Area 5 (31.96%) in terms
of female brachycephalics.

Most hyperbrachycephalics = Area 5 (16.5%)
Least hyperbrachycephalics = Area 1 & 2 (0%)

Arguably one might re-count the distiribution of cephalic indexes from the frequency table by using stricter classifications for the various indexes. Ie. under 75 = dolicho, 75-79.9 meso, over 80 brachy and 85-89.9 for hyperbrachycephalics. This would in some cases make many slightly meso-brachycephalics into purely brachycephalics and so forth.

I will add other tables from the book into this same post when I have more time.

Sources - L.Löfgren - über die anthropologie der Bewohner von Uusimaa (Helsinki, 1937)