The Latin for ‘absent’. A graduand who participates in the conferment ceremony in absentia has their name published in the conferment booklet and thereby obtains the right to use the academic insignia of the degree conferred in the ceremony.
Towards the end of the ball, when the conferrer has left the event by walking through an honorary arch of doctoral swords, the head marshal calls out “Barabbas on irti! (Barabbas is on the loose!)”. All the marshals will then throw their ribbons at the head marshal to mark the closing of the official part of the ball and conferment ceremony. Once the ribbons have been thrown, the marshals will sing a song of their choosing to the head marshal, often with rewritten lyrics. Informal celebration, free from protocol, can now begin. Barabbas is a reference to the New Testament and its depiction of the events of Passover. Barabbas is the thief that the crowd prefers to be released instead of Jesus and yell Barabbas’ name to Pontius Pilate. The call “Barabbas is on the loose!” signifies that the ceremony marked by Christian demeanour and formal protocol is over and a freer “bacchanalia” can begin.
lat. Bedellus
The blue-cloaked beadles serve as the rector’s and chancellor’s marshals in academic processions. They carry silver sceptres dating back to 1640, representing spiritual and secular jurisdiction.
Yliopistolainen magazine 5/1996 wrote:
“The title of beadle goes back to the University statute of 1852, which established the position of inspector to aid the rector in supervising students. Six positions of beadle were established to assist the inspector in his task. The holders of these positions had their work cut out for them, for the University disciplinary regulations from 1828 stipulated that students were not allowed outside after 10 in the evening, play cards or dice, ride fast on horses or carts, or smoke on the street. Students also had to report to the rector when they left and returned to Helsinki. Drinking alcohol was allowed, but getting excessively drunk was not. The position of inspector was rather short-lived, as it was abolished in 1870, but the position of beadle persisted. The authority of beadles, however, diminished as they became regular civil servants, i.e., porters, when the University loosened its disciplinary rules in the early 1900s.
The position of cursor is much older than that of beadle. The statutes of Uppsala academy from the 17th century mention that the rector is aided by two cursores who complete tasks assigned to them by the rector on a daily basis. Twice a day, at eight in the morning and at noon, the cursores were to appear at the rector’s door to be assigned their duties. The cursores were obviously higher in the hierarchy than the beadles. While the beadles were responsible for monitoring the morals of students, the cursores kept an eye on the professors, and reported to the rector if they noticed, for example, that professors were neglecting their lectures. The cursores saw to it that doctoral dissertations were publicly displayed on the designated noticeboard. They also carried silver sceptres at academic celebrations and collected tuition fees from students. Today, cursores are also known as porters, and their duties no longer automatically include the carrying of silver sceptres in academic processions. However, the old title has been preserved.”
lat. Poeta cantatae / Compositor cantatae
The conferment committee commissions lyrics for the cantata to be performed at the conferment ceremony from a poet who will then be referred to as the cantata poet. It is also possible that an earlier conferment poem or some other text will be adopted as the lyrics for the cantata.
The conferment committee or the University commissions a cantata to be performed at the conferment ceremony from a composer who will then be referred to as the cantata composer. It is also possible that earlier compositions will be adopted for the cantata.
lat. Actus promotionis
Older translation: Conferment Act
The graduands are conferred their degrees in a solemn ceremony held in the University’s Great Hall, the climax of the three-day celebration. The act of conferring degrees is performed like a well-rehearsed play with the graduands receiving their academic titles from the conferrer according to a precise choreography. First, the graduands, their companions and the representatives of the University enter the Great Hall in processions formed in strict order. After the conferrer’s speech, the highest ranking master and doctoral graduands must answer a ceremonial question pertaining to their respective fields of study. When their answers have been approved, the conferment of degrees may commence. Each graduand ascends the conferrer’s podium to receive the insignia of their degree: the conferrer places a laurel wreath on the master graduands head and touches their golden master’s ring. In the same manner, the doctoral graduands receive their doctoral hats and swords. Music is an essential part of the ceremony: in practise, the programme always includes the Conferment March and Andante Festivo by Sibelius as well as a selection of other classical music played throughout the ceremony. Very often, new compositions are commissioned (most often a conferment cantata) to be performed for the very first time in the ceremony. At the conclusion of the conferment of degrees, two processions are formed; one to Helsinki Cathedral for an ecumenical service and one to a secular service. Processions are a traditional part of academic festivities which usually attract a fair number of spectators to Senate Square.
An essential part of the conferment festivities is the gala ball on Saturday evening, which concludes in a nocturnal procession. The ball is usually only organised during conferments where master graduands take part and so is more rare in conferment ceremonies that only include doctor graduands.
Most balls feature dances that are familiar from the annual balls of student nations and student associations, some even from the formal dances of second-year general upper secondary school students. In recent years, such dances have included the polonaise, mignon, cicapo (picador), waltz, pas d'Espagne and pas de quatre. Dances other than the ceremonial figure dances are open to all participants, and each faculty and conferment ball favour different dances.
A speciality of conferment ceremonies are two ceremonial figure dances that date from the 19th century: once the polonaise and the contredance française were taught to students by the dance master employed by the University. In the 19th century, having dancing skills was considered an essential survival skill for persons of rank in society. Master graduands wishing to join the contredance française, and doctoral graduands wishing to join the polonaise, must sign up in advance. Dance rehearsals begin weeks before the ball to ensure that the symmetric figures and moves are synchronised appropriately. Because of the symmetric dance patterns, the dancers must wear black or white as prescribed by the dress code.
lat. Scandalum promotionis
Each conferment ceremony has its own scandal. There can be one or several scandals per conferment ceremony, depending on who you ask and what qualifies as a scandal. A conferment scandal is a humorous way of highlighting the fact that, in real life, not everything goes as planned or turns out as intended. When a lot of people get together, anything can happen, but in the end, everything will be fine.
lat. Concilium promotionis
Committees organising conferment ceremonies that include both master and doctoral graduands welcome graduands from both achievement levels who wish to join the effort on a voluntary basis. Committees organising conferment ceremonies only for doctoral graduands usually have strong faculty representation along with a few voluntary doctoral graduands. In some cases, a separate committee consisting of graduands can be established.
The conferment matricula is an old-school index of participants in the conferment ceremony, with their personal details. Conferment matriculas contain essential information about the history of Finland and the Finnish university institution. Many genealogists can find a piece of their family history in digitised conferment matriculas. The oldest student records of the Academy of Turku from 1640 to 1817 were destroyed in the Great Fire of Turku in 1827, but over the years, preserved data has been compiled and digitised, and finally made available online in the 2000s.
The matricula prepared by the conferment committee – officially entitled ‘Invitation to the conferment ceremony’– contains an official list of the graduands conferred, the jubilee masters and doctors and the honorary doctors. The matricula is distributed to the participants at the conferment ceremony. The personal data to be included in the booklet is submitted in Finnish, Swedish or English when registering for the conferment ceremony. In some faculties, the personal data to be included in the conferment matricula is not very comprehensive, as some occupations have their own indexes of professionals in the field.
Graduands whose name appears in the conferment matricula are considered to have been conferred their degree even if they would not in the end participate in the ceremony, for example due to illness.
Example text (very comprehensive)
MODEL, Mary * 10.3.1985 Ann Arbor, MI, USA. PRNTS Dr Elena Model and chef Gary Model (nee Moore) SPOUSE MSc Tom Model (nee Hudson) 2011 CHLDRN Samantha 2010 – BSc 2009, MSc 2012, PhD 2016 (theoretical physics) DISS. Cosmological constraints on Standard Model Extensions OCC. Academy Research Fellow, University of Helsinki, 2016- PREV. OCC. doctoral student, University of Helsinki, 2012-16, SECNDRY OCC. assistant, University of Helsinki, 2009-12 POS. OF TRUST president, The Student Association, 2008-10, member of the board, The Scientific Society, 2014-15 – honorary member, The Student Association, 2015 – MSc thesis prize of the University of Helsinki 2012, Prize of The Scientific Society 2015, Academy Research Fellow 2016- TRAVELS Stanford University, USA, 2014-15 PUBL. History of Physics 2015, 10 scientific articles in the field of theoretical physics, 5 popular articles.
lat. Quaestio Facultatis
Before the master and doctoral graduands are conferred their degrees, the highest ranking master and doctoral graduates must answer a ceremonial question presented by a representative of their faculty. Once this representative has approved the answer, the conferment of degrees may commence. This question is an original element of the ceremony, dating from mediaeval times. The custom was that the candidates seeking a position among their masters and teachers had to demonstrate their knowledge and skills to their future peers. Generally, the question which pertains to the graduand’s thesis is presented by their thesis supervisor. The question must be formulated so that the reply in the end can either be affirmed with a ‘yes’ or negated with a ‘no’.
lat. Poeta promotionis
The conferment committee invites a poet to write a congratulatory poem for the master and doctoral graduands. Such literary artists are called conferment poets. Originally the poems were in Latin, which was replaced by Swedish in the 18th century. Since the late 19th century, Finnish was also heard in the poems. The language disputes of the early 20th century resulted in two conferment poems being commissioned, one in Finnish and one in Swedish. Originally the poem was included in the ceremonial conferment of degrees programme, but today it is recited afterwards at the conferment dinner.
After the conferment ceremony, a commemorative book is compiled to include, among others, the speeches held during the celebration. Nowadays, the publication often also includes photographs.
The first known conferment ceremony publication dates from the ceremony held in 1647. At the initiative of Conferrer Michael Wexionius, the speeches held were published in a 100-page book entitled Rota Fortunae (meaning ‘the wheel of fortune’). The speeches held at the conferment ceremony of 1647 focused on the precariousness of luck and the predictability of the future with the help of science. The book reveals that the question presented to the highest ranking master graduand was about luck and fate, or the predictability thereof, in other words, the reliability of astrological predictions. In the book, the wordy question takes seven and a half pages, while the response encompassing the natural sciences and theology is 13 pages long.
lat. Promotor et Brabeuta/Promotrix
The conferrer is the highest ranking official in the ceremony who confers the graduands with their academic degrees. Usually the faculty’s most senior professor is appointed to this key role.
lat. Venia promovendi
At the beginning of the conferment of degrees, the conferrer asks a representative of the University’s chancellor, usually the chancellor’s secretary, to read aloud the chancellor’s consent to the arrangement of the ceremony. Only a conferment ceremony held at the consent of the chancellor is legitimate and valid. The letter of consent has been part of the conferment ceremony tradition since 1219, when Pope Honorius III decreed in his bull Cum Sepe Contingat that the eligibility to teach at the University of Bologna was only held by master’s graduates who had been licensed to teach by the archdeacon of the cathedral, also serving as the university’s chancellor. When new universities were established, local bishops or other influential statesmen were appointed as chancellors to oversee the university as a representative of the ruler.
lat. Informator saltatores
Throughout the spring preceding a conferment ceremony, dances for the conferment ball – the contredance française in particular – are rehearsed under the direction of a dance master hired by the conferment committee. Originally, the dance master was one of the University’s practice masters, but by the 19th century, teaching dance was merged with the other duties of the University’s fencing master. In the 20th century the conferment committees established the practice of hiring a dance master separately for conferment ceremonies.
lat. Praedicator festii
The conferment committee invites a bishop of the Evangelical Lutheran Church, a professor of the Faculty of Theology or another ordained person to deliver the sermon in the ecumenical service belonging to the conferment ceremony.
The doctoral hat is the highest external insignia of academic learning. The right to wear a doctoral hat is granted in the conferment ceremony, and doctoral degree holders who have not been conferred are not permitted to wear it. Doctoral graduands cannot take part in a conferment ceremony without a doctoral hat, or wear the hat of other universities or faculties. The tall doctoral hat, clad in silk, stems from the hat fashion of the late 16th century in the Netherlands, but also bears a symbolic resemblance to ancient Phrygian caps, a symbol of freedom.
At the University of Helsinki, doctoral hats are usually black, with the following exceptions:
Doctoral hats are worn in certain academic events, which, in addition to conferment ceremonies, include doctoral defences (hats are carried by the custos and the opponent), postdoctoral parties, opening ceremonies of the academic year (during the academic procession) and the inaugural lectures of new professors (new professors and participants in the academic procession). The same dress code largely applies to doctoral hats as to other top hats. As the doctoral hat is not worn indoors, it should be carried on the way to and from an event. The correct way to carry the hat is on top of the left arm, the lyre facing away from the person carrying the hat (theologians carry their hat so that the ribbons of the velvet band are facing the person carrying the hat). Traditionally, men wear their doctoral hats only when dressed in an evening dress, which in the daytime includes a black vest and in the evening a white vest. Women usually wear their doctoral hats with a black evening dress.
In many faculties, a doctoral sword accompanies the doctoral hat as a visual emblem of the academic title. The Faculty of Theology makes an exception to this and does not include swords in its conferment ceremonies as emblems of the doctoral degree. Doctoral swords are never carried at one’s own initiative. Doctoral graduands and jubilee doctors carry their swords at the conferment of degrees, the conferment dinner and at the gala ball. Swords are excluded by the dress code at the wreath-weaving ceremony and dinner, the sword-whetting ceremony and dinner and the conferment excursion.
In Finland, the doctoral sword is the only official civilian sword, designed by Akseli Gallen-Kallela. At the ceremony, graduands can use a borrowed sword. When registering for the conferment ceremony, graduands wishing to borrow a sword from the University must indicate this on the registration form. A borrowed sword can be one from another faculty or a doctoral sword from another Finnish university, provided it is an official civilian sword. Military swords, doctoral swords from foreign universities or any other swords are not allowed in the ceremony. Graduands may have their name, the date of the conferment ceremony or the date of their doctoral defence engraved on the sword.
The doctoral sword is attached to the waist, on the left side. Graduands wearing an evening dress attach the sword to the waistband of their trousers. Graduands wearing an evening gown (or a long skirt with a separate top) should take into consideration that the sword is heavy and the gown fabric might not withstand the weight. A good solution is to attach the sword to a silk ribbon going over the shoulder or to a belt hidden under the gown, in which case a small hole should be made in the side seam at the waist. The sword can be attached to an ornamented golden, or alternatively, discreet black clip.
Originally, an emblem was an embossed figure or ornament in a metal vessel. The emblem on a doctoral hat, the cockade, is often also called a lyre, in line with the established emblem of Finnish student caps, which is the lyre of the Student Union of the University of Helsinki. The doctoral hat and sword, and the master’s ring often bear the University's emblem, with some exceptions. For example, the doctoral hat of the Faculty of Theology at the University of Helsinki bears no emblem.
lat. Aurifex
At the wreath-weaving dinner, the official wreath weaver receives a piece of jewellery in appreciation of a task well done. The piece is commissioned by the conferment committee from a selected goldsmith.
lat. Graphicus/Graphica.
The conferment committee can choose a graphic artist to design the visual identity of the conferment festivities.
According to Finnish tradition, the chair of conferment committee is referred to by the term gratisti (masc.) / gratista (fem.), which derive from the Latin word ‘gratis’ meaning ‘without charge’. The chair often has one or more deputies.
Originally, the organisation of the conferment ceremony was the responsibility of the second highest ranking master graduand, whose participation fee was paid by the other graduands as an acknowledgement of the completed effort. Consequently, the graduand with the most limited means was often selected for the task. In 1815 the separate title and role of the conferment committee chair was established.
lat. Summus designator
The head marshal ensures the smooth progress of the conferment festivities, together with the master of ceremonies, and leads the marshals. Usually, a doctoral-level scholar or university lecturer from the faculty is selected for this task. The first head marshal was appointed to assist the master of ceremonies in the conferment ceremony of 1873. The ribbon worn by the head marshal is blue.
lat. Doctor honoris causa, dr. h. c.
Honorary doctorates may be conferred in connection with the conferment of master’s and doctoral degrees. A faculty may confer the title of honorary doctor to persons it considers distinguished enough irrespective of their educational background. However, honorary doctorates cannot be awarded to doctoral graduates from the University of Helsinki. The title of honorary doctor is the highest recognition that the University can award. The first honorary doctors at the University of Helsinki were conferred with their titles in 1840 when the University celebrated its bicentennial with a series of four conferment ceremonies.
lat. Magister semisaecularis/Magistra semisaecularis, Doctor semisaecularis/Doctrix semisaecularis
Holders of master’s and doctoral degrees who received their titles in a ceremony held 50 years earlier are conferred as jubilee masters and doctors. The first jubilee masters were conferred in Turku in 1819 and the first jubilee doctors in Helsinki in 1882.
Academician, Professor Eino Jutikkala was probably the University of Helsinki’s first jubilee honorary doctor. He received an honorary doctorate from the Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Helsinki, in 1956. In the conferment ceremony of 2006, when 50 years had passed since Jutikkala was conferred an honorary doctorate, the Faculty of Social Sciences conferred the title of jubilee honorary doctor on him. Thus, as far as is known, Jutikkala became the first ever jubilee honorary doctor in the history of the University of Helsinki.
lat. Nectendarius semisaecularis/Nectendarix semisaecularis
The official wreath weaver of a conferment ceremony held 50 years earlier joins in the jubilee celebrations of other participants being conferred with a jubilee title. Can also refer to a personal wreath weaver of a jubilee master, if this same person weaved the wreath for the master graduand 50 years previously.
All the participants in the conferment ceremony leave the Great Hall in a single procession, which then divides into two: one heading for the conferment church service and one for the secular service. Laudatio solemnis refers jointly to these two events. The reorganised processions continue to their destinations: Helsinki Cathedral for an ecumenical service and another location for a secular service. The solemn black and white processions are one of the most spectacular moments of the conferment ceremony and attract the graduands’ family members and other spectators to crowd alongside Senate Square.
At the Faculty of Philosophy, the secular service has been renamed as the wreath ceremony. This ceremony includes speeches and a sing-song. After the church and secular services, the participants again form their processions which return to the Main Building.
Promootioaktissa maisterit saavat päähänsä laakeriseppeleen tunnuksena saavuttamastaan akateemisesta oppiarvosta.
Seppeleensitojaiset järjestetään samanaikaisesti aktiharjoituksen kanssa torstaina iltapäivällä. Seppeleensitojaisiin osallistuvat seppeleensitojat eli maisteripromovendien avecit. Nimensä mukaisesti seppeleensitojaisissa maisteripromovendien seuralaiset sitovat promovendeilleen laakerinlehdistä seppeleen, joka symboloi oppineisuutta sekä roomalaiseen tapaan voittoa. Tämä seppele lasketaankin maisteripromovendin päähän promootiopäivän huipentumassa, promootioaktissa. Seppeleen sidonta tehdään yleisen seppeleensitojan ja hänen edeltäjiensä ohjeistamana eli ennestään ei tarvitse tietää mitään.
Laakeriseppeleen voi myös sitoa edellisenä sunnuntaina, jolloin järjestetään esiseppeleensitojaiset. Tähän tilaisuuteen voivat osallistua ne maisteripromovendien seuralaiset, jotka eivät jostain syystä pääse varsinaisiin seppeleensitojaisiin torstaina. Myös ilman seuralaista olevat maisteripromovendit voivat tulla esiseppeleensitojaisiin sitomaan oman laakeriseppeleensä.
The history of the Maccaroni song and the game played to the tune is somewhat obscure. It is thought to originate in Estonia and to have been adopted by the student nations from Ostrobothnia, along with rapiers, i.e., the swords of song leaders. The lyrics of Maccaroni have evolved over time. The name Maccaroni comes from Italian. Poesia maccheronica is a form of poetry which mixes Italian words with words from other languages or Dog Latin to create a humorous or satirical effect. At the conferment ball, the Maccaroni song and dance concludes the evening, its purpose being to empty the hall.
lat. Designator
Marshals are young students assisting the master of ceremonies and the head marshal. The marshals are tasked with, for example, guiding guests and serving as guards of honour. They can be identified by marshal’s ribbons and student caps. The coloured ribbons represent the student nations, i.e., associations of students from different parts of Finland, and field-specific student organisations of the various faculties. Hence, colourful ribbons signify assistance and guidance. Traditionally, women carry the ribbon on the left shoulder and men on the right, but these days the choice is up to the wearer.
In 2022 the Faculty of Philosophy launched a new tradition of playfully awarding the marshals with the title of ‘conferment marshal’ at the ball after the Barabbas scene and the Maccaroni song and dance. As a token of their title, the marshals receive two golden safety pins that are attached crosswise on the lapel of their evening coat or the black velvet band of their student cap. Usually, the same kind of safety pins are used in weaving the laurel wreaths; the marshals receive the safety pins to await the weaving of their own wreaths. And, marshals being marshals, they always carry extra safety pins in case someone happens to need one. Two safety pins are usually also needed to fasten the ribbons in place over the marshal’s shoulder.
The conferment ball programme includes academic dances, in addition to which the master graduands may dance the contredance française and the doctoral graduands the polonaise with their companions. The jubilee masters and doctors do not participate in these two dances.
The contredance française is dedicated to the young graduands, who commit to rehearsing this seven-part figure dance. The visual idea of the dance is based on the patterns formed by the dancers dressed in black and white. The participants include only couples with one partner dressed in black evening attire and the other in a white evening gown. Companions, whose attire is the same colour as the graduands, may participate in the contredance only if they change their outfit for the dance.
The polonaise is the figure dance performed by doctoral graduands. The polonaise occupies a central role in conferment ceremonies, and often the programme includes both the doctoral polonaise and a polonaise in honour of the guests. Both dance partners must wear black. Companions, whose attire is of a different colour than the graduands, may participate in the polonaise only if they change their outfit for the dance.
Part I - Les saluts généraux (greetings)
Part II - Mesdames et messieurs (ladies and gentlemen)
Part III - Le moulin (the mill)
Part IV - Cédez les dames (the troika)
Part V - La file dinde (a single line)
Part VI - La galoppe (the gallop)
Part VII - Les remerciements (thank you)
Applause
lat. Caerimoniis praeerit
One of three officials of conferment ceremonies. The master of ceremonies, as the title suggests, leads the ceremony and oversees that the conferment of degrees and other ceremonial events run smoothly. Usually, a mid-career professor from the faculty in question is selected for the task. For the first time, a master of ceremonies was appointed in 1869 after the model of the Lantmarskalk or speaker of the Diet. The master of ceremonies wears an imperial purple ribbon similar to the one carried by the Lantmarskalk.
The golden master's ring is worn on the forefinger of the left hand. At the conferment of degrees, the ring is worn over the glove, and the conferrer touches the ring with their left hand (also wearing the ring on the left hand) when conferring the graduand with their degree. Graduands do not wear the ring at events preceding the conferment of degrees. Other rings (excluding a wedding ring) must not be worn to let the master’s ring attract the attention it deserves.
Originally, master's rings were simple and wide golden bands, such as the rings from the 18th century preserved in the University Museum collection. Different jewellers sell rings adorned with a laurel garland and Apollo’s lyre (the emblem of the University of Helsinki), but this design established itself only in the 19th century. The Faculty of Social Sciences has its own design for the master's ring.
Speeches by academics at conferment ceremonies connect the sphere of the ring and the round shape of the modern doctoral hat with the circle of knowledge, encyclopaedia, the comprehensive coverage of knowledge and learning of all walks of life. In Finland, the ring continues to be a symbol reserved for master’s graduands, whereas in Sweden the conferment of master’s degrees in a solemn conferment ceremony was discontinued in the 1870s and the ring was adopted as a symbol of doctoral graduates.
If a graduand wishes, at the conferment of degrees they may substitute the master’s ring with a simple golden or gilded ring which does not have a stone or other ornament. Also, the ring does not have to fit the finger perfectly; it can be worn at the knuckle to fit over the glove worn at the ceremony. After the conferment of degrees is over, the graduand can wear the ring under the glove if they fear it might fall off and be lost, especially if they have borrowed a ring that does not fit them perfectly.
lat. Pompa nocturna
The conferment ball concludes in a procession which heads through the city towards Senate Square. On the way, the procession stops at various statues for speeches and singing. The nocturnal procession ends with a speech to the rising sun delivered from the balcony of the University Main Building, or alternatively from some other balcony or by a statue.
Faculties appoint certain officials to run the conferment ceremony. These officials include the conferrer, the master of ceremonies and the head marshal.
lat. Virgo clarissima/Iuvens clarissimus
In the morning of 13 May, Flora Day, graduands convene at the Old Student House or on a University campus to select the ceremonial or official wreath weaver for their conferment ceremony. The duty of the official wreath weaver is to supervise the weaving of laurel wreaths for the master graduands. The official wreath weaver must be the offspring of a faculty professor or other significant public figure. The person selected and the title both symbolise spring, youth and faith in the future.
lat. Parnassus
Mount Parnassus is the home of the Muses, the tutelary deities of the arts and sciences. As the master and doctoral graduands ascend to the podium to receive the insignia of their titles, they symbolically ascend the sacred mountain of the god of knowledge and truth.
The Empire-style lectern made of mahogany was commissioned for the new main building of the Imperial Academy of Turku in 1815. It was designed by Christoffer Gjörvell, a Stockholm-based architect and manufactured by furniture maker Efraim Ståhl with the help of his assistant Fredric Eckstein. It was rescued from the flames during the Great Fire of Turku in 1827 and brought to Helsinki when the University moved to the new capital. This was not the only time when this antique piece was in danger of being destroyed. In February 1944 when Helsinki was raided by Soviet bombers, the University Main Building was badly damaged. With the help of volunteers who rushed to the site, valuable items were saved, including the lectern which was carried out to the Senate Square before the roof of the Great Hall collapsed.
The lectern is decorated by torches symbolising the light of knowledge; the owl of Athena, the goddess of wisdom; the head of Medusa, offering protection against evil; as well as the laurel branches symbolising strife and triumph. It is guarded by wise and benevolent sphinxes.
lat. Magister primus/Magistra prima, Doctor primus/Doctrix prima
According to Finnish academic tradition, the author of the master's thesis awarded with the highest grade among all the graduands is called prima (fem.) or primus (masc.) master. In similar fashion, the author of the doctoral thesis awarded with the highest grade is called prima (fem.) or primus (masc.) doctor. These adjectives are derived from the Latin word meaning ‘first’. These highest ranking graduands are the first to be conferred their degrees in the conferment ceremony.
lat. Promovendus/Promovenda
A master or doctoral graduand to be conferred their academic degree in the conferment ceremony. In Finnish terminology related to the conferment ceremony, graduands are referred to by a latinised word ‘promovendi’, derived from Latin promovendus/promovenda, meaning ‘he/she who will be promoted’.
lat. Sella honoris
The conferment ball programme includes the ceremony of carrying persons selected by the conferment committee around the hall in the University’s sedan chair. To be carried around the hall to music selected by the conferment committee is an honour usually bestowed on the conferrer, the official wreath weaver, a jubilee doctor, a jubilee master, an honorary doctor, the rector and the chancellor. The chair is carried either by master or doctoral graduands. The members of the conferment committee carry their chairperson, and often the marshals take the head marshal for a spin after Barabbas has been unleashed.
Finnish student caps are worn during the conferment excursion. The marshals’ attire includes the student cap of the University of Helsinki throughout the conferment ceremony.
The first recorded mention of the black and white student cap dates from 1864, when an unidentified student from western Finland had such a cap made in Turku. He is known to have worn this cap at least at the unveiling ceremony of Gabriel Porthan’s statue on 10 September 1864 and during his visits to Helsinki. The student cap is thought to properly originate in the year 1865, when students Julius Osberg, Mortimer Trapp, Paul Edelheim and A. Stjerncreutz of the University of Helsinki ordered velvet caps from seamstress Maria Grapel. The velvet was ordered by telegraph from Sweden, as no such material was available in Helsinki. The above students wore their caps on May Day in Kaisaniemi park, where students gathered to celebrate the end of the term and the approaching summer. The first student to wear the cap were mocked and rebuked for mimicking the Swedes. Special caps worn by students had become increasingly common in Sweden and Denmark in the 1840s. In Sweden the band of the otherwise white cap was black, while in Denmark it was red. It is known that in 1867, some 100 students who had passed their matriculation examination ordered a student cap. For the May Day celebrations in 1868, 200 caps were sold. In the same year, prospective students from elsewhere in Finland who came to Helsinki to complete their matriculation examination, took a liking to the cap. The Nordic convention of students, held in Uppsala in 1875, is considered the real breakthrough of the student cap. The Finns travelling to the convention, professors included, decided that they would wear their caps throughout the event. Some of them had as many as three caps made in order to give them as gifts to their Swedish hosts. The caps a had a blue lining and in place of the cockade, a golden lyre, to distinguish Finnish caps from Swedish caps with a blue and yellow braided cockade.
Since 1919, Finnish students have put their caps on for the first time at the matriculation ceremony of their upper secondary schools. Originally, the cap was used by university students as a summer hat between 1 May and 31 September. There was another special hat for the winter season. In the 1960s and ‘70s, an increasing awareness of equality issues meant that wearing student caps became rarer. Today, they are mainly worn on May Day and at special academic celebrations. All Finnish students who pass the matriculation examination buy a cap bearing the lyre of the University of Helsinki. After being admitted to higher education, they can choose to replace the lyre with their institution’s own emblem.
lat. Acutor/Acutrix gladii
A doctoral graduand’s companion. Despite the ‘title’, usually sword-whetters do not actually whet their companion’s sword.
lat. Magister ultimus/Magistra ultima, Doctor ultimus/Doctrix ultima
According to Finnish academic tradition, the author of the master's thesis awarded with the second highest grade among all the graduands is called ultima (fem.) or ultimus (masc.) master. In similar fashion, the author of the doctoral thesis awarded with the second highest grade is called ultima (fem.) or ultimus (masc.) doctor. These adjectives are derived from the Latin word meaning ‘last’. The second highest ranking graduates are the last to be conferred their degrees in the conferment ceremony. Usually, it is their duty to give the closing speech at the conferment of degrees.
lat. Nectendarius/Nectendarix
A master graduand’s companion. A wreath weaver prepares a laurel wreath for the master graduand under the guidance of the official wreath weaver at the wreath-weaving ceremony. The official wreath weaver with their assistants weave laurel wreaths for those graduands who attend the ceremony without a companion. Alternatively, such graduands can prepare their own wreaths under the supervision of the official wreath weaver.
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