Hakkapeliitta or Hackapelit, or Hackapelite or Haccapelite, was the name given in Germany to the Finnish horsemen of King Gustav II Adolph of Sweden during the Thirty Years War.

It comes from the Finnish war cry "Hakkaa päälle!"

Finnish Hakkapeliitta Cavalry became an important force in the Swedish army in the early 17th century. Some of their enemies even said Hakkapeliittas were made unbreakable by witchcraft and prayers were said in Catholic churches against them.

The Hakkapeliitta cavalry was fast, lightly armored and its greatest advantage was its charge. The horse itself was used like another weapon, as it was used to trample enemy infantry. They mainly fought with swords, but small firearms were also used.

The name Hakkapeliitta has apparently also been taken up by Nokian tyres for some of its products.

Hakkapeliittain Marssi — March of the Hackapelites

One of their battle marches "Hakkapeliittain Marssi", "March of the Hackapelites" (official title in Swedish "Finska Rytteriets Marsch i trettiåra kriget" or "March of the Finnish Cavalry during the Thirty Years War", with lyrics by Zacharias Topelius in 1874 — translated in Finnish as "Suomalaisen ratsuväen marssi 30-vuotisessa sodassa") is one of the oldest currently played. The Prussian Army adopted it officially in 1891 under the title "Marsch der Finnländischen Reiterei im 30-jährigen Kriege" or "Schwedischer Reitermarsch" (March of the Swedish Cavalry) and it is now a standard of German military folklore.

It goes this way:

On Pohjolan hangissa meill' isänmaa

sen rannalla lietemme loimuta saa

käs' säilöjä käyttäiss' on varttunut siell'

ja kunnialle, uskolle hehkunut miel'

Kun ratsujamme Nevan vuossa uitettihin

kuin häihin se ui yli Veikselinkin;

Ja kalpamme kostavan Reinille toi

ja Tonavasta Keisarin maljan se joi !

Rough English translation:

Our homeland lies in the snows of the North;

the hearth of the home glowing warm and strong

Our hand has grown sure with playing the sword

and honour and pure faith lies in our record

At the river Neva our mounts did draw their first blood

like in a wedding march they went across the Wistula flood

Our swords they did bring to the Rhineland's coast

and by the Danube they raised up the Emperor's toast !

Midi tune here, mp3 version here by the Cavalry Tradition Band.

The Finnish composer Uuno Klami developed a free orchestral version of this theme under the title "Suomalaisen ratsuväen marssi" ("March of the Finnish Cavalry") op. 28. in1939

The Finnish poet Eino Leino published another "Hakkapeliittain Marssi", as part of a collection by the name of "Tähtitarha" ("Garden of stars") in 1912.