"Åland War" is a Finnish march song created in the 1850s during the Åland War. The lyricist or composer of which is unknown. The "fästninki" mentioned in the words of the song means the fortress of Bomarsund in Sund, Åland.
The song remains popular, but its origin was unknown for a long time, until researchers Jerker Örjans and Pirjo-Liisa Niinimäki found out in the 21st century. The original version of the song "Åland War Song" was found in a handwritten songbook in the municipality of Renko in the 1850s. The original words were apparently composed by unknown Bomarsund soldiers who remained prisoners of war in England, as the words tell of prisoners of war in Lewes, England. Örjans and Niinimäki speculate that the lyricist may have been Johan Wallenius from Tavastia, who worked as a surgeon in Bomarsund. The original wording depicted a rather realistically defeated struggle and was apparently transformed into its now known form in the early 20th century, which does not mention Bomarsund's surrender. The current lyrics are known to first appear in a songbook published in 1911. The original language of the song is obviously Finnish, as the earliest known Swedish version dates back to 1925. In Åland itself, the song is still completely unknown today.