Permiaks

Permiaks, a Finnish people of North-east Russia; first mentioned as Beormas by King Alfred (Orosius, i. 14), in whose time they dwelt on the shores of the White Sea, and referred to under the name of Perm in the chronicles of the 10th century, but at present call themselves Kami-mort - i.e. "People of the Kama River," in which basin they are now chiefly centred. They constitute with the Votyaks and Ziryanians the Permian division of the Finnish family, and still greatly resemble the Baltic Finns both in speech and type; light or chestnut hair, grey or blue eyes, and a florid Gomplexion being very common as in Finland. Although converted to Christianity by St. Stephen towards the close of the 14th century, they still retain many of the old Shaman superstitions, and firmly believe that the forests are everywhere inhabited by demons living in communities like their own. The Permiaks have always been hunters and fishers, though many have in recent times formed agricultural settlements on the model of the Russian mir (" commune"), and' these tend to become rapidly absorbed in the general Russian population.