Ruben Oskar Auervaara

Ruben Oskar Auervaara (until 1935 Jansson, from 1952 to 1959 Risto Oskari Karnas, from 1959 Erik Kristian Jansson, born 4 September 1906 – died 26 May 1964) was a notorious Finnish conman and thief. He became famous by cheating money from women he met through newspaper announcements, by pretending to intend to marry them. His surname has become an archetypal name in the Finnish language, meaning a deceptive charming trickster.

Auervaara spent 26 years of life in various prisons.

Biography Ruben Oskar Jansson was born in Turku to the factory serviceman Johannes Jansson and his wife Anna Karlsson.

Auervaara became a celebrity in January 1945, when the criminal investigation unit of the police published his photograph and an announcement asking his victims to report themselves in the country's largest newspapers. When free from prison, Auervaara spent much of his time in the archipelago.

On his way to mental health examination, Auervaara escaped to Sweden, where he continued his deception. He was soon caught again and was sent to prison, where he attempted to escape three times, failing each time. After serving his punishment he was sent back to Finland, where he had to serve his remaining sentence. He later changed his name and published a memoir book called Nainen on kohtaloni ("The woman is my fate"). Auervaara - now called Karnas - continued his deception and was charged with manslaughter after one of his victims had committed suicide. In 1956 he was sentenced to forced labour as a dangerous criminal, but he was only charged with attempted betrayal.

Reputation In the press, the word "auervaara" has become a term used occasionally in reports of crimes where women are tricked into promises of marriage. It has also further led to the word "auervaarailu" (being, doing or making an auervaara), which is an old-fashioned term for tricking women.

According to the doctor general of the psychiatric prison hospital of Finland, docent Hannu Lauerma, Auervaara often played a sort of inexperienced, timid boy to the women and told them he was shy and afraid of women. This way Auervaara appealed to the women's sense of affection and pretended to throw himself at their mercy. Auervaara's way of deception was a natural talent, which he refined through experience.

Auervaara has been seen as the inspiration of the 1945 play Gabriel, tule takaisin ("Gabriel, come back") by Mika Waltari, which is about a conman chasing the money of old virgins and widows. At the time Waltari wrote the play Auervaara was however relatively unknown. However, in his memoirs Nainen on kohtaloni Auervaara himself views himself as the inspiration of Waltari's play. Auervaara goes so far as to deny being so heartless as Waltari portrays him as. Sauvo Puhtila's Finnish translation of the Swedish Eurovision song Kevätauer (Sol och vår) also has a line that can be heard either as "kun kevätauer vaarat tuo" ("when the spring mist brings danger") or "kun kevät Auervaarat tuo" ("when the spring brings Auervaaras").