In
Finnish mythology, Ahti () is a
heroic Heroic may mean:
*characteristic of a hero
*typical of heroic poetry or of heroic verse
*belonging to the Greek Heroic Age
*Heroic (esports), a Danish esports organization
*Heroic (horse)
Heroic (1921–1939) was an Australian Thoroughbred ra ...
character in
folk poetry who is sometimes given the
epithet
An epithet (, ), also byname, is a descriptive term (word or phrase) known for accompanying or occurring in place of a name and having entered common usage. It has various shades of meaning when applied to seemingly real or fictitious people, di ...
Saarelainen (, "Islander").
Ahto is a Finnish sea god.
The connection between the hero Ahti and the god Ahto, if any, is unclear.
Description
Ahti
In the
Kalevala the compiler
Elias Lönnrot conflated several mythological persons into the main characters in an attempt to create a consistent narrative from several songs. The heroic figures ''
Kaukomiele'' and ''Ahti'' were condensed into ''
Lemminkäinen
Lemminkäinen () or Lemminki () is a prominent figure in Finnish mythology. He is one of the heroes of the ''Kalevala'', where his character is a composite of several separate heroes of oral poetry. He is usually depicted as young and good-loo ...
'' in the work. Ahti's story is of a man so eager to fight that he abandons his young wife and sets out on an adventure with his friend ''
Teuri''. The original songs in the Ahti cycle have been tentatively dated to the
Viking Age because of their references to sea voyages, but Oinas also sees an adventurous element in both Ahti and Kaukamoinen's tales.
''Ahti Saarelainen'' is described as a fierce seagoing warrior. He makes a double vow with his wife ''Kyllikki'', binding him to stay at home and not to engage in raiding, and binding her to stay faithful. However, Kyllikki breaks her oath and Ahti goes on a voyage with his old war companions.
In the Kalevala, Ahti is mentioned (as a synonym of Lemminkäinen) in Rune IX, where his close association with the sea is made clear; in this verse his marriage to Kyllikki, and their vows, are described. Rune XII describes Kyllikki's breaking of her vow. In Rune XX Ahti is briefly mentioned, and the conflation with Lemminkainen and Kaukomiele is made explicit.
Ahti is also mentioned in Rune XXVI, in Rune XXVIII he is called "Ahti, hero of the Islands", and in Rune XXX he is again identified with Lemminkainen. A pattern of association of the name "Ahti" with islands and seafaring is found in Runes XX, XXVI, XXVII, XXVIII, and other runes.
Ahto
''Ahto'' is the name of the king or god of the sea, and ''Ahtola'' is his sea-castle. His wife is ''
Wellamo'', and they live together at the bottom of the sea. The ''
Sampo
In Finnish mythology, the ''Sampo'' () is a magical device or object described in many different ways that was constructed by the blacksmith Ilmarinen and that brought riches and good fortune to its holder, akin to the horn of plenty (cornucopi ...
'' comes into his possession and he is unwilling to return it.
In the
Kalevala, ''Ahto'' appears in Rune XLI; in Rune XLII, where ''
Väinämöinen'' charms him with his magic harp playing; in Rune XLIII, where the ''
Sampo
In Finnish mythology, the ''Sampo'' () is a magical device or object described in many different ways that was constructed by the blacksmith Ilmarinen and that brought riches and good fortune to its holder, akin to the horn of plenty (cornucopi ...
'' is lost in the sea; and in Rune XLVIII, where he is briefly mentioned.
In a fable similar to
Mercury and the Woodman, Ahto dives to return the lost knife of a shepherd, out of pity. He first finds a gold knife, and then a silver knife, but the shepherd does not claim them as his. The third knife Ahto retrieves is the correct one; as a reward for his honesty, Ahto gives the shepherd all three.
See also
*
Viking Age
References
Sources
*
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*
Finnish gods
Sea and river gods
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