Finnish mythology is a commonly applied description of the

folklore Folklore is shared by a particular group of people; it encompasses the traditions common to that culture, subculture or group. This includes oral traditions such as tales, legends, proverbs and jokes. They include material culture, ranging ...

Finnish paganism Finnish paganism is the indigenous pagan religion in Finland and Karelia prior to Christianisation. It was a polytheistic religion, worshipping a number of different deities. The principal god was the god of thunder and the sky, Ukko; other i ...

, of which a modern revival is practiced by a small percentage of the

Finnish people Finns or Finnish people ( fi, suomalaiset, ) are a Baltic Finnic ethnic group native to Finland. Finns are traditionally divided into smaller regional groups that span several countries adjacent to Finland, both those who are native to these ...

. It has many features shared with

Estonian Estonian may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to Estonia, a country in the Baltic region in northern Europe * Estonians, people from Estonia, or of Estonian descent * Estonian language * Estonian cuisine * Estonian culture See also

...

and other Finnic mythologies, but also shares some similarities with neighbouring

Baltic Baltic may refer to: Peoples and languages * Baltic languages, a subfamily of Indo-European languages, including Lithuanian, Latvian and extinct Old Prussian *Balts (or Baltic peoples), ethnic groups speaking the Baltic languages and/or originati ...

, Slavic and, to a lesser extent, Norse mythologies. Finnish mythology survived within an oral tradition of mythical poem-singing and folklore well into the 19th century. Of the animals, the most sacred was the

bear Bears are carnivoran mammals of the family Ursidae. They are classified as caniforms, or doglike carnivorans. Although only eight species of bears are extant, they are widespread, appearing in a wide variety of habitats throughout the Nor ...

, whose real name was never uttered out loud, lest his kind be unfavorable to the hunting. The bear ("karhu" in Finnish) was seen as the embodiment of the forefathers, and for this reason it was called by many circumlocutions: ''mesikämmen'' ("mead-paw"), ''otso'' ("browed one"), ''kontio'' ("dweller of the land"), ''metsän kultaomena'' ("the golden apple of the forest") but not a god.

Study of Finnish mythological and religious history

The first historical mention of Finnish folk religion was by the

bishop A bishop is an ordained clergy member who is entrusted with a position of authority and oversight in a religious institution. In Christianity, bishops are normally responsible for the governance of dioceses. The role or office of bishop is ca ...

and Lutheran reformer

Mikael Agricola Mikael Agricola (; c. 1510 – 9 April 1557) was a Finnish Lutheran clergyman who became the de facto founder of literary Finnish and a prominent proponent of the Protestant Reformation in Sweden, including Finland, which was a Swedish territory ...

(1510–1555) in the preface to his 1551

Finnish Finnish may refer to: * Something or someone from, or related to Finland * Culture of Finland * Finnish people or Finns, the primary ethnic group in Finland * Finnish language, the national language of the Finnish people * Finnish cuisine See also ...

translation of the

Psalms The Book of Psalms ( or ; he, תְּהִלִּים, , lit. "praises"), also known as the Psalms, or the Psalter, is the first book of the ("Writings"), the third section of the Tanakh, and a book of the Old Testament. The title is derived ...

.Pentikäinen, 1999, p. 7. Agricola supplied a list of purported deities of the

Häme Häme (; Swedish: ''Tavastland'', Latin: ''Tavastia'') is the name of a geographical region in Finland, associated with the Tavastians, or Häme people (''hämäläiset''), a subgroup of the Finnish people. The precise area referred to can vary ...

(in Swedish, Tavastia) and

Karjala Karjala is a Finnish lager type beer manufactured by the Hartwall brewery. Karjala beer was manufactured by the cooperative shop Osuusliike Itä-Karjala owned Sortavalan panimo Oy brewery from 1932 until 1944. Production was resumed in 1948. ...

(Karelia), twelve deities in each region,Virtanen & Dubois, pp. 18. with their supposed functions briefly set out in verse form.Pentikäinen, 1999, p. 236. (Some commentators state that only eleven deities were listed for Häme,Talve, 1997, p. 227. not counting Agricola's mention of ''Piru'', the Devil.) Due to the lists, Agricola is considered to be the father of the study of Finnish religious history and mythology.Pentikäinen, 1999, p. 235. Later scholars and students commonly quoted Agricola's lists as a historical source; only in the late eighteenth century did scholars begin to critically evaluate the "gods" in Agricola's lists and the information he presented about them,Pentikäinen, 1999, p. 8. determining with further research that most of the figures in his lists were not gods, but local guardian spirits, figures from folk mythology or explanatory legends, cultural heroes, Christian saints under alternative names, and, in one case, a harvest-time festival.

Cristfried Ganander Cristfried Ganander (21 November 1741 in Haapajärvi – 17 February 1790 in Rantsila) was a Finnish compiler of folk culture, a priest and an 18th-century lexicographer. Ganander's greatest achievement was the compilation of the first fully exten ...

's ''

Mythologia Fennica Mythologia Fennica (''Finnish Mythology'') is a 1789 book on Finnish mythology written in Swedish by Kristfrid Ganander, a Finnish priest. ''Mythologia Fennica'' contains 430 entries in alphabetical order from "AARNI" to "YRJÄNÄ". Entries cover ...

'', published in 1789, was the first truly scholarly foray into Finnish mythology. In the 19th century, research into

Finnish folklore Finnish may refer to: * Something or someone from, or related to Finland * Culture of Finland * Finnish people or Finns, the primary ethnic group in Finland * Finnish language, the national language of the Finnish people * Finnish cuisine See also ...

intensified. Scholars like

Elias Lönnrot Elias Lönnrot (; 9 April 1802 – 19 March 1884) was a Finnish physician, philologist and collector of traditional Finnish oral poetry. He is best known for creating the Finnish national epic, ''Kalevala'', (1835, enlarged 1849), from short b ...

, J.F. Cajan, M.A. Castrén, and D.E.D. Europaeus travelled around Finland writing down

folk poetry Folk poetry (sometimes referred to as ''poetry in action'') is poetry that is part of a society's folklore, usually part of their oral tradition. When sung, folk poetry becomes a folk song. Description Folk poetry in general has several characteri ...

sung by runo (poem) singers, many of whom were ''

tietäjä Tietäjä (pl. ''tietäjät'', 'seer', 'wise man', literally 'knower') is a magically powerful figure in traditional Finno-Karelian culture, whose supernatural powers arise from his great knowledge. Roles The activities of a ''tietäjä'' were p ...

t'' (traditional ritual specialists). The genres they collected included material like the '' synnyt'', which give mythical accounts of the origins of many natural phenomena. From this material Lönnrot edited the

Kalevala The ''Kalevala'' ( fi, Kalevala, ) is a 19th-century work of epic poetry compiled by Elias Lönnrot from Karelian and Finnish oral folklore and mythology, telling an epic story about the Creation of the Earth, describing the controversies and r ...

as well as the

Kanteletar ''Kanteletar'' is a collection of Finnish folk poetry compiled by Elias Lönnrot. It is considered to be a sister collection to the Finnish national epic ''Kalevala''. The poems of ''Kanteletar'' are based on the trochaic tetrameter, generally re ...

. The wealth of folk poetry collected in the 19th century often deals with pre-Christian

pagan Paganism (from classical Latin ''pāgānus'' "rural", "rustic", later "civilian") is a term first used in the fourth century by early Christians for people in the Roman Empire who practiced polytheism, or ethnic religions other than Judaism. ...

themes, and has allowed scholars to study Finnish mythology in more detail.

The origins and the structure of the world

The world was believed to have been formed out of a bird's egg or eggs. The species of the bird and the number of eggs varies between different stories. In the

the bird is a

pochard Pochard is a common name used for several species of diving ducks: *Four species in the genus ''Aythya'': ** Common pochard, ''Aythya ferina'' ** Baer's pochard, ''Aythya baeri'' ** Ferruginous pochard, ''Aythya nyroca'' ** Madagascar pochard, '' ...

that lays seven eggs (six of gold and one of iron); examples from other stories include a

swallow The swallows, martins, and saw-wings, or Hirundinidae, are a family of passerine songbirds found around the world on all continents, including occasionally in Antarctica. Highly adapted to aerial feeding, they have a distinctive appearance. The ...

, a

loon Loons (North American English) or divers (British / Irish English) are a group of aquatic birds found in much of North America and northern Eurasia. All living species of loons are members of the genus ''Gavia'', family Gaviidae and order Gavi ...

and a mythical giant eagle, ''kokko''. The sky was believed to be the upper cover of the egg; alternately it was seen as a tent, which was supported by a column at the north pole, below the north star. The movement of the stars was explained to be caused by the sky-dome's rotation around the

North Star Polaris is a star in the northern circumpolar constellation of Ursa Minor. It is designated α Ursae Minoris ( Latinized to ''Alpha Ursae Minoris'') and is commonly called the North Star or Pole Star. With an apparent magnitude that ...

and itself. A great whirl was caused at the north pole by the rotation of a column of sky. Through this whirl souls could go to the outside of the world to the land of dead,

Tuonela Tuonela (; )Oinas, Felix J., and Juha Pentikäinen. "Tuonela." In ''Encyclopedia of Religion'', 2nd ed., edited by Lindsay Jones, 9396-9397. Vol. 14. Detroit, MI: Macmillan Reference USA, 2005. ''Gale eBooks'' (accessed January 3, 2021)/ref> i ...

. Earth was believed to be flat. At the edges of Earth was Lintukoto, "the home of the birds", a warm region in which birds lived during the winter. The

Milky Way The Milky Way is the galaxy that includes our Solar System, with the name describing the galaxy's appearance from Earth: a hazy band of light seen in the night sky formed from stars that cannot be individually distinguished by the naked eye ...

is called Linnunrata, "the path of the birds", because the birds were believed to move along it to Lintukoto and back. In Modern Finnish usage, the word ''lintukoto'' means an imaginary happy, warm and peaceful paradise-like place. Birds also had other significance. Birds brought a human's soul to the body at the moment of birth, and took it away at the moment of death. In some areas, it was necessary to have a wooden bird-figure nearby to prevent the soul from escaping during sleep. This Sielulintu, "the soul-bird", protected the soul from being lost in the paths of dreams. Waterfowl are very common in tales, and also in stone paintings and carvings, indicating their great significance in the beliefs of ancient Finns.

Tuonela, the land of the dead

Tuonela was the land of dead. It was an underground home or city for all the dead people, not only the good or the bad ones. It was a dark and lifeless place, where everybody slept forever. Still a brave

shaman Shamanism is a religious practice that involves a practitioner (shaman) interacting with what they believe to be a spirit world through altered states of consciousness, such as trance. The goal of this is usually to direct spirits or spiritu ...

could travel to Tuonela in

trance Trance is a state of semi-consciousness in which a person is not self-aware and is either altogether unresponsive to external stimuli (but nevertheless capable of pursuing and realizing an aim) or is selectively responsive in following the dir ...

to ask for the forefathers' guidance. To travel to Tuonela, the soul had to cross the dark river of Tuonela. If the shaman had a proper reason, then a boat would come to take them over. Many times a shaman's soul had to trick the guards of Tuonela into believing that they were actually dead.

Ukko, the God of sky and thunder

Ukko Ukko (), Äijä or Äijö (Finnish for 'male grandparent', 'grandfather', 'old man'), parallel to Uku in Estonian mythology, is the god of the sky, weather, harvest and thunder in Finnish mythology. Ukkonen, the Finnish word for thunder, is th ...

("old man") was a god of the sky, weather, and the crops. The Finnish word for thunder, "ukkonen" (little Ukko) or "ukonilma" (Ukko's weather), is derived from his name. In the

he is also called "ylijumala" (overgod, Supreme God), as he is the god of things of the sky. He makes all his appearances in myths solely by natural effects when invoked. Ukko's origins are probably in

Perkons and the older Finnish sky god

Ilmarinen Ilmarinen (), the Eternal Hammerer, blacksmith and inventor in the ''Kalevala'', is a god and archetypal artificer from Finnish mythology. He is immortal and capable of creating practically anything, but is portrayed as being unlucky in love. He i ...

. While Ukko took Ilmarinen's position as the Sky God, Ilmarinen's destiny was to turn into a smith-hero, or the god of the rock. In the epic poetry of the Kalevala, Ilmarinen is credited with forging the stars on the dome of the sky and the magic mill of plenty, 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 ...

. Ukko's weapon was a

hammer A hammer is a tool, most often a hand tool, consisting of a weighted "head" fixed to a long handle that is swung to deliver an impact to a small area of an object. This can be, for example, to drive nails into wood, to shape metal (as w ...

axe An axe ( sometimes ax in American English; see spelling differences) is an implement that has been used for millennia to shape, split and cut wood, to harvest timber, as a weapon, and as a ceremonial or heraldic symbol. The axe has many for ...

sword A sword is an edged, bladed weapon intended for manual cutting or thrusting. Its blade, longer than a knife or dagger, is attached to a hilt and can be straight or curved. A thrusting sword tends to have a straighter blade with a pointed ti ...

, by which he struck

lightning Lightning is a naturally occurring electrostatic discharge during which two electric charge, electrically charged regions, both in the atmosphere or with one on the land, ground, temporarily neutralize themselves, causing the instantaneous ...

. While Ukko and his wife Akka ("old woman") mated, there was a thunderstorm. He created thunderstorms also by driving with his chariot in clouds. The original weapon of Ukko was probably the boat-shaped stone-axe of

battle axe culture The Battle Axe culture, also called Boat Axe culture, is a Chalcolithic culture that flourished in the coastal areas of the south of the Scandinavian Peninsula and southwest Finland, from circa 2800 BC to circa 2300 BC. The Battle Axe culture wa ...

. Ukko's hammer, the Vasara (means merely "hammer"), probably meant originally the same thing as the boat-shaped stone axe. When stone tools were abandoned in the metal ages, the origins of stone-weapons became a mystery. They were believed to be weapons of Ukko, stone-heads of striking lightnings. Shamans collected and held stone-axes because they were believed to hold many powers to heal and to damage. The

viper The Viperidae (vipers) are a family of snakes found in most parts of the world, except for Antarctica, Australia, Hawaii, Madagascar, and various other isolated islands. They are venomous and have long (relative to non-vipers), hinged fangs tha ...

with the saw-figure on its skin has been seen as a symbol of thunder.

Heroes, gods and spirits

Ahti In Finnish mythology, Ahti () is a heroic character in folk poetry who is sometimes given the epithet Saarelainen (, "Islander"). Ahto is a Finnish sea god. The connection between the hero Ahti and the god Ahto, if any, is unclear. Descript ...

(or ''Ahto''), god of the depths, giver of

fish Fish are aquatic, craniate, gill-bearing animals that lack limbs with digits. Included in this definition are the living hagfish, lampreys, and cartilaginous and bony fish as well as various extinct related groups. Approximately 95% of li ...

. *

Ajatar In Finnish folklore, Ajatar (), also spelled Ajattara , Aiätär , or Aijotar , is an evil female spirit. Description In Finnish folklore ''Ajatar'' is an evil female spirit. She lives in the woods located at the mountains of Pohjola; she is desc ...

(sometimes ''Ajattara''), an evil

forest A forest is an area of land dominated by trees. Hundreds of definitions of forest are used throughout the world, incorporating factors such as tree density, tree height, land use, legal standing, and ecological function. The United Nations' ...

spirit. *

Akka Akka or AKKA may refer to: Arts and entertainment * ''Akka'' (film), a 1976 Indian Tamil film * ''Akka'' (TV series), a 2014–2015 Indian Tamil soap opera * Akka, a character in the children's novel ''The Wonderful Adventures of Nils'' by Selma ...

("old lady"), female spirit, feminine counterpart of "Ukko".Akka on Godchecker
/ref> *

Äkräs Äkräs (also ''Ägröi'', ''Egres'') was the god of fertility in the Finnish mythology. He was also the god of turnip and the protector of beans, peas, cabbage, flax, and hemp. In Karelia Karelia ( Karelian and fi, Karjala, ; rus, Кар� ...

, the god of fertility and the protector of plants, especially the turnip. *

Antero Vipunen Antero Vipunen is a giant who appears in Finnish mythology and Kalevala folk poetry. He is buried underground and possesses very valuable spells and knowledge. The god-hero Väinämöinen has a spell with three words or '' luotes'' missing. In or ...

, deceased giant, protector of deep knowledge and magic. *

Hiisi Hiisi (; plural ''hiidet'' ) is a term in Finnic mythologies, originally denoting sacred localities and later on various types of mythological entities. In later, Christian-influenced folklore, they are depicted as demonic or trickster-like entit ...

demon A demon is a malevolent supernatural entity. Historically, belief in demons, or stories about demons, occurs in religion, occultism, literature, fiction, mythology, and folklore; as well as in media such as comics, video games, movies, ani ...

, originally meaning a sacred grove, later a mean

goblin A goblin is a small, grotesque, monstrous creature that appears in the folklore of multiple European cultures. First attested in stories from the Middle Ages, they are ascribed conflicting abilities, temperaments, and appearances depending on t ...

. *

Iku-Turso Iku-Turso (, "the eternal Turso"; also known as Iku-Tursas, Iki-Tursas, Meritursas, Tursas, Turisas among others) is a malevolent sea monster in Finnish mythology, best known for appearing in the ''Kalevala''. Nowadays ''Meritursas'' means octop ...

, a malevolent sea monster; probably same as Tursas. *

, the great

smith Smith may refer to: People * Metalsmith, or simply smith, a craftsman fashioning tools or works of art out of various metals * Smith (given name) * Smith (surname), a family name originating in England, Scotland and Ireland ** List of people wi ...

, maker of heaven. Designed the

mill of fortune. Originally a male spirit of air. *

Ilmatar In the ''Kalevala'', the Finnish national epic, Ilmatar () was a virgin spirit and goddess of the air. Origins The name Ilmatar is derived from the Finnish word ''ilma'', meaning "air," and the female suffix ''-tar'', corresponding to English " ...

, female spirit of air; the daughter of primeval substance of creative spirit. Mother of Väinämöinen in ''Kalevala''. *

Jumala (), () or ( Mari)A History of Pagan Europe, P. 181
means "god" in the

, a generic name for a major deity. Originally the name given by the Finns to the sky, the sky-god, and the supreme god. Later ''taivas'' and

were used as the names for the sky and the sky-god. The word means god and was later used for the Christian

God In monotheism, monotheistic thought, God is usually viewed as the supreme being, creator deity, creator, and principal object of Faith#Religious views, faith.Richard Swinburne, Swinburne, R.G. "God" in Ted Honderich, Honderich, Ted. (ed)''The Ox ...

. The origin of the word is unknown – some possible explanations are derivation from Jomali, the supreme deity of the

Permians The Permians or Perm Finns are the peoples who speak Permic languages, in the Uralic language family, and include Komis and Udmurts. Formerly the name Bjarmians was also used to describe these peoples. Recent research on the Finno-Ugric substrate ...

and origination from the Estonian word ''jume''. * Kalevanpoika (son/man of ''Kaleva''), a giant hero who can cut down forests and mow down huge meadows, identical with Estonian national epic hero

Kalevipoeg ''Kalevipoeg'' (, ''Kalev's Son'') is a 19th century epic poem by Friedrich Reinhold Kreutzwald which has since been considered the Estonian national epic. Origins In pre-Christian ancient Estonia there existed an oral tradition of legends e ...

. *Kave, ancient god of sky, later the deity of the lunar cycle. Father of Väinämöinen. Also Kaleva. *

Kullervo Kullervo () is an ill-fated character in the ''Kalevala'', the Finnish national epic compiled by Elias Lönnrot. Growing up in the aftermath of the massacre of his entire tribe, he comes to realise that the same people who had brought him up, t ...

, tragic antihero. Model for

Túrin Turambar Túrin Turambar (pronounced ) is a fictional character in J. R. R. Tolkien's legendarium. "''Turambar and the Foalókë''", begun in 1917, is the first appearance of Túrin in the legendarium. Túrin was a Man of the First Age of Middle-earth, ...

Tolkien John Ronald Reuel Tolkien (, ; 3 January 1892 – 2 September 1973) was an English writer and philologist. He was the author of the high fantasy works ''The Hobbit'' and ''The Lord of the Rings''. From 1925 to 1945, Tolkien was the Rawlins ...

's '' Silmarillion''. * Kuu, goddess of the

Moon The Moon is Earth's only natural satellite. It is the fifth largest satellite in the Solar System and the largest and most massive relative to its parent planet, with a diameter about one-quarter that of Earth (comparable to the width of ...

. *

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 ...

(''Ahti Saarelainen'', ''Kaukomieli''), a brash hero. *

Lempo Lempo () is a sort of fiend from Finnish folklore and mythology. Lempo is the god of love and fertility in Finnish mythology. After Christianity came to Finland, the reputation of Lempo worsened: it is portrayed in the folklore usually as an err ...

, originally a fertility spirit, became synonymous with demon in the Christian era. *

Lalli Lalli is an apocryphal character from Finland, Finnish history. According to the legend, he killed Henry, Bishop of Uppsala, Bishop Henry on the ice of lake Köyliönjärvi in Finland on January 20, 1156. Legend The story begins with an expedi ...

, Finn who slew St. Henry of Uppsala on the ice of Lake Köyliö, according to a legend. *

Louhi Louhi () is a wicked queen of the land known as Pohjola in Finnish mythology and a villain of the ''Kalevala''. As many mythological creatures and objects are easily conflated and separated in Finnish mythology, Louhi is probably an alter-eg ...

, the matriarch of

Pohjola Pohjola (; from 'base, bottom', but used in derived forms like ''pohjois-'' to mean 'north' + ''-'' 'place'), sometimes just Pohja (), is a mythical place, location in Finnish mythology. It is one of the two main polarities in the Finnish nationa ...

, hostess of the Underworld. *

Loviatar Loviatar (, alternative names Loveatar, Lovetar, Lovehetar, Louhetar, Louhiatar, Louhi) is a blind daughter of Tuoni, the god of death in Finnish mythology and his spouse Tuonetar, the queen of the underworld. Loviatar is regarded as a goddess of ...

, the blind daughter of Tuoni and the mother of

Nine diseases In Finnish mythology, the Nine diseases are the sons of Loviatar, the blind daughter of Tuoni. She is impregnated by wind (some versions of the story tell that Iku-Turso fathered them). According to the version told in the Kalevala they are ''Pistos ...

. *

Luonnotar In the ''Kalevala'', the Finnish national epic, Ilmatar () was a virgin spirit and goddess of the air. Origins The name Ilmatar is derived from the Finnish word ''ilma'', meaning "air," and the female suffix ''-tar'', corresponding to English " ...

, spirit of nature, feminine creator. *

Menninkäinen In Finnish mythology and lore, a menninkäinen is believed to be a leprechaun-like inhabitant of the forests. Fairy tale depictions often involve riddling, dominance struggles and favors elicited. Menninkäinen were probably originally thought to ...

, a fairy spirit, gnome, leprechaun of some sort. *Metsänväki, spirit of forest, forest creature. *

Mielikki Mielikki () is the Finnish goddess of forests and the hunt. She is referred to in various tales as either the wife or the daughter-in-law of Tapio, and the mother of Nyyrikki and Tuulikki. She is said to have played a central role in the creatio ...

, wife of Tapio, the goddess of the forest. *

Nyyrikki Nyyrikki () is the Finland, Finnish god of the hunt and cattle, and son of Tapio_(spirit), Tapio and Mielikki. He has been tenuously associated with Nimrod (king), Nimrod. References

Finnish gods Hunting gods Characters in the Kalevala Nimr ...

, the god of hunting, son of Tapio. *

Näkki The Nixie, Nixy, Nix, Näcken, Nicor, Nøkk, or Nøkken (german: wikt:Nixe, Nixe; nl, wikt:nikker, nikker, ; da, nøkke; Norwegian nb, wikt:nøkk, nøkk; nn, wikt:nykk, nykk; sv, wikt:näck, näck; fo, wikt:nykur, nykur; fi, wikt:näkki, ...

, the fearsome spirit of pools, wells and bridges (A spiteful and beautiful womanlike creature with woman's body and fish's behind who flatters men into water in Estonian mythology). Same as

Nix Nix or NIX may refer to: Places * Nix, Alabama, an unincorporated community, United States * Nix, Texas, a ghost town in southwestern Lampasas County, Texas, United States * Nix (moon), a moon of Pluto People * Nix (surname), listing people with ...

. *

Otso In Finnish mythology, Otso (also known as Karhu, Ohto, Kontio, Metsän kuningas, and Mesikämmen) is a bear, the sacred king of animals and leader of the forest. It was deeply feared and respected by old Finnish tribes. Otso appears in the Finnis ...

, the spirit of bear (one of many circumlocutory epithets). * Pekko (or ''Pellon Pekko''), the god of crops, especially

barley Barley (''Hordeum vulgare''), a member of the grass family, is a major cereal grain grown in temperate climates globally. It was one of the first cultivated grains, particularly in Eurasia as early as 10,000 years ago. Globally 70% of barley pr ...

and brewing. *

Perkele Perkele () is a Finnish word meaning "evil spirit" and a popular Finnish profanity, used similarly to English " god damn", although it is considered much more profane. It is most likely the most internationally known Finnish curse word. Origins T ...

, the

Devil A devil is the personification of evil as it is conceived in various cultures and religious traditions. It is seen as the objectification of a hostile and destructive force. Jeffrey Burton Russell states that the different conceptions of t ...

. Originally a god of thunder, Perkele was demonized with the introduction of the Christian religion. Related to Baltic Perkunas and Norse

Thor Thor (; from non, Þórr ) is a prominent god in Germanic paganism. In Norse mythology, he is a hammer-wielding æsir, god associated with lightning, thunder, storms, sacred trees and groves in Germanic paganism and mythology, sacred groves ...

. * Pellervo (or ''Sampsa Pellervoinen''), the god of harvest. * Pihatonttu, tutelary of the yard. * Piru, spirit,

. Probably later loan word related to "spirit". * Päivätär, the goddess of day. * Rahko, the Karelian god of time; ''Rahko tars the moon'' describes the phases of the moon. * Surma, the personification of a violent death. * Saunatonttu, tutelary of the

sauna A sauna (, ), or sudatory, is a small room or building designed as a place to experience dry or wet heat sessions, or an establishment with one or more of these facilities. The steam and high heat make the bathers perspire. A thermometer in a ...

. * Tapio, the god of the forest. *

Tellervo Tellervo () is the Finnish mythology, Finnish goddess of forests. She was the daughter of Tapio (spirit), Tapio, an East Finnish forest spirit. Finnish goddesses Nature goddesses Characters in the Kalevala {{Finland-myth-stub ...

, the goddess of the forest, daughter of Tapio and Mielikki. *

Tonttu A (, ), tomte (), , or () is a mythological creature from Nordic folklore today typically associated with the winter solstice and the Christmas season. They are generally described as being short, having a long white beard, and wearing a coni ...

, generally benign tutelary. Originally, a patron of cultivated land, keeper of lot. *

Tuonetar Tuonetar () is the Queen of the Underworld in Finnish mythology. Tuonetar is the wife of Tuoni, with whom she rules over the Underworld Tuonela. In the 16th song of Kalevala, Väinämöinen arrives in their kingdom. Tuonetar is delighted to offer ...

, name referring to both the mistress and the daughter of Tuoni. *

Tuoni In Finnish mythology, Tuoni () was the god of Tuonela (the underworld), and darkness personified. He was the husband of Tuonetar. Their children included Kipu-Tyttö, Tuonenpoika, and Loviatar Loviatar (, alternative names Loveatar, Lovetar, Lov ...

, the personification of

Death Death is the irreversible cessation of all biological functions that sustain an organism. For organisms with a brain, death can also be defined as the irreversible cessation of functioning of the whole brain, including brainstem, and brain ...

. * Tursas, the Tavastian god of war. May be the same as the Norse Tyr and the Germanic Tîwaz. * Tuulikki, daughter of Tapio and Mielikki, goddess of animals. *

("old man") the god of the sky and thunder, related to

(Estonian

Taara Taara (variations of the name include Tooru, Tharapita and Tarapitha), also known as Uku or Jumal, is a prominent god in Estonian mythology, with a strong resemblance to the Finnish Ukko and the Germanic Thor. History The Chronicle of Henry of ...

). *

Vellamo Vellamo (), also spelled Wellamo, is the goddess of water, lakes and seas in Finnish mythology. Vellamo is said to be tall and beautiful, and is much respected by fishermen, who pray to her for good fishing luck. Vellamo can also control the win ...

, the wife of Ahti, goddess of the sea, lakes and storms. A current image of Vellamo can be seen on the coat of arms of

Päijät-häme Päijät-Häme () is a region in Southern Finland south of the lake Päijänne. It borders the regions of Uusimaa, Tavastia Proper (Kanta-Häme), Pirkanmaa, Central Finland, South Savo and Kymenlaakso. The biggest city in the region is Lahti. ...

. * Vedenemo ("mother of waters") the Karelian Goddess of water of the Karelia region resembles a mermaid, with the body of a fish and the torso and head of a human woman. Like a Greek siren, she sings and seduces humans into the murky depths. Fishermen used to offer their first catch to appease Vedenemo, and spotting her was regarded as an extremely bad omen. *

Väinämöinen Väinämöinen () is a demigod, hero and the central character in Finnish folklore and the main character in the national epic ''Kalevala'' by Elias Lönnrot. Väinämöinen was described as an old and wise man, and he possessed a potent, mag ...

, the old and wise man, who possessed a potent, magical voice. Also related to Estonian

Vanemuine Vanemuine () is a theatre in Tartu, Estonia. It was the first Estonian language theatre. History ''1870–1906 The Beginning of the Beginning. Koidula’s Theatre, Wiera’s Theatre.'' On June 24, 1870 was the first day in Estonian theatre ...

. The central character in Finnish folklore and he is the main character in the ''Kalevala''.

Places

Kyöpelinvuori Kyöpelinvuori (Finnish from ''kyöpeli'' = obsolete word for ghost and ''vuori'' = mountain), in Finnish mythology, is the place which dead women haunt. It is rumoured that virgins who die young gather there after their death at the start of the ...

(''Raatikko''); where women who die as virgins go, and later a place where witches meet at Easter. *

; (also ''Manala, Pohjola'') abode of the dead, Underworld. * Väinölä (also known as the Land of

) *

Aarnivalkea In folklore, a will-o'-the-wisp, will-o'-wisp or ''ignis fatuus'' (, plural ''ignes fatui''), is an atmospheric ghost light seen by travellers at night, especially over bogs, swamps or marshes. The phenomenon is known in English folk belief, ...

, an eternal flame marking the spot of buried treasure * Lintukoto, a mythical place where migratory birds were believed to live in wintertime, the word is used as a metaphor for a happy place in Finnish.

Animals

Brown bear The brown bear (''Ursus arctos'') is a large bear species found across Eurasia and North America. In North America, the populations of brown bears are called grizzly bears, while the subspecies that inhabits the Kodiak Islands of Alaska is kno ...

; the bear was considered the most sacred of animals in Finnish mythology, only referred to by euphemisms (see

taboo A taboo or tabu is a social group's ban, prohibition, or avoidance of something (usually an utterance or behavior) based on the group's sense that it is excessively repulsive, sacred, or allowed only for certain persons.''Encyclopædia Britannica ...

and

noa-name A noa-name is a word that replaces a taboo word, generally out of fear that the true name would summon the thing. The term derives from the Polynesian concept of '' noa'', which is the antonym of ''tapu'' (from which derives the word ''taboo'') an ...

). The killing of a bear was followed by a great feast in honour of the bear (''

peijaiset Peijaiset (in dialectal forms peijahaiset, peijaat or peijaajaiset) is a Finnish concept, dating to pre-Christian times, denoting a memorial feast (akin to a wake) that was held in the honour of a slain animal, particularly the bear, the animal ...

''), where a substantial part of the celebrations consisted of convincing the bear's spirit that it had died accidentally and hadn't been murdered. Afterwards, the bear's skull was hung high upon a pine tree so its spirit could re-enter the heavens.
Kalevala on the bear.
' *

Swan of Tuonela ''The Swan of Tuonela'' (') is an 1895 tone poem by the Finland, Finnish composer Jean Sibelius. It is part of the '' (Four Legends from the Kalevala)'', Op. 22, based on the Finnish mythology, Finnish mythological epic poetry, epic the ''Kaleva ...

; (''Tuonelan joutsen''). * Elk of Hiisi; (''Hiiden hirvi'').

Artifacts

*The

, a magical artifact that brought good fortune to its holder. According to Lönnrot's interpretation in the

, it was a mill that made

flour Flour is a powder made by grinding raw grains, roots, beans, nuts, or seeds. Flours are used to make many different foods. Cereal flour, particularly wheat flour, is the main ingredient of bread, which is a staple food for many culture ...

salt Salt is a mineral composed primarily of sodium chloride (NaCl), a chemical compound belonging to the larger class of salts; salt in the form of a natural crystalline mineral is known as rock salt or halite. Salt is present in vast quantitie ...

, and

gold Gold is a chemical element with the symbol Au (from la, aurum) and atomic number 79. This makes it one of the higher atomic number elements that occur naturally. It is a bright, slightly orange-yellow, dense, soft, malleable, and ductile met ...

out of thin air. *Väinämöinen's magic

kantele A kantele () or kannel () is a traditional Finnish and Karelian plucked string instrument (chordophone) belonging to the south east Baltic box zither family known as the Baltic psaltery along with Estonian kannel, Latvian kokles, Lithuanian ...

which he made from the jaws of a huge

pike Pike, Pikes or The Pike may refer to: Fish * Blue pike or blue walleye, an extinct color morph of the yellow walleye ''Sander vitreus'' * Ctenoluciidae, the "pike characins", some species of which are commonly known as pikes * ''Esox'', genus of ...

and a young lady's hair. *Väinämöinen's great sword, which shines like the sun and is extraordinarily sharp.

Notes

References

* Honko, Lauri, Senni Timonen, Michael Branch, and Keith Bosley. (1994). ''The Great Bear: A Thematic Anthology of Oral Poetry in the Finno-Ugrian Languages''. New York: Oxford University Press. Originally published 1993 by the Finnish Literature Society. * Holmberg, Uno. (1964). ''Finno-Ugric, Siberian''.

The Mythology of All Races ''The Mythology of All Races'' is a 13-volume book series edited by Louis Herbert Gray between 1916–1932 with George Foot Moore as a consulting editor. Volumes * * * * * * * * * * * * * See also *''Columbia University Indo-Iranian S ...

, Vol. IV (ed. by John Arnott MacCullough). New York: Cooper Square Publishers, 1964. Originally published 1927 by Marshall Jones, Boston. * Pentikäinen, Juha Y. (1999). ''Kalevala Mythology'', expanded ed. Translated by Ritva Poom. Bloomington: Indiana University Press. * Kuusi, Matti, Keith Bosley, and Michael Branch. (1977). ''Finnish Folk Poetry: Epic''. Helsinki: Finnish Literature Society. * Pentikäinen, Juha. (2002)
"Kalevala: the Finnish national epic" ThisisFINLAND
* Talve, Ilmar. (1997). Finnish Folk Culture. Studia Fennica, Ethnologica 4. Translated by Susan Sinisalo. Helsinki: Finnish Literature Society. * Virtanen, Leea and Dubois, Thomas. (2000). ''Finnish Folklore''. Studia Fennica, Folklorista 9. Translated by Thomas Dubois. Helsinki: Finnish Literature Society in association with University of Washington Press, Seattle, WA.