Rauni () is a name for a being in Finnish mythology. The exact role and identity of Rauni is debated, and theories range from Rauni having been a

mother goddess A mother goddess is a goddess who represents a personified deification of motherhood, fertility goddess, fertility, creation, destruction, or the earth goddess who embodies the bounty of the earth or nature. When equated with the earth or th ...

and consort of Ukko to being identified with Ukko himself.

Interpretations

Opinion among scholars concerning the role of Rauni in Finnish mythology is varied. Some interpret Rauni as a name for the consort of Ukko, the Finnish god of thunder. Some also identify Rauni with the rowan tree, citing the reconstructed Old Norse form ''*raunir'' (English: ''rowan'') as linguistic evidence. Others still, among them Martti Haavio, contend that Rauni is simply an

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 ...

for a deity called Ukko, who may or may not be the well-known Finnish thunder god, and that the other theories are based on a misreading of a poem documenting Finnish pre-Christian beliefs by Mikael Agricola.

References

* Haavio, Martti: ''Karjalan jumalat''. Porvoo: WSOY, 1959. Finnish mythology Finnish goddesses Finnish gods Nature deities Mother goddesses {{deity-stub

Interpretations

See also

References