() is a
demigod
A demigod is a part-human and part-divine offspring of a deity and a human, or a human or non-human creature that is accorded divine status after death, or someone who has attained the "divine spark" (divine illumination). An immortality, immor ...
, hero
and the central character in
Finnish folklore and the main character in the
national epic
A national epic is an epic poem or a literary work of epic scope which seeks to or is believed to capture and express the essence or spirit of a particular nation—not necessarily a nation state, but at least an ethnic or linguistic group wi ...
''
Kalevala
The ''Kalevala'' () is a 19th-century compilation of epic poetry, compiled by Elias Lönnrot from Karelian and Finnish oral folklore and mythology, telling a story about the Creation of the Earth, describing the controversies and retaliatory ...
'' by
Elias Lönnrot
Elias Lönnrot (; 9 April 1802 – 19 March 1884) was a Finnish polymath, physician, philosopher, poet, musician, linguist, journalist, philologist and collector of traditional Finnish language, Finnish Oral literature, oral poetry. He is best k ...
. Väinämöinen was described as an old and wise man, and he possessed a potent, magical singing voice.
Name
The name Väinämöinen has often been explained as coming from the Finnish word ''väinä'' ("
stream pool") or ''väineä'' ("slow").
Janne Saarikivi brought forth a hypothesis of the name's possible connection of early Germanic forms of
Odin
Odin (; from ) is a widely revered god in Norse mythology and Germanic paganism. Most surviving information on Odin comes from Norse mythology, but he figures prominently in the recorded history of Northern Europe. This includes the Roman Em ...
's name: ''*wātenos'' could've been loaned into
Proto-Karelian as ''*vätnä'' or ''*väinä'', and ''Auðunn'' could be compared to ''Äinemöinen''.
In Finnish mythology
The first extant mention of Väinämöinen in literature is in a list of
Tavastian gods by
Mikael Agricola in 1551, where it says: ''"Aeinemöinen wirdhet tacoi."'' () He and other writers described Väinämöinen as the god of chants, songs and poetry; in many stories Väinämöinen was the central figure at the birth of the world.
A 1674 letter written by
Johan Cajanus stated that in
Kainuu
Kainuu (), also historically known as Cajania (), is one of the 19 regions of Finland (''maakunta'' / ''landskap''). Kainuu borders the regions of North Ostrobothnia, North Savo and North Karelia. In the east, it also borders Russia (Republic o ...
, Väinämöinen was called a son of a giant named
Kaleva. According to
Christfried Ganander in 1789, Kaleva had 12 sons, but the only ones he named in addition to Väinämöinen were
Ilmarinen
Ilmarinen () is a god and archetypal artificer from Finnish mythology. He is immortal and capable of creating practically anything. In addition, he is described as working the known metals of the time, including brass, copper, iron, gold, and sil ...
,
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 ent ...
,
Soini, Liekiöinen and Kihovauhkonen.
Joukahainen
Joukahainen () is a figure in Finnish mythology who appears as a rival or companion of Väinämöinen. There has been debate among scholars if he should be categorized as a god, a hero, an evil being, or something else.
His name has multiple diff ...
is also sometimes mentioned to be Väinämöinen's brother, though this is not the case in all versions. Väinämöinen's birth is a rare topic in
runic songs, but a rare
Ostrobothnian song describes him having been born from the Maiden of North, who was impregnated by a sea giant. In another song, his father is said to be
Kave-ukko, Lord of the North, who is described like a great warrior.
Väinämöinen has often been described as a
shaman
Shamanism is a spiritual practice that involves a practitioner (shaman) interacting with the spirit world through altered states of consciousness, such as trance. The goal of this is usually to direct spirits or spiritual energies into ...
hero, a mythical
tietäjä, with magical abilities, secret knowledge and being the most skilled singer. There is an old myth of his journey to the underworld. He does also possess more armed warrior-like features especially in runic songs from Ostrobothnia. He is not only a rune singer, but a skilled smith and sword user as well.
[Siikala (2012:131–133).]
Väinämöinen is the undisputed protagonist of Ostrobothnian runic songs collected in the 18th century. The myths around him include him trying to propose to an Air Maiden or
Tuulikki, trying to build a boat as a task she gave her and accidentally hurting his knee, causing it to bleed. This is also known as the
Finnish flood myth. In another well attested myth, Väinämöinen goes on a journey on his boat, creates the
Kantele and plays it so well even goddesses show up to listen to it. Väinämöinen travelling to the underworld
Tuonela, a common myth in Karelia, is missing from Ostrobothnia and rare in the nearby Kainuu; and even in Kainuu, the protagonist of the myth is named Kaukomieli. In Kainuu, Väinämöinen is more likely to travel to
Pohjola,
which does also have the synonym Manala (the underworld, the same as Tuonela).
In
Savonia, the well attested Väinämöinen-related runic songs include creating and playing the Kantele, Väinämöinen hurting his knee, as well as the runic singing battle between Väinämöinen and Joukahainen. The myths of stealing the
sampo
In Finnish mythology, the ''Sampo'' () is a magical device or object described in many different ways, constructed by the blacksmith and inventor Ilmarinen and which brings riches and good fortune to its holder, akin to the horn of plenty (corn ...
and travelling to the dead shaman
Antero Vipunen were also present. Sometimes, Väinämöinen is also put as the forger of the golden maiden, though the protagonist in this story is often
Ilmarinen
Ilmarinen () is a god and archetypal artificer from Finnish mythology. He is immortal and capable of creating practically anything. In addition, he is described as working the known metals of the time, including brass, copper, iron, gold, and sil ...
. Väinämöinen is also seen as the ruler of water in Savonia.
[Siikala (2012:250–253).]
Väinämöinen is often set as the protagonist of a myth where he communicates with the dead shaman Antero Vipunen by talking to him at his grave, travelling to the underworld to meet him, or being swallowed by him, in order to gain knowledge of specific magic words he is missing. According to
Matti Kuusi, the original protagonist of the story was likely
Lemminkäinen.
In
Karelia
Karelia (; Karelian language, Karelian and ; , historically Коре́ла, ''Korela'' []; ) is an area in Northern Europe of historical significance for Russia (including the Soviet Union, Soviet era), Finland, and Sweden. It is currentl ...
, Väinämöinen is involved with events before the creation of the world in the following ways: He is shot down into the sea by an enemy (like Joukahainen) where he lies with his knee on the surface. A bird lays an egg on Väinämöinen's knee, and when Väinämöinen moves it, the eggs fall down and break, forming the earth and the sky. Väinämöinen's element is water, and he is widely connected to it in many regions. When he lies down in water in Karelian runic songs, he also forms the shapes of the bottom of the sea.
In all of the above mentioned regions, Väinämöinen defeats Joukahainen in a runic singing battle with his superior knowledge over the events in the beginning of the world; after all, it was Väinämöinen himself who formed the bottom of the sea, set the stars on the sky and created mountains. Joukahainen as the younger and thus less knowing individual only remembers that these things had happened but didn't make them happen himself. Väinämöinen proceeds to sing (spellcast) Joukahainen into a bog or cold water, which symbolize a path to the underworld.
In a myth where the Sun has been captured and hidden, Väinämöinen tends to play a crucial part. While there are multiple different versions of the myth where the hero candidates range from
Jesus
Jesus (AD 30 or 33), also referred to as Jesus Christ, Jesus of Nazareth, and many Names and titles of Jesus in the New Testament, other names and titles, was a 1st-century Jewish preacher and religious leader. He is the Jesus in Chris ...
to a smith's maiden, in Kainuu, the sun and the moon were imprisoned in a rock and were released when Väinämöinen was forging. In Border Karelia, Väinämöinen allowed the sun to shine after catching it from top of a pine tree. In
Ingria
Ingria (; ; ; ) is a historical region including, and adjacent to, what is now the city of Saint Petersburg in northwestern Russia. The region lies along the southeastern shore of the Gulf of Finland, bordered by Lake Ladoga on the Karelian ...
, Son of God resurrects Väinämöinen and asks where the sun and the moon are, or he travels to Pohjola, where Mistress of Pohjola shows him to Väinämöinen's grave and he digs him up to ask the question.
In addition to his heroic acts, Väinämöinen is unlucky with some of his other efforts. He is often described as not being successful with fishing or courting. He says an old person should not try to marry a young person—based on his own failures. He cries when hurting his knee or falling into the sea, the latter to which
Mistress of Pohjola remarks it as unusual to hear an old bearded hero cying. He is sometimes said to be blind. In the Karelian runic song ''Väinämöinen's Judgement'', a child who was born through a virgin birth from Marjatta accuses Väinämöinen of
incest
Incest ( ) is sexual intercourse, sex between kinship, close relatives, for example a brother, sister, or parent. This typically includes sexual activity between people in consanguinity (blood relations), and sometimes those related by lineag ...
with his mother.
The latter part is, according to
Kaarle Krohn and
Uno Harva, influenced by the ideas present in
Sampsa Pellervoinen's story.
In the ''Kalevala''

In the nineteenth century, some folklorists, most notably
Elias Lönnrot
Elias Lönnrot (; 9 April 1802 – 19 March 1884) was a Finnish polymath, physician, philosopher, poet, musician, linguist, journalist, philologist and collector of traditional Finnish language, Finnish Oral literature, oral poetry. He is best k ...
, the writer of ''Kalevala'', disputed Väinämöinen's mythological background, claiming that he was an ancient hero, or an influential
shaman
Shamanism is a spiritual practice that involves a practitioner (shaman) interacting with the spirit world through altered states of consciousness, such as trance. The goal of this is usually to direct spirits or spiritual energies into ...
who lived perhaps in the ninth century. Stripping Väinämöinen from his direct godlike characteristics, Lönnrot turned Väinämöinen into the son of the primal goddess
Ilmatar, whom Lönnrot had invented himself. In this story, it was she who was floating in the sea when a duck laid eggs on her knee.
He possessed the wisdom of the ages from birth, for he was in his mother's womb for seven hundred and thirty years, while she was floating in the sea and while the earth was formed. It is after praying to the sun, the moon, and the great bear (the stars, referring to
Ursa Major
Ursa Major, also known as the Great Bear, is a constellation in the Northern Sky, whose associated mythology likely dates back into prehistory. Its Latin name means "greater (or larger) bear", referring to and contrasting it with nearby Ursa M ...
) that he is able to leave his mother's womb and dive into the sea.
Väinämöinen is presented as the 'eternal
bard
In Celtic cultures, a bard is an oral repository and professional story teller, verse-maker, music composer, oral historian and genealogist, employed by a patron (such as a monarch or chieftain) to commemorate one or more of the patron's a ...
', who exerts order over chaos and established the land of
Kaleva, and around whom revolve so many of the events in ''Kalevala''. His search for a wife brings the land of Kaleva into, at first friendly, but later hostile contact with its dark and threatening neighbour in the north,
Pohjola. This conflict culminates in the creation and theft of the
Sampo
In Finnish mythology, the ''Sampo'' () is a magical device or object described in many different ways, constructed by the blacksmith and inventor Ilmarinen and which brings riches and good fortune to its holder, akin to the horn of plenty (corn ...
, a magical artifact made by
Ilmarinen
Ilmarinen () is a god and archetypal artificer from Finnish mythology. He is immortal and capable of creating practically anything. In addition, he is described as working the known metals of the time, including brass, copper, iron, gold, and sil ...
, the subsequent mission to recapture it, and a battle which ends up splintering the Sampo and dispersing its parts around the world to parts unknown.
Väinämöinen also demonstrated his magical voice by sinking the impetuous
Joukahainen
Joukahainen () is a figure in Finnish mythology who appears as a rival or companion of Väinämöinen. There has been debate among scholars if he should be categorized as a god, a hero, an evil being, or something else.
His name has multiple diff ...
into a bog by singing. Väinämöinen also slays a great
pike and makes a magical
kantele from its jawbones.
Väinämöinen's end is a
hubris
Hubris (; ), or less frequently hybris (), is extreme or excessive pride or dangerous overconfidence and complacency, often in combination with (or synonymous with) arrogance.
Hubris, arrogance, and pretension are related to the need for vi ...
tic one. The 50th and final poem of the ''Kalevala'' tells the story of the maiden Marjatta, who becomes pregnant after eating a berry, giving birth to a baby boy. This child is brought to Väinämöinen to examine and judge. His verdict is that such a strangely born infant needs to be put to death. In reply, the newborn child, mere two weeks old, chides the old sage for his sins and transgressions, such as allowing the maiden
Aino, sister of
Joukahainen
Joukahainen () is a figure in Finnish mythology who appears as a rival or companion of Väinämöinen. There has been debate among scholars if he should be categorized as a god, a hero, an evil being, or something else.
His name has multiple diff ...
, to drown herself. Following this, the baby is baptized and named king of ''Kalevala''. Defeated, Väinämöinen goes to the shores of the sea, where he sings for himself a boat of copper, with which he sails away from the mortal realms. In his final words, he promises that there shall be a time when he shall return, when his crafts and might shall once again be needed. Thematically, the 50th poem thus echoes the arrival of
Christianity
Christianity is an Abrahamic monotheistic religion, which states that Jesus in Christianity, Jesus is the Son of God (Christianity), Son of God and Resurrection of Jesus, rose from the dead after his Crucifixion of Jesus, crucifixion, whose ...
to
Finland
Finland, officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country in Northern Europe. It borders Sweden to the northwest, Norway to the north, and Russia to the east, with the Gulf of Bothnia to the west and the Gulf of Finland to the south, ...
and the subsequent fading into history of the old
pagan
Paganism (, 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 Christianity, Judaism, and Samaritanism. In the time of the ...
beliefs. This is a common theme among epics, for in the tale of
King Arthur
According to legends, King Arthur (; ; ; ) was a king of Great Britain, Britain. He is a folk hero and a central figure in the medieval literary tradition known as the Matter of Britain.
In Wales, Welsh sources, Arthur is portrayed as a le ...
, Arthur declares a similar promise before departing for
Avalon.
In the original 1888 translation of ''Kalevala'' into English by John Martin Crawford, Väinämöinen's name was anglicised as Wainamoinen.
In other cultures
In the
Estonia
Estonia, officially the Republic of Estonia, is a country in Northern Europe. It is bordered to the north by the Gulf of Finland across from Finland, to the west by the Baltic Sea across from Sweden, to the south by Latvia, and to the east by Ru ...
n national epic
Kalevipoeg, a similar hero is called
Vanemuine. In neighbouring Scandinavia,
Odin
Odin (; from ) is a widely revered god in Norse mythology and Germanic paganism. Most surviving information on Odin comes from Norse mythology, but he figures prominently in the recorded history of Northern Europe. This includes the Roman Em ...
shares many attributes with Väinämöinen, such as connections to magic and poetry.
Popular culture
The Kalevala has been translated into English and many other languages, in both verse and prose, in complete and abridged forms. For more details see
list of Kalevala translations.
J. R. R. Tolkien
Väinämöinen has been identified as a source for
Gandalf
Gandalf is a protagonist in J. R. R. Tolkien's novels ''The Hobbit'' and ''The Lord of the Rings''. He is a Wizards (Middle-earth), wizard, one of the Istari order, and the leader of the Company of the Ring. Tolkien took the name "Gandalf" fr ...
, the wizard in
J. R. R. 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 Rawlinson ...
's novel ''
The Lord of the Rings
''The Lord of the Rings'' is an Epic (genre), epic high fantasy novel written by English author and scholar J. R. R. Tolkien. Set in Middle-earth, the story began as a sequel to Tolkien's 1937 children's book ''The Hobbit'' but eventually d ...
''. Another Tolkienian character with great similarities to Väinämöinen is
Tom Bombadil. Like Väinämöinen, he is one of the most powerful beings in his world, and both are ancient and natural beings in their setting. Both Tom Bombadil and Väinämöinen rely on the power of song and lore. Likewise,
Treebeard and the
Ents in general have been compared to Väinämöinen.
Akseli Gallen-Kallela
In art (such as the accompanying picture by
Akseli Gallen-Kallela
Akseli Gallen-Kallela (born Axel Waldemar Gallén; 26 April 1865 – 7 March 1931) was a Finnish painter who is best known for his illustrations of the ''Kalevala'', the Finnish national epic poetry, epic. His work is considered a very importa ...
), Väinämöinen is described as an old man with a long white beard, which is also a popular appearance for wizards in
fantasy literature
Fantasy literature is literature set in an imaginary universe, often but not always without any locations, events, or people from the real world. Magic, the supernatural and magical creatures are common in many of these imaginary worlds. Fan ...
.
Music
In music, Finnish
folk metal
Folk metal is a fusion genre of heavy metal music and traditional folk music that developed in Europe during the 1990s. It is characterised by the widespread use of folk instruments and, to a lesser extent, traditional singing styles (for example ...
band
Ensiferum
Ensiferum (Latin: , n adj., meaning "sword bearing") is a Finnish folk metal band from Helsinki. The members of the band label themselves as "melodic folk metal".
History Formation, demos and ''Ensiferum'' (1995−2002)
''Ensiferum'' was foun ...
wrote three songs based on/about Väinämöinen, called "Old Man", "Little Dreamer" and "Cold Northland". There is also a direct reference to him in their song "One More Magic Potion", where they have written "Who can shape a kantele from a pike's jaw, like the great One once did?". The band's mascot, who appears on all their albums, also bears a similarity to traditional depictions of Väinämöinen.
Another Finnish metal band named
Amorphis released their tenth album
The Beginning of Times in 2011. It is a concept album based on the myths and stories of Väinämöinen.
Yet another well-known Finnish metal band,
Korpiklaani
Korpiklaani (Finnish language, Finnish for ) is a Finnish folk metal band from Lahti that was formerly known as Shamaani Duo and Shaman.
History Shamaani Duo
While other folk metal bands began with metal before adding folk music, Korpiklaani st ...
has released a song about the death of Väinämöinen, Tuonelan Tuvilla, as well as an English version named "At The Huts of the Underworld".
A song on the album ''Archipelago'' by Scottish
electronic jazz collective
Hidden Orchestra is also named "Vainamoinen".
Philadelphia based Black metal band Nihilistinen Barbaarisuus released a song about Väinämöinen simply called "Väinämöinen" on their second studio album ''The Child Must Die'' in 2015.
In classical music, Väinämöinen appears as the main character in the first movement of Jean Sibelius' original music for the "Days of the Press" celebrations of 1899. The first tableaux in this music known as
Väinämöinen's Song later became the first movement of Sibelius' 1911 orchestral suite
Scènes Historiques. Väinämöinen is also the theme of a composition for choir and harp by
Zoltán Kodály
Zoltán Kodály (, ; , ; 16 December 1882 – 6 March 1967) was a Hungarian composer, ethnomusicologist, music pedagogue, linguist, and philosopher. He is well known internationally as the creator of the Kodály method of music education.
...
, "Wainamoinen makes music", premiered by David Watkins.
Science fiction and fantasy
Joan D. Vinge's ''
The Summer Queen'' contains characters named Vanamoinen, Ilmarinen, and Kullervo. They are not the characters from the legend though but may have been inspired by them. That book is the sequel to her
Hugo Award
The Hugo Award is an annual literary award for the best science fiction or fantasy works and achievements of the previous year, given at the World Science Fiction Convention (Worldcon) and chosen by its members. The award is administered by th ...
-winning novel ''
The Snow Queen
"The Snow Queen" () is an 1844 original fairy tale by Danish author Hans Christian Andersen. It was first published 21 December 1844 in ''New Fairy Tales. First Volume#New Fairy Tales. First Volume. Second Collection, New Fairy Tales. First Vo ...
''.
Väinämöinen is also a major character in The Iron Druid Chronicles novel, ''
Hammered'' by
Kevin Hearne. The series follows the Tempe, Arizona-based 2,100 year-old Irish Druid,
Atticus O'Sullivan. This book's main plot is the ingress of several characters - the Slavic thunder god
Perun
In Slavic paganism, Slavic mythology, Perun () is the highest god of the Pantheon (religion), pantheon and the god of sky, thunder, lightning, storms, rain, law, war, fertility and oak trees. His other attributes were fire, mountains, wind, ir ...
, O'Sullivan, a
werewolf
In folklore, a werewolf (), or occasionally lycanthrope (from Ancient Greek ), is an individual who can shapeshifting, shapeshift into a wolf, or especially in modern film, a Shapeshifting, therianthropic Hybrid beasts in folklore, hybrid wol ...
, a
vampire
A vampire is a mythical creature that subsists by feeding on the Vitalism, vital essence (generally in the form of blood) of the living. In European folklore, vampires are undead, undead humanoid creatures that often visited loved ones and c ...
, Finnish folk legend Väinämöinen, and
Taoist
Taoism or Daoism (, ) is a diverse philosophical and religious tradition indigenous to China, emphasizing harmony with the Tao ( zh, p=dào, w=tao4). With a range of meaning in Chinese philosophy, translations of Tao include 'way', 'road', ...
fangshi Zhang Guolao - into Asgard to kill
Norse thunder god
Thor
Thor (from ) is a prominent list of thunder gods, 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 g ...
, all for their own varied reasons.
Comic books
There is a Finnish comic strip called "Väinämöisen paluu" (The Return of Väinämöinen) by
Petri Hiltunen, where Väinämöinen returns from thousand-year exile to modern Finland to comment on the modern lifestyle with humor.
In the storyline "Love her to Death" of the web-comic
Nukees, Gav, having died, arrives to an afterlife populated by gods. Among them is Väinämöinen, who, among other things, complains that one only gets women by playing the electric
kantele.
In the
Uncle Scrooge
''Uncle Scrooge'' (stylized as ''Uncle $crooge'') is a Disney comic book series starring Scrooge McDuck ("the richest duck in the world"), his nephew Donald Duck, and grandnephews Huey, Dewey, and Louie, and revolving around their adventures in ...
comic "
The Quest for Kalevala", drawn by
Don Rosa
Keno Don Hugo Rosa (), known as Don Rosa (born June 29, 1951), is an American comic book writer and illustrator known for his comics about Scrooge McDuck and other Disney comics, Disney characters. Many of his stories are built on characters an ...
, Väinämöinen helps Scrooge and company to reassemble the
Sampo
In Finnish mythology, the ''Sampo'' () is a magical device or object described in many different ways, constructed by the blacksmith and inventor Ilmarinen and which brings riches and good fortune to its holder, akin to the horn of plenty (corn ...
(mythical mill that could produce gold from thin air) and then leaves with it back to Kalevala, but not before giving Scrooge its handle as a souvenir.
In the webcomic "
Axis Powers Hetalia", the character of Finland was given the human name Tino Väinämöinen.
Notes
References
*Siikala, Anna-Leena (2012). ''Itämerensuomalaisten mytologia''. Helsinki: Finnish Literature Society. .
External links
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Vainamoinen
Arts gods
Characters in the Kalevala
Creation myths
Demigods
Finnish gods
Heroes in mythology and legend
Magic gods
Music and singing gods