Finnish mythology
The Finnish mythology summarizes the early beliefs of the Finns . It is a part of the mythology of the Finno-Ugric peoples that is difficult to define . Basic elements of cosmogony , the belief in the power of magicians and shamanism are common . The Finnish national epic is the Kalevala .
Bishop Mikael Agricola first mentioned Finnish mythology in his introduction to the Finnish translation of the New Testament in 1551. He described several gods and spirits . Finnish myths were summarized by Elias Lönnrot in the Kalevala and contributed to the Finnish national consciousness .
Origin and structure of the world
Finnish mythology says that the world was created from the seven eggs of a duck bird , which were placed on the knee of the goddess of the air, Ilmatar , then fell and broke in the primeval sea. The eggshells formed the domes of the sky and the land, the yolk the sun and the sun god Päivätär , the silver egg white the moon and the moon god Kuu . The stars formed from other small pieces of eggshell.
The sky rests on a pillar that stands on the North Pole . The movement of the stars was explained by the fact that at the North Pole there is a huge vortex , called Kinahmi , which rotates the column and the canopy of heaven attached to it. Through this vortex the souls of the people should also reach the Tuonela realm of the dead .
The flat earth rests in the middle of the primeval ocean. At the end of the world, Lintukoto should be the home of the birds , a warm region where birds retreat in winter. The Milky Way was called Linnunrata (German: "The way of the birds") because it was believed that the birds got to Lintukoto and back again on this.
Birds are also of great importance in Finnish mythology. So they bring a person's soul at birth and take it away again at death. To protect your soul while you sleep, you had to have a wooden bird figure close by. This soul bird, called Sielulintu , prevents the soul from getting lost in dreams .
Heroes, gods and spirits
- Ägräs : patron god of plants and god of wine
- Ahti (also Ahto ): god of the sea and fishing
- Ajatar (also Ajattara or Aijo ): evil forest spirit
- Akka : Mother Nature, wife of Ukko
- Antero Vipunen : late giant
- Heikki Luunta ; Snow spirit
- Hiisi : demon
- Ilmarinen : one of the most important heroes of the Kalevala epic, magical blacksmith , creator of Sampo
- Ilmatar (also Luonnotar ): Goddess of the air, creator of the world and mother of Väinämöinen
- Jumala : God of heaven, Jumala later became the God of the Christians called
- Kalevan poika : huge hero who can cut down entire forests
- Kalma : goddess of death and putrefaction
- Kave : former god of the sky, later god of the lunar cycle, father of Väinämöinen
- Kullervo : tragic character of the Kalevala
- Kuu : The god of the moon
- Lemminkäinen (also Kaukomieli ): one of the most important heroes of the Kalevala epic, reckless, adventurous
- Lempo : evil spirit
- Louhi (also Loviatar ): Queen of Pohjola
- Maahiset , little ghosts underground, live in an upside-down world, exchange children for changeling and bring diseases
- Menninkäinen : gnome or goblin
- Mielikki : goddess of the forest and the hunt, wife of Tapio
- Näkki : fearful spirit in puddles and wells
- Nyyrikki : god of the hunt, son of Tapio
- Otso : Spirit of the bear
- Päivätär : goddess of the sun and summer
- Peikko : Troll
- Pelto-Pekka : God of beer and drunkenness
- Pekko (also Pellon-Pekko ): God of the field and the fruits
- Piru : Demon
- Rahko : God of Time
- Sampsa (also Pellervo ): God of the harvest
- Surma : monster that guards the borders of Tuonela
- Tapio : god of the forest
- Tellervo : goddess and helper of Tapio and Mielikki
- Tonttu : Guardian Spirit, Gnome Man ( Kotitunttu - Guardian Spirit of the House, Pihatonttu - Guardian Spirit of the Garden, Saunatonttu - Guardian Spirit of the Sauna, etc.)
- Tuonetar : goddess of the underworld Tuonela
- Turisas : god of war.
- Tuulikki : goddess of the forest, daughter of Tapio and Mielikki
- Ukko : High God, God of Heaven and Thunder
- Väinämöinen : wise hero and magical musician
- Vellamo : goddess of the sea and the storm, wife of Ahti
- Vedenemo : goddess of water
literature
- Uno Holmberg-Harva : The mythology of all races. Volume 4: Finno-Ugric, Siberian . Marshall Jones, 1927.
- Lauri Honko: Finnish Mythology . In: Hans Wilhelm Haussig (Ed.): Gods and Myths in Old Europe (= Dictionary of Mythology . Department 1: The ancient civilized peoples. Volume 2). Klett-Cotta, Stuttgart 1973, ISBN 3-12-909820-8 .
- Juha Pentikäinen: Kalevala mythology . Indiana University Press, 1999, ISBN 0-253-21352-5 .
- Leea Virtanen, Thomas Andrew DuBois: Finnish folklore . Finnish Literature Society, 2000, ISBN 951-717-938-3 .
Web links
- Database Finnish Gods (English)
- The Information Center for the Kalevala and Karelian Culture : JUMINKEKO , Kuhmo - Finland (English)