Joulupukki

Today for the Holidays I wanted to write about Joulupukki, a Finnish Christmas figure. Joulupukki was originally depicted as a goat who would visit after Christmas feasts and ask for leftovers. He is thought to share an origin with Julbocken and Krampus, however due to synchronization he now more resembles Santa Claus or Ded Moroz.

Nisse

Today for the Holidays I wanted to write about Nisse, a Scandinavian home and water spirit that became yuletide figures post-christainisation. The Nisse/Tomte are small shapeshifters often taking the form of small old men wearing red. Nisse will often take care of small farm chores in exchange for porridge on Christmas eve. If they are

Lemminkäinen

Today I wanted to write about Lemminkäinen, a Finnish folk hero and shaman know for his red hair. Lemminkäinen drowned in Tuonela, trying to impress Louhi‘s daughter. Lemminkäinen’s mother manages to bring him back with the help of Ilmarinen and some magic honey stolen from Ukko. Lemminkäinen later when on to battle the dog like

Pikne

Today I wanted to write about Pikne, an Estonian god of lightning and the protector of the Võhandu river. He’s a son of Ukko. He was once banished to earth by Ukko after Vanapagan stole his whistle stopping it from raining. Take it Pikne,the bull we are offeringwith two hornsand four hoovesfor ploughing and harvestingIs

Kalevipoeg

Today I wanted to write about Kalevipoeg/Sohni, an Estonian hero and giant. Kalevipoeg is the youngest son of Linda and Kalev. When Linda is kidnapped, Kalevipoeg travels across Estonia and Finland to rescue her, creating the lakes and mountains of Estonia along his journey. When he returns from his journey, he battles with his brothers

Vanapagan

Today for spooky season I wanted to write about Vanapagan, an Estonian folk demon and ruler of the underworld. Vanapagan is an unintelligent Oger who is consistently bested by Kalevipoeg and Kaval Ants (Crafty Hans). Vanapagan is also know for stealing the musical instrument belonging to Pikne. Another enemy of Vanapagan is Toell the Great.

Louhi

Today for spooky season I wanted to write about Louhi, a Finnish witch-goddess who may be a name used by Loviatar, a Finnish goddess of death. Louhi is only mentioned a few times in the Kalevala where she is described as being a power queen with the power to shapeshift. She’s the major opponent to

Akka

Continuing with spooky season I wanted to write about Akka, an Estonian, Finnish, and Sámi spirit or group of spirits/goddesses responsible for both birth and death. Maderakka is one of the five Akkas, she creates bodies and is the goddess of women and children, she has three daughters: Sarakka, goddess of love and fertility, Juksakka,

Linda

Today I wanted to write about Linda, an Estonian goddess connected to an island in Lake Ülemiste. She’s married to Kalevi and is the mother of Kalevipoeg. Not only is Lindakivi in Lake Ülemiste named after her. Lindanise, a previous settlement near Tallin, is also named after her. Sources: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Linda_%28Estonian_mythology%29?wprov=sfla1

Lalli

Today I wanted to write about Lalli, a folkloric Finnish figure who’s sometimes invoked for revenge against an oppressor, Lalli may also have associations with bears. In Finnish folklore Lalli is only mentioned in one story, when he killed Bishop Henry, one of the first Christian missionaries in Finland. Bishop Henry stopped at Lalli’s home

Kullervo

Today I wanted to write about Kullervo, a Finnish immortal wizard that us a central figure in the Kalevala. Kullervo is the son of Untamala, a woman who was sold into slavery after her entire village was brutally murdered. Untamo, the man that killed Untamala’s village, attempted to kill Kullervo three times: once with water,

Kuu

With the full moon tonight I wanted to write about Kuu, also called Kuutär, a Finnish goddess of the moon. She’s a daughter of Ilmatar. She is also the twin sister of Päivätär; Kuu was formed from the egg white while Päivätär was born of the yolk. She’s also the sister of Väinämöinen. She is

Ilmatar

Today I wanted to write about Ilmatar, a Finnish goddess of wind and air. She’s the mother of Väinämöinen as well as Kuu and Päivätär. The asteroid (385) Ilmatar is named after her. She is sometimes given the name/epithet Luonnotar. Sources: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ilmatar?wprov=sfla1

Väinämöinen

Today I wanted to write about Väinämöinen, a Finnish god of chants, songs, and poems. He’s a son of Ilmatar and Kalevi. When he was born he swam in the primordial waters to find land. He’s the brother of Päivätär, Kuu, and Ilmarinen. He’s been compared to Vanemuine and Odin. Väinämöinen is described as a

Ilmarinen

Today I wanted to write about Ilmarinen, a Finnish god who is a great inventor and blacksmith. In Finnish mythology he created the Sampo, a magical device that can create grain, salt, and gold. After the loss of his first wife he attempted to make a second wife out of gold and silver, however she

Ukko

Today I wanted to write about Ukko, a Finnish god of thunder, the sky, weather, rowan trees, and the harvest. He is married to the goddess Akka. Ukko wields the hammer Ukonvasara. Ukko is often compared to Perkūnas and Thor as well as Yahweh. The minor planet Ukko is named after him. Ukonvasara shaped pendants

Kalma

Continuing with spooky season I wanted to write about Kalma, a Finnish goddess of death and decay. She’s a daughter of Tuoni and Tuonetar. She is accompanied by the dog Surma. Cemeteries are said to be sacred to her. Sources: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kalma_%28goddess%29?wprov=sfla1

Päivätär

Today I wanted to write about Päivätär, a Finnish goddess of the sun. She is the daughter of Ilmatar and the twin sister of Kuu. She weaves clothing out of the sun’s rays. She was synchronized with the virgin Mary. Sources: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/P%C3%A4iv%C3%A4t%C3%A4r?wprov=sfla1 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kuu_%28Finland%29?wprov=sfla1

Vellamo

I haven’t done much research on finnish deities before and wanted to write about Vellamo, a Finnish goddess of water, the sea, lakes, winds, and storms. She has magical cows that live under the water but on some foggy days she’s said to bring them to the surface. She was often prayed to by fishermen

Peko

I haven’t written about any Baltic gods in a while and all the ones I’ve written about have been Lithuanian, so I wanted to write about Peko an Estonian & Finnish god of crops, barley, brewing, and beer. Peko is said to have once been a great king and hero of the people. He is