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Finnish mythology
Articles about Finnish mythology within Europe.
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Metsänhaltija
Metsänhaltija is a Finnish forest guardian or forest spirit. The name is usually understood as “the keeper” or “guardian of the forest,” although it does not always refer to one clearly defined individual. In Finnish fol…
Nyyrikki
Nyyrikki is a figure associated with the forests and hunting in Finnish mythology. In the Finnish epic poem Kalevala, he is presented as a son of Tapio, the powerful master or spirit of the forest. Nyyrikki’s most distin…
Otava
Otava is the Finnish name for the constellation commonly known in English as the Great Bear or, more specifically, the seven prominent stars of the Big Dipper. In Finnish mythology and folklore, Otava belongs to the nort…
Ovda
Ovda is a little-documented wilderness figure commonly labelled as part of Finnish mythology. In modern descriptions, Ovda is usually presented as a hairy, human-shaped forest being associated with remote woodland, disor…
Paha
Paha is a Finnish word meaning “evil,” “bad” or “the evil one.” In discussions of Finnish mythology and folklore, it may be presented as a named supernatural being, but its status requires care. Paha is not securely docu…
Päivätär
Päivätär is a feminine personification of daylight in Finnish mythology. Her name is usually understood as “Lady of the Day” or “Mistress of the Day,” from the Finnish word päivä, meaning “day.” She is often described in…
Pekko
Pekko is a figure from Finnish folklore and the agrarian religious imagination of the Finns, best known as a spirit or deity associated with barley, brewing, and the success of the harvest. His place in older tradition i…
Sampsa
Sampsa is a figure from Finnish mythology and folk tradition, best known from the Kalevala, where he appears as a mysterious cause of fertility and abundance. The name is usually associated with growth, plenty, and the m…
Piru
Piru is a figure from Finnish mythology and folk belief, most often understood as a name for a devil-like or demon-like being, especially in later Christian-era tradition. The word appears in Finnish vernacular usage wit…
Sampo
Sampo is a mysterious and much-discussed object in Finnish mythology, best known from the national epic Kalevala. In traditional Finnish oral poetry and later literary retellings, the Sampo is a wonder-working source of …
Suonetar
Suonetar is a figure from Finnish mythology and folk tradition, commonly understood as a supernatural being connected with veins, blood, and healing or affliction in the human body. Like many beings in Finnic folklore, S…