Finnish paganism - Definition and Overview

Finnish paganism was a form of ancient pagan religion in Finland and Karelia. It is closely related to the Asatru of other Nordic peoples, and to Baltic paganism as well. Sometimes it is considered as a form of Asatru; for example both Finnish paganism and Asatru have a similar thunder god with a hammer. But Finnish paganism also has many features of its own. Finnish paganism has many layers originating from different periods of time. Its roots are deep in the shamanistic religions of stone-age Europe, while Asatru has been changed more and adopted more new features of other religions.

Shamanism

The oldest layers of Finnish paganism are shamanistic. Shaman was a kind of wizard and wise and respected person, who was believed to have a special relationship with spirit world. Shamans went in trance to travel the spirit realm. In trance shaman could ask forefathers and nature spirits for guidance and hidden wisdom. Nature was full of information to them who could ask it.

According to tales foreign seafarers bought from Finns some kind of knots. By opening the knot a bit a seaman could raise a wind to make his ship go faster. Opening it too fast it raised a storm. Finnish wizards were known and feared by neighbouring peoples around the Baltic sea.

The origins and the structure of the world

The world was believed to have been structured from an exploding egg of a bird. The sky was believed to be the upper cover of an egg or a tent, which was supported by a column at the north pole, below the north star. Moving of stars was explained to be caused by the sky-domes' rotation around the north star and itself. At the edges of Earth were Lintukoto, "the home of birds", a warm region in which birds lived during the winter. Milky way was called Linnunrata, "the path of birds", because the birds were believed to move along it to Lintukoto and back.

Birds had also other significance. Birds brought a human's soul to him at the moment of birth, and took it away at the moment of death. To secure the soul during the sleep, it was necessary to have a wooden bird-figure nearby. This Sielulintu, the soul-bird, protected the soul from being lost in the paths of dreams.

Tuonela, the land of the dead

Finnish version of Hades, the land of dead was Tuonela. It was an underground home or city for all the dead people, not only the good or the bad ones. It was a dark and lifeless place, where everybody slept forever. Still a brave shaman could travel to Tuonela in trance to ask for the forefathers' guidance. To travel to Tuonela, the soul had to cross the dark river of Tuonela. If he had a proper reason, then a boat would come to take him over. Many times a shaman's soul had to trick the guards of Tuonela into believing that he was actually dead.

Ukko, the God of sky and thunder

Ukko is a god of sky, weather, crop (harvest) and other things. He is also the most significant god in Finnish mythology and the Finnish word ukkonen, thunderstorm, is derived from his name. In the Kalevala he is also called ylijumala (over god), as he is the god of things above. He makes all his appearances in myths solely by natural effects when asked. "Ukko" in contemporary Finnish means old man.

Ukkos origins are probably in Baltic Perkons and older Finnish sky god Ilmarinen. Also Thor of Asatru is originated from Perkons. While Ukko took Ilmarinen's position as the Sky God, Ilmarinen's destiny was to turn into a mortal smith-hero. The stories still tells about Ilmarinen vaulting the sky-dome.

Ukkos weapon was hammer, axe or sword, by which he struck lightning. While Ukko mated with his wife Akka, there was a thunderstorm. The original weapon of Ukko was probably the boat-shaped stone-axe of battle axe-culture. Ukkos hammer, the Vasara, probably meant originally the same thing as the boat-shaped stone axe. While stone tools were abandoned in the metal ages, the origins of stone-weapons became a mystery. They were believed to be weapons of Ukko, stone-heads of striking lightnings. Shamans collected and held stone-axes because they were believed to hold many powers to heal and to damage.

The list of Gods

• Ahti; (or Ahto) god of the depths, giver of fish
• Ajattara; (sometimes Ajatar) an evil forest spirit.
• Akka; ("old lady") female spirit, feminine counterpart of "Ukko".
• Hiisi; demon, originally meaning a sacred grove.
• Ilmarinen; (also "Seppo Ilmarinen") the great artificer, maker of heaven. Originally a male spirit of air. Related to Inmar.
• Ilmatar; female spirit of air; the daughter of primeal substance of creative spirit.
• Lempo; nasty spirit
• Luonnotar; spirit of nature, feminine creator
• Maaemo; literally "earthmother", see Akka or Louhi.
• Menninkäinen; a halfling
• Mielikki;
• Nyyrikki; god of the hunt
• Näkki; fearsome pool, well and bridgespirit
• Otso; the spirit of the bear (one of many circumlocutory epithets)
• Perkele; the headpiru (later Devil)
• Pellervo; (also "Sampsa Pellervoinen") the god of harvest
• Pihatonttu; tutelary of the yard
• Piru; demon
• Päivätär; the goddess of day
• Tapio; the god of the forest
• Tellervo; wife of Tapio, the goddess of the forest
• Tonttu; generally benign tutelary. Originally, a patron of cultivated land, keeper of lot. A phallic totem.
• Tuonetar, (Tuonen tytti) Daughter of god of Underworld
• Ukko; the god of the sky and thunder, related to Perkons, Ilmarinen and Thor ("Taara")
• Vellamo; wife of Ahti, goddess of the sea