The 10 best norse mythology books norse mythology for. Finnish mythology is a commonly applied description of the folklore of finnish paganism, of which a modern revival is practiced by a small percentage of the finnish people. Ie is an irish based online bookstore offering a wide diverse range of books, new releases, bestsellers, bargains and rare books, with worldwide delivery. Finnish paganism, commonly described as finnish mythology, in general, is quite fascinating. Vainamoinen is a demigod, hero and the central character in finnish folklore and the main. Vainamoinen m finnish mythology derived from finnish vaina meaning wide and slowflowing river. Finlands bestselling cookbook adapted for american kitchens includes recipes for sour rye bread, bishops pepper cookies, and. List of mythological pantheons in the world comic vine. Vainamoinen is playing his zithor, rudolf akerblom, oil 1885 mythology books, world mythology. Finnish mythology, specifically the finnish national epic kalevala were acknowledged by tolkien as an influence on middleearth. Finnish mythology is a commonly applied description of the folklore of finnish paganism. Wikimedia commons has media related to mythology of finland pages in category finnish mythology the following 12 pages are in this category, out of 12 total.
Louhi is described as an evil witch and its very likely she an alterego of the goddess loviatar who was a blind daughter of tuoni, the god of death in finnish mythology and tuonetar, the underworld queen. The creator of the childrens book series the moomins also wrote a number of novels for adults, and a collection of short stories. Magnus chase is just a kida kid who happens to be the son of norse god, a fact he discovers just as ragnarok rolls around. Finnish folklore studia fennica folkloristica, virtanen, leea, dubois, thomas on. As many mythological creatures and objects are easily conflated and separated in finnish mythology, louhi is probably an alterego of the goddess loviatar. Kullervo m finnish, finnish mythology derived from finnish word kulta gold. Finnish mythology survived within an oral tradition of mythical. Religion has always been the mirror of a society, and the finnish ancient religion perfectly reflects the needs and the daily life of such a magic people.
The book also includes a stepbystep process for one of the paintings from start to finish. After all, any school child can tell you of the myths of the greeks, romans or germanic peoples, yet the mythology and heroes of finland have remained largely unknown. Finnish mythology your guide to the gods of finland. The 10 best norse mythology books norse mythology for smart.
Tolkien built his world on the foundations of his personal interests and knowledge base. Many fabulous finnish figures appear in the runic poems of the kalevala the national folk epic compiled in the 19th century by elias lonnrot. The chapters discuss how folklore has been collect and researched, regional distinctions within the countrys traditions, and how traditions have changed in the process of modernization of an agrarian society to an industrialized society. She had two names, as two were the faces of her obscure existence. It includes all the spectrum of motifs and many characteristics of norse mythology and finnish folklore.
Ancient greek mythology, all i can think of is tito the taco greek mythology timeline of sorts. In finnish mythology, vellamo is the goddess of the sea, the wife of ahti. Ive been doing a little bit of research into elements of norse influence on saami and finnish culture and vice versa and i d like to briefly share some of interesting things ive discovered. It has many features shared with fellow finnic estonian mythology and its nonfinnic neighbours, the balts and the scandinavians. Despite being a sparsely populated place, thick with forests and littered with lakes, finland has been amazingly persistent and creative with its mythology. Its been a while so i may have just gotten all that wrong. People are always asking me where they can find books about finnish mythology and folklore in english and other languages. Finnish mythology and folklore mythical creatures from old. In finnish mythology a mysterious virgin by the name of iro is said to have given birth to the three divine brothers at the beginning of times.
This list is for all the polytheistic groupings of gods and goddesses found throughout history. Oct 20, 2015 sharing my knowledge and artworks about finnish forest gods and goddesses. Finnish mythology, like that of many other cultures, tells the stories of gods and legendary heroes. Godchecker guide to hiisi also known as hisi, the finnish demon from finnish mythology. There are so many books on norse mythology out there, especially at the beginner level, that if you were to make a pile with one copy of each it would probably reach all the way up to asgard itself. So as in my last reading haul, this time i have gobbled up quite a few books at once too. A book of finnish fairy tales and folk tales by parker fillmore 1922, harcourt brace and company. Our alphabetical list of finnish gods and goddesses names.
Five, four years ago i started reading this interesting book, but i didnt move past 60 pages because i had this genius idea to copy the myths by hand. Finnish mythology is the mythology that went with finnish paganism which was practised by the finnish people prior to christianisation. See more ideas about mythology, fantasy and finland. This zine features 33 ink illustrations, each accompanied by a written introduction to finnish mythology and folklore related to the animals. Inspire a love of reading with prime book box for kids discover delightful childrens books with prime book box, a subscription that delivers new books every 1. Ukko is the god of the sky, weather, harvest and thunder in finnish mythology. Ukkonen, the finnish word for thunder is the diminutive form of the name ukko. Connections between norse, saami, and finnish mythology. Literature and the stereotyping of culture establish complete control over truth and knowledge. Because it was an oral tradition, there was no definitive guide, book, or. Good books in english about finnish mythology besides the kalevala.
It has many features shared with estonian and other finnic mythologies, but also shares some similarities with neighbouring baltic, slavic and, to a lesser extent, norse. The kalevala by elias lonnrot, il figlio del dio del tuono by arto paasilinna, pakanuuden aikakausi by julius krohn. Finnish mythology article about finnish mythology by the. The stories of these finnish gods and spirits were shared through storytelling for centuries. She was becoming bored of being alone in the void of emptiness, so she let herself fall into the primal ocean where she floated aimlessly. Trying to decide where to start or where to go next from your current position, continue reading the 10 best norse mythology books. It borders on the gulf of bothnia and sweden in the west, on norway in the north, on russia in the east, and on the gulf of finland and the baltic sea in the south. In a similar manner to the lord of the rings, the kalevala centres around a magical item of great power, the sampo, which bestows great fortune on its owner, but never makes its exact nature clear. It says that there was only water and sky at the beginning of the world. Tapio, god of hunt, animals, trees and forest mielikki, goddess of forest. Finland finnish, suomi or suomenmaa, the swampy region, of which finland. Myths, culture and feelings from the ancient finland. Most of the myths date from prechristian times and.
Public domain the story describes kalevas son and ilmarinens brother. Some of the stories even take place within the arctic circle. These are some of the most amazing creatures of the forests and waters in finnish mythology to keep an eye out for. Climate change, earthbased indigenous knowledge and the gift kaarina kailo 2018. The wide lakes and dense forests of finland have always had a strong fascination and mysticism to those who live there and have inspired many mythological creatures and figures. The landscape of finnish mythology is very mysterious, says verlyn flieger. However in a book containing 512 pages 200 of those pages are just greek myths, dont get me wrong i like greek mythology but its also the woohoo. Louhi possesses the power of magic and at one point she steals the sun and moon and locks them away. All of them concerning finnish mythology and shamanism. First you will learn how the finns viewed their gods, and then how we came to know about.
The word is possibly derived from the compound maanala, the space or area under the earth. Teresa f spanish, portuguese, italian, catalan, polish, finnish, german, swedish, norwegian, danish, english form of theresa used in several languages. Discover with us the magic belief of ancient finns. The folklore and fairy tales of finland are often heartwarming tales of bravery and goodness, where kindness is rewarded, and. Paasilinna is a finnish national treasure, and his other novel translated into english, the howling miller, is a great one that i keep stocked in the bookstore, too. Finns have been telling each other stories of their gods and guardians for centuries. The traditional view of finns as taciturn introverts probably doesnt help raise the profile of these tales typical joke. Finnish mythology myth encyclopedia god, story, tree, famous, world, creation, life, hero, king, people kalevala characters names mythological creatures mythical creatures singing contest norse mythology character names book of shadows gods and goddesses archetypes deities. It is connected to the estonian mythology, but also shares a lot of similarities with slavic and baltic mythologies, combining the beautiful, whimsical worlds. The concise list can be found on our pantheon page of finnish gods and spirits. Hiisi is a term in finnic mythologies, originally denoting sacred localities and later on various types of mythological entities. Find the top 100 most popular items in amazon books best sellers. Tolkien was first introduced to the story when he read a translation of the book during his schooldays, describing it as wild and primitive, and different from all other european epics. It has many features shared with estonian and other finnic mythologies, but also shares some similarities with neighbouring baltic, slavic and, to a lesser extent, norse mythologies.
List of books and articles about finnish history online. Virgin of air was the first, mother of waters the second. I think the swan is a symbol of death in finnish mythology too, like they. In later, christianinfluenced folklore, they are depicted as demonic or tricksterlike entities, often the autochthonous, pagan inhabitants of the land, similar in this respect to mythological giants. Finnish kids today are still familiar with the sanitised versions of such characters featured in modern childrens books and tv programmes. Finnish mythology and folklore mythical creatures from. The following translation was undertaken from a desire to lay before the englishspeaking people the full treasury of epical beauty, folklore, and mythology comprised in the kalevala, the national epic of the finns. Sharing my knowledge and artworks about finnish forest gods and goddesses. Finnish religious leaders were usually called shamans. In finnish folk religion, the divine mother is the virgin mary or maaria in finnish and she is remembered in songs and spells as a.
Discover the best childrens norse literature in best sellers. The shamans did magick, conjuration, incantations and spells to control men, animals, divine or demonic entities and inanimate beings. A nobullshit guide to world mythology by cory obrien, bulfinchs mythology by thomas. In this lesson you will learn about finnish mythology and some of the god and goddesses the finns revered. Because it interests me and i actually also mightve started a blog about finnish mythology and folklore, just for the fun of it. It is also called tuonela, the realm of tuoni, and pohjola, derived from the word pohja, meaning bottom and also north. Sep 21, 2017 louhi possesses the power of magic and at one point she steals the sun and moon and locks them away. As with other beliefs in the world, it survived through oral tradition and poems.
Godcheckers az names list of finnish gods and spirits. In finnish mythology, ahti or ahto is one of the heroic figures elias lonnrot compiled in the character of lemminkainen. Like most civilizations, they had a story for how the earth was created, and they believed. Along with ahti, she dwells in the undersea palace of ahtola. For a mythology based on wordofmouth taletelling, finland has better godly documentation than some other places we could mention. In finnish mythology, rauni akka is a fertility goddess and the wife of ukko. Louhi witch goddess of the north and the magical artifact. The finnish mother of waters an old finnish singer mentioned her as a young goddess who lived in the times before the time. In finnish folk religion, the divine mother is the virgin mary or maaria in finnish and she is remembered in songs and spells as a spiritual mother, healer, helper and protector of motherhood. Only the highest grade of sorcerer was allowed to use a drum and raise spirits. Fandom apps take your favorite fandoms with you and never miss a beat.
Finns have the power of darkness, finns are wizards. The kalevala is a book and epic poem which elias lonnrot compiled. Hiisi plural hiidet is a term in finnic mythologies, originally denoting sacred localities and later on various types of mythological entities in later, christianinfluenced folklore, they are depicted as demonic or tricksterlike entities, often the autochthonous, pagan inhabitants of the land, similar in this respect to mythological giants. Here are some of my suggestions o here are some book recommendations for you. The complete course for beginners colloquial series book only daniel abondolo isbn. Finnish mythology myth encyclopedia god, story, tree. Good books in english about finnish mythology besides.
Some of them are good natured, but others are best avoided at all costs. Apr 06, 2012 ive read a little bit about the finnish myths, i think in the kalevala, doesnt the main character fall in love with his sister, and then they both end up killing themselves. How to say mythology in finnish whats the finnish word for mythology. Our holy database currently contains 105 finnish deity names and 50 unique articles. Im super happy with how this turned out and so proud that i was able to bring this project to life.
Vaki, supernatural power believed by the baltic finns to reside in those natural sites, objects, and animals that for various reasons attracted popular attention and inspired strong emotional attachments. This list is frequently updated we are constantly discovering more. Book excerpt 1 finnish goddess mythology and the golden. The name bestowed on the storm by twc is shared with the god of sky and weather in finnish mythology, who like the norse counterpart thor wielded a hammer or axe, in some stories that could strike lightning.
In finnish mythology vainamoinen was a wise old magician, the son of the primal goddess ilmatar. In the beginning, there was only the goddess luonnotar, whose name means daughter of nature. Vaki was often conceived of as an impersonal power, akin to the polynesian mana, but it also. Herman hofberg, lapparnas hednatro uno holmberg, lapparnas religion rafael karsten, samefolkets religion. This book contains both an examination of and an anthology of finnish folklore from the nineteenth century to the present. The book contains a quaint collection of finnish poems in lyric forms, chiefly. This gave him a desire to read the original version, so he borrowed some finnish grammar books to teach himself the language.
Tolkien became fascinated by finnish mythology, abandoning his classics degree to. This particular book in the series main plot point is the ingress of several. Riordans made a name for himself with his middle grade fantasy books inspired by ancient myths. This book, perhaps the only real direct source of finnish mythology and religion, explores an oft neglected culture. Zeus cant keep it in his pants ancient greece website super cool, ancient greek gods, the olympics and more. The rambling epics of vainamoinen, the finnish folk hero, and the publishing of the kalevala, the finnish folk bible, give intriguing glimpses of a mythology centered around trees, animals, natural forces. They are found near salient promontories, ominous crevasses, large boulders, potholes, woods, hills, and other outstanding geographical features or rough terrain. Most of the myths date from prechristian times and were passed from generation to generation by storytellers. The finnish mythology, on the other hand, is based on oral knowledge and written down only during the early 19th century. Louhi is a wicked queen of the land known as pohjola. The basic idea in finnish mythology seems to lie in this. The finnish mythology, as presented in the kalevala, had a profound.