Finnish mythology

Finnish mythology survived as oral tradition well into the 18th century.

Based on animistic beliefs, the Finnish uphold one of the very few primitive religious traditions in Western Europe, albeit in a secularized form. The rites of the hunt (Peijainen[?]), harvest and sowing etc. may well be held as social events, but the spiritual undercurrent is not totally absent. Although the gradual influence of surrounding cultures raised the significance of the skygod in a monolatristic manner, he was originally just a naturespirit like all the others. The one whose name was never uttered by the Finns was the spirit whose carnal form is known in English as bear.

Finnish legendary heroes, gods and spirits:

• Ahti[?]; (or Ahto) god of the depths, giver of fish
• Antero Vipunen[?]; underground spirit of deep knowledge
• Hiisi; demon
• Ilmarinen (also "Seppo Ilmarinen") ; the great artificer[?]
• Jumala[?]; originally an anthropomorpic totem[?] or talisman (later the name for the christian God)
• Kotitonttu[?]; tutelary of the home
• Kullervo; tragic loser
• Lemminkäinen[?]; (Ahti Saarelainen; Kaukomieli) a brash hero
• Lempo[?]; nasty spirit
• Lalli[?]; Finn who slew Bishop Henry[?] (according to legend)
• Louhi[?]; matriarch of Pohjola[?]
• Luonnotar[?]; spirit of nature, creator
• Maaemo[?]; literally "earthmother"
• Menninkäinen; a halfling
• Mielikki[?];
• Nyyrikki; god of the hunt
• Näkki; fearsome pool, well and bridgespirit
• Otso; the spirit of the bear (or atleast one of his many circumlocutory epiteths)
• Peikko[?]; troll
• Perkele; the headpiru (later Devil)
• Pellervo[?]; (also "Sampsa Pellervoinen") the god of harvest
• Pihatonttu[?]; tulelary[?] of the yard
• Piru; demon
• Päivätär[?]; the goddess of day
• Saunatonttu[?]; tutelary of the Sauna
• Tapio; the god of the forest
• Tonttu; generally benign tutelary
• Ukko; the god of the sky
• Väinämöinen; the wise man and magic musician

Finnish mythical places:

• Kyöpelinvuori[?]; where women who die as virgins go
• Tuonela[?]; (also Manala) abode of the dead
• Pohjola; Northern center of power ruled by Louhi
• Kaleva[?]

See also: Kalevala, Norse mythology