Finnic mythology
Encyclopedia
Finnic mythologies are any of the various mythologies of the Finnic peoples
, such as the Volga Finns
, Baltic Finns
, Permians
, and Sami
.
The mythologies of the Finno-Lappic speakers have some common aspects; the Sami people are deeply shamanistic and these traits are present also in Finnish-Karelian mythology. Baltic Finnic mythologies are also related to shamanism in Siberia on one hand, and to Indo-European Baltic
and Germanic
mythologies on the other. Especially the mythologies of the Baltic Finns
were directly influenced by their Indo-European neighbors, the Scandinavians
, the Slavs and the Baltic peoples.
The Baltic Finns share some common religious and historical traditions were transmitted orally: the art of ancient rune singing, estimated to be 2500–3000 years old.
Shamanism
has been important influence on the mythologies of most (but not all) of the Finnic peoples
, especially those that lived by hunting. One aspect in common to many of the Finnic peoples is the myth that the world is created from an egg. Another central aspect of these mythologies has been astronomy, that includes several Milky Way myths and ideas about the existence of the World tree
or pillar
while the star formations were thought to represent animal spirits. Similar myths are also found from many neighbouring non-Finnic peoples; for example the Scandinavians
believed in the world tree
. The myth of world egg
is almost universal.
The Sami People, who were primarily hunters, were animistic; they worshipped spirits called the haldi who watched over nature and existed in many places. In the Sami animal cult
Bear was considered to be the animal lord. This is considered as a kind of totemism
. The forest god Laib olmai ruled over all forest animals. Some Sami had a thunder god called Tiermes, or Horagalles and a sky-ruling god Radien or Vearalden. The Sami symbol of the world tree or pillar was marked by a stytto.
Volga-Finnic, Baltic-Finnic and Permic
peoples became agricultural long before the historic times and developed farming-based mythologies. The Udmurt
Permians had a sky god, a farmer and weather deity Inmar, the Erzya and Moksha Mordvins worshiped the earth mother responsible for harvest, Mastor-Ava.
Amongst the Finno-Permic speakers there was a notable similarity between the sky gods; including Ukko
of Finnish mythology
, "Jumal" or "Taevataat" (Sky Grandfather) in Estonian mythology
and "Jumo
" in Mari mythology. The Mari language word "Jumo" and Baltic-Finnic words "Jumal" and "Jumala" are also etymologically related. Another possible similarity between the sky gods is that Finnish Ilmarinen
, a mythical smith-hero, might originally be a sky god, distantly related to Udmurtian Inmar. There is also a notable relation between the sky gods of the speakers of Finno-Permic, Scandinavian, Slavic
and Baltic languages
.
and Ingermanland, parts of which were compiled in the first half of the 19th century by Elias Lönnrot
into the national epic of Finland, Kalevala
, on the basis of material collected by himself or other scholars. Originally, the Finnish-Karelian epic poetry did not constitute an epic whole but was divided into several unconnected poems or "mini-eposes".
The Kalevala begins with a creation myth where a duck lays eggs by landing on the raised knee of the virgin Mother of the Waters. The earth is formed and Väinämöinen and Ilmarinen
were born. Other central figures of the epic include Lemminkäinen
, compiled by Lönnrot from several heroes of the oral poetry, and the female antagonist Louhi
.
Lönnrot has built the story around the forging and the conquest of the Sampo
, variantly interpreted as a world pillar or tree, a magic mill, a compass or astrolabe, or a chest containing a treasure.
J. R. R. Tolkien
has highlighted the importance of Kalevala
as a source for his legendarium
including The Lord of the Rings
.
Although the gradual influence of surrounding cultures raised the significance of the sky-god Jumala in a monolatristic
manner, the father god "Ukko
" (Old Man) was originally just a nature spirit like all the others. The most sacred animal, whose real name was never uttered out loud, was the bear
. The bear was seen as the embodiment of the forefathers, and for this reason it was called by many euphemisms: "mesikämmen" ("mead-paw"), "otso" ("wide brow"), "kontio" ("dweller of the land").
and literary mythology.
Wulfstan of Hedeby
reported to Alfred the Great
(971-899) concerning Baltic burial customs. These included holding the dead unburied in the house of their relatives and friends, who held a wake of drinking until the day of the cremation. The rite of cremation is thought to be related to the belief that it was speeding up the dead's journey to the afterlife and the dead would not become earthbound spirits, which were thought to be dangerous to the living. Henry of Livonia records that even in 1222 the Estonians disinterred Christian dead and burned them.
Henry of Livonia describes in his chronicle a legend from Virumaa
that speaks of a mountain and a forest where the god Tharapita
was born and from where he flew to Oesel. It has been speculated that the route of Taarapita’s flight may correspond to the fall of the Kaali meteorite.
During the battles in the Livonian Crusade
, Oeselians
, the proto-Estonians from Saaremaa
were described by the chronicle to cry out, rejoicing in Tharapita.
The solstice festival of Midsummer celebrating the sun through solar symbols of bonfires, the tradition alive until the present day, and numerous Estonian nature spirits: the sacred oak and linden have been described by Balthasar Russow
in 1578.
Some traces of the oldest authentic myths may have survived in runic songs. There is a song about the birth of the world – a bird lays three eggs and starts to lay out the nestlings – one becomes the Sun
, one becomes the Moon
, and one becomes the Earth
. Other Finnic peoples have myths in which the world emerged from a single egg.
Estonian legends about giants (Kalevipoeg
, Suur Tõll, Leiger) may be a reflection of Germanic (especially Scandinavia
n) influences. There are numerous legends interpreting various natural objects and features as traces of Kalevipoeg's deeds. The giant has merged together with Christian Devil
, giving birth to a new character – Vanapagan and his farm hand Kaval-Ants (Crafty Hans).
During the era of Estonian national awakening
the elements in the literary mythology were quickly and readily incorporated into contemporary popular culture through media and school textbooks. It can be difficult to tell how much of Estonian mythology as we know it today was actually constructed in the 19th and early 20th century. One should also note that some constructed elements are loans from Finnish mythology
and may date back to the common Baltic-Finnic heritage. According to Endel Nirk "the so called pseudo-mythology has played a greater role in Estonian national movement and the people’s life than for some other people their proven authentic mythology."
The forest-god of the Sami, Laib olmai ruled over all forest animals, which were regarded as his herds, and luck in hunting, or the reverse, depended on his will. His favour was so important that, according to one author, they made prayers and offerings to him every morning and evening.
The clan and family gods of the Sami were known in different parts of the country under the name of Seita or Storjunkare. Each family or clan had its Storjunkare standing in the district where they lived. Every Sami settlement had its seita, which had no regular shape, and might consist of smooth or odd-looking stones picked out of a stream, of a small pile of stones, of a tree- stump, or of a simple post. They were set up on a high, prominent place, or in a rich meadow. Under and round such seitas they strewed green fir twigs in winter, and in summer green leaves. The seitas protected their worshippers against misfortune to the herds of reindeer, gave instructions how to catch wild reindeer, and in return offerings were made to them of the hides and hoofs of reindeer, calves, and sometimes of a dog. But a private person might also have his own seita, to whom he prayed for good luck. The Storjunkare are described sometimes as stones, having some likeness to a man or an animal, that were set up on a mountain top, or in a cave, or near rivers and lakes. Honor was done to them by spreading fresh twigs under them in winter, and in summer leaves or grass. The Storjunkare had power over all animals, fish, and birds, and gave luck to those that hunted or fished for them. Reindeer were offered up to them, and every clan and family had its own hill of sacrifice.
Knowledge of the Sami
religion is primarily based on archeological remains and written sources from missionary work in northern Scandinavia
during the Middle Ages
and up to the early 18th century. Some objects date back to 800-1300s, and the sites are usually termed "Samic metal depots", due to the large findings of metal objects. The objects are mostly coins from Germany and England, and parts from weapons (e.g. arrow-heads). Some minor findings consists of horn from reindeer
.
The religion was a form of shamanism
, practiced by the noaide
for the most miscellaneous problems. The instrument used for ceremonies was the rune drum
, but even a domestic flute, the so-called "fadno", was used. The traditional Sami chant, joik, was used in ceremonies where the noaide fell in trance and left his or her body to transcend into the divine world of "saivo", where he or she could negotiate with gods, spirits and forefathers to improve the fate of the group he or she represented. As with other circumpolar religions, the Sami religion contains a hunting ceremony especially for bears, known as the bear cult. Elements of Norse mythology
, as well as Christian
ideas, are found in the later years of Sami religion.
In Erzya mythology the superior deities were hatched from an egg
. The mother of gods is called Ange Patiai, followed by the Sun God Chipaz who gave birth to Nishkepaz, to the earth god Mastoron kirdi and the wind god Varmanpaz. From the union of Chipaz and the Harvest Mother Norovava was born the god of the underworld Mastorpaz. The thunder god Pur’ginepaz (cf. Perkūnas
) was born from Niskende Teitert, the daughter of the mother of gods Ange Patiai.
The creation of the Earth is followed by the creation of the Sun, the Moon, the humankind and the Erzya. The man was created by god Chipaz who molded the humankind from clay while in another version of the legend the man is made from soil.
In Moksha mythology the Supreme God is called Viarde Skai. According to the legends the creation of the world went through several stages: first the Devil moistened the building material in his mouth and spit it out. The spat piece grew into a plain, which was modeled uneven by creating chasms and the mountains. The first humans created by Viarde Skai could live for 700–800 years and were giants of 99 archinnes. The underworld in Mokshan mythology was ruled by Mastoratia.
The Erzya and Moksha Mordvins worshiped the Earth goddess, the earth mother Mastor-Ava responsible for harvest. An epic poem based on Mordvin folktales, Mastorava
, appeared in 1994.
Finnic peoples
The Finnic or Fennic peoples were historic ethnic groups who spoke various languages traditionally classified as Finno-Permic...
, such as the Volga Finns
Volga Finns
The Volga Finns are a historical group of indigenous peoples of Russia whose descendants include the Mari people, the Erzya and the Moksha Mordvins, as well as extinct Merya, Muromian and Meshchera people...
, Baltic Finns
Baltic Finns
The Baltic Finns are a historical linguistic group of peoples of northern Europe whose modern descendants include the Finns proper, Karelians , Izhorians, Veps, Votes, Livonians and Estonians who speak Baltic-Finnic languages and have inhabited the Baltic Sea region for 3,000 years according to...
, Permians
Permians
The Permians are a branch of the Finno-Ugric peoples and include Komis and Udmurts, speakers of Permic languages. Formerly the name Bjarmians was also used to describe these peoples...
, and Sami
Sami people
The Sami people, also spelled Sámi, or Saami, are the arctic indigenous people inhabiting Sápmi, which today encompasses parts of far northern Sweden, Norway, Finland, the Kola Peninsula of Russia, and the border area between south and middle Sweden and Norway. The Sámi are Europe’s northernmost...
.
The mythologies of the Finno-Lappic speakers have some common aspects; the Sami people are deeply shamanistic and these traits are present also in Finnish-Karelian mythology. Baltic Finnic mythologies are also related to shamanism in Siberia on one hand, and to Indo-European Baltic
Baltic mythology
Baltic mythology generally covers the pre-Christian mythology of the Latvians, Lithuanians and Old Prussians, which are thought to have at least some common roots....
and Germanic
Germanic paganism
Germanic paganism refers to the theology and religious practices of the Germanic peoples of north-western Europe from the Iron Age until their Christianization during the Medieval period...
mythologies on the other. Especially the mythologies of the Baltic Finns
Baltic Finns
The Baltic Finns are a historical linguistic group of peoples of northern Europe whose modern descendants include the Finns proper, Karelians , Izhorians, Veps, Votes, Livonians and Estonians who speak Baltic-Finnic languages and have inhabited the Baltic Sea region for 3,000 years according to...
were directly influenced by their Indo-European neighbors, the Scandinavians
Scandinavians
Scandinavians are a group of Germanic peoples, inhabiting Scandinavia and to a lesser extent countries associated with Scandinavia, and speaking Scandinavian languages. The group includes Danes, Norwegians and Swedes, and additionally the descendants of Scandinavian settlers such as the Icelandic...
, the Slavs and the Baltic peoples.
The Baltic Finns share some common religious and historical traditions were transmitted orally: the art of ancient rune singing, estimated to be 2500–3000 years old.
Shamanism
Shamanism
Shamanism is an anthropological term referencing a range of beliefs and practices regarding communication with the spiritual world. To quote Eliade: "A first definition of this complex phenomenon, and perhaps the least hazardous, will be: shamanism = technique of ecstasy." Shamanism encompasses the...
has been important influence on the mythologies of most (but not all) of the Finnic peoples
Finnic peoples
The Finnic or Fennic peoples were historic ethnic groups who spoke various languages traditionally classified as Finno-Permic...
, especially those that lived by hunting. One aspect in common to many of the Finnic peoples is the myth that the world is created from an egg. Another central aspect of these mythologies has been astronomy, that includes several Milky Way myths and ideas about the existence of the World tree
World tree
The world tree is a motif present in several religions and mythologies, particularly Indo-European religions, Siberian religions, and Native American religions. The world tree is represented as a colossal tree which supports the heavens, thereby connecting the heavens, the earth, and, through its...
or pillar
Axis mundi
The axis mundi , in religion or mythology, is the world center and/or the connection between heaven and Earth. As the celestial pole and geographic pole, it expresses a point of connection between sky and earth where the four compass directions meet...
while the star formations were thought to represent animal spirits. Similar myths are also found from many neighbouring non-Finnic peoples; for example the Scandinavians
Scandinavians
Scandinavians are a group of Germanic peoples, inhabiting Scandinavia and to a lesser extent countries associated with Scandinavia, and speaking Scandinavian languages. The group includes Danes, Norwegians and Swedes, and additionally the descendants of Scandinavian settlers such as the Icelandic...
believed in the world tree
Yggdrasil
In Norse mythology, Yggdrasil is an immense tree that is central in Norse cosmology. It was said to be the world tree around which the nine worlds existed...
. The myth of world egg
World egg
A world egg or cosmic egg is a mythological motif found in the creation myths of many cultures and civilizations. Typically, the world egg is a beginning of some sort, and the universe or some primordial being comes into existence by "hatching" from the egg, sometimes lain on the primordial waters...
is almost universal.
The Sami People, who were primarily hunters, were animistic; they worshipped spirits called the haldi who watched over nature and existed in many places. In the Sami animal cult
Animal worship
Animal worship refers to religious rituals involving animals, especially in pre-modern societies, such as the glorification of animal deities, or animal sacrifice....
Bear was considered to be the animal lord. This is considered as a kind of totemism
Totemism
Totemism is a system of belief in which humans are said to have kinship or a mystical relationship with a spirit-being, such as an animal or plant...
. The forest god Laib olmai ruled over all forest animals. Some Sami had a thunder god called Tiermes, or Horagalles and a sky-ruling god Radien or Vearalden. The Sami symbol of the world tree or pillar was marked by a stytto.
Volga-Finnic, Baltic-Finnic and Permic
Permic languages
Permic languages are a branch of the Uralic language family. They are spoken in the foothills of the Ural Mountains of Russia.* Komi** Komi-Permyak** Komi-Yodzyak ** Komi-Zyryan...
peoples became agricultural long before the historic times and developed farming-based mythologies. The Udmurt
Udmurt people
The Udmurts are a people who speak the Udmurt language. Through history they have been known in Russian as Chud Otyatskaya , Otyaks, or Votyaks , and in Tatar as Ar....
Permians had a sky god, a farmer and weather deity Inmar, the Erzya and Moksha Mordvins worshiped the earth mother responsible for harvest, Mastor-Ava.
Amongst the Finno-Permic speakers there was a notable similarity between the sky gods; including Ukko
Ukko
In Finnish mythology, Ukko, in Estonian mythology Uku, is a god of sky, weather, crops and other natural things. He is the most significant god in Finnish and Estonian mythologies, and created the goddess Ilmatar, creator of the world. The Finnish word ukkonen, thunderstorm, is derived from his...
of Finnish mythology
Finnish mythology
Finnish mythology is the mythology that went with Finnish paganism which was practised by the Finnish people prior to Christianisation. It has many features shared with fellow Finnic Estonian mythology and its non-Finnic neighbours, the Balts and the Scandinavians...
, "Jumal" or "Taevataat" (Sky Grandfather) in Estonian mythology
Estonian mythology
Estonian mythology is a complex of myths belonging the Estonian folk heritage and literary mythology.Information about the pre-Christian and medieval Estonian mythology is scattered in historical chronicles, travellers' accounts and in ecclesiastical registers...
and "Jumo
Jumo
Jumo is a social network service and website launched on November 30, 2010, to index charities so that people can find and evaluate them. Jumo was founded by Facebook co-founder Chris Hughes. On August 17, 2011 he announced Jumo was merging with the GOOD organization, providing a social engagement...
" in Mari mythology. The Mari language word "Jumo" and Baltic-Finnic words "Jumal" and "Jumala" are also etymologically related. Another possible similarity between the sky gods is that Finnish Ilmarinen
Ilmarinen
Seppo Ilmarinen, the Eternal Hammerer, blacksmith and inventor in the Kalevala, is an archetypal artificer from Finnish mythology. Immortal, he is capable of creating practically anything, but is portrayed as unlucky in love...
, a mythical smith-hero, might originally be a sky god, distantly related to Udmurtian Inmar. There is also a notable relation between the sky gods of the speakers of Finno-Permic, Scandinavian, Slavic
Slavic languages
The Slavic languages , a group of closely related languages of the Slavic peoples and a subgroup of Indo-European languages, have speakers in most of Eastern Europe, in much of the Balkans, in parts of Central Europe, and in the northern part of Asia.-Branches:Scholars traditionally divide Slavic...
and Baltic languages
Baltic languages
The Baltic languages are a group of related languages belonging to the Balto-Slavic branch of the Indo-European language family and spoken mainly in areas extending east and southeast of the Baltic Sea in Northern Europe...
.
Finnish
The most comprehensive collection of Baltic-Finnic myths and legends are preserved in the oral epic poetry of KareliaKarelia
Karelia , the land of the Karelian peoples, is an area in Northern Europe of historical significance for Finland, Russia, and Sweden...
and Ingermanland, parts of which were compiled in the first half of the 19th century by Elias Lönnrot
Elias Lönnrot
Elias Lönnrot was a Finnish philologist and collector of traditional Finnish oral poetry. He is best known for compiling the Kalevala, the Finnish national epic compiled from national folklore.-Education and early life:...
into the national epic of Finland, Kalevala
Kalevala
The Kalevala is a 19th century work of epic poetry compiled by Elias Lönnrot from Finnish and Karelian oral folklore and mythology.It is regarded as the national epic of Finland and is one of the most significant works of Finnish literature...
, on the basis of material collected by himself or other scholars. Originally, the Finnish-Karelian epic poetry did not constitute an epic whole but was divided into several unconnected poems or "mini-eposes".
The Kalevala begins with a creation myth where a duck lays eggs by landing on the raised knee of the virgin Mother of the Waters. The earth is formed and Väinämöinen and Ilmarinen
Ilmarinen
Seppo Ilmarinen, the Eternal Hammerer, blacksmith and inventor in the Kalevala, is an archetypal artificer from Finnish mythology. Immortal, he is capable of creating practically anything, but is portrayed as unlucky in love...
were born. Other central figures of the epic include Lemminkäinen
Lemminkäinen
Lemminkäinen or Lemminki is a prominent figure in Finnish mythology. He is one of the Heroes of the Kalevala, where his character is a composition of several separate heroes of oral poetry. He is usually depicted as young and good looking, with wavy blonde hair.The original, mythological...
, compiled by Lönnrot from several heroes of the oral poetry, and the female antagonist Louhi
Louhi
Louhi is a queen of the land known as Pohjola in Finnish mythology and the mythology of Lapland.-In mythology:Louhi is described as a powerful witch with the ability to change shape and weave mighty enchantments. She is also the main opponent of Väinämöinen and his group in the battle for the...
.
Lönnrot has built the story around the forging and the conquest of the Sampo
Sampo
In Finnish mythology, the Sampo or Sammas was a magical artifact of indeterminate type constructed by Ilmarinen that brought good fortune to its holder...
, variantly interpreted as a world pillar or tree, a magic mill, a compass or astrolabe, or a chest containing a treasure.
J. R. R. Tolkien
J. R. R. Tolkien
John Ronald Reuel Tolkien, CBE was an English writer, poet, philologist, and university professor, best known as the author of the classic high fantasy works The Hobbit, The Lord of the Rings, and The Silmarillion.Tolkien was Rawlinson and Bosworth Professor of Anglo-Saxon at Pembroke College,...
has highlighted the importance of Kalevala
Kalevala
The Kalevala is a 19th century work of epic poetry compiled by Elias Lönnrot from Finnish and Karelian oral folklore and mythology.It is regarded as the national epic of Finland and is one of the most significant works of Finnish literature...
as a source for his legendarium
Tolkien's legendarium
The phrase Tolkien's legendarium is used in the literary discipline of Tolkien studiesto refer to the part of J. R. R. Tolkien's high fantasy fiction being concerned with his Elven legends; that is, historic events that have become legendary from the perspective of the characters of The Lord of the...
including The Lord of the Rings
The Lord of the Rings
The Lord of the Rings is a high fantasy epic written by English philologist and University of Oxford professor J. R. R. Tolkien. The story began as a sequel to Tolkien's earlier, less complex children's fantasy novel The Hobbit , but eventually developed into a much larger work. It was written in...
.
Although the gradual influence of surrounding cultures raised the significance of the sky-god Jumala in a monolatristic
Henotheism
Henotheism is the belief and worship of a single god while accepting the existence or possible existence of other deities...
manner, the father god "Ukko
Ukko
In Finnish mythology, Ukko, in Estonian mythology Uku, is a god of sky, weather, crops and other natural things. He is the most significant god in Finnish and Estonian mythologies, and created the goddess Ilmatar, creator of the world. The Finnish word ukkonen, thunderstorm, is derived from his...
" (Old Man) was originally just a nature spirit like all the others. The most sacred animal, whose real name was never uttered out loud, was the bear
Bear
Bears are mammals of the family Ursidae. Bears are classified as caniforms, or doglike carnivorans, with the pinnipeds being their closest living relatives. Although there are only eight living species of bear, they are widespread, appearing in a wide variety of habitats throughout the Northern...
. The bear was seen as the embodiment of the forefathers, and for this reason it was called by many euphemisms: "mesikämmen" ("mead-paw"), "otso" ("wide brow"), "kontio" ("dweller of the land").
Estonian
Estonian mythology survives as a complexity of myths from the folk heritageEstonian folklore
The earliest mentioning of Estonian singing dates back to Saxo Grammaticus Gesta Danorum . Saxo speaks of Estonian warriors who sang at night while waiting for a battle. Henry of Livonia in the beginning of the 13th. century describes Estonian sacrificial customs, gods and spirits. In 1578...
and literary mythology.
Wulfstan of Hedeby
Wulfstan of Hedeby
Wulfstan of Hedeby was a late ninth century traveller and trader. His travel accounts, as well as those of another trader, Ohthere, were included in Alfred the Great's translation of Orosius' Histories...
reported to Alfred the Great
Alfred the Great
Alfred the Great was King of Wessex from 871 to 899.Alfred is noted for his defence of the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of southern England against the Vikings, becoming the only English monarch still to be accorded the epithet "the Great". Alfred was the first King of the West Saxons to style himself...
(971-899) concerning Baltic burial customs. These included holding the dead unburied in the house of their relatives and friends, who held a wake of drinking until the day of the cremation. The rite of cremation is thought to be related to the belief that it was speeding up the dead's journey to the afterlife and the dead would not become earthbound spirits, which were thought to be dangerous to the living. Henry of Livonia records that even in 1222 the Estonians disinterred Christian dead and burned them.
Henry of Livonia describes in his chronicle a legend from Virumaa
Virumaa
Virumaa is a former independent county in Ancient Estonia. Now it is divided into Ida-Viru County or Eastern Vironia and Lääne-Viru County or Western Vironia...
that speaks of a mountain and a forest where the god Tharapita
Tharapita
Tharapita or Taarapita or Taara is a god in Estonian mythology.The Chronicle of Henry of Livonia mentions Tharapita as the superior god of Oeselians , also well known to Vironian tribes in northern Estonia...
was born and from where he flew to Oesel. It has been speculated that the route of Taarapita’s flight may correspond to the fall of the Kaali meteorite.
During the battles in the Livonian Crusade
Livonian Crusade
The Livonian Crusade refers to the German and Danish conquest and colonization of medieval Livonia, the territory constituting modern Latvia and Estonia, during the Northern Crusades...
, Oeselians
Oeselians
The Oeselians were a historical Finnic people inhabiting Saaremaa , an Estonian island in the Baltic Sea. They are first thought to be mentioned as early as the 2nd century BC in Ptolemy's Geography III. The Oeselians along with Curonians were known in the Old Norse Icelandic Sagas and in...
, the proto-Estonians from Saaremaa
Saaremaa
Saaremaa is the largest island in Estonia, measuring 2,673 km². The main island of Saare County, it is located in the Baltic Sea, south of Hiiumaa island, and belongs to the West Estonian Archipelago...
were described by the chronicle to cry out, rejoicing in Tharapita.
The solstice festival of Midsummer celebrating the sun through solar symbols of bonfires, the tradition alive until the present day, and numerous Estonian nature spirits: the sacred oak and linden have been described by Balthasar Russow
Balthasar Russow
Balthasar Russow was one of the most important Livonian and Estonian chroniclers.Russow was born in Reval . He was educated at an academy in Stettin in Pomerania...
in 1578.
Some traces of the oldest authentic myths may have survived in runic songs. There is a song about the birth of the world – a bird lays three eggs and starts to lay out the nestlings – one becomes the Sun
Sun
The Sun is the star at the center of the Solar System. It is almost perfectly spherical and consists of hot plasma interwoven with magnetic fields...
, one becomes the Moon
Moon
The Moon is Earth's only known natural satellite,There are a number of near-Earth asteroids including 3753 Cruithne that are co-orbital with Earth: their orbits bring them close to Earth for periods of time but then alter in the long term . These are quasi-satellites and not true moons. For more...
, and one becomes the Earth
Earth
Earth is the third planet from the Sun, and the densest and fifth-largest of the eight planets in the Solar System. It is also the largest of the Solar System's four terrestrial planets...
. Other Finnic peoples have myths in which the world emerged from a single egg.
Estonian legends about giants (Kalevipoeg
Kalevipoeg
Kalevipoeg is an epic poem by Friedrich Reinhold Kreutzwald held to be the Estonian national epic.- Origins : There existed an oral tradition within Ancient Estonia of legends explaining the origin of the world...
, Suur Tõll, Leiger) may be a reflection of Germanic (especially Scandinavia
Scandinavia
Scandinavia is a cultural, historical and ethno-linguistic region in northern Europe that includes the three kingdoms of Denmark, Norway and Sweden, characterized by their common ethno-cultural heritage and language. Modern Norway and Sweden proper are situated on the Scandinavian Peninsula,...
n) influences. There are numerous legends interpreting various natural objects and features as traces of Kalevipoeg's deeds. The giant has merged together with Christian Devil
Devil
The Devil is believed in many religions and cultures to be a powerful, supernatural entity that is the personification of evil and the enemy of God and humankind. The nature of the role varies greatly...
, giving birth to a new character – Vanapagan and his farm hand Kaval-Ants (Crafty Hans).
During the era of Estonian national awakening
Estonian national awakening
The Estonian Age of Awakening is a period in history where Estonians came to acknowledge themselves as a nation deserving the right to govern themselves. This period is considered to begin in 1850s with greater rights being granted to commoners and to end with the declaration of the Republic of...
the elements in the literary mythology were quickly and readily incorporated into contemporary popular culture through media and school textbooks. It can be difficult to tell how much of Estonian mythology as we know it today was actually constructed in the 19th and early 20th century. One should also note that some constructed elements are loans from Finnish mythology
Finnish mythology
Finnish mythology is the mythology that went with Finnish paganism which was practised by the Finnish people prior to Christianisation. It has many features shared with fellow Finnic Estonian mythology and its non-Finnic neighbours, the Balts and the Scandinavians...
and may date back to the common Baltic-Finnic heritage. According to Endel Nirk "the so called pseudo-mythology has played a greater role in Estonian national movement and the people’s life than for some other people their proven authentic mythology."
Sami
The Sami, who were hunters rather than farmers, worshiped animal spirits like the bear as animal lord. Other animal spirits included the haldi who watched over the nature. Some Sami people had a thunder god called Tiermes, or sometimes called Horagalles. Another sky-ruling god was called Radien or Vearalden. The symbol of the world tree or pillar similar in Finnish mythology that reached up to the North star was marked by a stytto.The forest-god of the Sami, Laib olmai ruled over all forest animals, which were regarded as his herds, and luck in hunting, or the reverse, depended on his will. His favour was so important that, according to one author, they made prayers and offerings to him every morning and evening.
The clan and family gods of the Sami were known in different parts of the country under the name of Seita or Storjunkare. Each family or clan had its Storjunkare standing in the district where they lived. Every Sami settlement had its seita, which had no regular shape, and might consist of smooth or odd-looking stones picked out of a stream, of a small pile of stones, of a tree- stump, or of a simple post. They were set up on a high, prominent place, or in a rich meadow. Under and round such seitas they strewed green fir twigs in winter, and in summer green leaves. The seitas protected their worshippers against misfortune to the herds of reindeer, gave instructions how to catch wild reindeer, and in return offerings were made to them of the hides and hoofs of reindeer, calves, and sometimes of a dog. But a private person might also have his own seita, to whom he prayed for good luck. The Storjunkare are described sometimes as stones, having some likeness to a man or an animal, that were set up on a mountain top, or in a cave, or near rivers and lakes. Honor was done to them by spreading fresh twigs under them in winter, and in summer leaves or grass. The Storjunkare had power over all animals, fish, and birds, and gave luck to those that hunted or fished for them. Reindeer were offered up to them, and every clan and family had its own hill of sacrifice.
Knowledge of the Sami
Sami people
The Sami people, also spelled Sámi, or Saami, are the arctic indigenous people inhabiting Sápmi, which today encompasses parts of far northern Sweden, Norway, Finland, the Kola Peninsula of Russia, and the border area between south and middle Sweden and Norway. The Sámi are Europe’s northernmost...
religion is primarily based on archeological remains and written sources from missionary work in northern Scandinavia
Scandinavia
Scandinavia is a cultural, historical and ethno-linguistic region in northern Europe that includes the three kingdoms of Denmark, Norway and Sweden, characterized by their common ethno-cultural heritage and language. Modern Norway and Sweden proper are situated on the Scandinavian Peninsula,...
during the Middle Ages
Middle Ages
The Middle Ages is a periodization of European history from the 5th century to the 15th century. The Middle Ages follows the fall of the Western Roman Empire in 476 and precedes the Early Modern Era. It is the middle period of a three-period division of Western history: Classic, Medieval and Modern...
and up to the early 18th century. Some objects date back to 800-1300s, and the sites are usually termed "Samic metal depots", due to the large findings of metal objects. The objects are mostly coins from Germany and England, and parts from weapons (e.g. arrow-heads). Some minor findings consists of horn from reindeer
Reindeer
The reindeer , also known as the caribou in North America, is a deer from the Arctic and Subarctic, including both resident and migratory populations. While overall widespread and numerous, some of its subspecies are rare and one has already gone extinct.Reindeer vary considerably in color and size...
.
The religion was a form of shamanism
Shamanism
Shamanism is an anthropological term referencing a range of beliefs and practices regarding communication with the spiritual world. To quote Eliade: "A first definition of this complex phenomenon, and perhaps the least hazardous, will be: shamanism = technique of ecstasy." Shamanism encompasses the...
, practiced by the noaide
Noaide
A noaidi is a shaman of the Sami people in the Nordic countries representing an indigenous nature religion. Most noaidi practices died out during the 17th century, most likely because they resisted the crown; their actions were referred to in courts as "magic" or "sorcery"...
for the most miscellaneous problems. The instrument used for ceremonies was the rune drum
Rune drum
The membrane-covered oval or circular rune drum played an important role in Sami ceremonies. It is generally used for the shamanistic Sami ceremonial drum. The term magic drum is an old judicial term for a rune drum in use from the 16th to the 19th century...
, but even a domestic flute, the so-called "fadno", was used. The traditional Sami chant, joik, was used in ceremonies where the noaide fell in trance and left his or her body to transcend into the divine world of "saivo", where he or she could negotiate with gods, spirits and forefathers to improve the fate of the group he or she represented. As with other circumpolar religions, the Sami religion contains a hunting ceremony especially for bears, known as the bear cult. Elements of Norse mythology
Norse mythology
Norse mythology, a subset of Germanic mythology, is the overall term for the myths, legends and beliefs about supernatural beings of Norse pagans. It flourished prior to the Christianization of Scandinavia, during the Early Middle Ages, and passed into Nordic folklore, with some aspects surviving...
, as well as Christian
Christian
A Christian is a person who adheres to Christianity, an Abrahamic, monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth as recorded in the Canonical gospels and the letters of the New Testament...
ideas, are found in the later years of Sami religion.
Mordvin
Although sharing some similarities, no common Mordvin mythology has emerged and therefore the Erzya and Moksha mythologies are defined separately.In Erzya mythology the superior deities were hatched from an egg
World egg
A world egg or cosmic egg is a mythological motif found in the creation myths of many cultures and civilizations. Typically, the world egg is a beginning of some sort, and the universe or some primordial being comes into existence by "hatching" from the egg, sometimes lain on the primordial waters...
. The mother of gods is called Ange Patiai, followed by the Sun God Chipaz who gave birth to Nishkepaz, to the earth god Mastoron kirdi and the wind god Varmanpaz. From the union of Chipaz and the Harvest Mother Norovava was born the god of the underworld Mastorpaz. The thunder god Pur’ginepaz (cf. Perkūnas
Perkunas
Perkūnas was the common Baltic god of thunder, one of the most important deities in the Baltic pantheon. In both Lithuanian and Latvian mythology, he is documented as the god of thunder, rain, mountains, oak trees and the sky.-Etymology:...
) was born from Niskende Teitert, the daughter of the mother of gods Ange Patiai.
The creation of the Earth is followed by the creation of the Sun, the Moon, the humankind and the Erzya. The man was created by god Chipaz who molded the humankind from clay while in another version of the legend the man is made from soil.
In Moksha mythology the Supreme God is called Viarde Skai. According to the legends the creation of the world went through several stages: first the Devil moistened the building material in his mouth and spit it out. The spat piece grew into a plain, which was modeled uneven by creating chasms and the mountains. The first humans created by Viarde Skai could live for 700–800 years and were giants of 99 archinnes. The underworld in Mokshan mythology was ruled by Mastoratia.
The Erzya and Moksha Mordvins worshiped the Earth goddess, the earth mother Mastor-Ava responsible for harvest. An epic poem based on Mordvin folktales, Mastorava
Mastorava
Mastorava is the title of a Mordvin epic poem based on Mordvin mythology, published in 1994 by A. M. Sharonov in the Erzya language, with a Moksha language version announced....
, appeared in 1994.
See also
- Baltic mythologyBaltic mythologyBaltic mythology generally covers the pre-Christian mythology of the Latvians, Lithuanians and Old Prussians, which are thought to have at least some common roots....
- Bear cult
- DorvyzhyDorvyzhyDorvyzhy is the Udmurt literary national epic. It was originally compiled and written in Russian by Mikhail Khudiakov in the 1920s with the title Песнь об удмуртских батырах . The original was based on the folklore works of N. Pervuhin, G. Potanin, B. Gavrilov, B. Munkácsi, K. Chainikov and A....
- Komi mythologyKomi mythology-Gods and spirits:*Kul or Omöl A god of water and of the dead.*Vasa Another water spirit. Like Kul, he could be malicious and had to be appeased by throwing bread, a stick, cakes or tobacco into the water. He was the friend of millers.*Olys or Olysya A hearth spirit, the equivalent of the...
- MastoravaMastoravaMastorava is the title of a Mordvin epic poem based on Mordvin mythology, published in 1994 by A. M. Sharonov in the Erzya language, with a Moksha language version announced....
- Rock carvings at AltaRock carvings at AltaThe Rock art of Alta are located in and around the municipality of Alta in the county of Finnmark in northern Norway. Since the first carvings were discovered in 1972, more than 6000 carvings have been found on several sites around Alta...
External links
- Beivve, including many other related topics (e.g. soul dualismSoul dualismSoul dualism or a dualistic soul concept is a range of beliefs that a person has two kinds of souls. In many cases, one of the souls is associated with body functions and the other one can leave the body . Sometimes the plethora of soul types can be even more complex...
of Sami)