Folklore

What is Finnish folklore?

I would go as far as to say that there has never been such a thing as a "Finnish folklore". I believe it'd be more accurate to talk of Finno-Ugric folklore instead, but unfortunately, I'm not familiar with the beliefs and practices of Estonians, Sámi, Hungarians or others – therefore, I'm working within the Finnish-speaking areas and Finnish-language archives and why I elect to use this umbrella term.

What sets Finnish folklore apart?

Few know that Finns do not share a pantheon with the Norse mythology – but you may have stumbled upon names such as Väinämöinen, Ukko, Ilmarinen and Ahti without realizing who they were. Other important features include the veneration of bears as our heavenly ancestors (the "bear cult"), the fearful respects paid to our ever-present dead, and the tradition of spell-poetry.

click on the illustrations to read about the subject!