Page 1 of North Is the Night
Finnish Gods, Spirits, and Heroes
Ahti| god of the seas, water, and fish; husband toVellamo
Aino| the sister ofJoukahainen; she drowns herself rather than marryVäinämöinen
Ajatar| an evil forest witch who lures people into getting lost in the woods
Akka| goddess of fertility; wife ofUkko
Hiiden hevonen| the Horse ofHiisi; a goblin-made creature of stone and iron that breathes flames, forged from the mountains of Tuonela
Iku-Turso| a malevolent sea monster defeated byVäinämöinen
Ilmarinen| the great smith, god of iron, sky, and winds; designed the Sampo, the mill of fortune which can make flour, salt, and gold out of thin air
Ilmatar| the All-Mother; goddess of air; mother ofVäinämöinen
Joukahainen| the main adversary ofVäinämöinenin theKalevala; he offers his sister as a prize toVäinämöinenin a singing contest and loses (seeAino)
Kalma| goddess of death and decay; lingers in graveyards withSurma
Keijulainen| death sprites; small, flying creatures that resemble snowflakes or birds of fire; they haunt graveyards, roads, and rooms where people have died
Kivutar| goddess of suffering; boils the suffering of mortals in a big pot
Kiputyttö| goddess of pain; turns a stone over in her hand to inflict pain on mortals
Kuutar| goddess of the moon; weaves fabric of pure gold taken from the moon’s light
Liekkiö| the spirits of murdered children who haunt forests and lure travelers from their paths
Lemminkäinen| an adventurer and friend ofVäinämöinenwho tries to steal a swan fromTuonela
Loviatar| goddess of illness and disease; mother to the nine diseases of men and a nameless tenth child, a daughter; she is canonically blind
Mielikki| goddess of the forest; wife ofTapio
Nyyrikki| god of the hunt; son ofTapioandMielikki
Otso| the spirit of Bear; the bear is sacred to Finns. If a bear is killed, the hunter must offer a feast toOtsocalled a peijaiset
Päivätär| goddess of the sun; weaves fabric of pure silver taken from the sun’s light
Revontulet| the Firefox; a mythical black fox that runs so fast across the snow, his tail leaves sparks, creating the Northern Lights
Surma| a terrifying beast described as a wolf or dog with a snake-like tail; embodies sudden, violent death; companion ofKalma
Tapio| god of the forests and hunting; husband ofMielikki
Tellervo| goddess of the forest; daughter ofTapioandMielikki
Tuonetar| goddess of death; Queen of Tuonela
Tuonen tytti| the ferrywoman who rows all souls to Tuonela
Tuoni| god of death; King of Tuonela
Ukko| god of thunder, weather, and the sky; he wields a magic hammer called Ukonvasara; husband ofAkka
