Page 2 of North Is the Night
Ututyttö| the mist maiden; she uses her powers to control mist and fog, protecting animals and slowing the passage of men
Väinämöinen| the hero of theKalevala; a shaman, minstrel, and warrior who was born an old man with all the wisdom of the ages; son of Ilmatar
Väki| groups of spirits that represent or otherwise protect various natural elements, like water (veden väki), fire (tulen väki), death (kalman väki), and forests (metsän väki)
Vammatar| goddess of evil and misfortune
Vellamo| goddess of the sea; wife ofAhti
Elements of Finnish Paganism
Henki|one part of the Finnish three-part soul; the essence of the self that must remain in the living body at all times; it is the piece of the soul that goes to Tuonela at death
Hiisi|a sacred grove within a forest, like an open-air temple; typically includes anuhrikivi, or offering stone; used to leave sacrifices for the gods and the ancestors (seeuhrikivi)
Itse|one part of the Finnish three-part soul; a physical manifestation of the self that can be sent across the realms
Kantele|a traditional Finnish plucked stringed instrument; the oldest forms typically have five or six strings made of horsehair and a wooden box carved from one piece of wood
Kuppikivi|cup-stones; a shrine comprised of a large stone that has rows of cup-sized recesses drilled into the face, used for leaving offerings to ancestors and spirits (also seeuhrikivi)
Lintukoto|a warm place at the edge of the world where birds live during the winter
Linnunrata|the path of the birds, i.e., the Milky Way, thought to be the path the birds followed to reachLintukoto
Luonto|one part of the Finnish three-part soul; takes the shape of a bird and represents the strongest parts of our personality
Shaman| their roles were typically to heal and prevent illness, but they also helped with farming, fishing, hunting, and dealing with issues related to witchcraft. They could use drumming to cast out parts of their soul to travel the realms and grow their knowledge; the greatest shaman is Väinämöinen
Shaman Drum| a painted drum used by a shaman to go into trances or release one of their souls
Sielulintu| a soul bird; a wooden bird-figure used to protect souls while they sleep. It is believed that a bird brings the soul to a newborn baby and the same bird carries away the soul at death
Tuonela| the Finnish underworld; an underground realm, surrounded by a river, where all souls go to find eternal rest; sometimes called Manala
Uhrikivi| a large stone or boulder uses as a sacrificial stone typically found in ahiisi; not to be confused with cup-stones (seekuppikivi)
Note
North is the Nightis inspired by Finnish mythology and folklore, but this book should be read as a fantasy. Creative license was taken interpreting theKalevala, as well as interpreting certain aspects of Finnish shamanism and paganism. The author also took creative license in determining which of the gods of the Finnish pantheon to include, which to combine, and which names to use for them.
Part One
O how beautiful thy childhood,
In thy father’s dwelling-places,
Nurtured like a tender flower,
Like the strawberry in springtime.
—Rune 22.The Kalevala.
1
Siiri
A chill autumn windwhips at my face as I stand on the lakeshore, hands on my hips. Aina waits dutifully at my side. Together, we watch as my father calls out to us in greeting. He pulls in his oars just as the bottom of our wooden boat crunches against the pebbly beach. Flipping my braid off my shoulder, I wade in shin-deep and hold the boat steady for him. The water is icy cold, soaking through my socks and the hem of my woolen dress. I bite my lip against the pain. Father hops out, and we grip the sides, giving the small boat two sharp tugs.
