Mythical creatures

Mythical creatures

Every culture has their own mythical beasts and creatures. This is a list of the major Finnish ones. 

Rahko: Rahko was a creature who climbed up to the moon with ladders and painted over a part of it with tar. This was the reason why only a part of the moon shined.

Liekkiö: The ghost of a killed child in the form of a white flame. They are harmless, but can disturb traveling hikers in the forest. The English equivalent would be the Will-o-wisp.

Kalevanpoika: Giants. These creatures were the reason why huge boulders would be in unusual spots. The giants lived in our world years before the humans. Over the years, the giants had to move more and more to the north and went into hiding, then disappeared completely. 

Jätti: See Kalevanpoika.

Jatuli: See Kalevanpoika.

Iku Turso: A giant sea monster. Sometimes also said to be a god of war.

Piru: Mischiveous demons who could possess humans or houses. Unlike ghosts who were bound to a place, demons could roam around freely. Today the word means Devil.

Peikko: Evil trolls who lived in forests or mountains.

Aarni: A spirit who protected treasures. Sometimes in the middle of the night, you could hear it polishing coins.

Maahinen: A small, humanlike creature who lived in forests. They did mischiveous things, such as switching human children with their own. They were also the reason why a human would get lost in a familiar forest. It would turn dark and unfamiliar, this was called ''metsänpeitto''.

Menninkäinen: A mischiveous creature. They were tiny and hairy, and lived in the forest or graveyards.

Näkki: A mischiveous water creature that scared swimming humans.

Para: A creature who would help a human in housework if summoned. They could steal milk from the neighbor for you. 

''Synny Para, synny Para. Ei ole korvaa kuulemassa, eikä silmää näkemässä.'' This is a spell to summon a Para.

Tonttu: Tonttu was a haltija, a spirit. See the page for gods and deities.

Kokko: A giant bird made out of fire and metal. One wing touching the sky, the other touching the ground.

To be continued..