HOME | DD
Wolverica — Lightbringer
Published: 2009-10-15 12:06:34 +0000 UTC; Views: 612; Favourites: 25; Downloads: 61
Redirect to original
Description
.Related content
Comments: 9
Very true, and that is one reason why I like to photograph swans; they do look impressive.
Well, maybe it's a good time to give a little lecture on Finnish mythology 
Whooper swan (laulujoutsen or joutsen in Finnish) has special meaning to Finnish people; it's our national bird and plays an important role in Finnish mythology and Kalevala. Tuonelan joutsen, the swan of Tuonela is familiar from our national epic. Swan was holy animal to Karelian people, they thought that it is an angel in earthly form, immortal messenger between ground and heaven, between living and dead people. Swan symbolized sky and sun, light and purity as well. And if someone hurted or killed it, a hunter was damned; that was a kind of revenge of spirits. At the same time swan symbolized both life and death, it carried unborn souls with it and then dead souls to heaven. To Karelian people it was "a bird of soul".
It's said this bird reflects Finnish people and mentality better than any other animal.
👍: 0 ⏩: 1
yaaay! I've loved swans since I was very young, but since I live in the desert there's not a chance I get to see them in their natural habitat. Also, I was just about to ask you about the Tuonelan Joutsen and the curse on its hunter. How does it reflect the Finnish mentality?
(I'm enjoying these lectures so much 
👍: 0 ⏩: 1
I too, all my life I have liked swans. These old myths and believes have made a great impression on me, and whooper swan is a kind of “totem animal” to me, to be honest. Roots of my family are in Karelia, pure chance?
Then, we Finns are known as determined people and whooper swan is similar “character”. Coldness and even hard winter don’t put it down; I have seen flying swans in the heavy snowfall. When winter comes, some swans don’t even migrate away but spend the winter in unfrozen streams. And when the rest of swans come back Finland in March and April, snow and ice haven’t melted away yet. When swan has layed eggs and it is hatching, there might be late frost. For a while there’s white on white; mother swan in the middle of snow.
And when a white swan is flying against the blue sky, there’s colours of Finnish flag. Swan symbolizes our pure nature and distant wildernesses. It isn’t wonder why it is our national bird, it reflects this land in many ways. Besides, it’s said that Finnish people are very good-looking and a swan looks impressive animal as well, heh
The swan of Tuonela represents our mentality as well; that is very dramatic and sad theme.
Finns are known as melancholic people, our literature and mythology prove that. Without exception themes of Finnish songs are melancholic and sad; that may be reason why we are good at making excellent metal music. Winter is long, cold and dark, and that have an influence on us. Stories of Kalevala aren’t that happy but dramatic and very often sad.
Be that as it may, the ancient Finno-Ugrians were known as "people of waterbird"; these birds play an important part in our mythology. Whooper swan was the most important and respected one, indeed, but also goldeneye (telkkä or sotka in Finnish, looks like this:
[link]
and long-tailed duck (alli, [link] ) play a central role. The last-mentioned symbolized melancholy and sadness. Then, according to Kalevala the world come into existence from egg of a goldeneye.
Ilmatar, the maiden of air, lied in the middle of sea. Then a goldeneye arrived and built a nest on her knee. But when the bird was hatching, Ilmatar stirred her leg. Goldeneye's eggs dropped down and come fall to pieces; these bits become ground, clouds and sky.
Now I tell whole thing about Lemminkäinen, his fate and how swan of Tuonela is related to that. Amorphis has a couple of songs about that, they are Enigma, The White Swan, Black River, Silent Waters and Sign as well.
Lemminkäinen is restless, obstinate and warlike character. This time he wants to leave to strange lands of Pohjola, but Kyllikki (his wife) and his mother try to stop him; they don’t want that he gets killed there. But as obstinate person Lemminkäinen doesn’t listen to them. In a fit of anger
he flings his hairbrush and says: “When blood is dripping from this hairbrush, you know I am in trouble”.
Louhi (Pohjan akka), the queen of North, has a beautiful daughter and Lemminkäinen wants to marry her. But first he has to do three achievements - capture the flaming stallion, hunt the elk of Death and shoot the swan of Tuonela. He manages to hunt that stallion and elk, but because the swan is holy creature, Lemminkäinen loses his life. A serpent tears him up and he falls into the River of Death.
At home Lemminkäinen’s mother and Kyllikki see that blood is dripping from his hairbrush. That is the sign; Lemminkäinen is in deep trouble. Finally his mother arrives to River of Death, rakes his remains together and darns them up. But his body is still lifeless, and a bee fetches healing nectar from heavens. Then Lemminkäinen is in the land of living again and leaves to home.
But then, what happened to daughter of Louhi? Lemminkäinen didn’t get her, but Ilmarinen the blacksmith and skyforger. Now you hear about his life as well.
Ilmarinen was famous blacksmith, he forged the heavens and Sampo, the machine of wealth and wonders. Actually he he has to forge Sampo for Louhi that he could marry her daughter. But he has to also plough a field of snakes, hunt the bear of Tuonela and catch the giant pike from River of Death. He has to catch it without using a net or seine, so he forges a fiery beast: a flaming eagle (Majestic Beast). Finally Ilmarinen gets daughter of Louhi and they have glorious wedding.
Kullervo, who is a servant for Ilmarinen, is fierce and violent character. Songs of Eclipse (except Under A Soil and Black Stone and Brother Moon, they aren’t related to Kalevala) are about his unhappy life. He is born from fire and really vindictive person. One day he is selled into slavery for Ilmarinen and his wife sends Kullervo to herd their livestock. She always bakes bread as his food, but one day she hiddes a hard stone inside bread. In the woods Kullervo carves a bread, but suddenly his knife hits that stone and blade snaps. Kullervo starts to cry, because this knife was a memento of his dead father. But then he flies into a rage and wants to revenge Ilmarinen’s wife. First he tempts wolves and bears into killing the livestock. Then herd of wolves and bears kill Ilmarinen’s wife and finally Ilmarinen himself finds her ripped remains (Course of Fate).
But Kullervo’s unhappy life continues. He meets some girl and tempts her (Same Flesh). But next day he finds that this girl is his lost sister and she as well is shaked. She jumps into rapids and dies. To top it all Kullervo hears that his mother has died. Then he finally breaks down and commits suicide.
👍: 0 ⏩: 1
Ah! how nice! Now I understand so many things (starting with most of Amorphis' lyrics, and the flag! I never would have guessed that). So, is Ilmarinen the one who forged the Silver Bride? (I'm going to start sending you notes or asking for your email because we're going to turn this comments into a forum in about no time XD)
👍: 0 ⏩: 1
You‘re right, he is! After losing his wife he became depressed and decided to forge maiden of silver and gold. But as you can guess, Ilmarinen didn’t take comfort from her, she was so cold and lifeless. Finally he decided to abandon her.
By the way, it’s said that Esa Holopainen looks like some Kalevala-character and I completely agree. He has pretty special features, indeed. Actually he corresponds my own vision of Ilmarinen; similar bearded and long-haired blond. Also, he was stable and serene character, just like Esa. But seemingly wrought iron has changed to guitar, haha.
Be that as it may, it’s even easier to understand Kalevala and our folklore, if you knew how ancient people believed in forces of nature and so on; nature means a lot to average Finn. But I’ll tell much more later on. So, go ahead and send notes
👍: 0 ⏩: 0