Mielikki as depicted by Apila Pepita on the cover of the book Pohjolan jumalattaret (2021) by Karolina Kouvola, published by SKS Kirjat.
Mielikki, Mielutar or Mieluutar is the wife of Tapio and the mistress of forest. Her children are Nyyrikki and Tuulikki. She is mentioned in hunting spells from White Karelia and Northern Ostrobothnia. Hunters prayed to Mielikki for game, even more so than to Tapio. Mielikki was especially prayed to when one wanted to hunt smaller animals, like rabbits and birds. This game was called "emon vilja" (mother's grain).[1] In Kainuu and Southern Lapland, she is mentioned in poems that tell of the origin of bears.[2] In various regions around Finland, including Central Finland and Uusimaa, she is mentioned in poems related to cows. In a story from Porvoo, when setting cows on the fields, they were supposed to walk under a woman's spread legs.[3] One spell involving her gives the details of how to get your cows to return to you.[4]
Mielikki also appears in the Kalevala. In poem 14, Lemminkäinen prays to her and offers gold and silver so he would be able to hunt the moose of hiisi.[5] In poem 46, she is involved in the creation of bears.[6]
The etymology of her names is related to the word mieltyä (to grow fond of). A hunter would've wanted for Mielikki to grow fond of him and grant lots of prey. The names Mielutar and Mieluutar were used in Finnish Karelia[1] and Savonia.
Sources[]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Pulkkinen, Risto & Lindfors, Stina. Suomalaisen kansanuskon sanakirja. Gaudeamus (2016). Page: 219.
- ↑ Karhun synty. SKVR XII2 6489.
- ↑ https://skvr.fi/poem/skvr14125150 SKVR XIV 2515.
- ↑ https://skvr.fi/poem/skvr09412560 SKVR IX4 1256.
- ↑ Lönnrot, Elias. Kalevala: Poem 14. 1849. Translated by John Martin Crawford, 1888.
- ↑ Lönnrot, Elias. Kalevala: Poem 46. 1849. Translated by John Martin Crawford, 1888.