Fairies of the Baltic Lands Baltic fairy is known as lauma (singular) (plural laumas). Worship of these creatures in Baltic lands dates back to Mesolithic times and belief in them is even older than the Baltic pantheon with different gods and goddesses. Laumas were servants of Laima the Baltic goddess of faith. Laumas were also closely connected to the Baltic earth goddess Zemyna. Worship of mother earth is ancient and dates back over 30 000 years within Europe. Both Zemyna and... Read more
The region of the Saami reaches from the northern coast of Norway to the Kuola Peninsula of Russia. There are as many different pantheons as there are Saami tribes and Saami languages. Áfruvvá – Mermaid. Only known on the coast of Ruija in Northern Norway. Áhcešeatni (also known as Háhtežan) – One of the oldest goddesses in Saami mythology. Ruler of autumn, winter and the nighttime. Protector of wild deer. Goddess of shadows. In her early form, she was worshipped by hunters... Read more
Saami people are the native people of northern Europe. There are Saami living in Sweden, Finland, Norway and Kola Peninsula in Russia. In Norway majority of the Saami were fishermen and in the Lapland of Finland, Sweden and Russia the lifestyle of the saami´s was more intertwined with reindeer herding. In these modern days you can find Saami in all occupations and all paths of life yet there are people who practice their traditional ways. Back in the day, Saamis... Read more
Who are the Inuits? Inuits are the indigenous people of the Arctic. You can find Inuit communities from Northern Canada, Alaska, Greenland and the eastern coast of Russia. It is believed that the ancestors of the Inuits arrived in Alaska and Canada from Siberia and eastern Asia thousands of years ago through the Bering Strait. They are however not related to Native Americans who arrived aeons before them. Inuit cultures have lots of diversity. Communities live far away from each... Read more
Happy New Year In Russia, the Julian calendar is in use so the Russian New Year takes place on January 7th. There are two characters who are essentially part of the Russian New Year celebration. Those are Ded Moroz aka Grandfather Frost and his merry granddaughter Snegurochka the snow maiden. Each New Year they arrive with a troika, a sleigh that is pulled by three horses and they give gifts for children and everyone with a gentle and kind soul.... Read more
Yule Log Yule Log tradition originates from Norway. It was part of rituals that were celebrated to welcome back the sun. A Yule Log was a Log that was burned in the ashes of the last year’s log. This symbolized the change of the year, from one phase to another. In the heart of winter, the sun turned in its nest and would return back. Vikings brought the Yule Log tradition to Germany and France with them. Gift Giving and... Read more
The Imp of Winter In English folklore, Jack Frost is the imp of winter, the trickster of winter and he creates crown-like spirals into windows. He makes people feel chilly during winter and according to some sources in autumn time, he is the one who paints the leaves. Norwegian Winter Giant The origins of Jack Frost are in Scandinavia, more precisely in Norway. He was a giant/nymph-like creature called Jokul Frosti (trans. icicle frost). In Norway and in Iceland... Read more
Throughout history, people in the northern hemisphere celebrated the Winter solstice between December 21st and 22nd. They decorated their homes, particularly doors and windows with ever-green tree branches to please their gods. In many cultures, it was believed that the sun itself was a god who got weak and sick during the long winter and returned in the spring, stronger each day. Winter solstice was believed to be a time when the sun returned to its strength. Evergreen plants served... Read more
The Devil In Latvian myths, fairy tales and folklore, devil is not an evil character. He is easily fooled by Dievs (God) and by people. He is physically strong but he is lazy. The realm of the devil was not like Christian Hell. It was more similar to our world. Entrances to his kingdom were in forests rivers, graveyards, swamps, caves, under the rocks and in the sea. It was believed that the devil kidnapped people and took them to... Read more
In pre-Christian Finland, celebrations were connected to the land and the wheel of the year was filled with celebrational days to honour the spirits of the earth and the land. In the Middle Ages, these spirits were renamed after Catholic saints but in many cases, the ritual worship remained similar. Winter was the time of inner reflection. Nature-based spirituality was something very common in a culture that had such a tight relationship to the surrounding nature. November – Marraskuu... Read more
Myths and Folklore
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