Finnish Folklore and Family Ties

Today I wanted to share with others that I have been exploring a pantheon in which I have always been deeply rooted. For much of my life I lived without a father present and do not have strong connections to his side of the family due to not really having opportunities to know them. So as of now I’d like to share my mother’s side, of how that part of my family has come to reside in the United States of America.

My grandmother was avid about having ancestry.com and did talk about all their siblings and aunts as I grew up, however I didn’t hear much of her parents. I know some bits and pieces and I know I met my great grandmother, though she wasn’t around for long.

The first image my grandmother is the flower girl for a family member, the second she is with her older brother, and the last is some other family members of mine.

Beginning with my great-grandfather, Toivo Ilmari Kaija. Toivo had one brother and six sisters. Toivo was an engineer and came here with his wife Laura Lucille Sickles during World War ||. At the age of 25(Toivo) and 17(Lucille) on September 6th 1935 got married. After Toivo came to the United States of America he chose to live in the Pacific Northwest, I am assuming because the weather is similar to that of Finland.

Toivo and his siblings gained an inheritance from their parents and he spent it exploring and traveling across the continental USA. After that he bought a farm in Winlock, Washington(which remains in my family today.) He worked as a tree topper and even did this job in two independent films. One of the films I do not know the name of and the second I am embarrassed to share the title of.

Toivo died in 1973 at the age of 63. Toivo was out in the woods on the family farm property hunting, he died quickly of a heart attack. His belongings my mother inherited, all the change and things in his wallet almost untouched since then.

This photo of one of my ex fighting roosters, standing on a life size snow emu I made was taken on the family property in winter of 2017.

Moving on to Lucille, I know even less about her. I would not have known her past 3 years old so my memories of them are almost non-existent. She was born on July 19, 1918. At 79 years old on September 1997 she died. Lucille and Toivo are buried next to each other in the Winlock cemetery.

Growing up I found my family participating in a small group to keep Finnish culture alive, after all our family was a part of the town founders, though we were consistently moving around when I was growing up. I remember lots of old photos my grandmother kept and the records this little organization kept and I find myself wishing that I paid better attention. I find myself yearning to understand the leaves and branches of my own tree I have grown here, since it feels like we are seeds who just happened to get carried to wherever we are by the wind.

Where has this life taken you?

Finnish Gods, Goddesses, and Fae

All of this research has invoked some sort of calling within me, like the ocean to a sailor. I have began researching the pantheon of my ancestors and have found names that have been with me most of my life. Digging deeper into this I feel like it explains the fact that within many of my dreams they are often in nature, often woods, and helping the Fae.

To get off track a little bit and circle back, I have been a part of the Society of Creative Anachronism or SCA, since I was a baby. I was actually born during an event, in a kingdom one of my cousins was ruling at the time. My mother had been going to SCA events since she was 14 years old. Anyways, my grandmother’s persona she named Mielikki. It is a Finnish name but like me, she was unaware that that was a goddess’ name. My grandmother is a Jehovah’s Witness so would have probably been more opposed to the name if she had known that.

Mielikki

Mielikki is a goddess of the forest and the hunt. The wife of Tapio. It is said that she played a major role in the creation of the bear. Mielikki is also a well known healer who is experienced in using herbs. There are stories of her mending animal’s paws who have been stuck in traps and putting baby birds back into their nests.

Tapio is also a name that has circled my family quite a bit. During when my great grandfather was alive he had a horse named Tapio. My great uncle(one of Toivo’s sons) had horses the last time I lived there and he too named that wonderful gelding Tapio under the impression that the name meant ‘swift of foot’. Again, my great uncle, he is Mormon and probably wouldn’t have been impressed to know that he was using a god’s name.

Tapio

Tapio is the god of the forest and ruler of the game within. His kingdom (the woods) were often referred to as Tapiola. It is said Tapio could bring game to you or lure them away from you. That you are a guest when you are in his woods and the life there should be respected. Before a hunt many people leave offerings on things like stumps to try to gain favor with this god. Some writings say he looks like a man from the front and much like a tree from the back or that he is made of trees and fits the green man sort of look.

What are some things you have discovered through repeating patterns within our family regarding the gods?