Mielikki () is the Finnish goddess of forests and the hunt. She is usually called (), though the epithet () also exists. As the mistress, she is seen as the wife of Tapio and the mother of Tuulikki, Tellervo and Nyyrikki.
She was more important and prayed to more often than her husband Tapio. "Tapio" also appears as a name of Mielikki, and the feminized form "Tapiotar" appears as a name of Mielikki as well as Tuometar and Hongatar, both sometimes called Tapio's daughter.
Name
Her name is thought to have come from 'to grow fond', as it was hoped she would grow fond of the hunter and give plenty of prey. According to Kaarle Krohn, the variant comes from 'gentle', while the variants , and are all connected to the nectar () of the forest, mead. would come from the word 'fat'. The names and come from 'wing', and from 'precise'.
Krohn also theorized that he variants such as and would come from Swedish 'kingdom of heaven', and and from Saint Nicetas the Goth. He also thought most variants beginning with K and H to come from Saint Hubert of Liège, though pointing out that also means an eagle owl. According to Samuli Paulaharju, the Siberian jay was called the mistress of the forest in Kuhmo, for it was known to be "the oldest bird".
Names such as Nylgysä, Nylkys, Nyrkiö, Nyrkkiö and Nyrkytär are used for Tapio's wife in Karelia. It has been connected to 'to skin'. In 1551, Mikael Agricola wrote that brought squirrels from the forest. It sounds similar to Tuulikki/Myyrikki/Tyytikki, who is called Tapio's daughter and the mother of squirrels. Karelian runic songs further mention Nyyrikki as a son of Tapio, despite the feminine form of the name. Kaarle Krohn thought it came from Jyrki (Saint George), Uno Harva thought it could be an old forgotten name for the squirrel, while Martti Haavio connected the name to Saint Bartholomew who was skinned and crucified.
The Mistress of the Forest is sometimes called Annikki. This name was influenced by Saint Anne.
In tradition In 1789, Christfried Ganander mentioned her as Tapiotar, the great mother of feathers (), and mentions Tapio as a name of the forest goddess as well. As is synonymous with 'forest', the name Tapio has been seen as a personified forest, as king of the forest Tapio if male and as the forest mistress if female.
In runic songs, she is described as having had a role in the creation of the bear: she brought up the bear under a spruce. She is, along with her daughters, also asked to dull a bear's claws so it wouldn't hurt cattle. Hunting spells in runic songs feminize and eroticize the forest, asking the forest and its mistress to grow fond of the hunter and become wet for him (). Mielikki was especially prayed to when hunting rabbits and birds, called ().
She is sometimes described with the colour blue, such as having a blue cape or socks. In Central Finland, the mother or daughter-in-law of the forest is also said to have wings, even blue wings, as she appears as a ruler of wasps. In a Ladoga Karelian song, she as is asked to bake a fatty () and nectariferous cake. In another song, this was misinterpreted as Kuutar baking.
Mielikki displays one of the features of a ('forest haltija'), as forest haltijas could appear at hunters' camping sites: if she was dressed beautifully in gold, it meant the forest mistress was going to be generous with plenty of prey. If she was ugly, with arm-wrappings, rings and headwear made of twigs, she would not give much prey.
The Forest Finns knew 'Mistress of the Forest' as a haltija or a goddess who lived beneath a spruce. She was sacrificed to at a spruce growing without the treetop (called by Forest Finns and in Finland). The Finns of Northern Sweden used the term () to refer to the skogsrå.
Mielikki is known as a skillful healer who heals the paws of animals who have escaped traps, helps chicks that have fallen from their nests and treats the wounds of wood grouse after their mating displays. She knows well the healing herbs and will also help humans if they know well enough to ask her for it.
In the Kalevala In the Kalevala, the Finnish national epic based on Finnish and Karelian folklore, the hero Lemminkäinen offers her and Tapio prayers, gold and silver so he can catch the Hiisi elk. In another passage, Mielikki is asked to protect cattle grazing in the forest.
Epithets EpithetEpithet meaningRegionsMetsän emäntä'Mistress of the Forest'Central Finland, Kainuu, Karelian Isthmus, Ladoga Karelia, Lapland, North Karelia, North Ostrobothnia, North Savo, White KareliaMielus, Mehtolan emäntä'Mielus, Mistress of Mehtola'Ostrobothnia, South SavoKuuriitar, mehän kunninkas'Kuuriitar, king of the forest'North KareliaMielikki kivien emäntä'Mielikki, mistress of rocks'White KareliaMielikki metsän tytti'Mielikki, girl of the forest'White KareliaMielikki, metän emut'Mielikki, mother of forest'White KareliaMielikki metän eläjä'Mielikki, one who lives in the forest'White KareliaMielikki metän miniä'Mielikki, daughter-in-law of the forest'North Karelia, White KareliaMielikki, metosen tyttö'Mielikki, girl of little forest'White KareliaMielikki, metsän kultanen'Mielikki, the golden one of the forest'White KareliaMielikki, metinen emäntä'Mielikki, nectariferous mistress'North KareliaMielikki korea neito'Mielikki beautiful maiden'UusimaaTapiolan tarkka vaimoTapiolan tarkka akkaTarkka Tapion vaimo'Precise wife of Tapiola''Precise wife of Tapio'Central Finland, Kainuu, Karelian Isthmus, Ostrobothnia, South Savo, White KareliaTapiolan vanha vaimo'Old wife of Tapiola'North OstrobothniaTapion vaimoAkka Tapion'Tapio's wife'Kainuu, Karelian Isthmus, North SavoTapiolan tarkka neito'Precise maiden of Tapiola'Ostrobothnia, South SavoTarkka Tapion tytti'Precise girl of Tapio'White KareliaAnnikki, Tapion eukko'Annikki, Tapio's wife'Olonets KareliaAnnikki, ahon emäntä'Annikki, mistress of an abandoned swidden'South SavoMusta sukka, suon emäntä'Black sock, mistress of a swamp'South SavoSalakaaren vaimo kaunisSalokorven vaimo kaunisSatakaaren kaunis vaimo'Beautiful woman/wife of the secret arch''Beautiful woman/wife of deep forest wilderness''Beautiful woman/wife of a hundred archs'White KareliaMetsän ehtosa emäntä'Generous mistress of the forest'North Karelia, OstrobothniaMetsän mieli Mikikki'Mind of the forest Mikikki'KainuuMetän kulta Mielis-neiti'Gold of the forest, Miss Mielis'KainuuMetsän kukka kultarinta'Gold-chested forest flower'White KareliaMetsän tyttö tylleröinen'Little girlie girl of the forest'White KareliaKorven kultanen omena'Golden apple of the wilderness'Ladoga KareliaMetsän muori muotokaunis'Beautiful-formed old mother of the forest'KainuuMetän piika pikkuruinen'Tiny maid of the forest'Kainuu, North KareliaVanhin vaimoloista'Oldest of women'White KareliaEläjistä ensimmäini'First of the living'White KareliaPesömättä puhtukaini'Clean without washing'White KareliaPohjan tytti, käyrä neiti'Girl of the north, crooked miss'White Karelia
In contemporary culture The Mielikki Mons, a mountain on Venus, is named after her.
External links Original quotes from Kalevala regarding Mielikki translated to English Mielikki information and links from the Finndex.
References