Forest Folklore in Finland | Finnish Myth

#finland #forest #folklore
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irishinfinland

[@JainMonroe]

always before you enter the forest. must remember to knock the first tree you see and tell why you are going to the forest, and remember to ask permission because the people of the forest don't like it if you go there without permission or without notice.

[@chinek]

This is so true! As a kid I loved to roam the woods and forest all by myself. Whenever I felt being lost trying to find my way back, trees always guided me home, cottage or tent.

[@tickleman127]

I remember when I was small, there was a place that we called magic forest and we always did this

[@karelianshaman]

I have experienced metsänpeitto once. I was skiing through very familiar forest and all the sudden i lost track of time and place. Suddenly i did not recognize my surroundings anymore. I remembered that there is huge lake in the north so i used sun as a compass and started skiing north. After skiing for a while i found the familiar lake and i felt like i had just woken up from a dream. Shrugged my shoulders and thought "Tapio must be fucking with me".

[@mievaa00]

as a fellow finn this is so interesting, i have heard about this but never experienced it even tho i love to go to forest and i went to hiking often when i was in highschool

[@kalevala29]

Se voi olla ahdistava ja levoton kokemus, jos et pidä mieltäsi hallinnassa.

[@nikos831]

My dad was a hunter and a true woods man and I was grown into being in woods and hunting with him in Finland. He teached me about metsänpeitto and I 100% believe it to this day to be real

[@tiitustolvanen9657]

and it is said, that the metsänpeitto is more connected to the human realm on days such as juhannus or kekri ✨ on those days people wander to the metsänpeitto more easily and the creatures from there can be seen in the human realm

[@notone4540]

Got lost 2 times I can remember and if I did before that I must have been a kid and forgotten. It was snowing heavily in both cases. The snow changes everything, don't underestimate the snow. First time I happened to just walk out of the woods somehow. The second time I was saved by a campfire in the distance (it was night). Some drunks made campfire in a garden because the power went out due to the heavy snowfall. I consider myself fortunate since I had no lighter on me and would have frozen to death on that night. Now I carry multiple firelighters on me at all times.

[@DarkMode95]

This doesn't really fit the topic but I would like to share. My grandmother build a little village on her yard, on the edge of the forest. She told me it was for the metsänväki or menninkäisille. She even build small version of her own house and put it closer to her house, pretty much middle of the yard. I don't know if it was supposed to be part of her offering or more like a sign for the folk "im here too". It felt like she wanted to offer place for them cause they had been pushed out of the thinning forest to her house. I like to believe that part of her lives in her little village.

[@pystykorva7114]

Hunters have had sometimes incidents encountering Metsänneito by the camp fire. She has lured with her beauty and let one embrace her and one second later the hunter have noticed hugging a pile of moss or branches.

[@Taistelukalkkuna]

And other maiden, when you look her from behind, she is in fact hollow.

[@Lassisvulgaris]

@@Taistelukalkkuna In Norway, we call her "Hulder", and she has a cow tail.....

[@jh_fin]

Nowdays is if your campfire near comes kuukkeli thats hunters friend

[@zoolkhan]

...yes thats how i became a treehugger. I am not ashamed anymore. torille?

[@amarialight]

I've experienced "metsänpeitto" many times. Whenever I go to the forest to meditate, I never want to leave. I feel like I'm growing roots and become one with the trees. It's a good feeling. Every time I've been able to wake up and come out though, I'm still here. I love "metsänpeitto".💚

[@SoulEaterSaku90]

You can also find treasures in the forests of Finland. There's a legend in the town of Saarijärvi about the pot full of gold that can only be found if you are not looking for it. There was once a man in the forest hunting for food and after awhile took a little rest. He dropped his knife, which he was going to use cut bread, inside some rocks. When he reached for it he instead pulled out a pot full of gold. Man was surprised by this and wanted to take it but to carry that amount of gold is very heavy so he hid the gold inside the rocks and marked the place so he could find it later. Later he came with a horse and a chariot but he couldn't find the spot anymore.

[@minnabrun4236]

Forests are most peaceful places on earth.

[@davestrasburg408]

What l liked most about this video was the lovely Finnish forest scenery! l have pictures on my walls that l took myself in Finland, rather like this scenery.

[@wiltzu81]

You might be interested about Tuonela, the realm of the dead or the Underworld in Finnish mythology. There's also beautiful music work about the Swan of Tuonela with english horn as solo instrument. And paintings about Tuonela by Akseli Gallen-Kallela.

[@Silveirias]

Really atmospheric video! I really like this style. I wonder how many people accidentally stumble into metsänpeitto these days..?

[@Lassisvulgaris]

Probably depends on how much vodka they have consumed......

[@joalexsg9741]

Your videos are cultural gem filled with spiritual significance, thank you so much!🙏🙏🙏

[@fatgonzo]

I don't know if this supposed to invoke pareidolia but at 3:08 there's a guy trying to get your attention (above the Clip button) but the music drowns him out. For real though, tonight at sunset I was in a nearby, very old forest, searching for a particular rock slab that I'm pretty sure is somewhere in there..and even forgetting all about seeing faces, there's certainly sometimes a thick feeling of a presence or several (I was wiping stuff off the slabs, from fallen dead stuff to other rocks to moss, maybe it's just that). I've also found fairy rings in that place more than once..But I have never been afraid in a Finnish forest, not even when walking in complete darkness in winter which is intense the first time because you realize there is NO light in a way that is impossible unless you venture 20-30km from the nearest town. This part might be imagination again though, but I swear there are noises near you at times, and sometimes even pairs of eyes. 😩

[@jessemclinden9789]

A 90+ yr old Finnish man…came to Oklahoma. He said…we walk 5 miles thru woods just to get to a road. We fish the Baltic..with nets. He said his father…spoke 5 languages…and no one knew how he learned them. He had never left the village. He had Mind…unlike any other. Darson. How did he find…me?

[@wolfganggugelweith8760]

Like 411 cases in northern America. Very interesting! Greetings from Linz-Austria 🇦🇹😎👍🐺 Europe!

[@AssadTheOne]

As a finnish person, it is really interesting how our folklore has so many similarities with other cultures, even with those on the other side of the world. Oh and have you done a video about the lapinnoita? That would be awesome.

[@florenna]

"Our folklore has so many similarities with other cultures, even with those on the other side of the world" - not really. And didn't see any in this video - similarities to those of Northern Europe & other Northern areas, yes, but not with those "on the other side of the world". It's just purely modern ideology to say that.

[@maleficara]

Just what I wanted to learn about days before I head to summer cottage for Midsummer. Thaaanks =P

[@einienj3281]

I have found a couple new fairy circles in the woods near my house (well, basically backyard).. They are moving closer.. 🌲👀🌲

[@Sienisota]

Might be smart to calm down the metsäväki by offering them something, in case you have angered them somehow. Putting birdseed on the branches or holes in trees, has worked for me🤫

[@einienj3281]

@@Sienisota My dog has been arguing with a couple of magpies for a couple of weeks.. Maybe his barking is annoying them.. I might have to try the birdseeds.. Pikkuväki täytyy pitää tyytyväisinä..

[@elihyland4781]

thumbnail should be an album cover 🤘

[@michaelcarey3105]

In the woods behind my home in NYS a bit over 20yrs ago I was out bowhunting and sat down on a fallen tree to rest! A few minutes later I wanted to get up and continue my woods stalk and found I couldn't move a muscle! I was frozen in place.I struggled mightily for quite some time and finally managed to keel over sideways. With much effort I broke the paralysis and staggered home, very scary!

[@wizakke5399]

I love forest related folklore in any culture. The forest can be so mystical and scary it's fascinating. One of my favourite bits is how the slavic witch Baba Yaga lives "in the darkest corner of the forest", which is sometimes also a gate to the underworld.

[@jadehei538]

You pronounced these words well! And the phenomena was well explained.

[@danielmalinen6337]

There is also a belief that the a person who manages to recover and who is returned from the metsänpeitto, a kind of pocket dimension, will return insane or amnesiac, because in the metsänpeitto everything is unfamiliar, upside down and the person slowly starts to lose their mind and forget things. And because of this, there may even be a hurry to get the lost person back fast, or they may be lost permanently and they remain in the metsänpeitto.

[@grimmreaper3241]

If the metsän-neito picks fancy of a fair and good looking hunter or woodsman he may find himself good company for the night that is replaced by a tree which he had not noticed by the morning. So he might have dreamed or he might have got laid but he had the Woods-maidens protection for the night.

[@Omega.history]

My father always told me to when we were in the forest and had some food with us we had to shear with the "mahiset" so we wouldn't get lost

[@woodswitch23]

The old Irish,Fairyled.When I trekked deep forest,you would hear a party going on late at night,if you followed,they would find your remains next sp-ring,earliest.Love your vidios

[@N_0968]

Oooh, spooky! I hadn’t heard about this before. The things lukio doesn’t teach you, heh.

[@hextatik_sound]

Depends on lukio. Mauno Myrttinen in Linnankosken Lukio (Porvoo) did spoke about these things on history classes when the topic was some ancient Finnish religions and traditions. Long live Mauno Myrttinen! Never did he read anything from papers

[@N_0968]

@@hextatik_sound That’s great. I don’t remember it being mentioned at mine but it’s possible I’m too old and have forgotten about it.

[@statostheman]

I don't if this even haves a folklore in Finland, but in Sweden many up north haves a folklore if you see an open field, is covered with fog in the middle of the night you shouldn't go there. Its that time that sprits roam around the field and if you go there, you would vanish.

[@Sienisota]

Following a riistapolku in a forest could be a reason for a child to get lost in a forest🤔 Kid thinks the path is made by humans and would lead towards home.

[@dangmefinnish]

Ok I'm a Finn and have never hears this term. Thank you for educating me.

[@mikkos8636]

Wait a minute... "person trapped in a forest, trying to find their way out,". I am a Finland's native peroon, born and lived all my life there. We have the most forests in the world perhaps. And to me, the idea of getting out of the woods is... it's like getting out of home, sad. I don't belong to a big city where people are busy and don't care, where money is the thing. No. My home, my DNA home due to me being of caveman descent where our ancestors for millions of years lived in forests and never got out of them... that why forests are my home. They feel right. I have lived in the woods, and that changed my life so much for the better. You don't need money, you need to eat well, drink well, and be at home and do what you are driven about. That's it really.

[@moonliteX]

even since i was 7 years old, i went into the forest by myself.

[@moonliteX]

people said that it's not good. but i knew better

[@moonliteX]

as a child i walked in the forest, and i tlked with the forest, i became a wilderness guide

[@SaschaLeib]

This spring, I spent two weeks in my mökki in the forest alone. It was a good time, but I fully understand how people will start to talk to the rocks and and mistake tree stumps for mysterious women when they are alone in the forest for an extended period of time. One day, on a walk in the forest, I suddenly heard a call that sounds like an eery "tuuuuuul! tuuuuul!" from the depths of the trees. Upon investigation, it was a tree trunk that was leaning against another tree, and the rubbing of wood against wood produces this noise. It was still creepy as hell! :-)

[@SamiSerola]

Maybe the tails are only a plot to scare foreigners ;-) You should read/listen Kauko Röyhkä's 'Saksalaisten tuho'. "Remember: never be afraid of the forest, for the forest will protect you, the forest will protect you."

[@annakorobeinikova782]

Actually human going in circles instead of straight direction is kind a natural thing. You can try it your own in an open field, close your eyes and go straight for 100 metres, you will see that you make it in a curve and not in a straight line way. My Grandpa said, that if forest keeps you going in the circles, 1) put some sign on a tree to check if it is the case (leave some part of cloth or other material), 2) change your boots, put a left one on a right feet and vise versa. He also mention some words to say, but I forgot them. This helped before. But still, forest is a place to go with a big respect, being lost in forest especialy in the cold times is very dangerous.

[@Saturinus]

I have heard of this phenomenon as metsäkato, and that the solution to it was to tie a red ribbon to a tree branch.

[@YasmineGalenornOfficial]

Would the maid of the forest be a servant to of Mielikki? Even in the city here, I have been pixie-led in vacant lots. The wild places of the earth still exist.

[@senint]

I Gotta say, we Finns have so much folklore what would make good horror movies… 😂 …that includes Lovecraftian style novels and shortstories (which of the latter is actually a thing in Finland… though small)…

[@moonliteX]

i have bee! there. but it was positive,

[@laurimaijala4984]

I'm writing a Call of Cthulhu adventure about metsänpeitto. Can I link this in the document? It would be an excellent summary of the folklore for non-Finnish people.

[@elizabethmcglothlin5406]

'Hissy folk?' I need to know more about them! also 'stray grass'?

[@LokiLL999]

The Jotunñ 🤘

[@XtineJohnes]

Maybe the person just liked the Forest better than where they had been living LOL

[@SiiriCressey]

Is it so bad to be a tree?

[@SamiHelstela-ve3ri]

You are afraid what you dont know, we finns live from the forest. Food and warmth. Europians have cut their forests long time ago,losing their connection. I live in the forest and it is my sanctuary and home. For reference in pop culture, americans and the Blair switch Project, the dullest movie for a forest people.

[@dasarath5779]

would it be possible to make an episode on estonian mythos?

[@IrishinFinland]

That's coming don't worry! Any books/links/articles you'd recommend?

[@dasarath5779]

@@IrishinFinland yea i have a few videos/podcasts my history teacher sent me. but theyre all in estonian. should i send em eitherway?

[@Ulf_Fang]

What about kratti

[@TheRcaa]

"Metsänpeikko tahdon olla sankar jylhän kuusiston" enempää en muista... Näin äitini lauloi.

[@TheNismo777]

These lands are cursed, last known events might be from during winter war.. where soviets learned in first hand not to come to these forests :)

[@fatehdebbah]

Like everywhere in the world

[@IrishinFinland]

What a stupid comment 🙄 idiot

[@fatehdebbah]

@@IrishinFinland what made you think my comment was stupid ?

[@tiinau6562]

Skogs rådet. 👻😶🤫

[@MRiitta]

Haha😅

[@jonnekallu1627]

I doubt that Finnish folklore mentions "Satan" anywhere. Perhaps the Finnish word was "Piru" which was later made a synonym for Satan by Christians?

[@juhanivaltonen2456]

If person dies in forest he can not be buried to church blessed ground. He must be buried in forest. If forest takes you, it must be let take its own. You can put small birds skull in corpses mouth so his spirit founds its way to where it needs to go. Sielulintu. Wish this could be done these days still. Metsä elää

[@12b_engineer]

To much christain destroyed pagan ways in modern minds.

[@jokat872]

No no… heard satan. I’m out sorry. Need to go to sleep without satan in my mind 😂 watching this tomorrow

[@mtmn9258]

shrooms is the answer.

[@zoolkhan]

Alone, is the best way to go.. to be close to the forest. I find the chatter of another person rather misplaced there. We are forest people after all. And the christian propaganda does not deserve my respect. I feel closer to the forest beeings than to humans who deliberately live between cars and rails craving shoes and toys.

[@wolfganggugelweith8760]

Be careful about the colors of disappearance in the forests. Red and yellow! Never wear clothes with this colors or a rucksack in red or yellow there.