Sampo is a magical artifact from the Finnish epic Kalevala. It is said that whomever possesses Sampo will experience good fortune. Forged by the legendary smith Ilmarinen, the artifact has been interpreted in many ways; a world pillar, a compass, a treasure chest, a shield, and many other things. The compiler of the Kalevala,  Lönnrot, interpreted it as a mill that could produce flour, salt or gold out of thin air.

Sampo plays a pivotal roll in the Kalevala. It is said Ilmarinen forges it in order to win the hand of the daughter of Louhi, an evil witch. Louhi then steals Sampo. When Ilmarinen and Väinämöinen infiltrate her fortress to retrieve it the treasure is destroyed.

[Picture: Forging of Sampo (1893) by Akseli Gallen-Kallela.]

Sleipnir is listed as the best of horses, Odin’s eight-legged horse. Sleipnir is also the child of Loki, who transformed himself into a mare to distract the horse of the giant Har so that Har could not finish building the wall around Asgard.

The Nøkken, or Näcken, is a dangerous creature from Scandinavian folklore. They are water-dwelling shapeshifters who usually appear in the shape of a naked man playing a violin or similar instrument, or a beautiful white horse. They lure unwary travelers into the water and drown them.

These creatures are sometimes called Fossegrim, but this name is applied almost solely to the most harmless of these water spirits. Stories exist in which a Fossegrim agrees to live with a human who fell in love with them or agree to help travelers, for a price.

Similar creatures exist in all Germanic mythologies.

Tuonela is the underworld, the realm of the dead, in Finnish mythology. Like other underworlds from mythology, it sits on an island and is reached by crossing a river. It is ruled over by the god Tuoni, and his wife Tuonetar, who serves as ferrywoman and hostess. 

This realm appears in the Kalevala when Väinämöinen travels there seeking knowledge. 

The Æsir are the major pantheon of gods in Norse Mythology. This pantheon consists of Odin, Frigg, Thor, Baldur, and Tyr, among others. A second pantheon of gods are the Vanir, whose ranks include Njord, Freyr, and Freyja. 

These two groups, sometimes interpreted as separate clans or representations of the societal classes of the time, did battle with the Æsir in the Æsir-Vanir war, after which the two pantheons combined into one. In many writings the term  Æsir is applied to all gods. 

Mani and Sol are the Norse personifications of the moon and sun, respectively. They are the son and daughter of Mundilfari. Opposite of other mythologies, the Norsemen represented the moon as masculine and the sun as feminine. 

In the Eddas they are described as journeying over the world each day in order to count the years for mankind, and they are pursued by wolves. One tale describes them as the children of a man, Mundilfari, who thought his children so fair he named them after the sun and the moon, and as punishment for this perceived arrogance the children were sent to the heavens to serve the sun and moon. It is also said that during Ragnarok Mani will be consumed by one of the wolves that chases them.

A Selkie is a creature from Scandinavian and Scottish folklore that takes the shape of a seal. However, the seal is able to shed its skin and appear human.

If one were to hide the Selkie’s seal skin it would render them unable to transform back. Selkies are only allowed to make contact with a human for a short period of time, after which they may not see the human again for seven years. But this can be avoided by stealing their skin to prevent them from transforming. In many stories this is the case; a man will steal and hide a female Selkie’s seal skin in order to have control over her. If the Selkie later finds her skin she will return to the sea, abandoning her husband and often her children as well. 

In the Finnish creation myth the world begins as a vast ocean, upon which floats Ilmatar, the daughter of the sky. She floated alone for centuries, yearning for companionship, until the sea falls in love with her and impregnates her.

For centuries more she continued to float along, still pregnant, until she was visited by a sea bird. She allows the bird to create a nest on her knees, where the bird lays an egg. As the bird warmed the egg it became hotter and hotter, until Ilmatar could no longer stand it and dislodged the egg from it’s nest. The egg broke, an from the two fragments were formed the sun, moon, heavens and earth.

When she walks upon the land Ilmatar’s footsteps create lakes, the movements of her arms create beaches and cliffs; she forms the land. Later, Ilmatar gave birth to Vainamoinen, who became the first man to walk on land. He is met by a boy bearing a bag of seeds, which Vainamoinen uses to grow all of the plants in the world. One of these grows to an oak so large it begins to block the sun, so Ilmatar sends a man of copper who fells the tree so that life could be restored to the world. 

Norse mythology’s picture of the afterlife separates the dead into two realms depending upon the manner of their death. The spirits of those who died valiantly in battle ascended to Valhalla, the great mead hall of the gods in Asgard. Those who died of old age or sickness spent their afterlife in Helheim, a realm within Niflheim ruled over by the goddess Hel, from whom the realm gets its name. Hel is also said to be a daughter of Loki.

[Picture: The goddess Hel accompanied by a hound.]

In Pagan Finland the Brown Bear was considered the most sacred of animals. The bear was referred to only by euphemisms, as it’s name was believed to hold too much power. 

Killing a bear was followed by a great feast, a large part of which was dedicated to convincing the bear’s spirit that it had died a natural death so that it would reincarnate back into the forest. 

The brown bear is also the national animal of Finland.

Frigg (Anglicized to Frigga) is said to be foremost amongst goddesses of the Norse pantheon. She is the wife of Odin and mother of Balder, as well as stepmother to Odin’s many other children. She can be considered a goddess of love, marriage, and childbirth.

She is largely depicted as a wife and mother, and her name means “love” or “beloved one”. Also from her comes the Norse name for the planet Venus “Frigg’s Star”, and Friday is “Frigg’s Day”.

Although listed separately by Icelandic historian Snorri Sturluson, the Norse goddesses Vár and Vör are believed by most scholars to be one and the same. Vár is the goddess of contracts and marriages, while Vör is said that she is so wise that nothing can be hidden from her.

Väinämöinen is the central character of the Kalevala, and a legendary god-hero from Finnish mythology. 

According to legend, Väinämöinen was the first man, born of the Sky’s daughter, Ilmatar, and the Sea. He is said to be the god of song, chants, and poetry, because the word ‘väinämö’ means ‘minstrel’. In the Kalevala he is presented as the “eternal bard” who exerts order over the land of Kaleva. Väinämöinen is able to do many things with the magic of his voice, including singing himself a boat made of copper, in which he sails away from the mortal realms at the end of his life. But it is said he shall return when his might and his crafts are once again needed.

A vǫlva or völva is a shamanic seeress in Norse mythology.

Völva were practitioners of shamanis, sorcery, and witchcraft. They were held in high esteem for their abilities and their wisdom. Even the gods came to the völva for fortune telling and council. The term völva means “wand carrier” or “staff carrier”, and they used magic wands or staffs to aid in their magic.

Völva also existed outside of mythology. In Viking society a völva was an elderly woman released from familial bonds who wandered the land and was summoned in times of crisis to provide wisdom and aid, but now without charging for these services.

While völva were highly respected, men who practiced sorcery or witchcraft were shunned and often tortured and murdered for their transgressions.

The Trundholm sun chariot is a Nordic Bronze Age artifact discovered in Denmark in 1902 and believed to represent the sun being pulled by a mare.

The artifact has been dated to the 15th century BCE. It is believed to represent an important part of Nordic Bronze Age religion, although there are numerous theories. The disk is gilded on only one side, which has lead to its interpretation as the sun being pulled East-West across the sky.