An elk is usual image in many Finnish petroglyphs
Finnish paganism was the indigenous pagan religion in present-day Finland and Karelia prior to Christianization. Finnish paganism has many similarities with the neighboring European cultures which practiced Germanic, Norse and Baltic paganism. However, Finnish paganism has some distinct differences due to the Finno-Ugric and Balto-Finnic culture of the region. Finnish paganism is the product of a syncretism between contrasting periods in time. It incorporates primitive aspects of stone-age Europe, as well as the later Indo-European beliefs.
Finnish neopaganism is a modern attempt to revive this religion.
Shamanism
Swan and egg, based on petroglyphs of
Karelia
The oldest layers of Finnish paganism are probably shamanistic. A Shaman is a wise and respected person, believed to have a special relationship with the spirit world. Shamans go into a trance to commune with spirits and ancestors or to take a journey into the spirit realm. In trances shamans may ask their ancestors or various nature spirits for guidance. They believe that nature has the answers to all questions.
According to tales, foreign seafarers bought from Finns ropes tied in knots. By opening the knot a bit, a seaman could raise a wind to make his ship go faster. However, opening it too fast would raise a storm. Finnish wizards were known and feared by neighbouring peoples around the Baltic sea.
The Finns' Norse neighbors traditionally considered Finns to all be wizards to some extent, versed in dealing with spirits. In the Norse sagas, inclusion of a Finnish element almost always signifies a supernatural aspect to the story.
Mythology
See also
