| Väinämöinen | |
|---|---|
 Head of Väinämöinen byAkseli Gallen-Kallela, 1895 | |
| Symbol | Water, sword and paddle[1] |
| Ethnic group | Finns,Karelians |
| Parents | Kaleva (father)[2][note 1] Sea giant and Maiden of North(SKVR XII1 2)[3] Ilmatar impregnated by waves(Kalevala) |
Väinämöinen (Finnish pronunciation:[ˈʋæi̯næˌmøi̯nen]) is ademigod, hero[4] and the central character inFinnish folklore and the main character in thenational epicKalevala byElias Lönnrot. Väinämöinen was described as an old and wise man, and he possessed a potent, magical singing voice.[5]
The nameVäinämöinen has often been explained as coming from the Finnish wordväinä 'stream pool' orväineä 'slow'.Janne Saarikivi hypothesized that the name was possibly connected to early Germanic forms ofOdin's name:*wātenos could have been loaned intoProto-Karelian as*vätnä or*väinä, andAuðunn could be compared toÄinemöinen.[6]
The first extant mention of Väinämöinen in literature is in a list ofTavastian gods byMikael Agricola in 1551, where it says:"Aeinemöinen wirdhet tacoi." (lit. '"Väinämöinen forged thechants."')[8] He and other writers described Väinämöinen as the god of chants, songs and poetry; in many stories Väinämöinen was the central figure at the birth of the world.
A 1674 letter written byJohan Cajanus stated that inKainuu, Väinämöinen was called a son of a giant namedKaleva.[9] According toChristfried Ganander in 1789, Kaleva had 12 sons, but the only ones he named in addition to Väinämöinen wereIlmarinen,Hiisi,Soini, Liekiöinen andKihovauhkonen.[10]Joukahainen is also sometimes mentioned to be Väinämöinen's brother, though this is not the case in all versions.[11] Väinämöinen's birth is a rare topic inrunic songs, but a rareOstrobothnian song describes him having been born from the Maiden of North, who was impregnated by a sea giant. In another song, his father is said to beKave-ukko, Lord of the North, who is described like a great warrior.[12]
Väinämöinen has often been described as ashaman hero, a mythicaltietäjä, with magical abilities, secret knowledge and being the most skilled singer. There is an old myth of hiskatabasis (journey to the underworld). He does also possess more armed warrior-like features especially in runic songs from Ostrobothnia. He is not only a rune singer, but a skilled smith and sword user as well.[12]
Väinämöinen is the undisputed protagonist of Ostrobothnian runic songs collected in the 18th century. The myths around him include him trying to propose to an Air Maiden orTuulikki, trying to build a boat as a task she gave him and accidentally hurting his knee, causing it to bleed. This is also known as theFinnish flood myth. In another well attested myth, Väinämöinen goes on a journey on his boat, creates theKantele and plays it so well even goddesses show up to listen to it. Väinämöinen travelling to the underworldTuonela, a common myth in Karelia, is missing from Ostrobothnia and rare in the nearby Kainuu; and even in Kainuu, the protagonist of the myth is named Kaukomieli. In Kainuu, Väinämöinen is more likely to travel toPohjola,[12] which does also have the synonym Manala (the underworld, the same as Tuonela).
InSavonia, the well attested Väinämöinen-related runic songs include creating and playing the Kantele, Väinämöinen hurting his knee, as well as the runic singing battle between Väinämöinen and Joukahainen. The myths of stealing thesampo and travelling to the dead shamanAntero Vipunen were also present. Sometimes, Väinämöinen is also put as the forger of the golden maiden, though the protagonist in this story is oftenIlmarinen.[13] Väinämöinen is also seen as the ruler of water in Savonia.[14]
Väinämöinen is often set as the protagonist of a myth where he communicates with the dead shaman Antero Vipunen by talking to him at his grave, travelling to the underworld to meet him, or being swallowed by him, in order to gain knowledge of specific magic words he is missing. According toMatti Kuusi, the original protagonist of the story was likelyLemminkäinen.[15]
InKarelia, Väinämöinen is involved with events before the creation of the world in the following ways: He is shot down into the sea by an enemy (like Joukahainen) where he lies with his knee on the surface. A bird lays an egg on Väinämöinen's knee, and when Väinämöinen moves it, the eggs fall down and break, forming the earth and the sky.[16] Väinämöinen's element is water, and he is widely connected to it in many regions. When he lies down in water in Karelian runic songs, he also forms the shapes of the bottom of the sea.[17]
In all of the above mentioned regions, Väinämöinen defeats Joukahainen in a runic singing battle with his superior knowledge over the events in the beginning of the world; after all, it was Väinämöinen himself who formed the bottom of the sea, set the stars on the sky and created mountains. Joukahainen, younger and thus less knowing, only remembers that these things had happened but didn't make them happen himself.[18] Väinämöinen proceeds to sing (spellcast) Joukahainen into a bog or cold water, which symbolize a path to the underworld.[19]
In a myth where the Sun has been captured and hidden, Väinämöinen tends to play a crucial part. While there are multiple different versions of the myth where the hero candidates range fromJesus to a smith's maiden, in Kainuu, the sun and the moon were imprisoned in a rock and were released when Väinämöinen was forging. In Border Karelia, Väinämöinen allowed the sun to shine after catching it from top of a pine tree. InIngria, Son of God resurrects Väinämöinen and asks where the sun and the moon are, or he travels to Pohjola, whereMistress of Pohjola shows him to Väinämöinen's grave and he digs him up to ask the question.[20]
In addition to his heroic acts, Väinämöinen is unlucky with some of his other efforts. He is often described as not being successful with fishing or courting. He says an old person should not try to marry a young person—based on his own failures. He cries when hurting his knee or falling into the sea, the latter to which Mistress of Pohjola remarks it as unusual to hear an old bearded hero cying. He is sometimes said to be blind. In the Karelian runic songVäinämöinen's Judgement, a child who was born through a virgin birth from Marjatta accuses Väinämöinen ofincest with his mother.[14] The latter part is, according toKaarle Krohn andUno Harva, influenced by the ideas present inSampsa Pellervoinen's story.[21]
In the nineteenth century, some folklorists, most notablyElias Lönnrot, the writer ofKalevala, disputed Väinämöinen's mythological background, claiming that he was an ancient hero, or an influentialshaman who lived perhaps in the ninth century.[34] Stripping Väinämöinen from his direct godlike characteristics, Lönnrot turned Väinämöinen into the son of the primal goddessIlmatar, whom Lönnrot had invented himself. In this story, it was she who was floating in the sea when a duck laid eggs on her knee.He possessed the wisdom of the ages from birth, for he was in his mother's womb for seven hundred and thirty years, while she was floating in the sea and while the earth was formed. It is after praying to the sun, the moon, and the great bear (the stars, referring toUrsa Major) that he is able to leave his mother's womb and dive into the sea.
Väinämöinen is presented as the 'eternalbard', who exerts order over chaos and established the land ofKaleva, and around whom revolve so many of the events inKalevala. His search for a wife brings the land of Kaleva into, at first friendly, but later hostile contact with its dark and threatening neighbour in the north,Pohjola. This conflict culminates in the creation and theft of theSampo, a magical artifact made byIlmarinen, the subsequent mission to recapture it, and a battle which ends up splintering the Sampo and dispersing its parts around the world to parts unknown.
Väinämöinen also demonstrated his magical voice by sinking the impetuousJoukahainen into a bog by singing. Väinämöinen also slays a greatpike and makes a magicalkantele from its jawbones.
Väinämöinen's end is ahubristic one. The 50th and final poem of theKalevala tells the story of the maiden Marjatta, who becomes pregnant after eating a berry, giving birth to a baby boy. This child is brought to Väinämöinen to examine and judge. His verdict is that such a strangely born infant needs to be put to death. In reply, the newborn child, mere two weeks old, chides the old sage for his sins and transgressions, such as allowing the maidenAino, sister ofJoukahainen, to drown herself. Following this, the baby is baptized and named king ofKalevala. Defeated, Väinämöinen goes to the shores of the sea, where he sings for himself a boat of copper, with which he sails away from the mortal realms. In his final words, he promises that there shall be a time when he shall return, when his crafts and might shall once again be needed. Thematically, the 50th poem thus echoes the arrival ofChristianity toFinland and the subsequent fading into history of the oldpagan beliefs. This is a common theme among epics, for in the tale ofKing Arthur, Arthur declares a similar promise before departing forAvalon.
In the original 1888 translation ofKalevala into English by John Martin Crawford, Väinämöinen's name was anglicised asWainamoinen.
In theEstonian national epicKalevipoeg, a similar hero is calledVanemuine. In neighbouring Scandinavia,Odin shares many attributes with Väinämöinen, such as connections to magic and poetry.[citation needed]
The Kalevala has been translated into English and many other languages, in both verse and prose, in complete and abridged forms. For more details seelist of Kalevala translations.
Väinämöinen has been identified as a source forGandalf, the wizard inJ. R. R. Tolkien's novelThe Lord of the Rings.[35] Another Tolkienian character with great similarities to Väinämöinen isTom Bombadil. Like Väinämöinen, he is one of the most powerful beings in his world, and both are ancient and natural beings in their setting. Both Tom Bombadil and Väinämöinen rely on the power of song and lore. Likewise,Treebeard and theEnts in general have been compared to Väinämöinen.[36]
In art (such as the accompanying picture byAkseli Gallen-Kallela), Väinämöinen is described as an old man with a long white beard, which is also a popular appearance for wizards infantasy literature.
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In music, Finnishfolk metal bandEnsiferum wrote three songs based on/about Väinämöinen, called "Old Man", "Little Dreamer" and "Cold Northland". There is also a direct reference to him in their song "One More Magic Potion", where they have written "Who can shape a kantele from a pike's jaw, like the great One once did?". The band's mascot, who appears on all their albums, also bears a similarity to traditional depictions of Väinämöinen.Another Finnish metal band namedAmorphis released their tenth albumThe Beginning of Times in 2011. It is a concept album based on the myths and stories of Väinämöinen.Yet another well-known Finnish metal band,Korpiklaani has released a song about the death of Väinämöinen, Tuonelan Tuvilla, as well as an English version named "At The Huts of the Underworld".A song on the albumArchipelago by Scottishelectronic jazz collectiveHidden Orchestra is also named "Vainamoinen".Philadelphia based Black metal band Nihilistinen Barbaarisuus released a song about Väinämöinen simply called "Väinämöinen" on their second studio albumThe Child Must Die in 2015.In classical music, Väinämöinen appears as the main character in the first movement of Jean Sibelius' original music for the "Days of the Press" celebrations of 1899. The first tableaux in this music known asVäinämöinen's Song later became the first movement of Sibelius' 1911 orchestral suiteScènes Historiques. Väinämöinen is also the theme of a composition for choir and harp byZoltán Kodály, "Wainamoinen makes music", premiered by David Watkins.[37]
Joan D. Vinge'sThe Summer Queen contains characters named Vanamoinen, Ilmarinen, and Kullervo. They are not the characters from the legend though but may have been inspired by them. That book is the sequel to herHugo Award-winning novelThe Snow Queen.
Väinämöinen is also a major character in The Iron Druid Chronicles novel,Hammered byKevin Hearne. The series follows the Tempe, Arizona-based 2,100 year-old Irish Druid,Atticus O'Sullivan. This book's main plot is the ingress of several characters - the Slavic thunder godPerun, O'Sullivan, awerewolf, avampire, Finnish folk legend Väinämöinen, andTaoistfangshiZhang Guolao - into Asgard to killNorse thunder godThor, all for their own varied reasons.
There is a Finnish comic strip called "Väinämöisen paluu" (The Return of Väinämöinen) byPetri Hiltunen, where Väinämöinen returns from thousand-year exile to modern Finland to comment on the modern lifestyle with humor.
In the storyline "Love her to Death" of the web-comicNukees, Gav, having died, arrives to an afterlife populated by gods. Among them is Väinämöinen, who, among other things, complains that one only gets women by playing the electrickantele.[38]
In theUncle Scrooge comic "The Quest for Kalevala", drawn byDon Rosa, Väinämöinen helps Scrooge and company to reassemble theSampo (mythical mill that could produce gold from thin air) and then leaves with it back to Kalevala, but not before giving Scrooge its handle as a souvenir.
In the webcomic "Axis Powers Hetalia", the character of Finland was given the human name Tino Väinämöinen.
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