Finnish Mythology: Wheel Of The Year And Ancient Festivals

Spirituality and Finnish mythology for the seekers

What you'll learn

Learn about ancient Finnish holidays and festivals

All about Finnish gods and goddesses who were honored during these days

The history of the Finnish society and the development of the spiritual landscape

The effect of Catholism and later on Lutheranism, to the old pagan world view

Understanding the multiple layers within mythology and folklore and how they were born

Requirements

No previous knowledge on Finnish mythology needed. You will learn everything you need to know.

Description

Finnish mythology is filled with stories from northern gods and goddesses, magical animals and feisty forest spirits. Finland was an agricultural society for hundreds of years and before that the inhabitants were hunter-gatherers. Our mythology and folktales are intertwined with the surrounding nature, clear lakes, northern lights and the forest, which was the home of all kinds of mysterious events. In this course we will go through the most important ancient Finnish holidays and talk about the spirits and gods and goddesses that were sacred and honored in these particular holidays. Summer Solstice was the time to honor the thunder god Ukko, who brought the rain and life with him. This was the time to party and be merry. All kinds of spells and magic was performed during this magical day. The biggest festival of the year, however was the harvest festival Kekri. This was the time when the spirits and ghosts wondered among the living. Ancestors were remembered and they were invited to join the festivities. Many of the modern Finnish Christmas traditions, are in fact, based on the old Kekri celebration. In March when the earth woke up from it's sleep, the goddess Akka was celebrated. Spring equanox was known as matopäivä the day of the snakes. During this day, snakes woke up from hibernation and they danced to honor the earth goddess. This course is perfect for anyone who is fascinated by history, folklore and old European cultures and anyone who is interested in magic, myth and lore. You will learn about ancient customs and traditions and how you can implement these teachings in your personal life. Niina is a folklorist and mythology researcher. She has created multiple courses on her native Finnish folklore.

Overview

Section 1: Matopäivä Day of The Snakes and Easter

Lecture 1 Easter

Section 2: Hela May Day Festival

Lecture 2 Hela

Section 3: Day of the Bear

Lecture 3 Day of the Bear

Section 4: Summer Solstice

Lecture 4 Summer Solstice

Section 5: Day of St Michael / Day of the Ram

Lecture 5 Day of St Michael

Section 6: Kekri

Lecture 6 Kekri, day(s) of the dead

Section 7: Christmas and Winter Solstice

Lecture 7 Christmas and Winter Solstice

Section 8: Day Of The Horses

Lecture 8 Day of the horses

Section 9: Day of Nuutti

Lecture 9 Day of Nuutti

Section 10: Final Words

Lecture 10 Final Words

This course is for anyone who is interested in Finnish mythology.,Curious about world view, spirituality, folklore and history.