Mielikki

Mielikki (Finnish pronunciation: [ˈmie̯likːi]) is the Finnish goddess of forests and the hunt. She is usually called Metsän emäntä (lit. 'Mistess of the Forest'), though the epithet Metsän miniä (lit. 'Daughter-in-law of the Forest') also exists. As the mistress, she is seen as the wife of Tapio and the mother of Tuulikki, Tellervo and Nyyrikki.

She was more important and prayed to more often than her husband Tapio.^[2] "Tapio" also appears as a name of Mielikki,^[3] and the feminized form "Tapiotar" appears as a name of Mielikki^[4] as well as Tuometar and Hongatar, both sometimes called Tapio's daughter.

Her name is thought to have come from mieltyä 'to grow fond', as it was hoped she would grow fond of the hunter and give plenty of prey.^[2] According to Kaarle Krohn, the variant Lemmitär comes from lempeä 'gentle', while the variants Simanter, Metikki and Kuitar are all connected to the nectar (mesi) of the forest, mead. Kuitar would come from the word kuu 'fat'. The names Siivikki and Siilikki come from siipi 'wing', and Tarkotin from tarkka 'precise'.^[5]

Krohn also theorized that he variants such as Himmerkki and Mimerkki would come from Swedish himmelrik 'kingdom of heaven', and Mikitär and Mitikkä from Saint Nicetas the Goth. He also thought most variants beginning with K and H to come from Saint Hubert of Liège, though pointing out that hyypiö also means an eagle owl.^[5] According to Samuli Paulaharju, the Siberian jay was called the mistress of the forest in Kuhmo, for it was known to be "the oldest bird".^[1]

Names such as Nylgysä, Nylkys, Nyrkiö, Nyrkkiö and Nyrkytär are used for Tapio's wife in Karelia. It has been connected to nylkeä 'to skin'. In 1551, Mikael Agricola wrote that Nyrckes brought squirrels from the forest. It sounds similar to Tuulikki/Myyrikki/Tyytikki, who is called Tapio's daughter and the mother of squirrels. Karelian runic songs further mention Nyyrikki as a son of Tapio, despite the feminine form of the name. Kaarle Krohn thought it came from Jyrki (Saint George), Uno Harva thought it could be an old forgotten name for the squirrel,^[1] while Martti Haavio connected the name to Saint Bartholomew who was skinned and crucified.^[6][2]

The Mistress of the Forest is sometimes called Annikki. This name was influenced by Saint Anne.^[7]

In 1789, Christfried Ganander mentioned her as Tapiotar, the great mother of feathers (suuri sulkain emuu),^[8] and mentions Tapio as a name of the forest goddess as well.^[9] As tapio is synonymous with 'forest', the name Tapio has been seen as a personified forest, as king of the forest Tapio if male and as the forest mistress if female.^[1]

In runic songs, she is described as having had a role in the creation of the bear: she brought up the bear under a spruce. She is, along with her daughters, also asked to dull a bear's claws so it wouldn't hurt cattle.^[10] Hunting spells in runic songs feminize and eroticize the forest, asking the forest and its mistress to grow fond of the hunter and become wet for him (mielly metsä, kostu korpi). Mielikki was especially prayed to when hunting rabbits and birds, called emon vilja (lit. 'mother's grain').^[2]

She is sometimes described with the colour blue, such as having a blue cape or socks. In Central Finland, the mother or daughter-in-law of the forest is also said to have wings, even blue wings, as she appears as a ruler of wasps. In a Ladoga Karelian song, she as Kuitar is asked to bake a fatty (kuini) and nectariferous cake. In another song, this was misinterpreted as Kuutar baking.^[5]

Mielikki displays one of the features of a metsänhaltija ('forest haltija'), as forest haltijas could appear at hunters' camping sites: if she was dressed beautifully in gold, it meant the forest mistress was going to be generous with plenty of prey. If she was ugly, with arm-wrappings, rings and headwear made of twigs, she would not give much prey.^[2][10]

The Forest Finns knew Mehänemäntä 'Mistress of the Forest' as a haltija or a goddess who lived beneath a spruce. She was sacrificed to at a spruce growing without the treetop (called metsänemännän tupa lit. 'cottage of the Mistress of the Forest' by Forest Finns^[1] and Tapionpöytä lit. 'Tapio's table' in Finland).^[2] The Finns of Northern Sweden used the term metsänemäntä (lit. 'Mistress of the Forest') to refer to the skogsrå.^[5]

Mielikki is known as a skillful healer who heals the paws of animals who have escaped traps, helps chicks that have fallen from their nests and treats the wounds of wood grouses after their mating displays. She knows well the healing herbs and will also help humans if they know well enough to ask her for it.^{[citation needed]}

In the Kalevala, the Finnish national epic based on Finnish and Karelian folklore, the hero Lemminkäinen offers her and Tapio prayers, gold and silver so he can catch the Hiisi elk. In another passage, Mielikki is asked to protect cattle grazing in the forest.

The Mielikki Mons, a mountain on Venus, is named after her.^[40]

• Original quotes from Kalevala regarding Mielikki translated to English
• Mielikki information and links from the Finndex.