| “ | You'd best take caution when entering those woods. They belong to Tapio. [...] The ancient god of the forests and hunt. Those woods are his home. You're just guests in there. And you're hunting his animals. You'd be lucky if he even lets you out alive. | „ |
| ~ Villager |
Tapio was the ancient Finnish god of the forests and the hunt, and the husband of the goddess Mielikki, with whom he had four daughters; Annikki, Tellervo, Nyyrikki and Tuulikki.
Overview[]
Hunters were said to have prayed to him before a hunt and prayed to the nut god after the hunt. He was served by lesser elf-like spirits who tented to his kingdom as well as the forests. And like before was also often prayed to for good fortune during hunting and when doing so it was customary to offer food sacrifices.
Tapio was a powerful that could bring the game to a hunter or take it away. Those who enter his woods are guests and hunted his animals. The forest was the home of Tapio and as such a sacred place. His animals were also sacred, before and after the kill.
To ensure the favour of Tapio offerings were made, for this purpose there were special places in the wood called Tapion pöyta, the Table of Tapio. This was sometimes the stump of a large tree but more typically a short and bushy spruce with all the branches pointing evenly downwards and with a flat, table-like top. On the "table" special offerings were laid which included some of the hunted prey. The cattle breeder could also place offerings to Tapio since his cattle grazed freely in Tapio's woods.
The god is sometimes described as a man whose beard is of wood and eyes resemble two deep lakes.
Links[]
- Tapio - Wikipedia
- Tapio - Mythology Wiki
- Tapio - Global mythology Wiki