Seppo Ilmarinen ( Fin. Seppo Ilmarinen, Ilmerainen ) is one of the three highest deities of Karelian-Finnish mythology , the god of air and weather, and also the hero of the Karelian - Finnish epic Kalevala . The image of Ilmarinen probably dates back to the Finno-Ugric deity of wind and air ( Fin. Ilma - “ air ”). In the 31 runes of Kalevala, he is described as a resident of Karelia [1] .
Together with his brother Väinemäuinen, he created fire in heaven, while a spark fell to the ground and served the benefit of people. In tradition, he is called a blacksmith ( seppo ) [2] and is chanted as the first to forge tools from iron . In some runes, the world creates the first man Väinämöinen, and the blacksmith Ilmarinen forges the firmament. [3] Ilmarinen is also the first to make steel ( teräs ) from iron. He uses blacksmith forge ( ahjo ), hammer ( vasara ) and anvil ( alasin ) to make tools . Ilmarinen, at the request of his brother Väinämäinen, forged for the old woman Louha, the mistress of Pohjela , the Sampo mill, which was a source of happiness and prosperity. Ilmarinen reappears in Pohjöl to marry the daughter of the old woman Louhi. In order to pass the wedding test, he makes an eagle, on the back of which he catches a pike in the world of Manala [4] .
After the purchased slave Kullervo kills his wife, Ilmarinen forges a golden maiden ( neito ) in sadness, but she remains soulless. Even Väinämäinen refuses such a gift [5] . Ilmarinen again goes to Pohyolu to look for a new wife, but there he is no longer welcome. He abducts the new bride by force, but, quarreling on the way back, turns her into a seagull. Väinämäinen again asks Ilmarinen to go to Pohjela, but now for Sampo . The abduction and loss of Sampo provokes the anger of Louhi, who steals the sun. God Ukko creates a new sun, which falls in Lake Alue. Trying to get a new sun, Ilmarinen gets burns [6] .
Folk songs dedicated to his exploits are Tulen Synty (the birth of fire), Raudan Synty (the appearance of iron).
Ilmarinen is also mentioned in the Estonian epic Kalevipoeg , according to which, together with his sons, he forged a sword ( miekka ) for the protagonist:
- The Finnish elder is eminent
- Smoked by a hearth
- Okay he with three sons
- Rules secret art
- Craft treasured forging [7] .
- Smoked by a hearth
Notes
- ↑ Yhdesneljättä runo , 360-365
- ↑ Yhdeksäs runo
- ↑ Petrukhin V. Ya. Myths of Finno-Ugric peoples. - Astrel: AST: Transitbook, 2005.
- ↑ Yhdeksästoista runo
- ↑ Seitsemäsneljättä runo
- ↑ Kahdeksasviidettä runo
- ↑ Kalevipoeg (Estonian folk epos) / Transl. Vl. Derzhavin and A. Kochetkov. - M .: Goslitizdat, 1956 .-- S. 148.
Literature
- Ilmarinen // Encyclopedic Dictionary of Brockhaus and Efron : 86 volumes (82 volumes and 4 additional). - SPb. , 1890-1907.