• Home
  • Illustration
  • Shop
    • Coaching
    • Commissions
  • About
    • FAQ
    • Blog >
      • The Little Women Project >
        • youtube
        • Podcast
  • Say Hi On Social
    • YouTube
    • Instagram
    • Facebook Page
    • Facebook Group
  • Contact
  • Etusivu
  • Kuvitukset
  • Taiteilijasta
    • Usein Kysytyt Kysymykset
    • Blogi
  • Kauppa
  • Yhteystiedot
  Fairychamber - Art and Illustrations by Niina Niskanen
  • Home
  • Illustration
  • Shop
    • Coaching
    • Commissions
  • About
    • FAQ
    • Blog >
      • The Little Women Project >
        • youtube
        • Podcast
  • Say Hi On Social
    • YouTube
    • Instagram
    • Facebook Page
    • Facebook Group
  • Contact
  • Etusivu
  • Kuvitukset
  • Taiteilijasta
    • Usein Kysytyt Kysymykset
    • Blogi
  • Kauppa
  • Yhteystiedot

Blog

Birch in Finnish Mythology and Folklore

2/7/2019

3 Comments

 
Picture
Birches are the most common deciduous trees in Finland and birch species that exist there are silver birch, downy birch and in Lapland grow dwarf birches. Birches can live up to 300 years and the highest birch can grow to be 40 meter high. Birches have been important trees for many people and several Finno-Ugric, Baltic and Slavic tribes have worshipped them. The Russian word for birch берёза (berjoza) means protection.
Picture
In Komi and Udmurt (кызьпу) languages name of the birch is connected to burnt clearing. Burnt clearing meant burning forest in order to create farmland. Occasionally too much of the forest was burned and birches were planted into these empty fields. Birch has symbolized purity, goodness, summer and warmth. The Finnish word for birch koivu is a proto Finno-Ugric word. For the Moravians, birch was the tree of life. The sap that was moving inside the tree symbolized the continuance of life and rebirth. The leaves represented ancestors and the starry sky.
​
In Finland birch has been an important material for building and carving objects such as wheels, dishes, cups, skiis, firewood, sleighs, and handles for axes and hammers. Birchbark was multipurpose material that was used as much as we use plastic today. It was used for making backpacks, shoes, dishes, tinders and ancient Finno-Ugric people even used it as early writing paper. ​​
Picture
In Finland and in Russia birch twigs were used as wands to cast protection spells over the cattle. It was believed that cows who were protected with these ”wands” would provide milk that was such as good as birch sap. A similar custom was practised in some countries in Southern Europe as well. Birch branches were connected to the arrival of summer and back in the day's homes were decorated with birch branches for mothers day and summer solstice festival. During the summer bundles made of birch twigs were prepared for sauna for the whole coming year. Each branch that was used in the bundle had different meanings and symbols. Birch branch in the bundle represented goodness and good health. One of the old Finnish name s for March was Mahlakuu meaning the sap month. Some people drank birch sap for refreshment after the long winter. Owners of the best sap trees might even name them. If one cut down a sap tree they could get fines or give two equal birch trees away. The sap was brewed into beer and into lemonade. It was enjoyed during dinner and also as medicine to heal bladder problems, scurvy and to heal the pain in the limbs. Clothes soaked in hot water boiled from young birch leaves were used to heal the rash and ache. Tar from birch has been used to heal toothache and burns.
Picture
Birch is connected to many deities such as Germanic goddess Berchta, who was the protector of mothers and children, Venus, goddess of love and sex of the ancient Romans, Brigid, Irish goddess of fire and forgery, Thor, the Norse god of thunder. In Finnish mythology, birch is connected to Luonnottaret, the goddesses of nature. ​
​
Birch sap magic:
Girls washed their faces with the first sap of the spring so they would not burn themselves in the summer. They always had to taste the sap first in order for the magic to work.
Sources:
Kaarle Krohn: suomalaisten runojen uskonto, salakirjat
Tree People/ Puiden kansa, Ritva Kovalainen, Seppo Sanni,
Taivaannaula.org puiden juurilla ​

3 Comments
Mickie Van Patten link
2/9/2019 04:57:13 pm

This is just the kind of information I need for my workshop on empowering your staff, sceptor or wand! Thanks so much for sharing.

Reply
Niina Niskanen link
2/11/2019 05:47:27 pm

That's awesome :)

Reply
Pauline Nordal link
11/25/2020 06:26:50 pm

This was really a great read . I was just thinking of my family . And about birch trees . Not only are they beautiful but now found out how put to use the birch tree is . Very interesting subject with finnland cultures strength . I am sure they still put those trees to good use . Love the pictures Thanks for the story told well. Pauline Nordal aka mother is Finnish.

Reply

Your comment will be posted after it is approved.


Leave a Reply.

    Niina

    Pronounced as Nee-na.
    ​
    Artist, illustrator, writer, watercolorist and a folklorist. Gryffinclaw. Comes from Finland. Likes cats, tea and period dramas. 

    If it´s canon and it´s
    ​Little Women it´s good.
    Picture

    Archives

    January 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    October 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018

    Picture
    Please keep the comment section civil, respectful and connected to the topic at hand. ​Thank you.  Spammy/passive-agressive comments will be blocked and reported. 
    Picture
    Picture
    Picture

    Support Fairychamber

    Picture

    Picture

    Categories

    All
    Aboriginal Mythology
    African Myths
    Amy And Laurie
    Animal Art
    Animal Myths
    Animations
    Anne Of Green Gables
    Arabic Mythology
    Art Business Advice
    Artist Chats
    ASMR
    Assyrian Myths
    As Told By Ginger
    Baltic Myths
    Beauty And The Beast
    Bones
    Book Reviews
    Brothers Grimm
    Celtic Myths
    Challenges
    Charles-perrault
    Charles-perrault
    Chinese Myths
    Christmas
    Cinderella
    Comic-cons
    Cosplay
    Crafting Tutorials
    Disney
    Disney Crafts Diy
    Divination
    Dolls
    Drawing
    Drawing Tutorials
    Earthsea
    Egyptian Myths
    Estonian Folklore
    Estonian Wheel Of The Year
    Fairies & Elves
    Fairy Crafts DIY
    Fairy Tale Origins
    Fantasy Art
    Fashion Illustrations
    Finnish Culture
    Finnish Mythology
    Finnish Wheel Of The Year
    Food Illustrations
    Frozen
    Germanic Folktales
    Getting To Know Me
    Ghost Stories
    Goddess Art
    Greek Mythology
    GSR
    Halloween
    Halloween Crafts
    Hansel And Gretel
    Harry Potter
    Harry Potter Crafts
    Health
    Hindu Mythology
    Howl´s Moving Castle
    Illustrations
    Inuit Myths
    Irish Tales
    Jane The Virgin
    Japanese Myths
    Jo And Friedrich
    Komi Mythology
    Korean Myths
    Landscape Paintings
    Languages
    Latvian Wheel Of The Year
    Learn Finnish
    Lithuanian Wheel Of The Year
    Little Women
    Little Women Podcast
    Mari Folklore
    Marketing Your Art
    Meg And John
    Mermaids
    Miniatures
    MishMash Videos
    Moomins
    Movie-reviews
    Mulan
    Music
    Mythical Motifs
    Mythmas
    Native American Myths
    New Designs
    Norse Myths And Legends
    Once Upon A Time
    Painting
    Painting Tutorials
    Percy Jackson
    Persian Myths
    Pinocchio
    Polynesian Myths
    Red Riding Hood
    Roman Mythology
    Rose In Bloom
    Saami Mythology
    Samoyed Myths
    Scotland
    Scottish Tales
    Shamanism
    Siberia
    Sketchbook
    Slavic Mythology
    Sleeping Beauty
    Snow White
    Spells And Superstitions
    Swedish Folkore
    Symbols And Mythical Motifs
    Tea Time
    The Good Witch
    The X Files
    Time Lapse Paintings
    Tinker Bell
    Travel
    Trees And Plants
    Turkic Myths
    Unicorns
    Valentine´s Day
    Vedic Myths
    Wales
    Watercolor Textures
    Welsh Myths
    Welsh Wheel Of The Year
    Wheel Of The Year: Autumn
    Wheel Of The Year: Spring
    Wheel Of The Year: Summer
    Wheel Of The Year: Winter
    Witch Bottles
    W.i.t.c.h Comics
    Zodiac Myths

    RSS Feed