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

Blog

Väki in Finnish Mythology and Folklore

11/26/2018

6 Comments

 
Picture
V​äki is a deeply rooted concept within Finnish mythology.
Picture

The Life Force

​In Finnish folklore, Väki is the life force that flows in every single living creature and being. It is similar to the concept of mana in Hinduism, life force chi in Chinese culture or the Force in Star Wars. Väki literally means a group. It describes the power / group or spirits that reside in a certain idea/concept/element or being.
Picture
iPhone Cases

Väki of the elements

When a person was a practitioner of witchcraft (in Finnish context) what they essentially were doing was to work with väki. Everything has their own väki; nature, trees, animals and all the elements. The idea of elements is very common in Finnish myths and all the elements possessed their own väki. Ilmanväki (väki of the air), tulenväki (väki of the fire), maanväki (väki of the earth) and vedenväki (väki of the water). From the elements, väki of the water was considered to be the most powerful because of the healing powers of water but also because the water was seen as something eternal. The woman grew children in the waters of their womb. The earth was born from waters and water always returned in some form, was it then rain or snow.
Picture

Väki of the animals

Väki of the animals was always connected to their element. For example, väki of the bear was connected to the earth and the power of the forest. Birds possessed väki of the air. Fish and frogs were part of the väki of the water. In spellcraft, if a person wanted to perform a ritual that needed elements from certain väki they used animal parts from an animal that belonged to that väki.
Picture
Some animals possess extremely strong väki. One of those animals was a wild deer. If a person ate brains of a wild deer they would sleep very restlessly and see nightmares of dark figures, which were shadow beings of the forest. ​
Even the smallest animals like ants and spiders possess their own väki. Väki was always connected to the myths and stories told about the animals.
Picture

Väki of women

People also had their own väki. Woman´s väki was considered the strongest because women were the creators of life. Women had an important role in ancient Finno-Baltic societies. If a man wanted to marry a woman they had to ask permission from the mother of the bride and when the father of the household died the oldest son did not inherit the house-stead but the widow did. Väki of the women was also feared by the men occasionally. If the man cheated the woman the woman could raise their väki and hurt the man as revenge. Woman´s status was connected to her marriage and later on her becoming a mother and a grandmother. This idea is directly based on the mother earth cult and ancestral worship where the passed away grandmother became a worshiped figure.
6 Comments
Linda Law
11/27/2018 12:15:16 am

Extremely interesting and fascinating- thank you Nina )0( XxX

Reply
Niina Niskanen link
1/23/2019 12:15:06 am

So glad to hear you enjoyed it.

Reply
Juhani Aho
4/27/2019 10:17:20 pm

Oli mukava lukea kirjoituksesi, joka antaa oikean ja realistisen kuvan menneiden sukupolvien uskomuksista.

It was a pleasure to read your writing, which gives a correct and realistic view to world and and beliefs of my ancestors.

Lämpimät kiitokset!❤👍

Reply
Niina Niskanen link
4/28/2019 07:11:45 am

Kiitos mukavasta kommentista. Piristi päivääni :)

Reply
Kim Casey link
12/9/2019 10:55:10 pm

I love your artwork! I was wondering if there are any books that address the power of Vaki?

Reply
Niina Niskanen link
12/12/2019 08:09:53 pm

Thank you Kim. You can check my list on books in English about Finnish mythology. You should be able to find more information about Väki from them. https://www.fairychamber.com/blog/books-in-english-about-finnish-mythology

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. 

    Love fandoms AOGG and Little Women (prefers books over the films). Louisa May Alcott researcher. 
    Picture

    Archives

    April 2021
    March 2021
    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
    Amy March
    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
    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
    Fairychamber Podcast
    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
    Louisa May Alcott
    Mari Folklore
    Marketing Your Art
    Meg And John
    Mermaid Mythology
    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