Description: Thunder god. King of the gods, successor to Jumala. He was an elder
of the universe and his existence guaranteed its survival. He remained aloof – mortals only
saw rain clouds. Drives a cart which generates flashes of lightning as the horses hoofs hit
stones along the way. The noise of thunder comes from the wheels or from Ukko grinding
grain with a big stone. Rules over clouds, rains, thunder, help with the impossible.

ATTRIBUTES:

Ax, blue robe, hammer, and sword. Ukko could be called in the East when
casting a circle.

Ukko (old man) In Finnish mythology, sky god, often used for God. Ukko replaced the earlier Jumala, a semiabstract term for God, who was sometimes addressed as Kuoja (creator). Ukko is sometimes called Pauanne (thunder), indicating that his role is similar to that of Zeus in Greek and Thor in Norse mythology. He is the most frequently evoked god in the Finnish epic poem The Kalevala. He restored fire when Louhi, the evil mistress of Pohjola, the Northland, stole the sun, moon, and fire. Seeing the land plunged into darkness, Ukko struck lightning and sent it down to earth, where it was swallowed by a pike in Lake Alue. Burning inside, the pike swam about madly until it was swallowed by a larger fish, which in turn was caught by the culture hero Vainamoinen, who restored the fire to his people. Ukko was worshipped in a ceremony called Ukko’s Wedding or Ukko’s Chest, at which birch-bark chests containing sacrifices such as sheep were placed on a holy mountain to be eaten by the god. Ukko ate his share at night, and the people ate the rest the next day. One festival of the god was described by the Christian bishop Agricola in the 16th century. He found that “many shameful things were done”
in honor of the great god. The bishop was obviously referring to a sexual orgy that took place after the people had drunk “to excess.” Eventually, Ukko’s ceremonies were absorbed into Christian ones, and Christ and St. John were evoked instead of Ukko. Jean Sibelius’s The Origin of Fire or Ukko the Firemaker, based on rune 47 of The Kalevala, depicts the re-creation of fire. Scored for baritone, male chorus, and orchestra, the work is, according to music critic Cecil Gray, of “epic power and grandeur.”

SOURCE:

Encyclopedia of World Mythology and Legend, Third Edition – Written by Anthony S. Mercatante & James R. Dow
Copyright © 2009 by Anthony S. Mercatante

Ukko

The Old Man

ORIGIN:

Finland

Ukko was the supreme male deity of the pre-Christian Finns. He is technically the lord of thunder, but he is more than that: Ukko is the lord of abundance, well-being, prosperity, and fertility. He is invoked to control the weather but also for healing, safe childbirth, and luck in hunting.

Ukko is celebrated by toasting him and drinking in his honor. Christian commentators were appalled by the ecstatic, sexual nature of his rites: men and women drank and celebrated together. Ukko is sometimes classified among those spirits believed to lurk under the guise of Santa Claus.

Consort: Rauni

ATTRIBUTE:

Hammer (source of his thunder)

Creatures: Reindeer, butterfly, snakes

SEE ALSO:

• Aiatar;
• Odin;
• Rauni;
• Saturn

SOURCE:

Encyclopedia of Spirits: The Ultimate Guide to the Magic of Fairies, Genies, Demons, Ghosts, Gods & Goddesses – Written by : Judika Illes Copyright © 2009 by Judika Illes.