Tapio (spirit)

For other uses, see Tapio.
Tapio
King of the Forest
Other namesKainuu: Hilli, Kuittola, Rauhio
Karelia: Hippa, Huitua, Kuituva
Lapland: Hilli
Ostrobothnia: Hilli, Hilppa, Hippa, Huuhkana, Iivana, Kuikuli, Kuippana, Kuittia, Kuitua
Savonia: Hippa, Hippo, Kuihkamo, Kuihkanen, Kuippana, Kuituri
AbodeForest
TreePicea abies f. tabulaeformis
GenderMale
Ethnic groupFinns, Karelians
Genealogy
SpouseMielikki
OffspringTellervo
Tuulikki
Nyyrikki

Tapio (Finnish pronunciation: [ˈtɑpio]), Kuippana or Hippa[1] is a Finnish forest spirit or god in Finnish mythology.[2] He is called the King of the Forest (Metsän kuningas). Hunters prayed to him before a hunt. His wife is the goddess of the forest, Mielikki. He is the father of Tellervo, Tuulikki and Nyyrikki (Pinneus). Fitting the Green Man archetype, Tapio has a beard of lichen and eyebrows of moss.[3]

Mikael Agricola mentions Tapio as a Tavastian god in the prologue to his Finnish translation of the Book of Psalms, Dauidin Psalttari. In runic songs, the name Tapio often refers to the feminine ruler of the forest, Mielikki[4] (as well as the feminized version of the name, Tapiotar), or appears as a synonym for the word metsä 'forest'.[5] In 1789, Christfried Ganander listed Hippa or Kuippana as the highest forest god who drives animals into traps.[6] Tapio he specifically mentioned as a forest haltija in the context of bear and rabbit hunting, explaining that Tapio was honored with the epithet Ukko 'old man'.[7]

Many of Tapio's epithets, including "King of the Forest" and "grey-beard", are also used in runic songs to refer to the bear.[8][9]

Name

Tapionpöytä ('Tapio's table'), a spruce growing without the treetop, a place to bring offerings to Tapio.

According to E.A. Tunkelo in 1914, the Baltic Finnic word tapa 'lock of a hunting trap' could be the origin of the name Tapio.[5] However, the name Tapio is seen to be Western Finnish, and Western Finnish dialects have not been recorded to include the word tapa for a lock of a hunting trap. This is why Janne Saarikivi theorized the name would come from the word tavata (dialectical meaning 'to reach; to catch up to').[10]

Hippa means a pointed cap, which could have been a symbol of a forest haltija, and it is the name of the chaser in the game tag, much like a hunter would chase after prey. A theory suggests the name Kuippana would be connected to the Roman Catholic saint Hubert, patron saint of hunters.[5] Other versions of Kuippana include Kuihtanen, Kuituri and Huitua. According to another theory, the name would come from vuitti 'lot, fate'.[11]

Epithets

Epithet Epithet meaning Regions
Metsän kuningas[12] 'King of the Forest' Kainuu, Ostrobothnia, North Karelia, North Savo
Metsän kultainen kuningas[13] 'Golden King of the Forest' South Savo
Metsän Hippa, halliparta[13] 'Hippa of the Forest, grey-beard' Ostrobothnia, South Savo
Metsän ukko, halliparta[14] 'Old man of the forest, grey-beard' South Savo
Metsän isäntä[15] 'Master of the Forest' Kainuu, North Karelia, North Ostrobothnia
Kuuluisa metsän kuningas[16] 'Known king of the forest' Kainuu, Ladoga Karelia
Metsähine halliparta[17] 'Forest-y grey-beard' South Savo
Hilliukko, halliparta[18] 'Old man Hilli, grey-beard' Kainuu, Lapland, North Ostrobothnia
Havuhattu, naavaparta[19] 'Needle hat, beard lichen' North Karelia, South Savo
Ukko vanha röhmäparta[20] Ladoga Karelia
Havuhattu, halliparta[20] Ladoga Karelia
  • "Tapio with his folk", by Carl Eneas Sjöstrand (1898)
    "Tapio with his folk", by Carl Eneas Sjöstrand (1898)

In contemporary culture

He lends his name, in the form of Tapiola, to:

He has appeared various times in songs by Finnish metal bands. For example, in the symphonic metal band Nightwish's song, "Elvenpath", he is referred to as "Tapio, Bear-king, Ruler of the forest".[21] The name has also been used extensively by the folk metal band Korpiklaani'.

Jean Sibelius' tone poem Tapiola (1926) is a depiction of the forest Tapio inhabits.

References

  1. ^ Castrén, M.A. (2016). Luentoja suomalaisesta mytologiasta (suomentanut Joonas Ahola). Helsinki: Finnish Literature Society. p. 144. ISBN 978-952-222-937-3.
  2. ^ "Britannica". britannica.com. Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc. Retrieved 13 December 2020.
  3. ^ Ragg, Margherita (24 February 2015). "A Magical Night of Finnish Myths in Finland". thefairytaletraveler.com. TRAVEL MEDIA SOLUTIONS, LLC DBA THE FAIRYTALE TRAVELER. Retrieved 13 December 2020.
  4. ^ "SKVR XV 324". skvr.fi. Finnish Literature Society. 1786. Retrieved 2024-04-08.
  5. ^ a b c Siikala, Anna-Leena (2012). Itämerensuomalaisten mytologia. Helsinki: Finnish Literature Society. pp. 376–380. ISBN 978-952-222-393-7.
  6. ^ "SKVR XII2 6454". skvr.fi. Finnish Literature Society. 1789. Retrieved 2024-07-23.
  7. ^ "SKVR XII2 6589". skvr.fi. Finnish Literature Society. 1789. Retrieved 2024-07-23.
  8. ^ "SKVR VI2 5447". skvr.fi. Finnish Literature Society. 1885. Retrieved 2024-07-23.
  9. ^ "SKVR VII5 loitsut 3401". skvr.fi. Finnish Literature Society. 1890. Retrieved 2024-07-23.
  10. ^ Janne Saarikivi (2022). "Huomioita Agricolan psalttarin esipuheen jumalista ja muusta itämerensuomalaisesta mytologisesta sanastosta". In Jeremy Bradley (ed.). Tonavan Laakso: Eine Festschrift für Johanna Laakso. Central European Uralic Studies. Vol. 2. Praesens Verlag. p. 384. ISBN 9783706911597.
  11. ^ Pulkkinen, Risto; Lindfors, Stina (2016). Suomalaisen kansanuskon sanakirja. Gaudeamus. p. 147. ISBN 978-952-495-405-1.
  12. ^ "SKVR VI2 5001". skvr.fi. Finnish Literature Society. 1880. Retrieved 2025-07-23.
  13. ^ a b "SKVR VI2 4851". skvr.fi. Finnish Literature Society. 1886. Retrieved 2025-07-23.
  14. ^ "SKVR VI2 4830". skvr.fi. Finnish Literature Society. 1858. Retrieved 2025-07-23.
  15. ^ "SKVR XII2 6625". skvr.fi. Finnish Literature Society. 1884. Retrieved 2025-07-23.
  16. ^ "SKVR XII2 6122". skvr.fi. Finnish Literature Society. 1854. Retrieved 2025-07-23.
  17. ^ "SKVR VI2 5384". skvr.fi. Finnish Literature Society. 1917. Retrieved 2025-07-23.
  18. ^ "SKVR XII2 6481". skvr.fi. Finnish Literature Society. 1829. Retrieved 2025-07-23.
  19. ^ "SKVR VI2 4932". skvr.fi. Finnish Literature Society. 1829. Retrieved 2025-07-23.
  20. ^ a b "SKVR VII5 loitsut 3357". skvr.fi. Finnish Literature Society. 1845. Retrieved 2025-07-23.
  21. ^ "Elvenpath - Song Lyrics :||: NIGHTWISH OFFICIAL WEBSITE".
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