Finnish Folklore: Day Of The Horses

There are many stories about the origin of the horse in Finnish mythology. The ancestor of all horses was a magical horse called Iku-tihku. Iku tihku was made by the trolls from fire and ice. This cold horse could only walk on land, among humans during winter time. He lived in the underworld and was connected to the element of water. He could move between the different rivers in Tuonela the underworld. Trolls used him as the model when they created all other horses, but these horses were made of iron.