Hello friends!
In today's episode I'm going to tell you about Finnish water magic.
Enjoy!
Origin of water from the magic songs of the Finns.
Dear water's origin is known.
And the genesis of dew.
From the sky has water come.
Then it rose in a hill.
Grew up in the crevice of a rock.
Vesi viitta,
Water cape.
Viitta's son.
The swamp cape.
Son of Kaleva.
Took water from a rock.
From a hill let water gush.
Bit his golden stick with his copper staff.
Let it gush from the hill.
When he had brought it from the rock.
Water wavered like a spring.
It ran in little reels.
Then it increased in size.
As a river it began to flow.
To dash noisily.
To thunder like a cataract.
To the great sea.
Into the open sea below.
Vayu's genesis is from the sky.
Dear water's origin from the clouds.
Water is the oldest of the brothers.
Vayu is youngest of the daughters.
Iron is the intermediate one.
The element of water has always been present.
Väki of water could be friendly or aggressive.
While swimming or some other water-related activity.
Väki of water might release veden vihat,
Curses of water.
This might result to so-called vedennenä,
Which meant diseases such as flu or skin rash.
But the following words were said to prevent vedennenä.
Master of the waters.
Mistress of the deep.
The golden king of the flowing streams.
Mighty lord of the boundless seas.
Fierce and wild.
In what have you been stirred?
Why did you set the children forth?
And sent your workers to their doom.
Rid of us with swords at waist.
A thousandth with the spear at side.
To bite,
To swallow,
To consume.
Gnaw,
To tear with hungry jaws.
Break the bones with vicious force.
Crust the knees with merciless might.
To twist the heart with a bitter ache.
To taste the flesh with a cruel thirst.
To wind the lungs with grasping hands.
To strike the eyes with blinding glare.
To rend the brows with ruthless pain.
To twist the jaw with grinning teeth.
Different types of water had variety of magical meanings.
Dew,
Especially that collected on Midsummer's Eve or the following day,
Was very magical.
It was said to heal all illnesses.
A person who washed their face with Midsummer's morning dew was told to maintain their beauty throughout the year and gain a beautiful singing voice.
River water was seen as bubbly and fast-flowing.
It was ideal for spells aimed at letting go of something.
One could toss their worries into the river to have them carried away.
Lake water.
Before modern conditioners were available,
People washed their hair with lake water.
The same water was also used to clean clothes.
Lakes and ponds were favorite habitats.
The water spirits.
Tears.
Tears were believed to possess significant magical properties.
They were often used in love spells.
For instance,
One could mix their tears into an amulet and give it to someone,
Causing that person to miss them or feel a burning love.
For these spells,
Water from a bog or a cold spring was used.
Pond water,
Like lake water,
Was connected to vedenmäki,
The spirits of water.
If someone wished to make a pact or deal with minor water spirits,
Pond water was usually the preferred choice.
It was particularly associated with Alinen,
The underworld.
Ice water.
Ice water was derived from a pond,
Lake or river,
During the melting phase following the harshest part of winter.
This cold water was often used in love spells aimed at letting go and cooling one's feelings.
One way to perform such a spell was to immerse oneself in the cold water while reciting Yhtä kylmä olen lemmestäsi kuin tämä vesi.
It's translated,
I am as caught from your love as this water is.
Well water.
Wells were universally associated with magic and are often seen as liminal spaces because they go deep underground.
They connect to both Keskinen and Alinen,
Earth and water.
People believed that if there was a frog in the well,
The water was good.
Some individuals even kept a pet frog in the well to bring good luck.
Mud water.
Mud water is dirty water that can be collected from bogs and swamps.
It has been used in dark magic to defeat competitors and to fight enemies.
The dirtier the water,
The stronger the spell.
Rain water.
Rain water was considered a gift from Ylinen,
The realm of the gods,
Bringing fertility to the land and providing drinking water for animals.
When used in spells,
Rainwater should be collected directly as it falls.
Rainwater gathered from ponds after the rain no longer possesses magical properties but is still useful.
Sea water.
In Finland,
Two bodies of water,
The Gulf of Botnia and the Baltic Sea,
Both have brackish water with very low salt levels,
Making it drinkable.
Sea water was primarily used in spells related to fishing,
Sailing and marine life.
Spring water.
Spring water is the purest form of natural water and was considered magically powerful.
In Finnish folklore,
Spring water was referred to as magic water and was regarded as sacred.
It was mostly used during the summer,
Particularly in midsummer spells and love spells.
Each spring was believed to have its own water spirits.
Who did not like it when people polluted their waters?
To show respect,
It was common to leave gifts such as silver coins and taking water from the spring.
Swamp water.
Swamp water is collected from swamps and marshes.
It is dark in color and was associated with Ylinen.
This water was used in black magic to create incantations and enchant individuals against their will.
When swamp water was taken,
Money was left as an offering for the spirit of the swamp.
Additionally,
Plants found in the swamps were also utilized in the swamp magic.
Rain magic.
People have always looked for omens to predict the weather.
These signs were used by people to foresee changing weather conditions,
Especially the arrival of rain.
Rain is coming when animals.
Frogs are allowed.
A dog is eating hay.
Bats fly low.
Fish are easy to catch.
If a dead snake is thrown into the air,
It is a sign of rain.
Bugs.
Bugs try to get inside.
Crickets stop chirping.
Bugs fly low.
Bees are near the hive.
And mosquitoes are everywhere.
If a snail does not show its horns,
It is expected to be a worm.
This is reflected in an old Finnish saying.
Nursery rhyme.
Etana etana näytä sarves.
Onko huomenna pouta?
Snail,
Snail,
Show your horns.
Is it sunny tomorrow?
Spiders make their webs stronger.
Birds.
Hens are rolling in the sand.
Birds find plenty of worms.
Doves are chirping in the evening.
Crows are making noise in the morning.
Owls are quiet at night.
Geese are grumpy.
The song of blooms is heard.
Fireflies are flickering around the wood.
Plants.
Thistles and dandelions have closed their flowers.
Clovers are opening their flowers more.
Weather.
Seeing a rainbow in the morning is a sign of rain.
If there is a halo around the moon,
It will rain the next day.
If the wind is coming from the east,
Rain is approaching.
Foam was forming in the backwater of the river.
If the mist disappears into the air,
The weather will be sunny.
However,
If it disappears to the ground,
It is going to rain.
If it rains while the sun is shining,
It indicates that it will rain again the following day.
Burning fern leaves brought the rain.
Iron object in front of the front door invites rain.
If one mix water with a branch of an oak tree,
They can conjure a storm.
Throw rice into the air and rain will come.
Superstitions.
If rain comes from the north,
It is believed that the household is becoming wealthy.
Conversely,
If rain comes from the south,
The household may be facing financial difficulties.
It is thought that hair grows better if it gets wet in the rain.
How to create rain.
Opening an umbrella indoors is often considered to bring bad luck,
But some also believed it could invite rain.
Whistling towards the wind is said to invoke rain.
One can say the following spell.
Come water from the house of the sky,
For the lakes,
For the rivers.
Water from the air's fountain.
Heavenly homes for the mighty ukku.
How to stop the rain.
Create a small cross using two pieces of wood and place it in an open field.
Secure it to the ground and sprinkle some salt over it.
Throw a handful of dry sand into the sky.
Place an axe on the ground with the sharp end pointing towards.
The following spells have been said to help stop the rain.
Stop rain.
Stop rain.
Calm down wind.
Slow down,
Air one.
Preventing the sun to appear.
Covering up the cloudy weather.
Go where you are needed.
Go where you are called.
Leave this village.
Take away your clouds.
Go and fill the wells.
Water for all the kiuvas.
Water for the barrels of ale.
Water for the woman's cauldrons.
Drinks and food.
Magic of milk.
Milk was associated with the element of water.
In the past,
Because milk spoiled easily,
The milk room was the most important and protected area in the house.
The person responsible for this room had to be very knowledgeable about how milk behaved.
Children were not allowed to enter,
And hands and gloves needed to be clean.
In Finnish folklore,
Milk was connected to Vellamo,
The goddess of water,
And Akka,
The goddess of the earth.
It was tied to motherhood,
Fertility,
Cleanliness,
Beauty and eternity.
Magically,
Milk was considered a healing and calming ingredient,
Especially powerful during the full moon.
It was used to treat rashes and skin diseases.
Even spoiled milk had its uses in spells,
Although these were typically aimed at creating misfortune.
A dog's breast milk was believed to break up couples or induce unfaithfulness.
Mare's milk was thought to confer strength akin to that of a horse,
While horse milk had various applications,
Including healing illnesses such as pneumonia and ache.
Numerous superstitions surrounded milk.
It was believed that an infertile woman could become pregnant by drinking breast milk or bathing in it.
Additionally,
A breastfeeding woman was seen as a potential target for the evil eye,
And the presence of a malevolent witch could cause her milk to spoil.
Butter.
Butter is made by churning milk and cream.
In ancient Finland,
Butter was commonly used in love spells and was considered an aphrodisiac.
Women who enjoyed eating butter were sometimes thought to be a bit eccentric.
Additionally,
It was offered as a gift to date these spirits,
Especially during times of celebration or good fortunes in one's life.
Butter teeth.
Once there was a witch who visited a cow shed every night during Bithyny and enchanted the cows so they would not produce any milk.
The master of the house wanted to uncover her secret and decided to catch the witch in the act.
He entered the cow shed under the cover of night,
Closed the door and prepared himself to wait.
To lure the witch he placed some hay under the window and sat down,
Expectantly watching.
Soon he heard the witch trying to open the door,
But when she found it locked,
She approached the window instead.
The man saw the witch pushing a churn through the window as she chanted,
Butter for me,
Water for you.
In a sudden burst of courage,
The man seized the churn and pushed it back,
Out the window shouting,
No,
Butter for me and water for you.
The witch startled by his voice,
Quickly fled and was never seen again.
With her absence,
The cows began to produce milk again.
When it came time to churn the butter,
All they had to do was to twirl the churn twice and it would be filled with butter for the master,
Who now echoed the witch's chant,
Butter for me and water for you.
This story came from the village of Kauvatsa.
Coffee superstitions.
If you drink coffee standing up,
You will become grumpy.
If you dream that you are drinking coffee with someone,
It means squirrels with them in real life.
You must not pour coffee from a coffee pot into a cup that still has coffee in it,
Or the relationship between the drinker and the pourer will deteriorate.
Old coffee beautifies.
Bubbles on the surface of a coffee cup mean money,
Especially if a cluster of bubbles swims towards your mouth and you manage to drink them.
If you rinse your cup between cups,
It means misfortune.
If there are coffee grounds left in the cup and you rinse them away,
The rinse will lose money.
Dropping a coffee spoon promises the person who dropped it a son.
If you drop the coffee measure,
It means you are wasting money.
Old times love coffee aphrodisiac.
Collect 80 branches from different trees,
Ensuring that each branch has three buds.
Bind the branches together into a bundle and locate a natural spring.
Tap the water nine times with the bundle,
Then fill a copper coffee pot with the spring water.
Brew coffee using the spring water and add three pinches of ash from the oven.
Serve the coffee to your loved one.
