Mythology Masterclass: Finnish Tree Lore

Learn about tree myths and legends from ancient Finland

What you’ll learn
Learn about meanings of trees and history behind them in Finnish folklore
Which deities were connected to certain trees and plants
symbolism of flowers in Finnish folktales
Stories and fairytales and beliefs connected to different plants

Requirements
No previous knowledge about Finnish mythology needed. You only need a curious mind.

Description
Welcome to this course about Finnish tree lore. A long time ago Finns, Finno-Ugric tribes and Baltic tribes practised animistic nature-based belief, where everything in nature had its own place and spirit. Trees were widely worshipped. Some trees, holier than others were called spirit trees. In this course, you will learn about ancient tree worship and mythologies and stories told about different tree species and gods, goddesses and magical creatures related to them. How these trees were used in folk magic and how people saw them. Sacred groves were very common. These special places were thought to harbour gods and goddesses, so they were also worshipped and given sacrificial gifts of food, drink and treasures.Altars were built in these groves for the purpose of worship. An altar was usually a large stone or a wooden table holding a statue or an image of a particular deity.Sacred groves were communally owned by an entire village and were generally located in the woods near the village. People could visit a grove alone or in groups to show reverence to the gods.It was believed that trees understood humans, especially women. People told their troubles to trees and felt certain that the trees kept their secrets.In the old days, people relied more on the forest than they do today. The entire forest ecosystem offered almost all of the materials needed for life: shelter and abundant food like berries, plants, mushrooms and animals.Learn about the Christmas tree tradition and how it arrived in Finland and the tree emuu’s, these were spirits that created the different tree species. This course also includes a tree meditation where you can travel to meet your own spirit tree. Niina Pekantytär aka Fairychamber is known for her passion and knowledge of Finnish mythology and folklore. Born in northern Finland, Niina grew up listening to these stories from a very young age.

Overview
Section 1: Forest Blanket

Lecture 1 Forest Blanket

Section 2: Birch

Lecture 2 Birch in folklore

Section 3: Spruce

Lecture 3 Spruce Myths

Section 4: Linden

Lecture 4 Linden

Section 5: The Spirit Trees

Lecture 5 Spirit Trees

Section 6: Willow

Lecture 6 Willow

Section 7: Pine

Lecture 7 Pines

Section 8: Apple

Lecture 8 Apple Trees

Section 9: Lilac

Lecture 9 Lilac

Section 10: Larch

Lecture 10 Larch

Section 11: Rowan

Lecture 11 Rowan

Section 12: Oak

Lecture 12 Oak

Section 13: Christmas Tree

Lecture 13 Christmas Tree

This course is for anyone who loves the botanical world and myths and folklore.