Agricola's Ukko in the light of archaeology: a chronological and interpretative study of ancient Finnish religion
No written sources of ancient Finnish religion have been preserved from the pre-Christian period. Study of the subject is thus based on later historical data, folk poetry and other recorded national traditions, supplemented by etymology and onomastics. A valuable basis for study is provided by the v...
Published in: | Scripta Instituti Donneriani Aboensis |
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Donner Institute
1990
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Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.30674/scripta.67175 https://doaj.org/article/6e821886cc404966bed4d91abce81705 |
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ftdoajarticles:oai:doaj.org/article:6e821886cc404966bed4d91abce81705 2023-05-15T17:00:18+02:00 Agricola's Ukko in the light of archaeology: a chronological and interpretative study of ancient Finnish religion Unto Salo 1990-01-01T00:00:00Z https://doi.org/10.30674/scripta.67175 https://doaj.org/article/6e821886cc404966bed4d91abce81705 EN eng Donner Institute https://journal.fi/scripta/article/view/67175 https://doaj.org/toc/0582-3226 https://doaj.org/toc/2343-4937 doi:10.30674/scripta.67175 0582-3226 2343-4937 https://doaj.org/article/6e821886cc404966bed4d91abce81705 Scripta Instituti Donneriani Aboensis, Vol 13 (1990) Finland Finno-Ugrians Kalevala Archaeology Christianity Ukko (Finnish deity) Religion (General) BL1-50 article 1990 ftdoajarticles https://doi.org/10.30674/scripta.67175 2022-12-31T03:17:26Z No written sources of ancient Finnish religion have been preserved from the pre-Christian period. Study of the subject is thus based on later historical data, folk poetry and other recorded national traditions, supplemented by etymology and onomastics. A valuable basis for study is provided by the verses of Mikael Agricola in the preface to his Psalms of David from 1551. Here Agricola lists the gods of Karelia and Häme. He admittedly subjects them to Christian censure, but he is also in these verses the first systematizer and the first theologian of our ancient religion. He created twin Olympuses of the old religion, two anthropomorphic god-worlds, the sub-structure of which includes the worship of spirits, animals and the dead. From the point of view of archaeology, Agricola's Ukko, 'old man', is one of the most interesting figures in ancient religion. According to Agricola, Ukko was (only) a Karelian god, but scholars have long considered that he was referring to the universally feared Ukko, Ukkonen, the god of thunder, who would have fitted equally well among the gods of Häme (Tavastland). Article in Journal/Newspaper karelia* karelian Directory of Open Access Journals: DOAJ Articles Häme ENVELOPE(28.167,28.167,66.267,66.267) Ukko ENVELOPE(27.535,27.535,68.764,68.764) Scripta Instituti Donneriani Aboensis 13 92 190 |
institution |
Open Polar |
collection |
Directory of Open Access Journals: DOAJ Articles |
op_collection_id |
ftdoajarticles |
language |
English |
topic |
Finland Finno-Ugrians Kalevala Archaeology Christianity Ukko (Finnish deity) Religion (General) BL1-50 |
spellingShingle |
Finland Finno-Ugrians Kalevala Archaeology Christianity Ukko (Finnish deity) Religion (General) BL1-50 Unto Salo Agricola's Ukko in the light of archaeology: a chronological and interpretative study of ancient Finnish religion |
topic_facet |
Finland Finno-Ugrians Kalevala Archaeology Christianity Ukko (Finnish deity) Religion (General) BL1-50 |
description |
No written sources of ancient Finnish religion have been preserved from the pre-Christian period. Study of the subject is thus based on later historical data, folk poetry and other recorded national traditions, supplemented by etymology and onomastics. A valuable basis for study is provided by the verses of Mikael Agricola in the preface to his Psalms of David from 1551. Here Agricola lists the gods of Karelia and Häme. He admittedly subjects them to Christian censure, but he is also in these verses the first systematizer and the first theologian of our ancient religion. He created twin Olympuses of the old religion, two anthropomorphic god-worlds, the sub-structure of which includes the worship of spirits, animals and the dead. From the point of view of archaeology, Agricola's Ukko, 'old man', is one of the most interesting figures in ancient religion. According to Agricola, Ukko was (only) a Karelian god, but scholars have long considered that he was referring to the universally feared Ukko, Ukkonen, the god of thunder, who would have fitted equally well among the gods of Häme (Tavastland). |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Unto Salo |
author_facet |
Unto Salo |
author_sort |
Unto Salo |
title |
Agricola's Ukko in the light of archaeology: a chronological and interpretative study of ancient Finnish religion |
title_short |
Agricola's Ukko in the light of archaeology: a chronological and interpretative study of ancient Finnish religion |
title_full |
Agricola's Ukko in the light of archaeology: a chronological and interpretative study of ancient Finnish religion |
title_fullStr |
Agricola's Ukko in the light of archaeology: a chronological and interpretative study of ancient Finnish religion |
title_full_unstemmed |
Agricola's Ukko in the light of archaeology: a chronological and interpretative study of ancient Finnish religion |
title_sort |
agricola's ukko in the light of archaeology: a chronological and interpretative study of ancient finnish religion |
publisher |
Donner Institute |
publishDate |
1990 |
url |
https://doi.org/10.30674/scripta.67175 https://doaj.org/article/6e821886cc404966bed4d91abce81705 |
long_lat |
ENVELOPE(28.167,28.167,66.267,66.267) ENVELOPE(27.535,27.535,68.764,68.764) |
geographic |
Häme Ukko |
geographic_facet |
Häme Ukko |
genre |
karelia* karelian |
genre_facet |
karelia* karelian |
op_source |
Scripta Instituti Donneriani Aboensis, Vol 13 (1990) |
op_relation |
https://journal.fi/scripta/article/view/67175 https://doaj.org/toc/0582-3226 https://doaj.org/toc/2343-4937 doi:10.30674/scripta.67175 0582-3226 2343-4937 https://doaj.org/article/6e821886cc404966bed4d91abce81705 |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.30674/scripta.67175 |
container_title |
Scripta Instituti Donneriani Aboensis |
container_volume |
13 |
container_start_page |
92 |
op_container_end_page |
190 |
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1766052946974343168 |