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Mielikki

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For the fictional Forgotten Realms goddess, see Mielikki (Forgotten Realms). For the asteroid, see 2715 Mielikki.
Mielikki
Mistress of Forest
Other namesMielus, Mimerkki, Mieluutar, Mikikki, Mielis-neiti, Menninki
GenderFemale
Ethnic groupFinns, Karelians
OffspringTellervo
Tuulikki
Nyyrikki

Mielikki (Finnish pronunciation: [ˈmie̯likːi]) is the Finnish goddess of forests and the hunt. She is referred to in various tales as either the wife or the daughter-in-law of Tapio (Metsän emäntä, Mistress of Forest or Metsän miniä Daughter-in-law of Forest), and the mother of Nyyrikki and Tuulikki. She is said to have played a central role in the creation of the bear. In a country where the forest was central to providing food through hunting, gathering and cattle grazing, it was thought very important to stay on her good side. She is also offered prayers by those who hunt small game and those who gather mushrooms and berries.

Mielikki is known as a skillful healer who heals the paws of animals who have escaped traps, helps chicks that have fallen from their nests and treats the wounds of wood grouses after their mating displays. She knows well the healing herbs and will also help humans if they know well enough to ask her for it.

The Mielikki Mons, a mountain on Venus, is named after her.[1]

Name

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Her name is derived from the old Finnish word mielu which means luck.[citation needed]

In folk poems, the Mistress of Forest is sometimes called Annikki. This name was influenced by Saint Anne.[2]

In the Kalevala

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In the Kalevala, the Finnish national epic based on Finnish and Karelian folklore, the hero Lemminkäinen offers her and Tapio prayers, gold and silver so he can catch the Hiisi elk. In another passage, Mielikki is asked to protect cattle grazing in the forest.

Epithets

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Epithet Epithet meaning Regions
Mielikki, metsän emäntä[3]
Mimerkki, metsän emäntä[4]
Menninki metän emäntä[5]
Mielutar, metän emäntä[6]
Mieluutar, metän emäntä[7]
Annikki, metän emäntä[8] 		'Mielikki, Mistress of Forest' Central Finland, Kainuu, Karelian Isthmus, Ladoga Karelia, Lapland, North Karelia, North Ostrobothnia, North Savo, White Karelia
Mielus, Mehtolan emäntä[9] 'Mielus, Mistress of Mehtola' Ostrobothnia, South Savo
Mielikki kivien emäntä[10] 'Mielikki, mistress of rocks' White Karelia
Mielikki metsän tytti[11] 'Mielikki, girl of the forest' White Karelia
Mielikki, metän emut[12] 'Mielikki, mother of forest' White Karelia
Mielikki metän eläjä[13] 'Mielikki, one who lives in the forest' White Karelia
Mielikki metän miniä[14]
Mikitär, metän miniä[15] 		'Mielikki, daughter-in-law of the forest' North Karelia, White Karelia
Mielikki, metosen tyttö[16] 'Mielikki, girl of little forest' White Karelia
Mielikki, metsän kultanen[17] 'Mielikki, the golden one of the forest' White Karelia
Mielikki, metinen emäntä[18] 'Mielikki, nectariferous mistress' North Karelia
Mielikki korea neito[19] 'Mielikki beautiful maiden' Uusimaa
Tapiolan tarkka vaimo[20]
Tapiolan tarkka akka[21] 		'Precise wife of Tapiola' Central Finland, Kainuu, Karelian Isthmus
Tapiolan vanha vaimo[22] 'Old wife of Tapiola' North Ostrobothnia
Tapiolan tarkka neito[9] 'Precise maiden of Tapiola' Ostrobothnia, South Savo
Tarkka Tapion tytti[11] 'Precise girl of Tapio' White Karelia
Annikki, Tapion eukko[23] 'Annikki, Tapio's wife' Olonets Karelia
Annikki, ahon emäntä[24] 'Annikki, mistress of an abandoned swidden' South Savo
Musta sukka, suon emäntä[24] 'Black sock, mistress of a swamp' South Savo
Salakaaren vaimo kaunis[25]
Salokorven vaimo kaunis[26]
Satakaaren kaunis vaimo[13] 		'Beautiful woman/wife of the secret arch'
'Beautiful woman/wife of deep forest wilderness'
'Beautiful woman/wife of a hundred archs' 		White Karelia
Metsän ehtosa emäntä[27] 'Generous mistress of the forest' North Karelia, Ostrobothnia
Metsän mieli Mikikki[28] 'Mind of the forest Mikikki' Kainuu
Metän kulta Mielis-neiti[29] 'Gold of the forest, Miss Mielis' Kainuu
Metsän kukka kultarinta[30] 'Gold-chested forest flower' White Karelia
Metsän tyttö tylleröinen[31] 'Little girlie girl of the forest' White Karelia
Korven kultanen omena[32] 'Golden apple of the wilderness' Ladoga Karelia
Metsän muori muotokaunis[4] 'Beautiful-formed old mother of the forest' Kainuu
Metän piika pikkuruinen[18] 'Tiny maid of the forest' Kainuu, North Karelia
Vanhin vaimoloista[25] 'Oldest of women' White Karelia
Eläjistä ensimmäini[25] 'First of the living' White Karelia
Pesömättä puhtukaini[25] 'Clean without washing' White Karelia
Pohjan tytti, käyrä neiti[33] 'Girl of the north, crooked miss' White Karelia
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References

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  1. ^ "Mielikki Mons". Gazetteer of Planetary Nomenclature.
  2. ^ "Pyhä Anna itse kolmantena". kansallismuseo.fi. Finnish National Museum. Retrieved 2025-03-26.
  3. ^ "SKVR I2 787". skvr.fi. Finnish Literature Society. 1837. Retrieved 2025-04-17.
  4. ^ a b "SKVR XII2 6414". skvr.fi. Finnish Literature Society. 1882. Retrieved 2025-04-17.
  5. ^ "SKVR XII2 6468". skvr.fi. Finnish Literature Society. 1882. Retrieved 2025-04-17.
  6. ^ "SKVR VI2 4659". skvr.fi. Finnish Literature Society. 1815. Retrieved 2025-04-17.
  7. ^ "SKVR VII5 loitsut 3283". skvr.fi. Finnish Literature Society. 1913. Retrieved 2025-04-17.
  8. ^ "SKVR XII2 8470". skvr.fi. Finnish Literature Society. Retrieved 2025-04-17.
  9. ^ a b "SKVR XII1 80". skvr.fi. Finnish Literature Society. 1789. Retrieved 2025-04-17.
  10. ^ "SKVR I4 749". skvr.fi. Finnish Literature Society. 1825. Retrieved 2025-04-17.
  11. ^ a b "SKVR I4 752". skvr.fi. Finnish Literature Society. 1911. Retrieved 2025-04-17.
  12. ^ "SKVR I4 1085". skvr.fi. Finnish Literature Society. 1832. Retrieved 2025-04-17.
  13. ^ a b "SKVR I4 1090". skvr.fi. Finnish Literature Society. 1893. Retrieved 2025-04-17.
  14. ^ "SKVR I4 1231". skvr.fi. Finnish Literature Society. 1829. Retrieved 2025-04-17.
  15. ^ "SKVR VII5 loitsut 3533". skvr.fi. Finnish Literature Society. 1865. Retrieved 2025-04-17.
  16. ^ "SKVR I4 1415". skvr.fi. Finnish Literature Society. 1911. Retrieved 2025-04-17.
  17. ^ "SKVR I4 1462". skvr.fi. Finnish Literature Society. 1889. Retrieved 2025-04-17.
  18. ^ a b "SKVR VII5 loitsut 3292". skvr.fi. Finnish Literature Society. 1891. Retrieved 2025-04-17.
  19. ^ "SKVR XIV 2515". skvr.fi. Finnish Literature Society. 1937. Retrieved 2025-04-17.
  20. ^ "SKVR IX4 1256". skvr.fi. Finnish Literature Society. 1893. Retrieved 2025-04-17.
  21. ^ "SKVR XII2 6556". skvr.fi. Finnish Literature Society. 1893. Retrieved 2025-04-17.
  22. ^ "SKVR XII2 6820". skvr.fi. Finnish Literature Society. 1883. Retrieved 2025-04-17.
  23. ^ "SKVR II 947". skvr.fi. Finnish Literature Society. 1846. Retrieved 2025-04-17.
  24. ^ a b "SKVR VI2 4846". skvr.fi. Finnish Literature Society. 1882. Retrieved 2025-04-17.
  25. ^ a b c d "SKVR I4 918". skvr.fi. Finnish Literature Society. 1911. Retrieved 2025-04-17.
  26. ^ "SKVR I4 1087". skvr.fi. Finnish Literature Society. 1839. Retrieved 2025-04-17.
  27. ^ "SKVR VII5 loitsut 3298". skvr.fi. Finnish Literature Society. 1846. Retrieved 2025-04-17.
  28. ^ "SKVR XII2 6855". skvr.fi. Finnish Literature Society. 1917. Retrieved 2025-04-17.
  29. ^ "SKVR XII2 6926". skvr.fi. Finnish Literature Society. 1831. Retrieved 2025-04-17.
  30. ^ "SKVR I4 1272". skvr.fi. Finnish Literature Society. 1888. Retrieved 2025-04-17.
  31. ^ "SKVR I4 1421". skvr.fi. Finnish Literature Society. 1834. Retrieved 2025-04-17.
  32. ^ "SKVR II 987". skvr.fi. Finnish Literature Society. 1839. Retrieved 2025-04-17.
  33. ^ "SKVR I4 1219". skvr.fi. Finnish Literature Society. 1893. Retrieved 2025-04-17.
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