Ukko
Ukko (Finnish: [ˈukːo]), Äijä [ˈæi̯jæ] or Äijö [ˈæi̯jø] (Finnish for 'male grandparent', 'grandfather', 'old man'), parallel to Uku in Estonian mythology, is the god of the sky, weather, harvest, and thunder in Finnish mythology.
| Ukko | |
|---|---|
God of the sky, lightning, thunder, and harvest | |
Painting by Robert Ekman in 1867 called Lemminkäinen tulisella järvellä where Lemminkäinen asks help from Ukko ylijumala with crossing the lake in fire on his route to the wedding at Pohjola. | |
| Weapon | Hammer, sword or axe |
| Animals | ladybug |
| Symbol | Rowan tree, great mullein |
| Consort | Akka |
| Equivalents | |
| Greek equivalent | Zeus |
| Slavic equivalent | Perun |
| Hinduism equivalent | Indra |
| Indo-European equivalent | Perkwunos |
| Norse equivalent | Thor |
| Baltic equivalent | Perkūnas |
Ukkonen, the Finnish word for thunder, is the diminutive form of the name Ukko. Unto Salo believes that Ilmari, another Finnic sky god, is the origin of Ukko, but that as Ukko Ilmari experienced very significant, although far from total, influence from the Indo-European sky god especially in the form of Thor. Some believe that Ukko's original name was Baltic Perkūnas.
Ukko is held the most significant god of Finnish mythology, although it is disputed by scholars whether this is accountable to later Christian influence. In the folk poems and prayers he is also given the epithet Ylijumala ('Supreme God'), probably in reference to his status as the most highly regarded god and on the other hand his traditional domain in the heavens. Other names for Ukko include Pitkänen (pitkä, 'long'), Isäinen (isä, 'father'), Isoinen (iso, archaic form of the above, modern meaning 'great', 'big' or 'large'). Although portrayed active in myth, when appealed to Ukko makes all his appearances in legend solely by natural phenomena. According to Martti Haavio, the name Ukko was sometimes used as a common noun or generalised epithet for multiple deities instead of denoting a specific god.