Tämän olen alun perin kirjoittanut englanniksi, en lähtenyt kääntämään sitä.
Finns’ did not actually have gods, they were Guardian spirits (“haltija”, plural
form “haltijat”) the people honoured and worshipped. Guardian spirits took care
of trees, lakes, animals, humans, houses... all things. There were spririts who
lived in nature, like "vedenhaltija" (water spririt) and
"metsänhaltija" (forest spirit), and those who live with the humans,
"tonttu" (the guardian of the house), "myllynhaltija" (the
guardian of the mill) etc. Some spirits even had names like Tapio and his wife
Mielikki (forest spirits), Ahti and his wife Vellamo (waterspirits) and
Honkatar or Hongotar (guardian and ancestress of bears). One had to honour and
treat the spirits well otherwise they might get angry. One's luck was depending
on the spirits.
In Finnish language the words “haltija” and “haltia”
are often mixed with each other. Both are used in literature meaning elf. The
Finnish word comes from ancient Germanic language (haldiaz, haldia) why some people’s opinion is that “haltia” is the
actual form because it’s nearer to the old Germanic word. On the other hand people have used the word
“haltija” for years meaning “someone who owns”, “someone who guards” which is
closer to the supernatural being called “Haltija” (Guardian spirit).
Anyway, the form “haltia” became stable in literature
at the end of 1900s thanks to Kersti Juva who translated J.R.R Tolkien’s books
using the word “haltia” as an elf. Ever since this form has been more common in
fantasy literature referring to beings like Tolkien’s elves. Nowadays “haltija”
form is usually used when folklorists talk about supernatural beings in
folklore.
My opinion:
In my opinion “haltija” (guardian spirit) and “haltia”
(elf) are different beings. Even if there are different kinds of elves in
literature, too, many of them are somehow descendants to Tolkien elves. They
have bodies and they are in many ways like humans. “Haltija” on the other hand
doesn’t have to be corporeal. Like the English name tells, they are more like
spirits (“henki”), part of the lakes and forests they live in. There are
guardian spirits in Finnish folklore that can change shape, Tapio for example
can be tiny as a blade of grass or huge as a tree. Metamorphose is something
elves can’t usually do.
And what is always so much fun (irony), this was not
nearly all the word “haltija” can mean. Finnish folklore is full of things that
have thousand meanings. Not to mention the word “Hiisi” which I’m gonna tell
you next time.
Sources and
more information:
-Pini, Wendy and Richard: ElfQuest (cartoon),
1978-2007
-Sarmela,
Matti: Suomen perinneatlas, SKS 1994
-Siikala, Anna-Leena: Suomalainen shamanismi, SKS 1992
-Tolkien, J.R.R.:
All works, especially The Silmarillion and The Lord of the Rings
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