Estonian Mythology - Estonian Mythological and Literary Mythological Beings, Deities and Legendary Heroes

Estonian Mythological and Literary Mythological Beings, Deities and Legendary Heroes

  • Äiatar – a female demon, Devil's daughter
  • Äike - Thunder
  • Alevipoeg - Alev's son, a brother of Kalevipoeg
  • Ebajalg - demonic whirlwind
  • Ehaema - Mother Twilight, a nocturnal spirit or elf, encouraging spinning
  • Eksitaja - an evil spirit who makes people lose their way in a forest or a bog
  • Haldjas (the ruler) - elf, fairy, protector spirit of some place, person, plant or animal
  • Hall - personification of malaria
  • Hiid - a giant
  • Hiiela - another world, land of the dead
  • Hiieneitsid - maidens from the land of the dead
  • Hiis - holy grove
  • Hingeliblikas – a person's spirit in the form of a moth
  • Hingeloom - a person's spirit in the form of an insect or a small animal
  • Hoidja - protector, keeper
  • Hämarik - personification of dusk, a beautiful young maiden
  • Hännamees – a demon who stole and brought food, money and other worldly goods to its maker and owner
  • Härjapõlvlane - goblin
  • Ilmaneitsi, Ilmatütar - Air Maiden, Sky Maiden
  • Ilmarine, Ilmasepp - a mythical blacksmith who forged among other things the Sun and the Moon (cf. Ilmarinen)
  • Ilo - Joy, the hostess of feasts
  • Jumal - God
  • Jutta - queen of the birds, daughter of Taara
  • Juudaline - demon
  • Järvevana - Old Man from the Lake
  • Kaevukoll - bogeyman of the well
  • Kaitsja - protector
  • Kalevipoeg, Kalevine, Sohni, Soini, Osmi - giant hero, mythical ancient king of Estonia
  • Kalm - grave; spirit of a dead person; ruler of the land of the dead
  • Kalmuneiu - Maiden of the Grave; a girl from the land of the dead
  • Kaval-Ants (Crafty/Sly Hans) - wicked farm hand who deceives his master Vanapagan - the Devil
  • Kodukäija - a restless visitant ghost
  • Koerakoonlane - a demonic warrior with a dog snout
  • Koit - personification of Dawn, a young man, eternal lover of Hämarik
  • Koll - bogey
  • Kolumats – bogeyman
  • Kratt - a demon who stole and brought food, money and other worldly goods to its maker and owner in the form of a whirlwind or meteor-like tail of fire (also called pisuhänd, tulihänd, hännamees)
  • Kuu - Moon
  • Kõu - Thunder; son of Uku, brother of Pikker
  • Kääbas - grave, death spirit
  • Külmking - a spirit of an unholy dead, eats children when they bother the forest spirits
  • Lapi nõid - witch of Lapland
  • Leiger (player) - a giant living in Hiiumaa island, younger brother of "Suur Tõll"
  • Lendva - an illness sent by an evil witch
  • Libahunt, Sutekskäija - werewolf
  • Liiva-Annus or Surm - Death
  • Linda - mother of Kalevipoeg
  • Lummutis - ghost, wraith
  • Luupainaja - incubus, nightmare
  • Maa-alune - a creature living under the earth and causing illnesses
  • Maajumalad - Gods of Earth
  • Maaemä - Mother Earth
  • Majauss - domestic grass-snake, protector spirit
  • Mana - a hypothetical ruler of the dead
  • Manala - land of the dead
  • Manalane - inhabitant of the land of the dead
  • Marras - spirit of death, predictor of death
  • Mereveised - Sea cows
  • Metsaema - Mother of Forest
  • Metsavana - Old Man of the Forest
  • Metsik - a fertility god
  • Mumm - bogey, monster, ghost
  • Murueide Tütred - daughters of Murueit, beautiful maidens
  • Murueit - a female spirit of forest and earth, connected to the land of the dead
  • Nõid - witch
  • Näkk - mermaid
  • Olevipoeg - the brother of Kalevipoeg, city builder, related to St Olaf
  • Painaja - nightmare, incubus
  • Pakane - Frost
  • Pardiajaja - (< Parteigänger) half-demonic warrior
  • Peko - Seto god of fertility and brewing
  • Peko - a fertility god
  • Peninukk - half-demonic warrior
  • Penn
  • Peremees - Master
  • Pikne, Pikker - Thunder, "The Long One"
  • Piret - wife of Suur Tõll
  • Pisuhänd - tail of fire, treasure-bringing goblin
  • Puuk – treasure-bringing goblin
  • Põrguneitsi - literally: virgin of Hell
  • Päike - Sun
  • Rongo
  • Rukkihunt
  • Rõugutaja - a female deity, protector of the rye crops, women in labor and the city of Narva
  • Salme
  • Sulevipoeg - Sulev's son, friend of Kalevipoeg
  • Suur Tõll - giant hero living in Saaremaa Island
  • Taara - the god of nature, sometimes considered supreme god
  • Tharapita, Taarapita, Tarapita - mythological Osilian God of War
  • Taevataat (literally Sky Father), Vanaisa ("Grandfather")
  • Tallaja - trampler
  • Tikutaja
  • Tont - ghost
  • Toonela - land of the dead
  • Tooni - god of death, ruler of the dead
  • Toor, Tooru - a deity known in western Estonia, related to Scandinavian Thor
  • Tulbigas
  • Tulihänd, Pisuhänd - "tail of fire" - flying house elf, helps to gather and protect the wealth
  • Turis
  • Tuule-Emä - Mother Wind
  • Tuuleisa - Father Wind
  • Tuulispask - whirlwind
  • Tuuslar - a sorcerer living in Finland
  • Tõll - (see Suur Tõll)
  • Täht - Star
  • Udres-Kudres - serf, called "Son of the Sun", hero of folksongs
  • Uku - the supreme god
  • Vanemuine - the god of songs, art and literature
  • Vanapagan ("The Old Heathen") Vanatühi, ("The Old Empty one"), Vanakuri ("The Old Evil One"), Vanapoiss ("The Old Boy"), Vanasarvik ("The Old Horned One") in some texts also Vanataat ("The Old Father") - The Devil
  • Varavedaja - loot carrier
  • Varjuline - shadowling
  • Veehaldjas - spirit of the water, the weaver of a spring Ahjualune
  • Veteema – Mother of Waters
  • Vetevana - Water Spirit
  • Vihelik
  • Vilbus
  • Virmalised - Polar Lights
  • Viruskundra

Christian saints interpreted as gods:

  • Jüri (St George) - god of agriculture
  • Laurits (St Lawrence) - god of fire
  • Mart (St Martin) - god of fertility
  • Tõnn (St Anthony) - fertility god of the crops and pigs

Read more about this topic:  Estonian Mythology

Famous quotes containing the words mythological, literary, deities, legendary and/or heroes:

    Both magic and religion are based strictly on mythological tradition, and they also both exist in the atmosphere of the miraculous, in a constant revelation of their wonder-working power. They both are surrounded by taboos and observances which mark off their acts from those of the profane world.
    Bronislaw Malinowski (1884–1942)

    Dining-out is a vice, a dissipation of spirit punished by remorse. We eat, drink and talk a little too much, abuse all our friends, belch out our literary preferences and are egged on by accomplices in the audience to acts of mental exhibitionism. Such evenings cannot fail to diminish those who take part in them.
    Cyril Connolly (1903–1974)

    The gods themselves,
    Humbling their deities to love, have taken
    The shapes of beasts upon them. Jupiter
    Became a bull, and bellowed; the green Neptune
    A ram, and bleated; and the fire-robed god,
    Golden Apollo, a poor humble swain.
    William Shakespeare (1564–1616)

    Is it the old, legendary monster of my father’s time? Or am I supposed to have whipped one up, as a housewife whips up an omelette?
    Willis Cooper, and Rowland V. Lee. Wolf von Frankenstein (Basil Rathbone)

    On the whole, my respect for my fellow-men, except as one may outweigh a million, is not being increased these days.... Such do not know that like the seed is the fruit, and that, in the moral world, when good seed is planted, good fruit is inevitable, and does not depend on our watering and cultivating; that when you plant, or bury, a hero in his field, a crop of heroes is sure to spring up. This is a seed of such force and vitality, that it does not ask our leave to germinate.
    Henry David Thoreau (1817–1862)