The Devil Mother, dragon of the Woods
Known as the mother of all demons. She is depicted many ways, but is an evil spirit who haunts the woods. According to godchecker.com. She is the mother of the Devil in dragon form and feeds and suckles her serpents.
Beware of her presence — her pox-ridden body is host to a myriad of infections. If you so much as peek in her direction, a swarm of diseases will descend upon you.
I couldn’t find a lot of information on this particular demon, so I will include an epic poem below for you to get more of a feel for Finnish lore. Also, I recently wrote about a different disease demon here, called the Acheri Demon, from Inuit culture…maybe any or all of this will spark your imagination.
Finnish Mythology + the heart wrenching themes and characters
Finnish folklore and myth, like those of many cultures, tell the stories of gods and their legendary heroes. Many of the myths date from pre-Christian times.
According to mythencyclopedia.com, myths were passed from generation to generation in the oral tradition, but there is one epic poem worth mentioning in this blogpost since we are talking about Finnish culture and myth. It’s called the Kalevala. Read it for free here.
The word Kalevala, means “land of the descendants of Kaleva,” and is an imaginary region in Finland. The epic poem’s 50 or so songs—also known as cantos or runes—recount the story of legendary Finnish heroes and of gods and goddesses and describe mythical events such as the creation of the world.
Vainamoinen, one of the heroes in the Kalevala, and is a wise old seer who can work magic through the songs that he sings. His mother is Ilmatar, the virgin spirit of air, who is the woman who brought about creation. Another great hero of the epic, Lemminkainen, appears as a handsome, carefree, and romantic adventurer.
Vainamoinen and Lemminkainen have certain experiences and goals in common. In their adventures, both men meet Louhi, the evil mistress of Pohjola (the Northland), and both of them seek to wed Louhi’s daughter, the beautiful Maiden of Pohjola. A third suitor for the maiden’s hand, Ilmarinen, is a blacksmith who constructs a sampo, a mysterious object like a mill that can produce prosperity for its owner.
A number of other figures become involved with these leading characters. Kuura, another hero, joins Lemminkainen on his journey to Pohjola. Joukahainen, is an evil youth, challenging Vainamoinen to a singing contest. His sister Aino, who is offered in marriage to Vainamoinen, drowns herself rather than wed the aged hero.
Another character, Kullervo, commits suicide after unknowingly “laying” with his own sister.
Marjatta, the last major character introduced in the Kalevala, is a virgin who gives birth to a king.
- You can read about other/more Finnish lore here.
- Here is the women’s clothing store in Finland called Ajatar, and here is their facebook site.
Writing Prompt
The Ajatar is waiting in the woods for her serpentine minions to arrive. She has work to do today. There is nothing like feeding time.
She gives them the nutrients that they need to survive, but also, from her body…to theirs she feeds them their orders. Each demon receives their mission for the moment. There is much to do and many miles to travel.
It is the summer solstice, the first day of summer, where the sun is farthest north. The length of time between the sunrise and sunset is the longest of the year and the Ajatar is going to make use of it. She has an ancient scroll that she holds in her pestilent hand. It drips pus onto the ancient document and she snarls as the serpents arrive and attach to feed.
A large ball of light is coming in from the East…it is about to start.
What are they preparing for?
If you find this article fun and interesting and you decide to expand on this story -let me know how it continues in the comment section below, and as usual…happy writing!
