Notes to Heron Halfelven

The ‘Lay’ was written as background when I wrote The Storm Shapers, book 6 in my Wyrdwolf series. The narrator is Heron herself, which explains why some Finnish words are used throughout.

Haltija (Finnish) are the 'hidden folk', ranging from domestic hobs and helpers to nature spirits inhabiting rivers and other landscape features. Pronounced HAL-ti-yah.

'Northland', 'sedgeland' and Pohjola (Finnish) or its variants refer to a mythical region in the Kalevala that was a dangerous land inhabited by magicians. It was probably a representation of Sápmi (the Sámi homeland, once named Lappland). Sápmi is a cultural region, crossing modern national boundaries.

Háigir (northern Sámi) is the grey heron.

Karelia was settled by Finnish and Sámi peoples, who later merged. Part of it is currently in Finland and part in Russia. This was probably the home of the Kalevala, the epic poem of Finnish pre-Christian tales.

Man of Winds is the Sámi god Bieggolmmái, who shovels the winds from his house. He is part of a Sámi creation myth.

Noiadi or noaide (northern Sámi) is a Sámi shaman.

Saivo are sacred waters leading to a Sámi otherworld.

The circle of antlers and offering butter to Beavie was Sami pagan practice.

Beaivi (there are other spellings) is the Sami sun god/dess and nurturer of reindeer.

Doorwall: the meeting place of wall and floor, close to the door, is where Sami locate the special place for female worship of the domestic goddesses of the Mother (Mattaráhkká) and her daughters.

Sárákká (northern Sami) is the main daughter of the Mother.

Seita (Finnish) or sieidi (northern Sámi) is a tribal holy place, often marked by a rock or other landscape feature.

Wandering soul-part - Sami and Finnish belief held a person had two souls - one fixed and one that could wander. Hence, a noaide could send his wandering soul out to help heal someone else.

Jabmeaimo is the Sami world of the dead.

Jabmeakka – the Sami goddess of the underworld.

Stállu (northern Sami) or Stallo is a stupid ogre Sami folklore.

Tapio is the Finnish forest god.

Mielikki is Tapio’s wife, the lady of hunting.

Tellervo is one of the daughters of Tapio and Mielikki in Finnish mythology.

The sauna was a popular birthing place in Finland.

Suomi is the Finnish word for Finland/Finnish.