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Since I have Finnish/Sami heritage, I am what is called sukulaiset, or a member of the family. Ancient Finnish/Sami roots are steeped in the animistic and considered to be an ancestor cult. There is a Finnish creation myth that describes the universe as being created from eggs, which is probably why birds play a major role in their folk traditions. After a person dies their soul stays during a transitional period while it searches for the land of the dead. During this period, the soul can visit living relatives either as a spirit or in the form of an animal, typically a bird.
Ancient Finns believed we all possess multiple souls, the Itsa (representing our personality), Luonto (guardian spirits and protectors who are tied to our fate and destiny), and the Henki (life-force spirit or physical manifestation of our being, can be seen in a person’s breath, the beating of our hearts, and the warmth of our bodies). When a family member dies, their Itse can either travel to the land of the dead or become a part of the Luonto in a following generation of their family. Because my ancestors make up a part of my soul, they will always be a resource to me and continue to relate to me through my soul.
Years ago, I had a dream of a beautifully bright and colorful small bird that morphed into my grandmother who had recently passed away. We spent time speaking without words till she finally merged with my soul. This sculpture is a lidded vessel which I created to honor her spirit.
The Sielulintu, or soul carrying bird, was believed to bring children their souls when they were born and carry it away to the spirit realm when they died. Sielulintu did more than deliver souls, it also protected people throughout their lives. According Maija Butters, “there is a Finnish tradition where the ‘death bird’ called kalmalintu foretells one’s approaching death, and the ‘soul bird’ sielulintu is a manifestation of the soul of the deceased, which visits grieving family members” (Butters, 2023). It was common for Ancient Finns to carve a wooden bird on or near their beds. This folk tradition to keep close the image of a Sielulintu carved in wood is still around today and is based on the belief that the soul bird protects our souls, especially during sleep, a particularly risky time, when the soul is in danger of separating from the body without being able to return. After a person passes away, that carved artifact-bird which protected the living soul from getting lost on the path of dreams is often inserted to sit on the cross at the person's grave. This old folk tradition is still alive and is one example of how Christian and ancient Shamanistic beliefs still exist side by side, hundreds of years after the Christianization of the Finnish/Sami people.
