Finnish Mythology

""Mastered by desire impulsive By a mighty inward urging, I am ready now for singing Ready to begin the chanting Of our nation's ancient folksong Handed down from bygone ages.""

- The Kalevala, by Elias Lonnrot, translated by John Martin Crawford in 1888

The mythology of the Finns, Lapps, and Karelians. Oh, where to begin?

Continuity Snarl: What the Sampo even is. The Kalevala identifies it as a magic mill which grinds out salt, gold, and flour simultaneously, and which has a rainbow lid. Other sources meanwhile identify it variously as a pillar which holds up the sky, a shield, a chest, a compass, or even an astrolabe.