Finnish Mythology & Folkore
by Tawastianwarrior | created - 26 Mar 2016 | updated - 16 Mar 2018 | PublicEverything related to Finnish (and sometimes more broadly: Finnic) folklore and mythology. Some historic things could also be included.
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1. Covered by Forest (2012)
21 min | Documentary, Short, Biography
A story about a man whose deep connection to nature and forest spirits has alienated from normal life.
Director: Salla Hämäläinen | Stars: Markku Mäkinen, Veera Väistö
Votes: 14
Metsänpeitto (or Covered by Forest) is a documentary short film about a Finnish man and his relationship with forest and it's spirits.
2. The Truth About Sauna: The Truth About Finns (2008 TV Movie)
53 min | Documentary
Taking sauna is the Finnish people's national obsession, so there are two of the per five Fins, and they build theme everywhere, even on military operations and aboard vessels, but ... See full summary »
Directors: Nina Stenros, Anu Valve | Stars: Sirkka-Liisa Anttila, Jörn Donner, Neil Hardwick, Jonathan Hutchings
Votes: 54
A documentary about Finnish sauna and Finnish sauna culture. Sauna should be considered as almost a sacred place for Finnish people and it has it's own place in Finnish mythology and folklore.
3. Sauna (2008)
Unrated | 83 min | Drama, Horror, Mystery
As a 25-year war between Russia and Sweden concludes, two brothers who are part of an effort to outline new border accords become undone by their actions, and their mistreatment of a young woman during their journey.
Director: Antti-Jussi Annila | Stars: Ville Virtanen, Tommi Eronen, Viktor Klimenko, Rain Tolk
Votes: 7,487
This is a Finnish horror film that has a strong mystical undertone. The event in the film takes place in 1500's/1600's in Finland.
4. Tale of a Forest (2012)
Not Rated | 75 min | Documentary, Family
A documentary that unveils the primeval forests of Northern Finland, some of Europe's sole remaining, old-growth forests.
Directors: Kim Saarniluoto, Ville Suhonen | Stars: Turkka Mastomäki, Christian Ruotanen
Votes: 401
A documentary film about Finnish nature and Finnish national mythology.
5. Levänluhdan kadonnut kansa (2010 TV Movie)
54 min | Documentary, History
Director: Tommi Hakko | Stars: Eero Saarinen, Martti Arkkola, Jukka Palo, Antti Sajantila
Votes: 7
A documentary telling the story of archeological relics, the mysterious corpses found in a marshland spring in Levänluhta area in Finland.
6. Häxan (1922)
Not Rated | 91 min | Documentary, Fantasy, Horror
Fictionalized documentary showing the evolution of witchcraft, from its pagan roots to its confusion with hysteria in Eastern Europe.
Director: Benjamin Christensen | Stars: Benjamin Christensen, Elisabeth Christensen, Maren Pedersen, Clara Pontoppidan
Votes: 16,737
A Swedish documentary horror short film about local witchcraft and witch hunt. There has been a real research as the basis for the film.
7. The White Reindeer (1952)
Not Rated | 74 min | Drama, Fantasy, Horror
A newlywed woman goes to the local shaman to get some help with her love life, but instead she gets turned into a white reindeer vampire.
Director: Erik Blomberg | Stars: Mirjami Kuosmanen, Kalervo Nissilä, Åke Lindman, Jouni Tapiola
Votes: 2,492
A early Finnish horror film, set in Lapland. There's much of Lappish mythology in this film.
8. The Witch (1952)
80 min | Drama, Fantasy, Horror
Archaeological team unearths a body of a young woman, who was told to be a witch buried in the bog some 300 years ago. Soon a naked woman appears and drives the men of the village crazy. ... See full summary »
Director: Roland af Hällström | Stars: Mirja Mane, Toivo Mäkelä, Hillevi Lagerstam, Sakari Jurkka
Votes: 478
An old Finnish horror film about an ancient witch that comes to life and rises from her swamp grave.
9. Robinsons of Mantsinsaari (2009)
56 min | Documentary
Two men, a Finnish and a Byelorussian live, alone, in a lake's island.
Director: Victor Asliuk
Votes: 28
A documentary about Finnish and Belorussian hermits who live in Mantsinsaari, an island in Russian Karelia. There's less of mythology and folklore in this one.
10. Medieval Dead (2013–2016)
60 min | Documentary
The series traces and sifts through the remains of the Medieval Dead. Specially assembled experts Tim Sutherland, Malin Holst and Simon Richardson travel battlegrounds and battlefields, ... See full summary »
Stars: Jeremy Freeston, Tim Sutherland, Simon Lee, Huw Thorley
Votes: 97
This is a documentary TV series telling the stories of old/ancient people. There's an episode in the second season in which they invest the newly found "Swordman of Janakkala" and his grave with two old swords. The grave site lies in Häme-region, Finland. Contains much of archeological stuff.
11. Rauta-aika (1982)
282 min | Drama, Fantasy, History
Väinö, Ilmari and Lemminki, inspired by the tales in the Kalevala, go in search of a woman, eventually finding themselves at war with the Nordic people, and consider the great questions of life, their relationship to life, love and death.
Stars: Kalevi Kahra, Vesa-Matti Loiri, Tom Wentzel, Mikko Niskanen
Votes: 297
A mini-series influenced by Finnish national epic "Kalevala". The events take place in iron age Finland.
A documentary series consisting of a short views of Finnish folk music and folk instruments particularly.
13. Unna ja Nuuk (2006)
78 min | Adventure, Family, Fantasy
Director: Saara Cantell | Stars: Rosa Salomaa, Toni Leppe, Jenni Banerjee, Kristiina Halkola
Votes: 184
A family film about a Finnish girl who travels back in time straight to the stone age.
14. Hovimäki (1999–2003)
50 min | Drama, History
The lives of the aristocratic Lindhof family and their servants from 1798 to 1907.
Stars: Riitta Salminen, Riko Eklundh, Nina Hukkinen, Anna Pitkämäki
Votes: 188
A historical drama series telling about the fictional Lindhof family during 1798–1907 in Finland. Although the family is purely fictional, most of the events have a historical basis.
15. The Day the Earth Froze (1959)
Not Rated | 67 min | Adventure, Fantasy
The evil witch Louhi kidnaps Lemminkäinen's sister to build for her a Sampo, a device that creates salt, grain, and gold. When Lemminkäinen fails to recover the Sampo, Louhi steals the sun, plunging the world into frozen darkness.
Director: Aleksandr Ptushko | Stars: Urho Somersalmi, Anna Orochko, Ivan Voronov, Andris Osins
Votes: 1,465
Sampo is a film produced by Finnish-Soviet collaboration. It's based on Kalevala-mythology.
16. Seitsemän veljestä (1939)
108 min | Drama
Based on Aleksis Kivi's 1870 book, with the same title. It follows the lives of the seven Jukola brothers over several years.
Director: Wilho Ilmari | Stars: Edvin Laine, Eino Kaipainen, Kaarlo Kytö, Kaarlo Kartio
Votes: 131
"The Seven Brothers" is a film adaptation of the Finnish national author's, Aleksis Kivi's magnum opus. There's plenty of things inspired by old Finnish stories and fairytales.
17. Seitsemän veljestä (1979)
87 min | Animation, Comedy
Directors: Riitta Nelimarkka, Jaakko Seeck | Stars: Kari Franck, Pia Hattara, Pekka Milonoff, Sulevi Peltola
Votes: 23
An animated adaptation of Aleksis Kivi's novel "The Seven Brothers". Aleksis Kivi is the Finnish national author.
18. Sammon tarina (1971)
30 min | Animation, Short, Family
Directors: Riitta Nelimarkka, Jaakko Seeck | Stars: Philip Donner, Esko Klemelä, Anneli Ollikainen, Kimmo Pasanen
An animated film based on Kalevala the Finnish national epic.
19. Piispa Henrik ja Lalli (1975)
11 min | Animation, Short
Directors: Riitta Nelimarkka, Jaakko Seeck | Stars: Marja-Leena Kouki, Sulevi Peltola, Erkki Saarela
An animated short film about the legend of Henry, the first Bishop of Finland and Lalli, the man who murdered him. It is said that it was Henry who brought the organized church to Finland.
20. Tale of a Lake (2016)
Not Rated | 76 min | Documentary
A documentary about Finnish lakes, the nature around them, circulation of water and ancient Finnish mythology.
Directors: Marko Röhr, Kim Saarniluoto | Stars: Samuli Edelmann, Jonathan Hutchings, Johanna Kurkela
Votes: 566
A documentary film about Finnish lakes and Finnish national mythology.
21. Fallesmannin Arvo ja minä (1995– )
Comedy, Family
From childhood memoirs of author Sakari Pälsi, two little boys Sakari and Arvo live in the early-20th-century Finnish countryside and annoy grownups with their pranks. The episodes span ... See full summary »
Stars: Sami Sainio, Olli Metso, Leo Lastumäki, Oiva Lohtander
Votes: 8
A TV series based on childhood memoirs of Sakari Pälsi. Pälsi was a Finnish etnographer, archeologist and explorer.
22. Laulu (2014)
82 min | Documentary, Biography, Drama
Song is a story of the last Finnish rune singer and his pupil, and the comforting power of singing.
Director: Selma Vilhunen | Stars: Jussi Huovinen, Hanneriina Moisseinen, Sólveig Thoroddsen, Reetta-Kaisa Iles
Votes: 30
A documentary film about the Finland's last rune singer and his pupil.
A documentary film about the sacred groves in Estonia.
24. Linnutee tuuled (1978)
54 min | Documentary
Interprets the kinship, linguistic and cultural relationships of the Finno-Ugric peoples. Finns, Vepsians, Votes, Setos, Erzya-Mordvinians, Mansi, Hungarians, Sami, Nganasans, and Estonians who appear in the film.
Director: Lennart Meri | Star: Mikk Mikiver
Votes: 32
25. Veelinnurahvas (1973)
51 min | Documentary
Director: Lennart Meri | Star: Mikk Mikiver
Votes: 46
27. Curses of the Witch (1927)
82 min | Drama, Horror
A newlywed couple suffer from the effects of a curse a witch put on the place they live in centuries earlier.
Director: Teuvo Puro | Stars: Einar Rinne, Heidi Blåfield, Irmeli Viherjuuri, Kaisa Leppänen
Votes: 160
28. Metsien kätkemä (2016– )
30 min | Documentary
In the "Hidden by Nature" the stories, mythology and amazing landscapes take you on a journey to the most beautiful natural sites in Finland.
Stars: Reetta Ranta, Antti Huttunen, Teemu Keskisarja, Ilari Aalto
Votes: 32
A documentary series dealing about Finnish nature and mythology. They visit many places worth seeing.
29. Ukonvaaja (2016)
88 min | Documentary
Ukonvaaja - The Hammer of Ukko - is a documentary film that focuses on ancient Finnish folklore and mythology.
Director: Tuukka Tähti | Stars: A.W. Yrjänä, Antti Lahelma, John Björkman, Juha Ruohonen
Votes: 93
A documentary of ancient Finnish religion, folklore and mythology featuring A.W. Yrjänä (from a Finnish band called CMX) as narrator.
30. Santra ja puhuvat puut (2013)
27 min | Documentary, Short, Biography
What does it feel like to be ethnically dead?
Director: Miia Tervo | Stars: Santra Remsujeva, Miia Tervo, Markku Nieminen
Votes: 32
A documentary about one of the last Karelian rune singers.
31. Menneisyyden metsästäjät (2017– )
25 min | Documentary, History
Stars: Reijo Hyvönen, Ossi Kupila, Pekka Kupila, Mikko Mäkelä
Votes: 15
A documentary series telling about a group searching Finnish ancient history with metal detectors.
32. Elinan surma (1938)
124 min | Drama, History
Director: Kalle Kaarna | Stars: Santeri Karilo, Ella Eronen, Hilkka Helinä, Kalevi Mykkänen
Votes: 32
33. Elinan surma (1980 TV Movie)
Drama
Director: Marjatta Cronvall | Stars: Algot Böstman, Kaija Pakarinen, Eeva-Maija Haukinen, Kari Heiskanen
34.
Pimeä historia (2015– )
Episode:
Ahvenanmaan noidat
(2016)
Documentary, History
Director: Sakari Silvola | Stars: Teemu Keskisarja, Marko Kämäräinen
Votes: 11
35. Devil's Bride (2016)
R | 110 min | Drama, History
Anna is a 16-year old in a village where women are accused of witchcraft. It's based on the witch hunts on Åland, Finland in the 1600s.
Director: Saara Cantell | Stars: Tuulia Eloranta, Magnus Krepper, Elin Petersdottir, Claes Malmberg
Votes: 1,400
37. Kaisa's Enchanted Forest (2016)
82 min | Documentary
A magical story about the lifelong friendship, the age-old legend of Aurora Borealis and a culture that was almost destroyed by the Second World War.
Director: Katja Gauriloff | Stars: Kaisa Gauriloff, Robert Crottet, Mohandas K. Gandhi, Jaakko Sverloff
Votes: 117
38. Into the Forest I Go (2017)
91 min | Documentary
Director: Anu Kuivalainen | Stars: Riikka Palonen, Pentti Linkola, Markku Laakso, Leena Juurikkala-Ketola
Votes: 27
39. Bear (II) (2017)
20 min | Documentary, Short | Completed
Follow a shaman deep into the dark forests of Finland in a journey to explore the mythology of the ancient Finns.
Director: Manu Penttilä | Star: Miika Vanhapiha
40. Koroinen elää! (2017)
10 min | Short, Biography, History
This short documentary takes us back in time to the roots of Finnish history. The events have strong links with Finnish seasons and seasonal festivities. Music and games will be a part of the festivities.
Director: Niko Kostet | Stars: Mirka Alhonen, Terhi Arell, Visa Immonen, Essi Saukko
41.
Medieval Dead (2013–2016)
Episode:
The Warrior of Jannakkala
(2015)
Documentary
A Medieval warrior's skeleton is found in Finland with two swords, suggesting a link between Christians and Pagans.
Director: Jeremy Freeston | Stars: Jeremy Freeston, Steve Smith, Gibby, Simon Lee
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