From Agricola's Alcupuhe (Preface to the Finnish Psalter, 1551)

Before the Finnish Bible came the Finnish alphabet, and before the alphabet came Mikael Agricola — Lutheran bishop, scholar, and unwilling archivist of everything he meant to destroy. Born in Pernaja around 1510, Agricola studied under Luther himself in Wittenberg, returned to Finland as a reformer, and spent his life translating the scriptures into a written Finnish he largely invented. His 1551 Dauidin Psalttari — a translation of the Psalms — opens with an Alcupuhe, a preface, in which Agricola builds his case against the old religion by naming it: twenty-four gods, organized by region, each with their function. He condemns them. He intends to bury them. Instead he preserved them.

These forty-two lines of rhyming verse are the only systematic record of Finnish pre-Christian religion made while it was still a living practice. Agricola knew these gods from his own land and from informants; his catalogue is not an outsider's mythology but an insider's polemic. The Häme (Tavastian) gods of the west — Tapio, Ahti, Väinämöinen, Ilmarinen — are the ones who entered the Kalevala and became internationally known. The Karelian gods of the east — Rongoteus, Pellonpekko, Äkräs, Ukko — are the agricultural deities of the farming peoples. Together they form the oldest stratigraphy of Finnish sacred belief we possess.

The original is in 16th-century Finnish, Agricola's own literary register — rhyming couplets, not Kalevala-meter. The language is archaic in orthography but recognizable to Finnish readers: "c" for "k," "dh" for "d," abbreviated forms in the manuscript. The translation below was made from the Old Finnish text as transcribed from the 1551 print, with the modern Finnish column used for verification of ambiguous readings. No prior English translation of this section is known. First English translation.

Many false gods were worshiped here in ancient times,
both far and near.

Before them the Häme folk bowed —
men and women alike.

Tapio gave the hunter's luck from the forest;
Ahti brought fish from the water.

Väinämöinen forged the songs;
Rahkoi divided the moon into darkness.

Liekiö ruled over grasses, roots, and trees,
and all such living things.

Ilmarinen brought peace and fair weather,
and carried travelers safely forward.

Turisas granted victory in battle;
Kratti took care of goods and wealth.

Tonttu governed the household's going,
while the Devil drove many astray.

The Kapeet too devoured the moon;
the Sons of Kaleva beat the fields and more besides.

But these were the false gods of the Karelians,
to whom they prayed:

Rongoteus gave the rye;
Pellonpekko granted the barley its growth.

Virankannos watched over the oats —
without him, oats there would be none.

Äkräs created the peas, the beans, and the turnips;
he brought forth the cabbages, the flax, and the hemp.

Köndös made the slash-burned clearings and the fields,
as their false belief saw fit.

And when the spring sowing was sown,
then Ukko's cup was drunk.

When Ukko's basket was brought in,
both maid and wife grew drunk.

Then many shameful deeds were done there,
as both ears heard and eyes saw.

When Rauni, Ukko's wife, was stirred,
the thunder burst gloriously up from the north.

This then gave air and the coming of rain;
Kekri increased the growth of the herds.

Hiisi gave victory over the forest creatures;
the Mother of the Waters drove fish into the net.

Nyyrikki gave squirrels from the forest;
Hittavainen brought hares from the thickets.

Is not that people cursed
who believes in these and prays to them?

The Devil and sin drove them to this,
that they bowed before and believed in these.

Food was carried to the graves of the dead,
by which the people lamented, keened, and wept.

The Meninkäinen too received their offerings
when widows were troubled and remarried.

Many other things were also worshiped:
stones, tree-stumps, stars, and the moon.

So too, until recently, under the Pope's teaching,
were these bowed to openly and in secret —

countless creatures of nature held in God's place
as though sacred things:

fire, water, and earth;
branches and trees and the bones of the dead.

In secret, eggs, herbs, and flesh
were kept in place of the Lord's worship.

Can anyone count up all the things
on which that crowd depended?

But bow now to no one
except the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost.

Colophon

The source text is Mikael Agricola's Dauidin Psalttari (1551), specifically the Alcupuhe (preface), commonly called the Jumalaluettelo or God List. Agricola (c.1510–1557), father of written Finnish, composed this verse catalogue to condemn the pre-Christian gods of the Häme (Tavastian) and Karelian peoples. The original text is in rhyming couplets in Agricola's own literary Finnish — not Kalevala-meter — and survives as the only systematic written record of Finnish folk religion made during the period of living practice. The transcription used here is from the 1551 print as preserved in academic editions; the 16th-century orthography uses "c" for modern "k" and other archaic conventions. No public-domain English translation of this text is known. This is the first English translation.

Good Works Translation — translated from the 16th-century Finnish (Alcupuhe) by the New Tianmu Anglican Church, 2026.

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Source Text

Alcupuhe — 16th-Century Finnish (1551 print orthography)

Epeiumalat monet tesse muinen palveltin caucan ia lesse.
Neite cumarsit Hemelaiset seke Miehet ette Naiset.
Tapio Metzest Pydhyxet soi ja Achti wedhest Caloia toi.
Oinemöinen wirdhet tacoi Rachkoi Cuun mustaxi iacoi.
Liekiä Rohot iwret ia puudh hallitzi ia sencaltaiset mwdh.
Ilmarinen Rauhan ia ilman tei ja Matkamiehet edheswei.
Turisas annoi Woiton Sodhast Cratti murhen piti Tavarast.
Tontu Honen menon hallitzi quin Piru monda willitzi.
Capeet m's heilde Cuun s'it Caleuanpoiat Nijttut ia mwdh l'it.
Waan Carjalaisten N'met olit Epeiumalat cuin he rucolit.
Rongoteus Ruista annoi Pellonpecko Ohran casvon soi.
Wirancannos Cauran caitzi mutoin oltin Caurast paitzi.
Egres hernet Pawudh Naurit loi Caalit Linat ja Hamput edestoi.
K'nd's huchtat ja Pellot teki quin heiden Epeuskons n'ki.
Ja quin Kevekylv' kylvettin silloin ukon Malia iootijn.
Sihen haetin ukon wacka nin joopui Pica ette Acka.
Sijtte paljo H'pie sielle techtin quin seke cwltin ette nechtin.
Quin Rauni Ukon Naini h'rsky ialosti Wkoi pohiasti p'rsky.
Se sis annoi Ilman ia Wdhen Tulon K'kri se liseis Carian casvon.
Hijsi Metzeleist soi woiton Wedhen Eme wei calat vercon.
Nyrckes Oravat annoi Metzast Hittavanin toi Ienexet Pensast.
Eik' se Cansa wimmattu ole ioca neite wsko ia rucole.
Siihen Piru ia Syndi weti heite Ette he cumarsit ia wskoit neite.
Coolludhen hautijn Rooca wietin ioissa walitin parghutin ia idketin.
Menningeiset m's heiden Wffrins sai coska Lesket hoolit ia nait.
Palveltin m's palio mwta Kivet Cannot T'dhet ja Cwuta.
Niin m's esken Pauin Opin ala cumartin iulkisest ia sala.
Ep'lughuiset Loondocappalet Iumalan Sias quin Pyhydhet.
Quin oli Tulda wette ia mulda Oxi ia Puita ia Coolutten Luita.
Sola Muna Rohot ia Lihat pidhit HERRAN Paluelus Siat.
Woico iocu ne caiki yleslukia ioista se Ioucko itzens tukia.
Waan elken nyt cumarco kenge quin Ise Poica ia Pyhe henge.

Verification Text — Modern Finnish (from Mikael Agricolan jumalaluettelo)

Epäjumalia monia täällä muinoin palveltiin kaukana ja lähellä.
Näitä kumarsivat hämeläiset sekä miehet että naiset.
Tapio metsästä pyydykset soi, ja Ahti vedestä kaloja toi.
Väinämöinen virret takoi, ja Rahkoi kuun mustaksi jakoi.
Liekiö ruohoja, juuria ja puita hallitsi ja senkaltaisia muita.
Ilmarinen rauhan ja ilman toi ja matkamiehet eteenpäin vei.
Turisas antoi voiton sodasta, Kratti huolehti tavarasta.
Tonttu huoneen menon hallitsi, kun Piru monia villitsi.
Kapeet myös he kuuta söivät, Kalevanpojat niityt ja muut löivät.
Vaan karjalaisten nämä olivat epäjumalat, joita he rukoilivat:
Rongoteus ruista antoi, Pellonpekko ohran kasvun soi.
Virankannos kauran kaitsi, muutoin oltiin kaurasta paitsi.
Äkräs herneet, pavut, nauriit loi, kaalit, pellavat ja hamput esiin toi.
Köndös huhdat ja pellot teki, kuten heidän epäuskonsa näki.
Ja kun kevätkyly kylvettiin, niin silloin Ukon malja juotiin.
Silloin, kun haettiin Ukon vakka, niin juopui piika että akka.
Sitten paljon häpeää siellä tehtiin, kuten sekä kuultiin että nähtiin.
Kun Rauni, Ukon nainen härskyi, jalosti ukkonen pohjasta pärskyi.
Se siis antoi ilman ja vedentulon, Kekri se lisäsi karjan kasvun.
Hiisi metsäläisistä soi voiton, Veden Emo vei kalat verkkoon.
Nyyrikki oravat antoi metsästä, Hittavainen toi jänikset pensaista.
Eikä se kansa vimmattu ole, joka näitä uskoo ja rukoilee?
Siihen Piru ja synti veti heitä, että he kumarsivat ja uskoivat näitä.
Kuolleiden hautoihin ruokaa vietiin, joiden äärellä valitettiin, paruttiin ja itkettiin.
Meninkäiset myös heidän uhrinsa saivat, koska lesket huolivat ja naivat.
Palveltiin myös paljon muuta: kiviä, kantoja, tähtiä ja kuuta.
Niin myös äsken paavin opin alla kumarrettiin julkisesti ja salaa.
Epälukuiset luontokappaleet Jumalan sijalla kuin pyhyydet.
Kuin oli tulta, vettä ja multaa, oksia ja puita ja kuolleitten luita.
Salaa munia, ruohoja ja lihoja pidettiin Herran palveluksen sijalla.
Voiko joku ne kaikki yhteenlukea, josta se joukko itsensä muodostaa?
Vaan älkää nyt kumartako muuta ketään, kuin Isää, poikaa ja pyhää henkeä.

Source Colophon

Mikael Agricola, Dauidin Psalttari (The Psalter of David), 1551. The Jumalaluettelo (God List) appears in the Alcupuhe (preface). Original print held in Finnish national collections; transcription from the academic edition in Mikael Agricolan teokset (WSOY, 1987) and cross-referenced with the Finnish Wikipedia article "Mikael Agricolan jumalaluettelo." Public domain.

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