From the Preface to the Psalms (Dauidin Psalttari, 1551)

The God List of Mikael Agricola is the oldest surviving written record of Finnish pre-Christian religion. In 1551, Mikael Agricola (c. 1510–1557) — Lutheran bishop, pupil of Luther himself, and the father of written Finnish — published a translation of the Psalms (Dauidin Psalttari) in Helsinki. In the preface, he included thirty-two rhyming couplets cataloguing the false gods of the Häme and Karelian peoples, contrasting their superstitions with the Christian faith he was teaching. He was not documenting a living religion; he was condemning what remained of it. But the document has outlasted its purpose. These thirty-two couplets are now the primary historical source for Finnish pre-Christian belief.

Agricola names twenty-four distinct beings: twelve from the Häme region west of Helsinki — Tapio, Ahti, Väinämöinen, Rahkoi, Liekiö, Ilmarinen, Turisas, Kratti, Tonttu, Kapeet, and the Sons of Kaleva — and twelve from Karelia to the east — Rongoteus, Pellonpekko, Virankannos, Äkräs, Köndös, Ukko with his wife Rauni, Kekri, Hiisi, Veden Emo, Nyyrikki, and Hittavainen. Many of these figures are well known from the Kalevala, compiled by Elias Lönnrot in 1835; here they appear three centuries earlier, named as objects of living worship. Väinämöinen is not yet a mythological hero — he is a god of songs whom the Häme people served. Ukko is not yet a poetic metaphor — he is the thunderer whose cult included a spring drinking ceremony that Agricola describes with evident distaste.

This translation is made from the original Old Finnish (16th-century orthography), verified against the modern Finnish rendering of the text. The Old Finnish text uses archaic spellings and characters: "c" for "k," "dh" for "d," and variant forms of ä and ö. The source was transcribed from Agricola's 1551 print. A reference English rendering was available in the source file but was not consulted during the translation process.

Source: Mikael Agricola, Dauidin Psalttari (Helsinki, 1551), preface (Alcupuhe). Transcription from sagazorm.net/zorm/mythology/epajumalat.html. Public domain. Translated by the New Tianmu Anglican Church, 2026.

Many false gods were worshipped here, in days gone by, both far and near.
These the people of Häme bowed to — both the men and the women.

Tapio granted good catches from the forest; Ahti brought fish up from the water.
Väinämöinen forged the songs; Rahkoi divided the moon into dark and light.

Liekiö ruled over the grasses, the roots, and the trees, and all things of that kind.
Ilmarinen brought peace and fair weather, and guided travelers safely on their roads.

Turisas gave victory in battle; Kratti kept watch over possessions.
Tonttu governed the running of the house, while the Devil led many astray.

The Kapeet devoured the moon; the Sons of Kaleva thrashed the meadows and more.
But these were the false gods of the Karelians, to whom they prayed:

Rongoteus gave the rye; Pellonpekko granted the growth of barley.
Virankannos watched over the oats — without him, there would be none to harvest.

Äkräs made the peas, the beans, the turnips; he brought forth the cabbages, the flax, and the hemp.
Köndös cleared the slash-fields and tilled the earth, as their false faith prescribed.

And when the spring-seed was sown, then Ukko's bowl was drunk.
When Ukko's chest was brought out, maid and dame grew drunk alike.

And much shame was done there, as could be both heard and seen.
When Rauni, the wife of Ukko, grew aroused, the thunder rang out nobly from the north.

This gave good winds and the coming of rain; Kekri increased the growth of livestock.
Hiisi gave victory over the creatures of the forest; the Mother of Waters led fish into the net.

Nyyrikki gave squirrels from the forest; Hittavainen brought hares from the thickets.
Is this not a maddened people, that believes in these and prays to them?

The Devil and sin drew them to this, so that they bowed before these and put their faith in them.
Food was carried to the graves of the dead, beside which there was wailing, mourning, and weeping.

The Meninkäinen also received their offerings, when widows were troubled and took new husbands.
Many other things were also worshipped: stones, tree stumps, stars, and the moon.

Even lately, under the pope's teaching, they bowed — both openly and in secret.
Countless creatures of nature stood in God's place, honoured as though they were sacred.

Such as fire, water, and earth; branches and trees and the bones of the dead.
In secret, eggs, herbs, and meats were kept in the place of the Lord's worship.

Can anyone sum up all the errors from which this multitude is made?
But bow now to none but the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.

The Gods

Häme (Tavastia)

Tapio — forest god; lord of the hunt, woodland game, and the forest's gifts.

Ahti (Ahto) — water god; lord of fish and the deep waters.

Väinämöinen — god of song and poetry; here also connected with the phases of the moon. In the Kalevala he appears as the great shaman-bard of the Finnish people.

Rahkoi — divider of the moon; associated with lunar phases, possibly the moon itself or a figure presiding over eclipses.

Liekiö — spirit of vegetation; ruler of grasses, roots, and trees.

Ilmarinen — sky-smith; associated with calm weather, fair winds, and the protection of travelers. In the Kalevala, Ilmarinen is the craftsman who forged the firmament.

Turisas — war god; grants victory in battle.

Kratti (Haltija) — guardian spirit of household possessions and wealth.

Tonttu — household guardian; governs the order and well-being of the home.

Kapeet — mysterious beings associated with consuming or eclipsing the moon.

Kalevanpojat — the Sons of Kaleva; giant beings connected with the clearing of forest and the cultivation of fields.

Karelia

Rongoteus — god of rye.

Pellonpekko — god of barley and field-grain.

Virankannos — god of oats; his oversight was required for the harvest to succeed.

Äkräs (Egres) — god of garden cultivation; peas, beans, turnips, cabbages, flax, and hemp all fell under his domain.

Köndös — god of slash-and-burn agriculture; presided over the clearing of forest for fields.

Ukko — supreme thunder god; the most powerful figure in the Karelian list. Associated with the spring sowing ceremony and the Ukon vakka — a communal drinking feast conducted at spring planting, in which Ukko's chest was brought out and his bowl filled and shared. By Agricola's time, Ukko had absorbed much of the role of the Christian God in the folk imagination. His name means "old man."

Rauni — wife of Ukko; associated with the rowan tree (rauni in archaic Finnish) and with storms. When Rauni was aroused, the thunder sounded.

Kekri — harvest deity; increased the growth of livestock; associated with the autumn feast at the end of the pastoral year, when cattle were brought in from summer pasture.

Hiisi — ambivalent forest spirit; here grants victory over forest creatures. In later tradition Hiisi became more malevolent — a synonym for the Devil or for wild, dangerous places.

Veden Emo — the Mother of Waters; a major figure in Finnish water mythology; leads fish into the nets of fishermen.

Nyyrikki — forest spirit; grants squirrels from the forest (squirrel pelts were an important trade good).

Hittavainen — forest spirit; brings hares from the thickets.

Note on Ukon Vakka. Agricola describes the spring sowing ceremony in two couplets: first the drinking of Ukko's bowl (Ukon malja) at sowing, then the fetching of Ukko's chest (Ukon vakka), at which both maids and matrons grew drunk. He adds that much shame was done there, as could be both heard and seen. Finnish scholars have associated this ceremony with a pre-Christian spring fertility rite, and the Ukon vakka ritual continued in rural Finland through the 18th century despite repeated condemnations by Lutheran clergy.

Colophon

Source: Mikael Agricola, Dauidin Psalttari (Helsinki, 1551), preface (Alcupuhe). Old Finnish verse, 32 rhyming couplets. Transcription from sagazorm.net/zorm/mythology/epajumalat.html. Public domain.

Translator: New Tianmu Anglican Church, 2026. Translated directly from the 16th-century Old Finnish, verified against the modern Finnish rendering. No prior English translation of this specific text was consulted; none is known to exist in scholarly form. The informal English reference provided in the source file was explicitly excluded from the translation process.

Significance: This is the oldest written document of Finnish pre-Christian religious belief. The gods named here — Tapio, Ahti, Väinämöinen, Ukko, and the others — appear three centuries before the Kalevala. Agricola meant to condemn them. Instead he preserved them.

Compiled and formatted for the Good Work Library by the New Tianmu Anglican Church, 2026.

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Source Text: Alcupuhe — Mikael Agricola, Dauidin Psalttari (1551)

Old Finnish source text from Mikael Agricola's preface (Alcupuhe) to the Dauidin Psalttari (Helsinki, 1551), transcribed at sagazorm.net/zorm/mythology/epajumalat.html (2008). The 1551 print is in the public domain. Presented here for reference, study, and verification alongside the English translation above. The 16th-century orthography has been preserved. A modern Finnish rendering follows each Old Finnish couplet for reader orientation.

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.

Sihen 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.

Source Colophon

Source: Mikael Agricola, Dauidin Psalttari (Helsinki, 1551). Old Finnish verse from the preface (Alcupuhe). Transcription sourced from sagazorm.net/zorm/mythology/epajumalat.html, an independent scholarly transcription of the 1551 print. The original Dauidin Psalttari was printed at the press of Amund Lauritssøn in Stockholm, commissioned for Finnish Lutheranism. Public domain: published 1551, outside all copyright provisions.

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