Louhi

Louhi is in Finnish mythology, the evil ruler or Witch of the North in Pohjola. Like almost all the characters of the Kalevala also has her magical abilities.

Louhi promises men their beautiful daughter to make them almost impossible task. So one has to solve several tasks Ilmarinen - among other things he has to spell mill " Sampo " forge for Louhi - before he may marry the daughter.

Later Väinämöinen, Ilmarinen and Lemminkäinen theft of the Sampo from Louhi, because this makes the north country to be rich and powerful. On the way home they are attacked by Louhi, who wants to win back in the shape of a giant eagle the Sampo. In this battle the Sampo is destroyed.

In the 45th song of Kalevala Elias Lonnrot are Louhi and the geschwängerte on their calls towards the wind " disgusting woman " Loviatar that will bring the birth of their sons disaster on the people Kalevals, two different people, but it seems it is in the tradition only to be two names for the same figure. Loviatars nine sons are the authors of nine diseases - from constipation about gout and tuberculosis to cancer.

Interpretation

Hans Fromm maintains the character of Louhi for a medieval borrowing from Russian and a variant of Herodias legend. Matti Haavio traces the shape of Louhi / Loviatar on a much older pre-Christian, widespread myth of the origin of the disease. Loviatar is also the night the demon Lilith (derived from abylonisch: Lilitu - Wind Spirit) of the Old Testament equated ( Isa. 34:14 ). Etymologically could be the German word flight a relationship.

Others

The Sampo- theft is a Soviet-Finnish film from 1959 treated ( The Stolen happiness; Original Title: Sampo, Director: Aleksandr Ptushko. ) Louhi is played by the then 61- year-old Anna Orochko.

Luohi is also a city in Finland as well as a Finnish surname. Also a Finnish minelayer (1916-1945) was named after Luohi because of its ruin -making freight.