Sampo

The Sampo was created by the smith Ilmarinen, but jealously guarded in the icy northern kingdom Pohjola of its ruler, the powerful magic Louhi until it is torn from her by the heroes of the Kalevala. In the fight so he breaks up and spreads fertility over land and sea.

Interpretation

From Finnish authors such Harva and Haavio the Sampo is interpreted as a support of the heavens and as the cultic representation: the celestial axis or world tree, around which the starry sky rotates, cultic represented perhaps by an iron pillar. Their robbery or destruction is a motif in various mythologies (eg in Old Norse Freyr myth or in the report of the destruction of Irminsul ). The trees were planted to seed the world into modern times.

Hans Fromm other hand, sees a possible origin of the song in the fascination since the third century AD widespread in Scandinavia rotary mill. The idea of " happiness mill " that increases agricultural productivity significantly, probably originated from the Mediterranean and perhaps wandered over Byzantium and Russia to Karelia. Looting and destruction of Sampo would then as a parable for the breaking of a technical monopoly and the dissemination of new technology, or more generally: to be regarded as a symbol of Enkulturationsprozesses. The "North Country " Pohjola would not be geographically to interpret, but as a non- human counterpart world.

Trivia

A Finnish Matchcovers is named after the Sampo. Also one of the largest Finnish banks and insurance companies as well as a famous icebreaker Sampo bear the name.

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