Dearest keeper of magic,
In Finland, the forest has always been the place you go to when you need something.
Food. Silence. Medicine or healing. Connection to the ancestors…
In the old Finnish worldview, you didn't just walk in and take. You asked. Because the forest had its own keepers, spirits, gods and mistresses who held the right to give or withhold. Tapio, the king of the forest. Mielikki, the forest goddess. Juonetar, the mother of all deer... These are the ones who decide whether the hunt is going to be good or the berries plentiful.
You approach the forest and its spirit with respect. With a greeting that acknowledged you were a guest in their domain.
This spell was collected from Ilomantsi, a place in North Karelia where my own family has roots. It was sung before entering the forest to ask for the luck of the hunt. I think it is a very beautiful little spell and I am very grateful that my friend found it from the archives.
Terve vuori, terve vaara,
terve tervehyttäjälle.
En tieä ketä kumarran,
missä antaja asuvi,
elävi metsän emäntä.
Tuolla antaja asuvi,
elävi metsän emäntä,
korvalla tulisen kosken,
huonehessa honkasessa,
pirtissä petäjäisessä,
kuss on kuusi ikkunaista.
Kuuristauun katsomahan
kuuennesta ikkunasta.
Täällä antaja asuvi,
elävi metsän emäntä.
(Collected from Ilomantsi, SKVR VII5 loitsut 3315.)
In English:
Blessings, mountain, blessings, fell,
Greetings to the one who blesses.
I do not know whom I bow to,
Where the giver dwells,
Where the forest mistress lives.
There the giver dwells,
There the forest mistress lives,
By the side of a fiery rapids,
In a dwelling made of pine,
In a cabin made of pine-wood,
Where there are six windows.
I lean out to look
Through the sixth window.
Here the giver dwells,
Here the forest mistress lives.
What strikes me about this spell is the honesty of it. I do not know whom I bow to. There's no pretending to have all the answers and knowledge. Just a genuine reaching toward something that is there, somewhere, hopefully in a generous mood.
You can use this spell today, not necessarily to hunt, but whenever you enter the forest with intention. To pick berries or to find some quiet.
Sing it, speak it, or simply hold it in mind as you step between the trees. Introduce yourself before you ask for anything. That's the old way.
Spells have always been sung. They were part of everyday life, not reserved for special occasions or special people. If you're drawn to Finnish spell tradition and want to learn how to write your own, my Spellcraft course is for you.
With warmth,
Ninni, Witches' North