Description
Sielulintu pendant: According to ancient finnish and karelian beliefs, Sielulintu (literally "soul bird") is the one who brings the soul in the body of the newborn at birth, protects it in life and come to take it back at the moment of death. It is recommended to keep close the image of a Sielulintu carved in wood, so that the bird can take care of the soul, specially during sleep, a particulary risky time, when the soul is in danger of separating from the body without being able to return. In Karelia, an area dominated for long time by russian influence where the traditions have been preserved much more firmly than the other parts of Finland under the sweden domination, the rituals related to the Sielulintu, for example the deposition on the grave of a sculture or a piece of wood with the bird image carved on it, remained in use until '900.
