Ukko facts for kids

Different images (pendants) of weapons of sky god. A was usual in Finland

Ukko was the most important god in Finnish paganism, a religion that was in Finland before Christianity. Ukko was god of sky and thunder. Ukko was an old man and he lived on the sky. He had a weapon - hammer or axe called Ukonvasara. Lightning is from this weapon.

Finnish pagans had an image of this weapon made from metal on their necks. They believed that lightning does not hit people who have this image.

At Midsummer Finns gathered together and drank beer to honour Ukko. That was called "toast of Ukko".

Ukko is similar to Thor that was a sky god of most Scandinavians and Perun that is a Baltic sky god.

Images for kids

Painting by Robert Ekman in 1867 called Lemminkäinen tulisella järvellä where Lemminkäinen asks help from Ukko ylijumala with crossing the lake in fire on his route to the wedding at Pohjola.
Corded Ware culture boat-shaped battle axe from Närke, Sweden.
Simplified drawing of a stone carving type found in Karelia, which is believed to have characteristics of both snake and thunder.