Tapio
Tapio is an ancient god of the forest in Finland & Lapland myths. He is king of the forest and is considered to be a shamanic god and spirit. He is made entirely of trees & earth. His eyebrows are made of moss and his beard of lichen. Tapio lets knowledge branch out through him to the world through his leaves and roots. As a god of knowledge, forest, and the hunt; He was one of the major gods of the Finns and was the King of the woods in Tapiola. The role that Tapio played to the ancient Finnish people was highly important considering that hunting and living in nature was a way of surviving in those days. Tapio along with his wife, son and daughter kept the forest full of nature and edible creatures. The woods were his, and his alone so it was up to him whether or not you were successful in your hunt for game. The forest has always been a sacred place and is especially so in Finnish folklore. Offerings to Tapio were made throughout designated places in the woods. The Table of Tapio, or “Tapion pöyta” was stumps of a tree that were flat and shaped as the top of the table. Here is where offerings to Tapio were made which included some of the hunted prey. Tapio will forever be a representation of the human love for the forest and nature.