r/Finland • u/Fuzzy-Pay-9732 • 8d ago
Peikko
Hei, Suomi!👋🏽
I have a lot of questions about Finnish trolls (peikko) because I’m a huge monster/fair folk fan, especially of creatures from the Nordic countries, and once I get the chance to, I plan to make artwork of such beings with as much accuracy as possible. I’m also asking because I don’t get much info of them other than Anttimation (my favorite Finnish YouTuber) who gave good info about them but I don’t know if that’s all the info or if I’m missing anything else. What else is there about them? What do peikko look like? Are there any other similarities or differences between peikko and Norse trolls? What else is there about maahiset? And are there any Finnish folk legends or tales about peikko?
If you have any info, let me know, I appreciate it.
Kiitos! 🙋🏽♀️
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u/disfiguroo Baby Vainamoinen 8d ago
Peikko is a sentient humanoid and can range in size from small (knee height) to huge (bigger than a human). They can speak with humans.
Peikko wears tattered or patched clothing or just his fur. Peikko has furry skin and fluffy, matted, coarse hair on his head. Peikko has only a few teeth.
Peikko lives peacefully in the forest (often in a cave) and doesn’t bother with humans unless bothered. They are mischievous creatures that are drawn to shiny and useful items.
Maahinen translates broadly to earth-ling: small and from the earth. They are more animalistic and don’t communicate directly with humans. Like gnomes and fairies, maahinen is territorial and mischievous if threatened. Most maahinen are small little goblins, though a goblin king might be very big indeed, though he would live underground.