Ilmatar

Also known as: Luonnotar / Mother of the Waters / Väinämöinen's mother / Water-Mother · Family: Kalevala · Role: Mother of the Waters · First appears: Runo I · Birth of Väinämöinen · Part 1

In Runo I, the wind and sea awakened life within Ilmatar. She lifted her knee above the waves to give a teal a place to nest, but when she jerked her knee, its eggs rolled into the water and shattered. In the tenth summer, Ilmatar began Creation, bringing the world to order on the open waters; there Väinämöinen was born, “Born of Ilmatar, his mother.”

In Runo II, Väinämöinen called on his mother as Luonnotar to send powers from the ocean to fell the oak. In Runo V, his mother answered him from beneath the billows and offered advice: “Still thy mother lives and hears thee”.

Relationship record

Life events

• Väinämöinen was born of Ilmatar.(Runo I · Birth of Väinämöinen · Part 1)
  • With: Väinämöinen
  • “Only born was Väinämöinen, And revealed the bard immortal, Sprung from the divine Creatrix, Born of Ilmatar, his mother.”
• The wind and sea awakened life within Ilmatar.(Runo I · Birth of Väinämöinen · Part 1)
  • “Till the wind that blew around her, And the sea woke life within her.”
• Ilmatar lifted her knee from the waves so the teal could establish her nest.(Runo I · Birth of Väinämöinen · Part 2)
  • “Then the Mother of the Waters, Water-Mother, maid aerial, From the waves her knee uplifted, Raised her shoulder from the billows, That the teal her nest might 'stablish, And might find a peaceful dwelling.”
• Ilmatar jerked her knee, rolling the eggs into the water, where they shattered.(Runo I · Birth of Väinämöinen · Part 2)
  • “Then she jerked her knee with quickness, And her limbs convulsive shaking, Rolled the eggs into the water, Down amid the waves of ocean, And to splinters they were broken, And to fragments they were shattered.”
• Ilmatar began Creation and brought the world to order.(Runo I · Birth of Väinämöinen · Part 2)
  • “When the ninth year had passed over, And the summer tenth was passing, From the sea her head she lifted, And her forehead she uplifted, And she then began Creation, And she brought the world to order, On the open ocean's surface, On the far extending waters.”
• Väinämöinen was born of Ilmatar.(Runo I · Birth of Väinämöinen · Part 2)
  • With: Väinämöinen
  • “Thus was ancient Väinämöinen, He, the ever famous minstrel, Born of the divine Creatrix, Born of Ilmatar, his mother.”
• Väinämöinen called on Luonnotar to send ocean powers to fell the oak.(Runo II · Väinämöinen's Sowing · Part 1)
  • With: Väinämöinen
  • “Noble mother, who hast borne me, Luonnotar, who me hast nurtured; Send me powers from out the ocean: (Numerous are the powers of ocean) So that they may fell the oak-tree, And destroy the tree so baneful, That the sun may shine upon us. And the pleasant moonlight glimmer.”
• Väinämöinen's mother answers him from her grave and offers advice.(Runo V · Väinämöinen's Fishing · Part 2)
  • With: Väinämöinen
  • “In her grave his mother wakened, Answered from beneath the billows: “Still thy mother lives and hears thee, And thy aged mother wakens, That she plainly may advise thee. How to best support thy trouble.”

Runo I · Birth of Väinämöinen · Part 1

• child: Väinämöinen “Born of Ilmatar, his mother.”

Runo I · Birth of Väinämöinen · Part 2

• child: Väinämöinen “Thus was ancient Väinämöinen, He, the ever famous minstrel, Born of the divine Creatrix, Born of Ilmatar, his mother.”

Runo II · Väinämöinen's Sowing · Part 1

• child: Väinämöinen “Noble mother, who hast borne me, Luonnotar, who me hast nurtured;”

Runo V · Väinämöinen's Fishing · Part 2

• child: Väinämöinen “In her grave his mother wakened, Answered from beneath the billows: “Still thy mother lives and hears thee, And thy aged mother wakens,”

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Extracted from the original text of Kalevala. Made with Rho MD.