Finnish mythology is a commonly applied description of the folklore of Finnish paganism, of which a modern revival is practiced by a small percentage of the Finnish people. It has many features shared with fellow Finnic Estonian mythology and its non-Finnic neighbours, the Balts and the Scandinavians. Some of their myths are also distantly related to the myths of other Finno-Ugric speakers like the Samis.

Finnish mythology survived within an oral tradition of mythical poem-singing and folklore well into the 19th century.

Although the gradual influence of surrounding cultures raised the significance of the sky-god in a monolatristic manner, the father god "Ukko" (Old Man) was originally just a nature spirit like all the others. Of the animals, the most sacred was the bear, whose real name was never uttered out loud, lest his kind be unfavorable to the hunting. The bear ("karhu" in Finnish) was seen as the embodiment of the forefathers, and for this reason it was called by many circumlocutions: mesikämmen ("mead-paw"), otso ("browed one"), kontio ("dweller of the land"), metsän kultaomena ("the golden apple of the forest") but not a god.

Driftwood covered winter beach
Ice caves forming on the shore
Zen designs of sand and snow
So serene

White so bright it blinds the eye
Must be heaven here on earth
Winds make music on cold air
Listening

Sun sets early time seems short
From my driftwood seat I rise
Thank Ilma, goddess of air
Ukko guides


Jane Noponen Perinacci