Ukkonen

Ilmarinen struck fire,
Väinämöinen sparked flashes,
With three feathers of Kokko.

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There are many different versions of the origin story of fire in Finnish mythology, but in almost all of them Kokko, the great eagle, is a common factor. Depending on the source, the first fire was either sparked by using three feathers of Kokko, or the bird itself created a bolt of lightning with its wingstroke, setting a tree ablaze. Kokko was literally the personification of fire, thunder and lightning. The word “ukkonen” means thunder in Finnish.

Painted in ink, white poster color and gold medium on 300 g/sqm Arches hot press watercolour paper. The painting is unframed.