Skip to content
Mariatta, a MythSource painting
Finnic

Mariatta

01Identity

Mariatta in Finnic tradition

Crawford's final Kalevala rune follows Mariatta from a berry meadow to the birth of her son and his judgment by Wainamoinen. She tastes a mountain berry and waits for a child. When she asks her mother for help, she later tells her father that she will bear a son. Searching for a birthplace, she finds shelter in a horse's manger, where the child is born. After the infant disappears, the Sun tells Mariatta where he sleeps. Wainamoinen orders the child sent to a marsh, but the two-week-old answers him and challenges his ruling. Wirokannas blesses the child and declares him an heir. Wainamoinen then recognises his waning powers and sings farewell to Wainola.

SourceThe Kalevala, Volume II (John Martin Crawford translation, 1891): Mariatta—Wainamoinen’s Departure, pp. 718, 721–722, 726, 729, 731

Top questions

The quick answers

  • Who is Mariatta?

    Crawford's final Kalevala rune follows Mariatta from a berry meadow to the birth of her son and his judgment by Wainamoinen.
02The myths

The myths of Mariatta

1 myth, with sources recorded for each.

Mariatta's berry, birth and the child's judgment

In Crawford's Kalevala, Mariatta sits in a meadow where berries grow and listens to the cuckoo. She addresses the bird and the strawberry, then tastes a berry from the mountain. As the days pass, she asks her mother to prepare a place for her and tells her father that she will bear a son. She searches for somewhere to give birth and comes to a horse's manger. The horse shelters and warms her there, and her child is born.

Later Mariatta asks where the baby has gone. The Sun tells her where he is sleeping. Wainamoinen orders that the child be taken to a marsh and killed. Though only two weeks old, the child answers and challenges Wainamoinen's judgment by recalling an earlier wrong in his life. Wirokannas touches the infant with water used in blessing, speaks a blessing over him, and declares that he may inherit a ruler's authority. Wainamoinen sees that his power is fading and sings farewell to the people of Wainola.

Mariatta's berry, birth and the child's judgment, a MythSource painting of the scene

7 sources· checked 2026-09-28

  1. 1The Kalevala, Volume II (John Martin Crawford translation, 1891)T1
  2. 2The Kalevala, Volume II (John Martin Crawford translation, 1891)T1
  3. 3The Kalevala, Volume II (John Martin Crawford translation, 1891)T1
  4. 4The Kalevala, Volume II (John Martin Crawford translation, 1891)T1
  5. 5The Kalevala, Volume II (John Martin Crawford translation, 1891)T1
  6. 6The Kalevala, Volume II (John Martin Crawford translation, 1891)T1
  7. 7The Kalevala, Volume II (John Martin Crawford translation, 1891)T1