Kierikki, Finland - Spirits from the Stone Age!

Photo. A spirit from the Stone Age in Finland emerged in the dark forest. © Travel Explorations.

They believed everything in the nature was ruled by invisible, supernatural powers. For a while in the dark pristine wilderness I could really imagine the presence of the forest spirits.

A journey into the underworld
Spirits are invisible living beings found in rivers, water, forest, fire, crystals, stones, under the ground and above in the sky. I wondered about sacrificing some gifts of food and drinks to make the forest spirits helpful and friendly to me. Here I could see Finland`s underworld emerging from past. The guardian spirits watched over the people`s houses and hunting areas.

An ancient pathway goes from the main building at Kierikki Stone Age Centre and follows along the river Iijoki. There is also a pathway, made out of sturdy logs, which runs a half a kilometre and leads through the Stone Age settlement to the Stone Age village.

For me it was a fascinating journey back to the Stone Age. I walked the pathway from the Centre eager to find out more about life in the past. On my way through the pine forest I observed scary figures standing along the path. Actually they were forest spirits. I had to realize the way the stone age people did: there's also more to nature than forest, green leaves, stones, water and singing birds: it's a world that only the gifted and dedicated observer can see. It`s a matter of exceeding the limits of all the five senses.

It was totally silent around me, and I was alone with the spirits. Some of them looked pretty evil to me. The dark sky and the heavy rain made the figures even scarier. I hoped the best that they would protect me. I felt lost in to the spiritual world, and I wondered how the Stone Age people really practised witchcraft to achieve power from the nature. By getting in contact with the spirits, they could bring you all good things in life.

Photo. Another  mysterious spirit at Kierikki Stone Age village. © Travel Explorations.

Kierikki Stone Age Centre in Yli-Ii, is located around 52 kilometres north of Finland’s forth largest city Oulu. The Kierikki area is in the middle of an extensive Stone Age settlement area.

Many secrets of the Finnish prehistory have been revealed thanks to archaeological research. Kierikki's past goes as far back as 7,000 years. In the centre I got an interesting insight in Finnish culture and tales about Finnish Stone Age life. It was an amazing experience walking around there on Thursday 26 July 2007. Not even the heavy rain could stop me from travel through time to the Stone Age.  

Photo. Row houses seen from the entrance to the Kierikki Stone Age  Village. © Travel Explorations.

Spirits were also presence in the stone age village. I could see them all around, and it made the atmosphere fairly mysterious.  Could this be something for the X-files? In the X-files series, FBI agents Fox Mulder (David Duchovny) and Dana Scully (Gillian Anderson) investigate so called "X-Files", which are unsolved cases involving paranormal phenomena. 

Photo. Spirits in the Kierikki Stone Age  Village, or what is just for decorations? © Travel Explorations.

 Spirits were strategic placed by the riverside to protect the area and fish.  

Photo. Sceletons on the top of the roof on one of the houses in the Stone Age village. © Travel Explorations.

The most sacred animal in the past, whose real name was never uttered out loud, was the bear. The bear was seen as the embodiment of the forefathers, and for this reason it was called by many euphemisms: "mesikämmen" ("mead-paw"), "otso" ("wide brow"), "kontio" ("dweller of the land"). There are still a large number of bears in the Soumi forest, and it`s best to take necessary precautions if you should meet one.

Photo. A spirit of a bear. © Travel Explorations. Who is the worst to meet: the spirit of the bear or the real bear?

The phenomena of human spiritual creation
Perhaps a experience in the stone age area in Finland will change the way you see the world. Anyway it can be a lesson for life. The fantasy universe that sprung out from the mind of storyteller J.R.R. Tolkien, has roots in the real-world. The movie trilogy based on Tolkien`s book won all the Oscars for some years ago, and many wonder where the great author found his inspiration. It`s from Finland. Just to let you know!

Stein Morten Lund, 15 August 2007
 
Additional information
Read more about the Finnish Stone Age on our website www.TravelExplorations.com
……at the Kierikki Stone Age Centre in Finland, I really was really amazed to find boomerangs displayed in a museum….

Finland has the oldest Bedrock in EU. It was found in the Siuruankangas heath in the village of Siurua. The rather modest looking rock dates back 3,5 billion years.

Kierikki Stone Age Centre, Yli-Ii, Finland.
Kierikkicenter, Pahkalantie 447, 91200 Yli-Ii.
Phone Customer service: +358-8-8170 490
E-mail: asiakaspalvelu@kierikki.fi
Website: www.kierikki.fi