Liekkiö

Finnish mythology has several different kinds of Liekkiö ("flamey").  One of them is Ihtiriekko, a ghost of a bastard child.

Stories tell that a woman had sex with someone else than her husband. Maybe she did not even have a husband. She then get pregnant and gave birth to a baby. This way to make a baby was not accepted by church and society - that kind of baby is called bastard. Mother had to kill her bastard child to avoid being blamed by priests or other people. Mother then buried child outside graveyard and without priests blessing the body. The soul of the baby could not go to heaven because their body was not at a graveyard and was not blessed by a priest. This is why they became a ghost.

This ghost could make terrible noise until somebody dugs up their body and buries it in graveyard. Such ghost people are called Ihtiriekko. Ghosts could also be quiet, but they might be seen as a flame in forest, like will o' the wisp. Such ghost people are called Liekkiö.

Category:Finnish mythology

es:Ihtiriekko