Obligatory disclaimer: this question arises from a very cursory discovery, and an even cursorier research just to make sure I didn't misunderstand. It seems not, so here I am.

Apparently in the Kalevala the Moon is referred to as Gold, and the Sun as Silver (very flimsy sources I base this understanding on: One and Two).

I have never before encountered this inversion from my expectations (I grew up in a different – still Western, and European both – culture), not to mention from my own senses (the Moon… SEEMS paler than the sun, yeah? Common sense reality check, please 😬)

So — what gives? Are celestial bodies perceived differently in the area, because of the atmosphere or some such, or…?

I am genuinely, curious and interested, so thanks to anyone who may have answers, at least tentatively! 🤗

by OatmealRaisinGolem

5 comments

  1. In my visions, it’s because when the world was formed at the breaking of the bird egg, egg white made the sun and yolk made the moon, there’s more egg white and thus more light with the sun.

  2. It might just be something as boring as kuu (moon) rhymes with kulta (gold).

  3. Finnic peoples do not associate gold with the moon and silver with the sun. I would argue that this is not due to cultural reasons but to the type of poetry used.

    That form of poetry uses a lot of alliteration, using similar sounds in the beginning of nearby words to make them “rhyme”. (that was a horrible and oversimplified way to explain it, sorry). For example, the most famous line from Kalevala is probaly the typical way to refer to Väinämöinen “VAka VAnha VÄinämöinen”. The word for moon (kuu) and the word for gold (kulta) share the same first syllable. That explains the golden moon.

    The type of poetry also loves to use synonyms, pairing of similar words (gold and silver, sun and moon), and repetition – thus it is not difficult to see why there would be a silver sun after a golden moon. Also, the metre, Kalevala metre, a form of trochaic tetrameter, needs certain types of syllables in certain places, and that “hop-” (from hopea, silver) fits in your examples.

    TL;DR: Moon (kuu) and gold (kulta) rhyme with each other.

  4. An explanation may be found in the fact that certain things very often appear as pairs that refer to a single thing rather than their separate meanings in the Kalevala style of poetry. This is one of the many mnemonic devices that allow reciters to play for time while figuring out what comes next.

    So gold and silver are often interchangeable just meaning “valuable/shiny metal”, the Sun and Moon ditto for “heavenly light”, bear and wolf for “predator”, and so on.

  5. It is paying tribute to understanding that while personifications of nature come and appear usually as male or female, they contain their opposite. Such a verse is a honoric acknowledging knowledge and understanding of the Synty (Beginning, Birth) of such a force, and is used in sorcerer’s tradition to pay adherence and respect to the force of nature in it’s complete form, not only as it appears. It is a sign of humility from the poet.

    There is a lot of Finnic tradition folklore out there recorded where the original meanings are completely fragmented and clearly recorded from the perspective of cultural anthropology, rather than as record keeping of the Finnic knowers knowledge. It’s mostly carried word to mouth, and gifted to few.

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