Big women with round shapes, wide curves and strong powers
the great ladies – mahtinaiset
The series is inspired by the mighty females of Finnish mythology, and the deep connection the Nordic people have with their forests, lakes and animals. There’s currently six ladies available as casted statues (numbered open edition), seven one-off sculptures, and twelve character designs – more to come!
1. the ruler – käskijä
There’s something scary in big women. They have all female powers to create and to maintain life but also the physical strength for potential violence. The Ruler is entitled for the ultimate power position. She uses it for good and bad – based solely on her own judgement.
In Finnish mythology, the goddess Hongotar protects pinetrees and is also the mother of bears. She keeps them on a leash away from your cattle, if you are in her favor.
Animal: Bear
Strength: Justice
Weakness: Cruelty
Colour: Black
Element: Stone
2. the lover – rakastaja
The Lover is a divine muse. She is able to make anyone more than his best self just with her infinite love and admiration. In the Finnish mythology, the frog symbolizes birth, transition, and recreation.
Animal: Frog
Strength: Empathy
Weakness: Self-neglect
Colour: Green
Element: Water
3. the teacher – opettaja
The Teacher is a great guardian of the knowledge, In old Finnish stories, spinsters may transform into owls, which are also considered to symbolize intuition and wisdom.
Animal: Owl
Strength: Wisdom
Weakness: Loneliness
Colour: Blue
Element: Wood
4. the fighter – taistelija
The Fighter is born from explosive, energy. She lives by the rule ‘attack is the best form of defense’. Don’t get on her way, but help her to channel the energy for good. In the Finnish mythology, water birds are connected to the fertility, Spring and new beginnings.
Animal: Goose
Strength: Energy
Weakness: Rage
Colour: Red
Element: Fire
5. the hider – kätkijä
In the long Nordic winter night, ‘kaamos’, the silence and darkness are so thick you can wrap yourself in them like into a mother’s lap.
The Hider lives in this environment. She is a hermit and a protector embracing the quiet life and gentleness. Hiding can also lead to a point, where she isn’t able to go back to people anymore – even if she wanted to.
This lady was born during the Covid-19 quarantine in 2021..
Animal: Rabbit
Strength: Sensitivity
Weakness: Isolation
Colour: White
Element: Snow
6. the dreamer – uneksija
The Dreamer is a divine sleeper in between bright morning skies, and dark waters.
In the Finnish mythology, the pike helps shamans to travel between our world and the world of spirits. It also brings dead souls to the underworld. The mighty wizard, Väinämöinen, had a music instrument called ‘kantele’ made of pike’s jaw as a source of spiritual wealth.
Animal: Pike
Strength: Imagination
Weakness: Delusion
Colour: Turquoise
Element: Air
7. the gatherer – keräilijä
The Gatherer enjoys prosperity, and ensures nothing is ever wasted. She collects food, money, and commodities around her, and in her life there never will be a rainy day. But how much is too much?
In the Finnish mythology, the squirrel helped Osmotar goddess to create the first beer together with bees and foxes. The squirrel is also connected to the medieval Maaria cult, where the Christian ideas about Virgin Mary were combined with old stories resulting in the female deity who had special relationship with animals, fed everyone, and gave medicines from her amazing nine breasts.
Animal: Squirrel
Strength: Resourcefulness
Weakness: Greed
Colour: Yellow
Element: Earth
8. the storyteller – tarinankertoja
The Storyteller is the one who gets people’s attention with her intriguing stories and inventive ideas. People can’t stop listening to her – crying or laughing. She’s the great mother of all entertainers, marketeers, and politicians.
In old Finnish stories, the spider was considered to bring either good or bad luck depending on which time of the day you saw it. Killing a spider was definitely not advisable. The possible harm could be summoned away with various poems and spells instead.
Animal: Spider
Strength: Creativity
Weakness: Unreliability
Colour: All colours
Element: Silk
9. the leader – johtaja
The Leader gathers a pack together, and empowers it to accomplish the goal with her vision, strength and charisma. She is inspiring, independent, and persistent. Nobody challenges the relevance of her objectives.
The old Finnish goddess Marjatera (Loveatar, Louhi) was the mother of wolves and also a creator of nine horrible diseases. In Kalevala, she’s the mighty Lady of the North, a witch queen and the main opponent of Väinämöinen in the battle for the magical artefact Sampo.
This lady was born during the first days of the war of Ukraine in 2022.
Animal: Wolf
Strength: Grit
Weakness: Obsession
Colour: Purple
Element: Blood
10. the DIva – diiva
The Diva lives her life on the emotional edge. She is able to heighten the intensity of every moment, but often takes only her own feelings as an evidence of reality. People around her are either mesmerized of the fantastic drama, or get tired of it and leave.
This lady is inspired by Ilmatar, the spirit of air and the creator of the world in Finnish mythology. She was also impregnated by the East Wind, but decided to keep the fruit of love in her womb 30 years before giving a birth to Väinämöinen, the famous wizard.
Animal: Butterfly
Strength: Emotional intensity
Weakness: Self-centricity
Colour: Blue
Element: Wind
11. the worrier – murehtija
The Worrier is a heroin of depression, anxiety, self-loathe. She is inspired by Kiputyttö (Pain Girl), a spirit of pain in Finnish folklore.
Kiputyttö lives in Tuonela and usually spends her time on a hill named Kipumäki, where three rivers meet.
Kiputyttö creates pain by turning a pain stone. In some spells she is crying, and she is asked to put the pain back to the stone ’because stones don’t cry’.
Animal: Blind salamander
Strength: Self-reflection
Weakness: Apathy
Colour: Brown
Element: Mud
12. the hedonist – nautiskelija
The Hedonist knows how to take the best out of every moment. Without any unnecessary ambitions she always finds the sweetest and warmest places in life.
In Finnish folklore, the cat was considered to bring wealth to the household. Cat days (kissanpäivät) are especially happy and lucky time without worries about tomorrow.
The cat was originally created by a forest spirit, who cooked her together on a sauna stove from various parts of other animals: hare, wolf, snake – and a woman. The tail used to be a braid of a demon called Hiisi.
Animal: Cat
Strength: Happiness
Weakness: Lazyness
Colour: Beige
Element: Cottonwool
Follow the progress of the Great Ladies in my Instagram, or Facebook, or Tiktok.