Ilmatar - Finnish Goddess of Creation

Titles: Daughter of Nature Goddess of Creation, Water Mother, Sky Mother

Other Names: Luonnotar, Luonotar

Origin: Finland

Depicted as: Virgin floating on the sea
Feast day: August 26

The name Ilmatar is derived from the Finnish word ilma, meaning "air," and the suffix -tar, denoting a female spirit. Thus, her name literally means "female air spirit." In the Kalevala she was also occasionally called Luonnotar,which means "female spirit of nature" (Finnish luonto, "nature")

The story is as follows:
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In the beginning, says the Kalevala, there was only Ilmatar, the void and a great deal of wind. She was alone in the beginning of time. She lived in the heavens, but eventually she grew restless and slipped into the vast cosmic sea. She floated and frolicked for centuries on this primordial ocean, counting rainbows and letting the wind play in her hair....

... I am so sorry to do this to you, but this post has been moved to my new website, The Powers That Be, and can be found in its entirety here: Ilmatar - Finnish Goddess of Creation