Para - witchcraft

[paha_noita]

While aimlessly dicking around on wiktionary I found this:
http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/para#Finnish

Noun

para
1. (witchcraft) A being created to bring milk or butter to its creator.

Derived terms
* paranvoi

Googling produced no further information on this term. If this word even really exists, is it one that normal Finns would recognise? Can someone go into further detail about its meaning or perhaps direct me to wear I can read further about related topics? For example, a few days ago I stumbled upon this fascinating Wikipedia article:
http://fi.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peijaiset

And what is paranvoi and what does it taste like?? Heheh.

[j.petsku]

Paranvoita: a species of plasmodial slime mold.

In finnish:
http://kuunauta.blogspot.com/2010/08/pa ... lleen.html

In english:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fuligo_septica

If "dog vomit slime mold" is any indication, it's not too tasty.

Finnish on the para itself:
http://fi.wikipedia.org/wiki/Para_(henkiolento)
Basically a menacing little shape-shifting elf-like goblin that steals stuff for its master/mistress. If the elf is killed, its owner dies too.

[Upphew]

Googling produced no further information on this term. If this word even really exists, is it one that normal Finns would recognise?

Para... bellum? -noidi? -normaali? So no, I wouldn't recognize the word.

[sammy]

The word would most probably not be known by others than those who for some reason or another have studied the bygone traditions and beliefs of Finns and Karelians. Many would know about Ahti, Ukko and so on but para is a bit more -erm- esoteric.

You can find quite a bit of general info under this Wiki article http://fi.wikipedia.org/wiki/Suomalainen_muinaisusko - although the beliefs themselves have faded into the distant past, it's rather fascinating (from an ethnological perspective) to learn what the beliefs and traditions of the bygone ages included.

Uno Harva's "Suomalaisten muinaisusko" from 1948 (!) is an excellent book, but very very hard to find. Some libraries might have it.

[Vellamo]

Para belongs to a Finnish folk tradition and mythology that certainly isn't common knowledge. I doubt most people would know what a para is, even though j.petsku apparently already answered the question.

In some stories, para (or bára in the Sami beliefs) is a creature that protects the cattle. In some stories it's just like j.petsku said, a creature that serves its mistress/master by bringing wealth in the shape of certain things, like cream/food. In my book Myytillisiä tarinoita, the para are mostly servants for women, but I think it might just be a coincidence. The shape of para in these stories is in most cases the shape of a big, black bird. In one story, para is in the shape of a frog. The book lists several creatures as wealth-bringers: tonttu, para, pirityinen and "missi massi".


Oh, sammy posted at the same time as me. I agree with what he said.

[CH]

is it one that normal Finns would recognise?

No

[Pursuivant]

I would recognize the word if reading some assizes records of 1635.. Ia Catharina Maununtydär oli tehnyt lehmän umben taicauksella ia paran eli pirun woimalla wienyt cariaonnen, iosta hänet tuomittiin raippa-witsoja saaman ia hengens menedämän.

[Pursuivant]

In one story, para is in the shape of a frog.

Ah, but you know you put a frog into the milk bucket to keep it cool?
http://www.kotus.fi/index.phtml?s=1004

[Vellamo]

Thanks for the link, Pursuivant. Interesting article, I didn't know about that custom! I was wondering that the frog didn't quite fit the picture since the other para were big birds (there's even a drawing of one). The frog-para helped the emäntä make butter in the story.

[sammy]

Interestingly, in addition to the para- words Upphew already mentioned there are words like parapähkinä (Brazil nut I think?) and parahultainen (proper, fitting, suitable)... but I don't think there's any connection - not to mention paratiisi

I would recognize the word if reading some assizes records of 1635.. Ia Catharina Maununtydär oli tehnyt lehmän umben taicauksella ia paran eli pirun woimalla wienyt cariaonnen, iosta hänet tuomittiin raippa-witsoja saaman ia hengens menedämän.

...just another sad example of what superstition & this kind of beliefs lead people to do to others Belief - not always good for you (or more precisely, for your neighbour)

[j.petsku]

Here's also a photo I found of a mural in the Lohja Church in Finland. Here the para is portrayed as more of a goblin with a single horn:
http://www.student.oulu.fi/~jek/para.jpg

More on the Lohja Kirkko:
http://www.student.oulu.fi/~jek/lohjaliite.html