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Louhi is a prominent figure in Finnish mythology, primarily known from the epic Kalevala. She is the powerful female ruler of Pohjola, a land often associated with the realm of the dead, also called Manala or Tuonela. Louhi is depicted as a fierce, haglike creature who presides over this dark and gloomy underworld.12

In the Kalevala, Louhi plays a significant role in several dramatic events, including the forging of the magical sampo, a talisman of prosperity. She is also the mother of a beautiful daughter whom Väinämöinen, Ilmarinen, and Lemminkäinen seek to woo. Louhi's domain is a place reached by crossing a fiery stream, and while not a place of torment, it is a realm of the dead.12

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  1. Kalevala
  2. Manala

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