Sampo


In Finnish mythology, the Sampo or Sammas was a magical artifact of indeterminate type constructed by Ilmarinen that brought riches and good fortune to its holder. When the Sampo was stolen, it is said that Ilmarinen's homeland fell upon hard times and he sent an expedition to retrieve it, but in the ensuing battle it was smashed and lost at sea.

In the Kalevala

The Sampo is a pivotal element of the plot of the Finnish epic poem Kalevala, compiled in 1835 by Elias Lönnrot based on earlier Finnish oral tradition.
In the expanded second version of the poem, the Sampo is forged by Ilmarinen, a legendary smith, as a task set by the matron of Pohjola, Louhi, in return for her daughter's hand.
Ilmarinen works for several days at a mighty forge until finally the Sampo is created:
Later, Louhi steals the Sampo, provoking Ilmarinen and Väinämöinen to enter her stronghold in secret and retrieve it. Louhi, in reply, pursues them and combats Väinämöinen. In the struggle, Louhi is vanquished but the Sampo is destroyed.
'', Akseli Gallen-Kallela, 1896

Interpretation

The Sampo has been interpreted in many ways: a world pillar or world tree, a compass or astrolabe, a chest containing a treasure, a Byzantine coin die, a decorated Vendel period shield, a Christian relic, etc. In the Kalevala, compiler Lönnrot interpreted it to be a quern or mill of some sort that made flour, salt, and gold out of thin air. The world pillar/tree hypothesis was argued for by figures such as theosophian, historian of religions Uno Harva and the linguist Eemil Nestor Setälä in the early 20th century.
According to the archaeologist Elena Kuz'mina the Sampo mill myth originates from the Indo-European skambhá, and was borrowed into Finno-Ugric. In the Atharvaveda the 'skambhá' is a creature that supports the universe, analogous to the World Tree - the Sampo has been claimed to be the Finnish equivalent of the world tree.

Similar devices

The World Mill is a hypothesized mytheme shared by the mythologies of certain Indo-European-speaking peoples, involving the analogy of the cosmos or the firmament and a rotating millstone.
In the Aarne–Thompson classification systems of Folk-Tales, tale type 565 refers to a magic mill that continuously produces food or salt. Examples include Why the Sea is Salt, Sweet porridge, and The Water Mother. Such devices have been included into modern tales such as Strega Nona. Variants on the theme with a cautionary tale and pupil-master relationship include The Master and his Pupil, and Goethe's 1797 poem The Sorcerer's Apprentice.
The Cornucopia of Greek mythology also produces endless goods, and some versions of the Grail myth emphasize how the Grail creates food and goods.
Japanese folktale Shiofuki usu speaks of a grindstone that could be used to create anything. Like Sampo, it too was lost to the sea, endlessly grinding salt.
The Mahabharatha speaks about the Akshaya Patra, a vessel or bowl capable of creating food. It stopped providing at the end of the day when the lady of the house had her last meal. Similarly in Irish myth the Cauldron of the Dagda was a magical vessel that satisfied any number of people.

Influences