Tuonetar and the Beer of Oblivion

I have always found Finnish mythology very interesting, and now I have started to research more information about it. The Finnish mythology has no "official" form since before the 1800s most of the knowledge was transferred through oral stories, poems and spells. Almost every region of Finland has its own variation of the myths, but they all share great deal of similarities.

Tuonetar is the goddess and the Hostess of the Tuonela (the Underworld of Finnish mythology. Fun fact: Finnish mythology has no Heaven-like alternative. All people, good or bad, will go to Tuonela.)
Tuonetar is the wife of Tuoni, the god and host of the Tuonela. Even though it would be easy to assume that Tuonetar and Tuoni are the Finnish Gods of Death, they aren't.
One of their daughters, Kalma, is the Goddess of Death in Finnish Mythology. (Kalma is a Finnish synonym for a word "death" )

I'm sorry if there are any major mistakes in the text, I got so excited at explaining this.

Done in Photoshop CC
8 hours


I got some inspiration from a poem of the Kalevala.
In finnish

Vei venehen Tuonen tytti; sillä vanhan Väinämöisen

yli salmen saattelevi, joen poikki päästelevi.

Itse tuon sanoiksi virkki: "Voi sinua, Väinämöinen!

Läksit surmatta Manalle, kuolematta Tuonelahan!"

 

Tuonetar, hyvä emäntä, Manalatar, vaimo vanha,

toip' on tuopilla olutta, kantoi kaksikorvaisella;

itse tuon sanoiksi virkki: "Juop' on, vanha Väinämöinen!"

 

Vaka vanha Väinämöinen katsoi pitkin tuoppiansa:

sammakot kuti sisällä, maot laioilla lateli.

Siitä tuon sanoiksi virkki: "En mä tänne tullutkana

juomahan Manalan maljat, Tuonen tuopit lakkimahan:

juopuvat oluen juojat, kannun appajat katoovat."

 

Sanoi Tuonelan emäntä: "Oi on vanha Väinämöinen!

Mitä sie tulit Manalle, kuta Tuonelan tuville

ennen Tuonen tahtomatta, Manan mailta kutsumatta?"

In English

Mana's daughter does as bidden, Brings her boat to Wainamoinen, 

Quickly rows him through the channel, O'er the black and fatal river, 

To the kingdom of Manala, Speaks these words to the magician: 

"Woe to thee ! O Wainamoinen ! Wonderful indeed, thy magic, 

Since thou comest to Manala, Comest neither dead nor dving." 

Tuonetar, the death-land hostess, Ancient hostess of Tuoni, 

Brings him pitchers filled with strong-beer, Fills her massive golden goblets, 

Speaks these measures to the stranger : "Drink, thou ancient Wainamoinen, 

Drink the beer of king Tuoni !" 

Wainamoinen, wise and cautious, Carefully inspects the liquor, 

Looks a long time in the pitchers, Sees the spawning of the black-frogs, 

Sees the young of poison-serpents, Lizards, worms, and writhing adders, 

Thus addresses Tuonetar: "Have not come with this intention, 

Have not come to drink thy poisons, 

Drink the beer of Tuonela ; Those that drink Tuoni's liquors, 

Those that sip the cups of Mana, Court the Devil and destruction, 

End their lives in want and ruin." Tuonetar makes this answer: 

"Ancient minstrel, Wainamoinen, Tell me what has brought thee hither, 

Brought thee to the realm of Mana, To the courts of Tuonela, 

Ere Tuoni sent his angels To thy home in Kalevala, 

There to cut thy magic life-thread."