Rare Monsters

  Iku Turso is a war god, a giant and a sea monster from Finnish Mythology. He is a character who I’ve occasionally heard referred to as the Finnish Cthulhu. He’s almost certainly a composite character, with similarly named gods and monsters being condensed into one character over time. He has many epithets. The name Iku Turso means the eternal giant. He’s also known as The Bearded One, The One Who Stands on the Brink, the Ox of Death, The Thousand Headed, The Thousand Horned. One of his alternate names, Meritursas, is today one of the Finnish names for the common octopus. Iku Turso is able to take on multiple forms, one being that of a giant dressed in warrior’s armour, another that of a sea monster. In sea monster form his appearance is variable and unclear. He’s described as having a slimy beard of tentacles, walrus tusks, and horns or antlers. However it’s unclear if this form is bestial or humanoid. Iku Turso was fathered by the god of old age. He burst out of his m...

  The hiiden hirvi is a monster from Finland. It was an artificial moose created in the underworld to test the hero Lemmink ä inen. It was created from bones, hide, soil, tree roots, moss and creeping vines, anything associated with the soil and underground. The hiiden hirvi was also considered unnatural because it didn't have a mother. Overall the beast is supposed to be eerie and unsettling. As well the hiiden hirvi is supposed to be a moose. Moose are called elk in Europe, but I didn't realize this until after I drew the picture, so you got a wapiti instead. Often it's said the hiiden hirvi was created by goblins, which is a miss-translation of hiisi. Hiisi actually means a spring, cave, graveyard or any other sacred space relating to the underworld. So underworld spirits is more accurate. Although they would be considered corporeal living beings, not ethereal like spirit implies in English. The hiiden hirvi's creation was ordered by the goddess of winter and night...