Skip to main content

The myth of the Sampo— an infinite source of fortune and greed - Hanna-Ilona Härmävaara

2,110,809 Views

2,832 Questions Answered

TEDEd Animation

Let’s Begin…

After a skirmish at sea and long days of being battered by waves, Väinämöinen— a powerful bard as old as the world itself— washed up on the shores of distant Pohjola. A cunning witch nursed him back to health but demanded a reward for returning him home. Not content with mere gold or silver, the witch wanted what did not yet exist. Hanna-Ilona Härmävaara digs into the Finnish myth of the Sampo.

How does Väinämöinen make Louhi’s army fall asleep?

About TED-Ed Animations

TED-Ed Animations feature the words and ideas of educators brought to life by professional animators. Are you an educator or animator interested in creating a TED-Ed Animation? Nominate yourself here »

Meet The Creators

  • Educator Hanna-Ilona Härmävaara
  • Director WOW-HOW Studio
  • Narrator Addison Anderson
  • Storyboard Artist Sasha Dudka
  • Character Designer Denis Bousygin
  • Illustrator Sasha Dudka, Nikita Bondarenko, Anna Aleksandrova, Victor Zhuravliov
  • Animator Sasha Dudka, Alex Bohdan, Elmar Aleskerov, Dmitrii Zakharchuk
  • Art Director Anna Dolzhenko
  • Producer Alex Isaev, Daria Kachan
  • Music Bamm Bamm Wolfgang
  • Director of Production Gerta Xhelo
  • Editorial Producer Alex Rosenthal
  • Associate Producer Bethany Cutmore-Scott
  • Associate Editorial Producer Dan Kwartler
  • Script Editor Alex Gendler
  • Fact-Checker Joseph Isaac

More from Myths From Around the World