abstract
| - The primary religion of Kotimaa. Äiti ja Isä or "mother and father," is said to be a kind being believed to be both the mother and father of all human life. Their form is depicted as a pure, golden figure that wears finely embroidered clothes and perfect pelts. When they are Äiti, they are a beautiful woman with a full stomach, her hair is long and reaches down to the floor, her eyes typically closed. Äiti is said to birth new souls that will have the chance to experience the gift of life and continue spreading her will throughout the world. The will of Äiti is not only having children but ensuring their way to a successful adulthood. She is seen wearing a long dress and wears a bear pelt over her head and shoulders. The embroidery on her dress shows patterns of flowers and snowflakes. When she appears in the realm of the living, it’s sadly never good news. Äiti takes the lives of mothers that die giving birth personally, taking them to the realm of the dead safely with a soft assuring voice. Isä's form is a strong man, his hair long but braided back, his face partially covered from the thick beard he owns (sometimes its braided as well), and he is often seen carrying an axe. Isä, much unlike Äiti, wears heavy boots, a thick pair of gloves, a warm looking shirt, and sturdy pants. The pelt draped over his head and shoulders is a wolf. The embroidery on his clothes is of the ice dragons that hunt the mountains of Kotimaa. Isä appears before those who are dying from trying to protect their family or anyone's children. He is silent, but his eyes show strong approval and his face moved into a grin as he strongly takes the grip of the hero's hand and guides them into his realm. Souls escorted by the god Äiti ja Isä have the chance of returning to the realm of the living to become a guider of other souls.
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