UKKO

Real Name: Ukko

Identity/Class: Extradimensional (Taivas) god

Occupation: Sky-Father of the Jumala;
    god of the sky, weather, harvest, and thunder

Group Membership: Council of Godheads (Ahura Mazda, Altjira, Amaterasu, Ammon Ra, Anansi, Anu, Atar, Ba'al, Baiame, Balder, Brahma, Buddha, Buluku (also as Ndriananahary), Chronus, Dagda, Dagon, Hera,  Hodiak, Horus, Hunab-Ku, Hwanin, Inti, Itzamna, Izanagi, Manitou, Marduk, Mitra, Nuadhu, Odin, Osiris, Ouranos, Quetzacoatl, Seth, Shiva, Shou-Hsing, Svarog, Tame, Tezcatlipoca, Thor, Ulgen, Valka, Viracocha, Vishnu, Yahweh, Yu Huang, Zeus
Godheads by Pantheon), Jumala/Taivasian/Finnish gods

Affiliations: Worshipped (largely in the past) by the Finno-Ugric and Sami people;
    Okonorote, Tomazooma.
    formerly the God Squad

Enemies: Agamemnon, Hiisi, Kly’bn, Mikaboshi, Näkki, Sl’gur’t
    formerly the Celestials;
    at least briefly Hercules (Heracles)

Known Relatives: Ilmarinen (father), Akka (aka Gaea and Ilmatar; wife);
    presumably Ahti and his wife, Vellamo; Äkräs; Tapio and his wife, Mielikki, and their son, Nyyrikki; and Tuoni and his mistress, Tuonetar, and their daughters, Kipu-Tytto, Kivutar, Loviatar (possibly Louhi),  Vammatar (possibly this Vammatar)

Aliases: Perkele, Uku (see comments)

Base of Operations: Taivas dimension, peripheral to Earth

First Appearance: (Unidentified) Thor I#300 (October, 1980);
    (identified) All-New Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe A to Z#3: Council of Godheads entry  (March, 2006)
   

Powers/Abilities: Ukko is superhumanly strong and durable. As a skyfather, he most likely could at least approach lifting 100 tons, possibly via augmenting his body via his godly powers. 

    Like the rest of the Jumala, Ukko ceased aging at adulthood, and he cannot die by conventional means. He is resistant to conventional diseases and injury, and he has superhuman healing, endurance and reflexes. Only dispersal of a major portion of his bodily molecules would cause death, and even then resurrection via other gods may be possible. 

    Ukko almost certainly possesses vast energy manipulation powers, comparable to other sky-fathers, such as Odin and Zeus.

    Ukko possessed the magic metal hammer Ukonvasara, and sometimes also an axe (Finnish: Ukonkirves) or a sword; he can apparently project lightning and/or thunderbolts through these weapons.

Height: Unrevealed (likely 6'6" or tall)
Weight: Unrevealed (it is unrevealed whether his body is truly more dense and massive than mortal tissue, or whether his tissue is more durable by its own nature without being more massive)
Eyes: Unrevealed
Hair: Unrevealed (Ukko has not been seen without his helmet, but he appears to have a dark brown beard).

History:
(Myth history / Thor & Hercules: Encyclopaedia Mythologica: Jumala entry) - According to ancient myths, the first Sky Father Ilmarinen emerged from the extradimensional realm of Taivas and used his hammer to shatter the Cosmic Egg that predated all of existence, using its primordial contents to give shape to the physical world. He also used the contents of the Cosmic Egg to create lesser godlings, who came to be known as the Jumala (the Taivasian gods, aka Kalevalans by some sources); however, it is unclear whether the Jumala race originated on Earth, Taivas, or in another dimension linked to Taivas.

    After forging the sky, sun and moon with his hammer, Ilmarinen chose to relinquish his role as Sky Father and live on Earth among mortals as a blacksmith. He was succeeded as Sky Father by his son, Ukko.

    With the primordial Earth Mother Gaea (known as Akka or Ilmatar to the Jumala), Ukko fathered subsequent generations of gods. Each god was given dominion over a distinct aspect of nature.

    Most Jumala dwelled in Taivas (also known as “Lintukoto”), a small planetary object within a pocket dimension adjacent to Earth; an interdimensional nexus between Taivas and Earth known as Linnunrata, the “Path of the Birds,” enabled quick travel between the two realms. 

    Armed with his magic metal hammer Ukonvasara, Ukko valiantly defended his realm from all threats, including the wicked, goblin-like Hiisi forest spirits and the duplicitous shape-shifting water spirit, Näkki.

    The Jumala were worshipped by the Finno-Ugric and Sami people of Northern Europe from 500 BC until the 13th century AD. The Jumala were called different names by their human worshippers; for example, Ukko was also known as Perkele in Finnish and Uku in Estonian.

Comments: Created by unknown parties;
    adapted to Marvel by Mark Gruenwald & Ralph Macchio, Keith Pollard, and Chic Stone.

    Ukko was neither pictured nor named in a number of the Council of Godheads' appearances, including Thor Annual#10, Infinity Gauntlet#2 (possibly because he was one of the beings eliminated by Thanos via the Infinity Gauntlet), Marvel Universe: The End#2, 5 & 6, Thor II#61 & 65, Secret Warriors#10, and Journey into Mystery#627.
    He may have been behind-the-scenes in some of these appearances, or perhaps he was either not invited or did not attend for various reasons.

    Courtesy of finnishmyth.org

    Ukko was the supreme god of the Finns but he had a dual role: he was also the weather god. Most of all he was remembered in the spring as the god of weather when the seeds had been sown. He was asked to bring the rain and stop the spring drought. To do this the people gathered for the offering feast called Ukon vakat. There the sacred ale was drunk. The ale was brewed from barrels of corn, barley or oats left on the roof of houses for Ukko to see and to moisten with rainwater. From this mixture the malt was made. Food offerings were also presented in a wooden container called vakka. Ukko was a general purpose god. People prayed to him for good luck in hunting and fishing and also in war.

    In Finnish ukko means old man. Even today the word ukkonen means thunderstorm. During thunderstorms people said: Ukko is striking the fire, Ukko is roaring. The lightning bolts were seen as slashes of his golden club or hammer.

    Another name for Ukko was Remu, which also means thunder. One of the weapons of Ukko was the hailstorm which could be called upon the enemy. Ukko was also called father or grandfather. He lived above the clouds in the center of the sky.

    Courtesy of Wikipedia:

    Ukko (Finnish: [ˈukːo]), Äijä [ˈæi̯jæ] or Äijö [ˈæi̯jø] (Finnish for "male grandparent", "grandfather", "old man"), parallel to Uku in Estonian mythology, is the god of the sky, weather, harvest and thunder in Finnish mythology. Ukkonen, the Finnish word for thunder is the diminutive form of the name Ukko. Others believe that Ukko's original name was Baltic Perkūnas. Ukko is held the most significant god of Finnish mythology, although it is disputed by scholars whether this is accountable to later Christian influence. In the folk poems and prayers he is also given the epithet Ylijumala (English: Supreme God), probably in reference to his status as the most highly regarded god and on the other hand his traditional domain in the heavens. Other names for Ukko include Pitkänen (pitkä, "long"), Isäinen (isä, "father"), Isoinen (iso, archaic form of the above, modern meaning "great", "big" or "large"). Although portrayed active in myth, when appealed to Ukko makes all his appearances in legend solely by natural phenomena. According to Martti Haavio, the name Ukko was sometimes used as a common noun or generalized epithet for multiple deities instead of denoting a specific god.

    It is likely that the figure of Ukko is mostly Indo-European, possibly Baltic, in origin. Ukko is held by researchers of religion to be parallel to Indo-European patriarchal sky deities, for example to Zeus and Jupiter of the Classical Greco-Roman pantheon, the Indian Hindu god Indra, Balto-Slavic God Perun—Perkūnas and the Norse god Thor. Tuuri, a Germanic loan and cognate of Thor, was possibly an alternate name for Ukko. Tuuri is rarely encountered in Finnish mythology, and had been relegated to the mere role of deity of harvest and success.

    It is possible that when Ukko took the position of the preceding sky god Ilmarinen, Ilmarinen's destiny was to become a mortal smith-hero. Stories tell about Ilmarinen vaulting the sky-dome. Whether Ilmarinen was an earlier, presumably Uralic sky deity is regardless highly questionable. Some researchers hold Ilmarinen and Ukko equivalent.

    The Sami worshipped a similar deity, called Aijeke, probably as result of cultural cross-contamination or common origin. The god was equated with Horagalles.

    Ukko possessed a weapon, often a hammer called Ukonvasara (English: Ukko's hammer), sometimes also an axe (Finnish: Ukonkirves) or a sword, by which he struck lightning (see thunderbolt). Ukko's weapon was largely comparable to the Norse Mjölnir, and Iron Age emblematic pendants depicting hammers and axes similar or identical to Scandinavian specimens have been unearthed in Finland. Like Mjölnir, Ukko's weapon has been linked by some to the boat-shaped battle axes [de] of the Corded Ware culture.

    Thunderbolts were sometimes called Ukon vaaja (English: bolt of Ukko) or Ukon nuoli (English: arrow of Ukko). It is possible that the Birch bark letter no. 292, written in a Baltic-Finnic language and unearthed in Novgorod, makes use of the metaphor, also referring to Ukko as doom-god according to one interpretation translated by Yuri Yeliseyev in modern English and interpreted in modern Finnish: God's arrow, ten [is] your name. This arrow is God's own. The Doom-God leads. The name Ukon vaaja was also used of Neolithic stone tools such as battle axes, which were employed as thunderstones to be buried at the corners of dwellings

    Thunderstorms were sometimes interpreted as result of Ukko copulating with his wife Akka (Finnish: Old woman). He also was believed to cause thunderstorms by driving his chariot through the skies.

    A viper with a serrated line on its back was considered a symbol of thunder. Neolithic stone carvings have been found in Russian Karelia which have features of both snakes and lightning. It is, however, uncertain whether these are directly connected to the figure of Ukko. Evidence for worship of snakes is found among different cultures around the Baltic, amongst them Estonians and Finns.

    There is evidence that the rowan tree was held sacred to Ukko. Rauni, a vaguely defined being has been hypothesised to be cognate to Germanic words for the rowan tree through Old Norse *raunir.

    The ladybird was also considered sacred to Ukko and called ukonlehmä (English: Ukko's cow). Finnish name of the great mullein (Verbascum thapsus) is ukontulikukka (Ukko's fire flower), is also linked to worship of Ukko.

    Before the advent of Christianity, the Midsummer festival in Finland, today known as Juhannus after John the Baptist (Finnish: Johannes Kastaja), was held in honor of Ukko and called Ukon juhla (English: Festival of Ukko). This tradition carried to the 19th century.

    Also dedicated to Ukko were the Vakkajuhlat (English: Vakka festival) also known as Ukon vakat (Ukko's vakkas) or simply vakat (Vakkas). Vakkas were commonly held in May coinciding with the spring sowing. During vakkas it was customary to consume or otherwise offer a container or some other vessel (Finnish: vakka) of an alcoholic beverage or food as sacrifice. It appears that often the festival was held in the community's sacred grove or hiisi where an animal sacrifice was sometimes also performed as part of the same festival. This ceremony was believed to guarantee good weather for the coming year and thus a good harvest.

    It appears that the vakka tradition was rather lively. The last uncontested reports of vakkas being held originate in the 19th century, although sporadic reports also surface in the 20th century. The festival is also mentioned by the Finnish reformer Mikael Agricola in his account of what from his point of view was Finnish idolatry.

    This profile was completed 9/1/2021, but its publication was delayed as it was intended for the Appendix 20^th anniversary 's celebratory event.

Profile by Snood.

CLARIFICATIONS:
Ukko should be distinguished from:

• UKU PANCHA - lower world of Incan mythos--[Incredible Hulk I#117]
• other "Uk" characters, beings, places, etc.
  

Appearances:
Thor I#300 (October, 1980) - Mark Gruenwald & Ralph Macchio (writers), Keith Pollard (penciler), Chic Stone (inker), Jim Salicrup (editor)
All-New Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe A to Z#3: Council of Godheads entry  (March, 2006) - Jeff Christiansen (head writer), Sean McQuaid, Mark O'English, Ronald Byrd, Michael Hoskin, Eric J. Moreels, Stuart Vandal, Bill Lentz, Richard Green, Anthony Flamini, Barry Reese, Mike Fichera & Chris Biggs (writers), Michael Short (assistant editor), Jeff Youngquist & Jennifer Grunwald (editors)
Thor & Hercules: Encyclopaedia Mythologica (2009) - Anthony Flamini (head writer, coordinator), Greg Pak, Fred Van Lente, Paul Cornell (consulting writers), Kevin Sharpe (Jumala entry art), Jeff Youngquist (editor)
Incredible Hercules#116-117 (June-July, 2008) - Greg Pak, Fred Van Lente (writers), Rafa Sandoval (penciler), Roger Bonet (inker), Mark Paniccia (editor)
Official Handbook of the Marvel Universe A to Z hardcover#14 (June, 2010) - Jeff Christiansen & Mike Fichera (head writers/coordinators), Markus Raymond & Mike O'Sullivan (writers, coordination assistants) Stuart Vandal,  Sean McQuaid, Michael Hoskin, Ronald Byrd, Madison Carter, Kevin Garcia, Gabriel Shechter, Jacob Rougemont, Rob London, Rich Green, Chris Biggs, David Wiltfong, Jeph York, Mark O'English, & Mike Gagnon (writers), Kevin Sharpe (Jumala entry art)., Mark D. Beazley (editor, special projects), John Denning (associate editor), Alex Starbuck (assistant editor). Jeff Youngquist & Jennifer Grunwald (editors)
Heroic Age: Prince of Power#1 (July, 2010) - Greg Pak, Fred Van Lente (writers), Reilly Brown (penciler), Terry Pallot (inker), Nathan Cosby (associate editor), Mark Paniccia (editor)
Heroic Age: Prince of Power#2 (August, 2010) - Greg Pak, Fred Van Lente (writers), Reilly Brown (penciler), Terry Pallot (inker), Nathan Cosby (associate editor), Mark Paniccia (editor)
Secret Warriors#10 (January, 2010) - Jonathan Hickman (writer), Alessandro Vitti (penciler & inker), Lauren Sankovitch (associate editor), Tom Brevoort (editor)
Chaos War#1 (December, 2010) - Greg Pak & Fred Van Lente (writers), Khoi Pham (penciler), Tom Palmer (inker), Jordan D. White (assistant editor), Mark Paniccia (senior editor)
Chaos War#3 (January, 2011) - Greg Pak & Fred Van Lente (writers), Khoi Pham (penciler), Tom Palmer (inker), Jordan D. White (assistant editor), Mark Paniccia (senior editor)
Journey into Mystery#627 (November, 2011) - Kieron Gillen (writer), Richard Elson (penciler & inker), John Denning (assistant editor), Ralph Macchio (senior editor)

First posted: 09/20/2021
Last updated: 09/19/2021

Any Additions/Corrections? please let me know.

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