Iku-Turso (in Finnish pronounced as /ˈikuˌturso/, "the eternal Turso"; also known as Iku-Tursas, Iki-Tursas, Meritursas, Tursas, Turisas among others) is a malevolent sea monster in Finnish mythology, best known for appearing in the Kalevala. Nowadays Meritursas means octopus in Finnish, named after Iku-Turso, but originally tursas is an old name for walrus while the more common term is mursu. However, it is more common to see the word (lit. "ink fish"), the name of its Subclass Coleoidea in Finnish, for the octopus.
The name Turisas is probably an early loanword from the Proto-Germanic *Þurisaz ("giant").
His appearance remains unclear, but he is described with several epithets: partalainen (the one who lives on the brink, or alternatively, the bearded one), Tuonen härkä (the ox of Tuoni, Death), tuhatpää (thousand-headed), tuhatsarvi (thousand-horned). It was sometimes said that he lived in Pohjola, but that may be because Pohjola was often perceived as the home of all evil.
In some versions of the spell The Birth of Nine Diseases Iku-Turso is mentioned as the father of diseases with Loviatar, the blind daughter of Tuoni, the god of death. The Scandinavian giants (þursar, sg. þurs) had the ability to shoot arrows which caused diseases in people. This and the fact that þurs resembles Tursas gives credence to the idea that they may be related. Some runes tell that Meritursas partalainen makes pregnant the Maiden of Air (Ilman impi, Ilmatar). She later gave birth to Väinämöinen, which would make him a truly primeval creature. On the other hand, he is also mentioned as the son of Äijö (a name usually assigned to the God of sky).
In the list of Tavastian gods by Mikael Agricola, he is mentioned as the god of war: Turisas voiton antoi sodast (Turisas brought victory in war). It has been suggested that the god in the list is same as the Scandinavian god of war Tyr; however, this theory is not widely supported today.
He is mentioned several times in the Finnish national epic, the Kalevala. In the second cantos he rises from the sea and burns a stack of hay. Later, a giant oak grows from the ashes. The tree grows so large that it hides the sun and the moon and is cut down.
| From the ocean rose a giant, | From the acorn, quickly sprouting, | |
| Mighty Tursas, tall and hardy, | Grows the oak-tree, tall and stately, | |
| Pressed compactly all the grasses, | From the ground enriched by ashes, | |
| That the maidens had been raking, | Newly raked by water-maidens; | |
| When a fire within them kindles, | Spread the oak-trees many branches, | |
| And the flames shot up to heaven, | Rounds itself a broad corona, | |
| Till the windrows burned to ashes, | Raises it above the storm-clouds; | |
| Only ashes now remaining | Far it stretches out its branches, | |
| Of the grasses raked together. | Stops the white-clouds in their courses, | |
| In the ashes of the windows, | With its branches hides the sunlight, | |
| Tender leaves the giant places, | With its many leaves, the moonbeams, | |
| In the leaves he plants an acorn, | And the starlight dies in heaven.[1] |
Later, Iku-Turso is summoned by Louhi, the Lady of the North, to stop the theft of the magical artifact Sampo. Väinämöinen, the leader of the plunderers, grabs Iku-Turso from his ears and using magical words makes him promise to never return from the bottom of the sea.
| Wainamoinen, brave and mighty, | Asked the second time the monster, | To the people of Wainola, | |
| Seizes quick the water-monster, | Urgently inquired a third time: | Never while the moonlight glimmers | |
| Lifts him by his ears and questions: | "Iku-Turso, son of Old-age, | On the hills of Kalevala!" | |
| "Iku-Turso, son of Old-age, | Why art rising from the waters, | ||
| Why is art rising from the blue-sea? | Wherefore dost thou leave the blue-sea? | Then the singer, Wainamoinen, | |
| Wherefore dost thou leave thy castle, | Iku-Turso gave this answer: | Freed the monster, Iku-Turso, | |
| Show thyself to mighty heroes, | For this, cause I left my castle | Sent him to his deep sea-castles, | |
| To the heroes of Wainola?" | Underneath the rolling billows: | Spake these words to him departing: | |
| Came I here with the intention | "Iku-Turso, son of Old-age, | ||
| Iku-Turso, son of Old-age, | To destroy the Kalew-heroes, | Nevermore arise from the ocean, | |
| Ocean monster, manifested | And return the magic Sampo | Nevermore let Northland-heroes | |
| Neither pleasure nor displeasure, | To the people of Pohyola. | See thy face above the waters I | |
| Was not in the least affrighted, | If thou wilt restore my freedom, | Nevermore has Iku-Turso | |
| Did not give the hero an answer. | Spare my life, from pain and sorrow, | Risen to the ocean-level; | |
| I will quick retrace my journey, | Never since have Northland sailors | ||
| Whereupon the ancient minstrel, | Nevermore to show my visage | Seen the head of this sea-monster.[2] |
One of the three Vetehinen class submarines used by Finland in the Second World War was named after Iku-Turso. After the war the Soviet Union denied Finland the use of submarines, and she was sold to Belgium for scrapping.https://web.archive.org/web/20061009122709/http://www.veteraanienperinto.fi/suomi/Kertomukset/sotilas/sotilas/jatkosota/sukellusvenesotaa.htm Other things named after the mythical being are the Asteroid 2828 Iku-Turso and a Finnish metal band Turisas.