Tursaansydän

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Tursaansydän (Finnish, literally "heart of Tursas") or mursunsydän (Finnish, literally "heart of walrus") is an ancient symbol used in Northern Europe. It was especially popular in Lapland. Some say it was used in Lappish shaman drums. The symbol originates from prehistoric times and incorporates a svastika.

Tursaansydän was believed to bring luck and protect from curses. Tursaansydän has been used to decorate wooden furniture and buildings in Finland. During the 18th century simple svastika became more popular in Finnish wood decoration than more complex tursaansydän.

It has been speculated that tursaansydän could have been an image of a flying and rotating hammer of the thunder god (Ukko in Finland or Thor in Skandinavia). It could also be an image of a lightning ball, like Russian thunder marks (see Perun). Another theory is that it is actually an image of the heart of some being, like Tursas or walrus. The symbol has probably had many meanings during time.

[edit] References

• Ilmar Talve: Suomen kansankulttuuri (1989, 1990)
• Pieni tietosanakirja: Hakaristi