Editing Sauna (section)

==Traditions and old beliefs==
[[File:Pekka Halonen - Saunassa.jpg|thumb|''In the sauna'' (1925), by [[Pekka Halonen]]]]

The Finnish word ''löyly'' {{IPA|[ˈløyly]}} is strictly connected to the sauna. It can be translated as "sauna steam" and refers to the steam vapour created by splashing water on the heated rocks. In many languages related to Finnish, there is a word corresponding to ''löyly''. The same approximate meaning is used across the [[Finnic languages]] such as in [[Estonian language|Estonian]] ''leil''. Originally this word meant "spirit" or "life", as in e.&nbsp;g. Hungarian ''[[wiktionary:lélek|lélek]]'' and [[Khanty language|Khanty]] ''lil'', which both mean "soul", referring to the sauna's old, spiritual essence. The same dual meaning of both "spirit" and "(sauna) steam" is also preserved in the [[Latvian language|Latvian]] word ''gars''. There is an old Finnish saying, "saunassa ollaan kuin kirkossa",—one should behave in the sauna as in church.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://yle.fi/a/3-8949967|title=Saunan henki on herkkä – 8 asiaa, joita saunassa ei saa tehdä|first=Minna|last=Matintupa|work=[[Yle]]|date=11 June 2016|access-date=18 February 2025|language=fi}}</ref>

''Saunatonttu'', literally translated as "sauna elf", is a little [[gnome]] or [[tutelary spirit]] that was believed to live in the sauna. He was always treated with respect, otherwise, he might have caused much trouble for people. It was customary to warm up the sauna just for the ''[[tonttu]]'' every now and then, or to leave some food outside for him. It is said that he warned the people if a fire was threatening the sauna or punished people who behaved improperly in it—for example, slept, played games, argued, were generally noisy, or behaved otherwise immorally there. Such creatures are believed to exist in different cultures. The Russian banya has an entirely corresponding character called a ''[[bannik]]''.

In [[Thailand]], women spend hours in a makeshift sauna tent during the month following childbirth. The steam is typically infused with several herbs. It is believed that the sauna helps the new mother's body return to its normal condition more quickly.{{citation needed|date=October 2023}}

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