Perkele

Template:Italic title Template:Short description Template:For Template:Lang (Template:IPA) is a Finnish word meaning 'evil spirit' and a popular Finnish profanity, used similarly to the English phrase God damn,<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> although it is considered much more profane. It is most likely the most internationally known Finnish curse word.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite book</ref><ref>Template:Cite book</ref>

Etymology

The name is of Indo-European origin; Perkwunos is the reconstructed name of the god of thunder.

Some researchers consider Template:Lang to be an original name of the thunder god Ukko, the chief god of the Finnish pagan pantheon,<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> but this view is not shared by all researchers.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> There are related words in other Finnic languages: in Estonian, Template:Lang means hell, in Karelian Template:Lang means an evil spirit.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite book</ref>

Influence of Christianity

As Finland was Christianized, the ancient pre-Christian deities came to be regarded as demons. This led to the use of "Template:Lang" as a translation for "Devil" in the Finnish translation of the Bible. Later, in other translations, the word was rendered as Template:Lang (the evil one).<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

See also

• Piru (spirit)