{{Short description|Personification of the Finnish snow deity}} thumb|Heikki Lunta Winter Festival fireworks display 2024 thumb|Urban skiing event at the 2025 Heikki Lunta Winter Festival '''Heikki Lunta''' is the personification of the snow god in the folklore of the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, influenced by Finnish mythology.<ref>[https://upsupply.co/journal/heikki-lunta-finnish-snow-god The Legend of Heikki Lunta]Published on Jun 23, 2013 by Lucy Hough. Accessed online September 19, 2022</ref> The character of Heikki Lunta is a product of the heavy Finnish-American presence in the Keweenaw Peninsula of Michigan, paired with a tremendous annual snowfall.<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20070706003755/https://csumc.wisc.edu/exhibit/HeikkiLunta/index.htm] Not Just Talking About the Weather: Tradition, Social Change and Heikki Lunta by Hilary Virtanen 2006. Accessed via the internet archive September 6, 2022.</ref> The character has become an established part of local culture and media.<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20081007204731/http://csumc.wisc.edu/exhibit/HeikkiLunta/bibliography.html Heikki Lunta Bibliography] List of over 40 references to Heikki Lunta. accessed via the internet archive September 2022 </ref>
==History== David Riutta created "Heikki Lunta" (the name translates to "Hank Snow" in English) in 1970. When an upcoming snowmobile race hosted by the Range Snowmobile Club of Atlantic Mine was endangered by the lack of snowfall, Riutta, a worker at WMPL in Hancock, aired the "Heikki Lunta Snowdance Song".<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20081007234312/http://csumc.wisc.edu/exhibit/HeikkiLunta/timeline/19701971.html MUSIC: “The longest running advertisement ever”] by Hilary Virtanen 2006. Accessed via the Internet Archive September 2022.</ref> The song goes on to ask "Heikki Lunta," the Finnish-American snow god, for snow in time for the race. According to local tales, the snow fell and fell, until there was too much. People were superstitious that Riutta's song had caused too much snow for the race, so in response to public outcry, Riutta recorded the separate track, "Heikki Lunta Go Away." The 45 showcased each song on alternate sides.<ref>[https://www.finlandia.edu/heikinpaiva/whats-with-heikki/ Heikinpäivä – What’s With Heikki?] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240420221115/https://www.finlandia.edu/heikinpaiva/whats-with-heikki/ |date=2024-04-20 }}Heikki Lunta – A Modern Copper Country Folk Hero By Jim Kurtti. Accessed online September 19, 2022</ref>
The legends of Heikki Lunta have since expanded through children's stories and stage plays: ranging from his origins in central Finland as the son of Eljas and Saima Lunta, to his siblings, to his childhood sweetheart, Aino Mäkinen.<ref>[https://heikkilunta.csumc.wisc.edu/culture/stage.html] Heikki Hits the Stage by Hilary Virtanen 2006. Accessed September 6, 2022</ref>
==See also== *Jack Frost *Paul Bunyan *Rain dance *Saint Urho
==References== {{reflist}}
==External links== *[http://csumc.wisc.edu/exhibit/HeikkiLunta/index.htm Not Just Talking About the Weather: Tradition, Social Change and Heikki Lunta], Hilary Virtanen *[http://www.dayoopers.com/Lyric2o3.html#23.%20Heikki%20Lunta Heikki Lunta] (song), lyrics from Da Yoopers 1991 release, "Yoopy do Wah" *[http://www.pasty.com/heikki/heikkilunta.html Heikki Lunta – A Modern Copper Country Folk Hero] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110112064554/http://pasty.com/heikki/heikkilunta.html |date=2011-01-12 }}, Jim Kurtti *[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bm7oZDtrOSg Guess Who's Coming to Sauna? (Heikki Lunta)] by [http://www.congasemenne.com/ Conga Se Menne] *[https://www.uppermichiganssource.com/2022/01/27/heikki-lunta-snow-dance-other-traditions/ Heikki Lunta Snow Dance and other traditions]
Category:Upper Peninsula of Michigan Category:Fakelore Category:Fictional Finnish people Category:Finnish-American culture in Michigan Category:Hancock, Michigan Category:Folklore of Michigan Category:Ice and snow deities Category:Winter deities