Elämänpuu: Uskontotieteellisiä tutkielmia

A careful collection of scholarly essays, this volume follows one researcher’s path from the Finnish‑Ugric peoples of his native lands to the nomadic cultures of northern Siberia. Drawing on field notes and a wealth of comparative material, the author maps out how diverse societies have imagined the cosmos and their place within it.

The papers examine familiar symbols—the Tower of Babel, the Tree of Life, paradisiacal rivers, the great mother goddess, and the thread of destiny—showing how each motif appears in different cultural layers. By juxtaposing flat‑earth ideas, concentric heavens, and sacred mountains, the work reveals a striking continuity and surprising variation in ancient worldviews across Eurasia.

Written with clear, measured prose, the study invites listeners to travel beyond conventional histories and glimpse the rich tapestry of myth that has shaped human thought for centuries.