Tradition / Region: Finnish Mythology
Alternative names: Kimmo
Category: Cow
The Myth
Kimmo is a magical heifer forged by Ilmarinen, the eternal smith and master of metals, during his attempt to create the Sampo. Her horns shine like gold, while the Bear of Heaven and a disc of sunlight mark her forehead.
On the third day of Ilmarinen’s work, after a metal crossbow and a purple-metal skiff had emerged from the furnace and been destroyed, the strange heifer rose from the flames.
Kimmo was wild and impossible to control. She raced through forests, swamps, and meadows, scattering and spilling her milk as she went. No mortal could restrain her, and even Ilmarinen could not tame the creature he had forged.
Realizing that the heifer could not be kept, Ilmarinen cut Kimmo into pieces and threw her back into the furnace. From the magical materials of the forge, the Sampo finally began to take shape, its many-colored lid turning as it produced flour, salt, and gold.
Sources
Kalevala: The Epic Poem of Finland: RUNE X. ILMARINEN FORGES THE SAMPO. (J. M. Crawford, Trans.). (1888).