Before the first snow ever fell on Lapland, the sky was dark and empty. The reindeer wandered by starlight alone, and the people huddled close to their fires, afraid of the long winters.
Among them lived Aino, a young woman whose voice could melt frost. She sang to calm the children, to call the herds, and to greet the dawn that never came.
One winter, when the cold was cruel beyond measure, Aino climbed to the highest hill and sang to the heavens:
“Sky above, why are you silent?
Give us light that remembers warmth.”
Her song rose higher than smoke, carried by the wind to the edge of the world.
The spirits of the Aurora, who slept beyond the northern sea, heard her plea. They descended in robes of flame and color, swirling above her head.
“Who dares wake the lights of the north?” they thundered.
“I am Aino of the snows,” she said, “and my people are dying. Give us light so we may see hope again.”
The Aurora spirits whispered among themselves. The eldest, Väinö, spoke: “We cannot stay long, for our fire burns the sky. But we will gift you a song—a melody that will bring us whenever the world grows dark.”
He placed a spark upon her lips. “Sing it when the frost bites hardest.”
Then they vanished, leaving trails of green and crimson fire across the heavens.
Aino returned to her village and taught the melody to her people. That night, as the cold howled, they sang together—and the lights returned, rippling above the snow.
The hunters could see their way, the mothers could find their children, and the reindeer followed the glow.
From then on, every winter when the dark stretched too long, the people sang the Song of the Northern Lights.
When Aino grew old, she climbed the same hill again. “When I am gone,” she said, “sing once more, and I will join the sky’s fire.”
She sang—and her voice became part of the wind. The lights flared brighter than ever before.
To this day, the Sámi people say that the crackling sound beneath the aurora is Aino’s voice, reminding them that light and warmth are born from courage.
Moral of the Story
Hope is a fire that never dies; it only waits for a song to wake it.
Knowledge Check
- Who was Aino?
A young woman from Lapland with a magical singing voice. - Why did she climb the hill?
To beg the sky for light during the endless winter. - Who answered her call?
The spirits of the Aurora Borealis. - What gift did they give her?
A melody that could summon the northern lights. - What happened when she died?
Her spirit joined the lights she loved, glowing brighter each year. - What is the story’s lesson?
That hope and courage can bring light even in life’s coldest hours.
Origin: Finnish folktale (Lapland oral tradition)
