Found wood, paper mache, acrylics, wool/rayon felt, sequins
20" tall, 18' wide at the arms

Tapiotar, according to Finnish folklore, is the protectress of birds and the 'boss' of 'the forest folk' (metsän väki). In contemporary Finnish, 'väki' means 'folk' in the same sense as does the English word. But in the pre-Christian days, the word was understood to mean all kinds of nature spirits inhabiting the forests, fields and homesteads. Tapio, King of the Forest, is a better known forest entity. Tapiotar is not his spouse (that would be Mielikki, Mistress of the Forest), but an equal guardian of the wooded landscape, with a slightly different domain. She protects all birds, and when petitioning the forest spirits, it's good to address her first.