Spruce as the tree of wood spirits in traditional beliefs and rituals of the population of Kaerlia and the surrounding areas

Spruce is the tree of the wood spirits. In Karelia and Eastern Finland Tapio plays this role. He is the Lord of the forest beasts, and hunters ask him for luck. A tree with a flat top chosen as a kind of an altar was called “Tapio's table”. At the beginning of every hunting season, special charms were addressed to him to be successful in hunting. Hunters were to put a rye flat cake on the Tapio's table or give Tapio water from a spring to make a sacrifice. Also they would take a branch from the tree to keep bears sleeping in winter. Tapio tree was also used to look after cattle or to protect the newlyweds from the evil eye. To cure diseases people could use fir needles, taken from the magic tree. In the European North and Karelia we heard stories about tree spirits, which helped people to get rid of the evil eye. Some people hidden by a wood spirit could be found under spruce trees. So, this tree was considered to be the spirit's home, and moss growing on it was often called the wood spirit's beard.