Folklore Workshop – Fingers of Velnias

Each Tuesday afternoon workshop will centre around the myth or folklore topic of that week. The aim will be to discuss ideas surrounding that belief or narrative and to come up with a finished piece using any of the methods and materials that are available. You will have access to paper/card, printing materials (linocut, block, mono or collagraph), paints, drawing materials, 3D resources (clay, paper mache, wire, wool), paints and other bits and pieces. You will have an experienced artist to help you develop your ideas and produce your artwork.

In Lithuanian folklore, mushrooms are intimately tied to the earth, the underworld, and the Devil (Velnias). Because they emerge from beneath the soil, a realm historically associated with the underworld, they feature prominently in traditional beliefs as creations, or even body parts, of the Devil himself. The most striking legend suggests that mushrooms are the long fingers of Velnias. According to myth, the Devil pushes his fingers up from the underworld to pierce the surface and reach out to the world of the living. Despite his trickster and malevolent nature in some tales, these fungal “fingers” were often believed to be a resource meant to feed the poor and hungry, acting as an unexpected gift of sustenance from the underworld. Everything hiding beneath the earth’s surface belonged to Velnias. Therefore, the act of picking them from the forest floor could be seen as a transaction or interaction with the Devil’s domain. Conversely, because mushrooms provided essential food and security for struggling peasants, they were also widely accepted as gifts sent directly by God to help the poor.