What is the name of the magical elk hunted in the Kalevala?

The magical elk hunted in the Kalevala is Hiisi’s elk, known in Finnish as Hiiden hirvi.

The creature appears during Lemminkäinen’s attempt to win a bride from Pohjola. The mistress of Pohjola sets him a series of nearly impossible tasks, beginning with capturing Hiisi’s elk on skis. The animal is not an ordinary quarry: it is a supernatural beast associated with Hiisi, a powerful spirit or mythic being linked to wild and sacred places.

Lemminkäinen’s pursuit becomes an extreme test of skill and endurance. The elk’s speed and otherworldly nature make conventional hunting ineffective, and the episode draws on older Finnish and Karelian poetic traditions about enchanted animals and heroic feats.

Translations can create a zoological mix-up. Finnish hirvi is commonly rendered as “elk” in British usage, while North American translations may call the same animal a “moose.” “Hiisi’s elk” and “the Elk of Hiisi” therefore refer to the same Kalevala creature, not two different animals.