Kiviportaita

Kiviportaita is a Finnish term that literally means “stone steps.” The phrase is most widely known as the title of a Finnish children's fantasy novel by author Eino-Matti Korhonen, first published in 1975. The story follows a group of children who discover a hidden stone staircase in a remote forest and are drawn into a realm where time behaves differently. The novel is celebrated for its blend of natural description and subtle magical elements, and it has remained in the standard list of Finnish textbooks for younger readers.

In addition to its literary significance, “kiviportaita” has also entered popular folklore. Local hunters and hikers in northern Finland sometimes refer informally to a particular rocky staircase near the Rantasalmi region as a kiviportaita, noting its use as a landmark in winter trekking routes. The staircase is purely natural but has earned a mythic quality through repeated storytelling.

The term appears occasionally in Finnish media titles, mainly in works dealing with nature or adventure, and the 1999 animated film adaptation of Korhonen’s novel introduced the concept to a broader audience. Scholars of Finnish folklore cite kiviportaita as an example of place‑based narrative tradition that reinforces communal understanding of the natural landscape.