kohtalo

Kohtalo is a Finnish noun meaning fate or destiny. It denotes the events and outcomes believed to be predetermined or outside a person’s control and is commonly used to describe the course of life or a situation that seems unavoidable.

The word is native to the Finnish language and is a central concept in how speakers talk about luck, chance, and human agency. In literature and folklore, kohtalo is a narrative force that can shape characters’ choices and turning points. Although Finnish myth does not center on one deity of fate, the idea of an overarching destiny appears across traditional songs and stories and remains a frequent theme in contemporary Finnish fiction and cinema.

In philosophical and everyday usage, kohtalo is discussed in relation to determinism and free will. It is often used metaphorically to acknowledge forces beyond personal control—such as circumstance, birth, or social conditions—and to describe major life changes or irreversible outcomes without implying fixed metaphysical claims.

See also: Destiny; Fate; Free will.