metsäläinen
Metsäläinen is a Finnish noun formed from metsä, meaning forest, and the suffix -lainen, which is used to denote a person associated with a place or condition. The term literally means “forest dweller” and is used to describe someone who lives in or spends significant time in the woods, typically in rural or wilderness settings.
In Finnish folklore, metsäläinen is not a fixed mythological creature. Rather, it refers to humans who live
Metsäläinen is distinct from supernatural beings such as metsänhaltija, the forest spirit, or metsänväki, the people
In contemporary usage, the word can appear in fiction, discussions about ecology or nature-focused lifestyles, or