pölyhahmulla

Pölyhahmulla is a term in Finnish that refers to a transient, dust-like figure or silhouette observed in air illuminated by light. The word is formed from pöly ("dust") and hahmo ("figure" or "shape"), with the suffix -lla indicating a phenomenon seen in relation to dust particles.

In folklore and contemporary culture, pölyhahmulla is described as a fleeting impression of a small being or animal formed by dust motes and air currents, often seen in dusty interiors, sunlit windows, or near old machinery. Accounts are anecdotal and lack scientific verification, and the phenomenon is generally treated as a perceptual experience rather than a measurable event. In literary and visual arts contexts, pölyhahmulla is used as a metaphor for memory, impermanence, or the boundary between the material and the imagined.

From a scientific standpoint, observers typically identify pareidolia or simple optical and physical conditions—particles suspended in air, lighting angles, and airflow—as the likely causes of the perceived shapes rather than a distinct physical phenomenon.

See also: pareidolia, dust motes, Finnish folklore.