When Yumala and the other Finnish deities did not do as they were desired, their worshippers naturally applied for protection or assistance to the Madonna and the "Russian God." If their own traditional magic rites did not suffice to ward off evil influences, they naturally tried the effect of crossing themselves, as the Russians do in moments of danger.

All this may seem strange to us who have been taught from our earliest years that religion is something quite different from spells, charms, and incantations, and that of all the various religions in the world one alone is true, all the others being false.

But we must remember that the Finns have had a very different education.

They do not distinguish religion from magic rites, and they have never been taught that other religions are less true than their own.

For them the best religion is the one which contains the most potent spells, and they see no reason why less powerful religions should not be blended therewith.