Pellonpekko was the Finnish god of beer and the harvest. He was considered by the ancient Finns to make the barley and wheat grow. He was also considered responsible for the mysterious fermentation process that happened when beer was made. His Roman counterpart would have been Ceres, which is the root of the English word for cereal, meaning grain.
The animal totem of beer in ancient Finland was the boar. It is said that the saliva of the boar was used to make the first beer. Mammalian digestive tracks are full of various bacteria and yeasts and saliva has been a source of fermenting yeast in other cultures as well. In one African culture, a fermented beverage is made by first putting the unfermented liquid in the mouth and then spitting it into the jug that is then used to ferment the final product.
The author of this blog does not recommend using saliva or wild yeast strains in the production of beer or any other beverage. It is best to follow recipes and purchase yeast from a modern supermarket or home brewing store.
