Löylynhenki, "the spirit of the löyly" or the spirit of sauna:
- A metaphor for the power of the löyly. Sauna was an important part of the Finnish shaman religion, so the löyly had also a spiritual meaning, like breathing has in Eastern religions. Each sauna has its own sauna spirit. The spirit of sauna will make the bravest and mightiest of men bow before its scorching power, or flee from the sauna altogether. Grab the whole bucket of water and throw all of it on the kiuas, and soon you will also believe in the power of the spirit! ;-)
- A special stone in a kiuas. Usually a löylynhenki is made of steatite (soapstone). It heats up slower and stays cooler than the other stones. In the stone there is a carved notch, in which water boils, not flash vaporising like in the ordinary stones. It makes a funny gurgling sound long after the bulk of the water has evaporated off the kiuas. If special löyly scent is put into the notch, the perfume will be evaporated slower and more evenly than on the normal stones.
A picture: http://www.hukka.org/11001.htm