Dennis Lehtonen, a passionate aurora chaser, had ventured to the remote village of Kilpisjärvi, located within the Arctic Circle, to capture the northern lights in their full glory. What he didn’t expect was to find a curious animal under the glowing sky, turning a routine photography session into a surreal experience. This encounter sparked a series of photos that seem to breathe life into the ancient myth that the northern lights are created by a fox racing across the snowy tundra.
Revontulet: The Fox Fires of Finnish Folklore
The northern lights, those mesmerizing light displays in the Arctic skies, have inspired countless legends around the world. In Finland, they are tied to an ancient myth featuring a magical fox.
“In Finnish the word for northern lights is “revontulet,” and it directly translates to “fox fires.” According to the old mythology, when it runs along the tundra, the fox’s flaming tail sweeps snowflakes into the sky and the fur scratches the trees, setting the skies on fire. That is how the northern lights are created,” shared the photographer in his Instagram post.
In Lehtonen’s photos, the myth feels almost tangible as the fox, seen under the brilliant auroras, brings the story of the revontulet to life.
A curious fox watches as the northern lights dance across the Arctic sky. Credit: @astrodenniina via Instagram
Dennis Lehtonen’s Aurora Chase in the Arctic
The photographer moved to Kilpisjärvi for a year to be in the perfect location for aurora photography, drawn to the village’s dark skies and frequent aurora displays. This remote spot in the Arctic Circle, known for its stunning natural beauty, gave Lehtonen the ideal conditions to capture the northern lights in all their radiant glory.
“My original reason for moving and living in this small village, Kilpisjärvi, home to a hundred people, was my aurora hobby. I lived there for a year, but then I continued moving to Greenland,”Lehtonen told to Space.com.
However, while Lehtonen set up his camera equipment on one cold night in December 2022, a fox appeared and, seemingly unfazed by his presence, swiped his gloves. The animal darted off but returned a week later, only to drop the gloves with a few fingers missing. Lehtonen humorously recounted the fox’s antics, saying:
“Whenever I would attempt to approach it, trying to get the gloves back, it would run away, but eventually returned them with fingers missing.” This cheeky interaction added an unexpected twist to his photography session.
A lone fox stands beneath the mesmerizing auroras. Credit: ADOP/NASA