Piru (spirit)
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A piru is a fiend or demon in Finnish mythology. The word is inherited from Proto-Finnic *piru* ‘devil, demon’, with cognates in Karelian, Ingrian and Estonian;<ref name=KotusSSAonline>Template:Cite web</ref> its ultimate origin is unknown.<ref name=SSA>Template:Cite book</ref><ref name=KKS>Template:Cite book</ref><ref name=Hakkinen>Template:Cite book</ref>
In folklore, a piru is often featured as a nasty spirit of the forest with which a smart aleck either wins or loses a battle of wits, giving or receiving a forfeit in return. In many cases, poltergeist and haunting phenomena are described as "pirus". The Devil may be referred to as (proper noun) Piru, or Pääpiru, the main piru.Template:Citation needed
"Piru" is also a mild swearword in Finnish.