The underground world has been an aspect of human culture for millennia. From prehistoric cave art and mining to (pre)modern folklore and industrial extraction processes, humans are critically and intimately linked to the subterranean and the extraction of its resources. This cultural legacy continues to influence perceptions and practices surrounding extractive industries into the present and future. This research assesses how extractive industries and practices are intertwined with broader cultural ideas, perceptions and experiences of the subterranean world. We explore the significance of the extraordinary and beyond-the-rational (beliefs, dreams, magical thinking and the supernatural) in historic and contemporary extraction practices to understand how they affect perceptions of, approaches to, and policies surrounding, extractive practices.

As a case, I present Tytyri and Outokumpu mines in Finland to explore how stories of mythical beings are interwoven into the history of the mine and how they are presented to tourists. In folklore as well as in popular culture, gnomes and goblins can snatch children, take part in mining activities and act as guardians of the underground treasures. These legends are also used to attract tourists when old mines are turned into heritage sites. In Outokumpu a gnome doll welcomes visitors to the underground parts of the mine and in Tytyri one can read the story of a gnome from a children's book already before the visit. This story is then re-told as a drama in the mine. I ask, what is the role of these mythologies for the heritage sites and how the fictional landscape meets the real. What kind of stories are told and how do they add to experiencing the sites and to our ideas of mines and mining activities?