There are many different kinds of haltijas. There are, for example water haltijas and forest haltijas. Even graveyards have their own haltijas.
Human settlements also have haltijas. One type is the tonttu or maan haltija (land haltija). The kotihaltija (home elf, home gnome) is the tonttu who lives in every home. He takes care of the house, and it is important to treat him with respect. The saunatonttu lives in the sauna and protects it but also makes sure that people do not behave improperly in it. Joulutonttu is Finnish for Christmas elf.
Unlike the Christmas elves in some countries, the Finnish joulutonttu doesn't have pointy ears.
There are even personal haltijas, which are protective spirits similar to angels in Christianity. One of them is called "luonto", which means "nature".
Some haltijas are divided into races or folks, which are called väki. Väki means either "strength/power" or "group/corps. There are different kind of väkis of haltijas, like veden väki (water folk) or metsän väki (forest folk).
Haltija väkis of different environments and materials were thought to be in conflict with each other. For example, when wood is burned, it is an assault in which väki of fire is beating väki of wood. Väki of fire can be used to scare other väki away. For example, if you were made ill by väki of water, that attached to you while you were swimming, this väki and the illness could be removed in sauna, which had many väki of fire.
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