Alternate versions of Vipunen's name include Akervo, Angermo, Angero, Anteli, Anterma, Anterus, Antervo, Kalkkini, Kantervo, and Untelo. Näkkäläjärvi and Kauppala (2017, pp. 121-22) link him to
Ikämieli (16th or 17th century) (also known as
Akmeeli,
Antereeus and
Antero Vipunen) who was a
Sámi shaman, wiseman and warlord who featured in many Finnish folktales. In these folktales, he might appear as a shaman who got stuck in a
trance and died, which has also been theorized to be what lead Vipunen to his death. Vipunen would've been only seen as a giant after the shamanistic process of reaching the underworld became unclear for the runic singers.
Eemil Nestor Setälä stated that the mysterious in Ingrian runic songs means the same as Virankannos: the
world pillar. He guessed Vipunen's original first name could've been closest to the form Kanderva, related to the words 'base, narrow connecting part, footboard'.
Kaarle Krohn believed Vipunen's original name began with U, as the name appears in
South Savo in the form Untelo. He connected the name Viroinen to
Estonian , whose equivalent in
Ingria "knows the Moon, the Sun, the stars, and the depths of the sea".
Martti Haavio connected Väinämöinen being swallowed by Vipunen as an example of the widespread myth of a hero being swallowed by a large fish, such as
Jonah. In
Sámi shamanism, Akmeeli or other shaman's soul that gets stuck to the other side is said to be inside the bowels of a
pike. Väinämöinen ends up sailing inside the bowels of the Girl of
Tuoni who swallows him in a
White Karelian song. The Song of Vipunen could've also been influenced by the
Olonets and
Ladoga Karelian song in which
Ilmarinen is swallowed by a "woman of
hiisi" or
Baba Yaga () and frees himself by forging. Ilmarinen is the protagonist of the oldest known version of the Song of Vipunen, possibly written down in the 17th century. ==In the
Kalevala==