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The Baldwin Library
University | NQva
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| FINNISH LEGENDS
THE CHILDREN’S LIBRARY.
THE BROWN OWL.
THE CHINA CUP.
STORIES FROM FAIRYLAND.
TALES FROM THE MABINOGION.
THE STORY OF A PUPPET.
THE LITTLE PRINCESS.
IRISH FAIRY TALES.
AN ENCHANTED GARDEN.
LA BELLE NIVERNAISE.
THE FEATHER.
FINN AND HIS COMPANIONS.
NUTCRACKER AND MOUSE-KING,
THE PENTAMERONE.
FINNISH LEGENDS.
(Others in the Press.)
FINNISH KOTA.
FINNISH LEGENDS
FOR
ENGEIISH: Gi TED REN
BY
RK, EIVIND
»
SEVEN ILLUSTRATIONS
LONDON
T. FISHER UNWIN
1893
RR ee ae.
STW ESCO
PREFACE
MGQ}HE following stories cover almost
Ga all of the songs of the Kalevala,
the epic of the Finnish people.
They will lead the English child
into a new region in the fairy world, yet one
where he will recognise many an old friend
in anew form. -The very fact that they do
open up a new portion of the world of the
marvellous, will, it is hoped, render them all
the more acceptable, and perhaps, when the
child who reads them grows up to manhood,
will inspire an actual interest in the race
that has composed them.
And this race and their land will repay
study, for nowhere will one find a more
beautiful land than Finland, nor’ a braver,
truer, and more liberty-loving people than
vi FINNISH LEGENDS
the Finns, although, alas, their love for
liberty may soon be reduced to an appar-
ently hopeless longing for a lost ideal. For
the iron hand of Russian despotism has
already begun to close on Finland with its
relentless. grasp, and, in spite of former
oaths and promises from the Russian Tsars,
the future of Finland looks blacker and
blacker as time goes on. Yet it is often the
unforeseen that happens, and let us trust that
this may be so in Finland’s case, and that a
brighter future may soon dawn, and the
dark clouds that now are threatening may
be once more dispersed.
In these stories Mr. T, M. Crawford’s
metrical translation of the Kalevala has been
quite closely followed, even to the adoption
of his Anglicised, or rather Anglo-Swedish,
forms for proper names, though in some
instances the original Finnish form has been
reverted to. This was done reluctantly, but
the actual Finnish forms would seem formid-
able to children in many instances, and
would probably be pronounced even farther
from the original than as they are given here.
It is to be hoped, moreover, that those who
may now read these stories will later on
PREFACE vil
read an actual translation of the Kalevala,
and this is an additional reason for adopting
the terminology of the only English transla-
tion as yet made!
As this book is only intended for children,
it would be out of place to discuss the age,
etc., of the Kalevala, Only it would seem
proper to state,that while the incantations and
some other portions of the text are certainly
very old, some of them no doubt dating from
a period prior to the separation of the Finns
and Hungarians, yet, as Professor Yrj6 Kos-
kinen remarks, “ The Kalevala in its present
state is without doubt the work of the Kavelian
tribe of Finns, and probably dates from
after their arrival in Northern and North-
Western Russia.†This will of itself largely
justify the making Kalevala synonymous
with the present Finland, Pohjola with the
present Lapland, Kavjala with the present
Karjala (Anglice, Karefa) in South-Eastern
Finland, etc. But.even if this were not so,
yet the advantage of such localisation in a
book for children is of itself obvious.
As the land and people with which the
stories are concerned is so unknown to
1 A Finnish newspaper recently states that Mr. C.
is now at work on an improved translation.
viii FINNISH LEGENDS
English children, it has seemed best to have
some -sort of introduction and framework
in which to present them, and therefore
“ Father Mikko†was chosen as the story-
teller.
If this little volume may in any degree
_awake some interest in the Finnish people
its author will be amply satisfied, and its
end will have been attained.
R. EIVIND.
Afpril.1893.
CONTENTS
PAGE
FATHER MIKKO sl . " sy
TuE WorRLD’s CREATION AND THE BIRTH
OF WAINAMOINEN _ 3 TS
THE PLANTING OF THE TREES
WAINAMOINEN AND YOUKAHAINEN uel Sie
AINO’s FATE , : . eI
WAINAMOINEN’S SEARCH FOR AINO . 28
WAINAMOINEN’S UNLUCKY JOURNEY 2432")
WAINAMOINEN’S RESCUE . : . 36
THE RAINBOW-MAIDEN . . - 41
ILMARINEN FORGES THE SAMPO . . 50
LEMMINKAINEN AND KYLLIKKI . - 59
KYLLIKKI’s BROKEN Vow . : . 64
xX FINNISH LEGENDS
PAGE
LEMMINKAINEN’s SECOND WooING . 69
LEMMINKAINEN’s DEATH : Teen7S
LEMMINKAINEN’s RESTORATION een 7
WAINAMOINEN’S BoaT-BUILDING - 86
WAINAMOINEN FINDs THE Lost Worps 93
THE RivaL Suirors _. : » 99
ILMARINEN’s WooING : - . 106
THE BREWING OF BEER . 5 Sage
ILMARINEN’s WEDDING FEaAst , . 118
THE ORIGIN OF THE SERPENT - 124
THE UNWELCOME GUEST. : . 31
THE IsLE OF REFUGE. » 136
THE FROST-FIEND . : - 144
KULLERVO’s BIRTH . » IS
KULLERVO AND ILMARINEN’s WIFE - 156
KULLERVO’s LIFE AND DEATH . » 160
ILMARINEN’S BRIDE OF GOLD. . 166
ILMARINEN’S FRUITLESS WooING + 170
WAINAMOINEN’s EXPEDITION AND THE
BIRTH OF THE KANTELE (Harr) . 173
THE CAPTURE OF THE SAMPO , - 81
THE Sampo 1s Lost IN THE SEA - 186
CONTENTS Xl
PAGE
THE BIRTH OF THE SECOND KANTELE . 190
Loun!1 ATTEMPTS REVENGE é - 194
Louut STEALS THE SUN, THE Moon, AND
FIRE . : 5 5 - 199
THE RESTORATION OF THE SUN AND MOON 205
MaRIATTA AND WAINAMOINEN’S DE-
PARTURE . . . - 210
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TABLE OF PROPER NAMES
WITH PRONUNCIATION
Ahti (ach'-tee), Another name for Lemminkainen.
Ahto (ach'-to). God of the sea.
Ainikki (aé’nik-kée). Sister of Lemminkainen.
Aino (aé’no). Sister of Youkahainen.
Annikki (an'-nik-kee), Sister of Ilmarinen.
fist (hee’-see), Evil spirit ; also called Lempo.
Lku Turso (ee'-koo-tiir’-so). _ A sea-monster.
Limarinen (il'-ma-ree'-nén), The famous smith.
Iimatar (il'-m&-tar), A daughter of the ether, mother
of Wainamoinen.
Imatra (ee'-ma-tri). Celebrated waterfall on the
river Wuvksi, near Viborg.
Kalerwoinen (kal'-er-woi'-nén) (ov Kalervo). Father
of Kullervo.
Kalevala (ka’-lay-va'-la). The land of heroes. The
home of the Finns, The name of the Finnish
epic poem.
Karjala (kar'-ya-la). The home of a Finnish tribe—
a portion of Finland (called also Karelen in
Swedish).
xiv FINNISH LEGENDS
Kullervo (ktil'-ler-vd). Slayer of the Rainbow-
maiden,
Kura (ki’-ra), Ahti’s companion to the North-
land.
Lakko (lak’-ko). Ilmarinen’s mother,
Lemminkainen (lém!-min-kaé’-nén), Also called
Ahti. Son of Lempo.
Lemfpo (lém'-po). Same as Hist; also the father of
Lemminkainen.
Louhi (loo’-chee), -Mistress of Pohjola.
Lowjatar (low'-ya-tar). Tuoni’s daughter ; mother
of the nine diseases.
Lylikki (ly'-IWk-kee). Maker of snowshoes in Pohjola.
Mana (ma’-na), Also called Tuoni ; god of death.
Manala (ma'-na-la). Also called Tuonela; the
abode of Mana; the Deathland.
Mariatta (Mar'-Jat'-th). The virgin mother of
Wainamoinen’s conqueror.
Mielikki (meay'-lik-kee). The forest-goddess.
Osmotar (os'-m6-tar). The wise maiden who first
made beer.
Otso (ot'-so), The bear.
Piltti (pilt’-tee). Mariatta’s maid-servant.
Pohjola (poch'-y6-la), The Northland.
Ruotus (ri-d'-tiis), A man who gives Mariatta
shelter in his stable.
Sampo (sam’-pd). The magic mill forged by
Ilmarinen, which brought wealth and happiness
to its possessor,
Suonetar (swo'-né-tér). The goddess of the veins.
Suoyatar (sw6'-y&-tir). The mother of the serpent,
Tapio (ta’-pé-6), The forest-god,
TABLE OF PROPER NAMES XV
Tuonela (tuo'-nay-la). The abode of Tuoni; the
Deathland ; Manala. -
Tuonetar (tuo’-nay-tar). The goddess of Tuonela,
Tuoni (tuo’-nee). The god of the Deathland ;
Mana.
Ukko (ak’-kG). The greatest god of the Finns.
Untamo (iin’-ta-m6). Kalervo's brother.
Wainamoinen (waé'-na-moy'’-nén). The chief hero
of the Kalevala ; son of Kapé.
Wipunen (wi'-pii-nen). The dead magician from
whom Wainamoinen obtained the three lost
words,
Wirokannas (wee'-r6-kan’-nas), The priest who
baptized Mariatta’s son,
Wuoksit (widk'-see), A river in South-Eastern
Finland, connecting Lakes Saima and Ladoga.
Youkahainen (yoo’-ka-chaé’-nén). A great minstrel
and magician of Pohjola.
REMARKS.—The Finnish # is pronounced as a
guttural; nearly as Ger. ch in ich. This is re-
presented by ch in the above list.
Every vowel should be pronunced by itself—not
run together so as to make a totally different
resultant sound, e.g. Azzo should be pronounced
not z-2d, but a’-ee-nd, the d@ and ee being close
together, with the greatest stress upon the 4d, etc,
7 corresponds to English y in year,
A
bo
_
oo
“5
LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS
FINNISH Kota : 3 Frontispiece
SLEIGHING IN FINLAND . Facing page 7
INTERIOR OF Lape Hur. = 37
A LAPLAND WIZARD 5 Fete 08
Lapp WoMEN IN HOLIDAY
COSTUME . : 5 53 118
Mimi IN Houipay Dress . a 151
A WATERFALL : : A 181
FATHER MIKKO
NN
AR up in the ice-bound north,
where the sun is almost invisible
in winter, and where the summer
os nights are bright as day, there
lies a land which we call Finland; but the
people who live there call it Swomenmaa
now, and long, long ago they used to call it
Kalevala (which means the land of heroes).
And north of Finland lies Lapland, which
the Finns now call Zafpz, but in the olden
days they called it Pohjola (that is, Morth-
land). There the night lasts for whole
weeks and months about Christmas, and in
the summer again they have no night at all
for many weeks. For more than half the
year their country is wrapped in snow and
frost, and yet they are both of them a kind-
hearted people, and among the most honest
and truthful in the world.
. e e . °
B
2 FINNISH LEGENDS
One dark winters day an old man was
driving in a sledge through the fir forest in
the northern part of Finland. He was so
well wrapped up in sheep-skin robes that
he looked more like a huge bundle of rugs,
with a cord round the middle, than any-
thing else, and the great white sheep-skin
cap which he wore hid all the upper part of
his face, while the lower part was buried in
the high collar of his coat. All one could
see was a pair of bright blue eyes with frost-
fringed eyelashes, blinking at the snow that
was thrown up every now and then by his
horse’s feet.
He was a travelling merchant from away
up in the north-western part of Russia, and
had been in southern Finland to sell his
wares, at the winter fairs that are held every
year in the Finnish towns and villages. Now
he was on his way home, and had come
up through Kuopio, and had got on past
Kajana already, but now it had just begun
to snow, and as the storm grew worse, he
pressed on to reach the cabin of a friend
who lived not far ahead ; and he intended to
stay there until the storm should subside
and the weather be fit for travelling once
more.
It was not long before he reached the
cabin, and getting out of his sledge slowly,
being stiff from the cold and the cramped
position, he Knocked on the door with his
FATHER MIKKO 3
whip-handle. It was opened at once, and
he was invited in without even waiting to
see who it was, and was given the welcome
that is always given in that country to a
wearied traveller. But when he had taken
his wraps off there was a general cry of
recognition, and a second even more hearty
welcome.
‘Welcome, Father Mikko !?
‘What good -fortune has brought you
hither ??
‘Come up to the fire,’ and a chorus of
cries from two little children, who greeted
‘Pappa Mikko’ with delight as an old and
welcome acquaintance, Then the father of
the family went out and attended to Father
Mikko’s horse and sledge, and in a few
minutes was back again and joined the old
man by the fire. Next his wife brought out
the brandy-bottle and two glasses, and after
her husband had filled them, he and Father °
Mikko drank each other’s health very
formally, for that is the first thing one must
do when a guest comes in that country,
You must touch your glass against your
friend’s, and say ‘good health,’ and raising
it to your lips drink it straight off, and all
the time you must look each other straight
in the eyes.
When this important formality was
finished the four members of the family and
Father Mikko made themselves comfortable
4 FINNISH LEGENDS
around the fire, and they began to ask him
how things had prospered with him since
they had seen him last, and to tell him
about themselves—how Erik, the father of
the family, had been sick, and the harvest
had been extra good that year, and one of
the cows had a calf, and all the things that
happen to people in the country.
And then he told them of what was going
on in the towns where he had been, and how
every one was beginning to get ready for
Christmas. And he turned to the two little
children and told them about the children
in the towns—how they had had such a
lovely time at ‘Little Christmas,’ at the
house he was staying in. How the little
ones had a tiny little tree with wee wax
candles on it exactly like the big tree they
were to have at Christmas, and how, when
he left, all the children had begun to be
impatient for Christmas Eve, with its
presents and Christmas fish and porridge.
After the old man had ended his account
it was dinner-time, and they all ate with
splendid appetites, while Father Mikko de-
clared that the herring and potatoes and rye-
bread and beer made a far better dinner than
any he had had in the big cities in the south
—not even in Helsingfors had he had a
better. Then when dinner was over, and they
1 A children’s festival about one week before the
real Christmas.
FATHER MIKKO 5
had all gathered round the fire again, little
Mimi climbed up into ‘Pappa Mikko’s’
lap, and begged him to tell them ‘a// the
stories he had ever heard, from the very
beginning of the world all the way down.’
And her father and mother joined with her
in her request, for in their land even the
grown-up people have not become too grand
to listen to stories. As for the little boy,
Antero, he was too shy to say anything;
but he was so much interested to hear
‘Pappa Mikko’ that he actually forgot to
nibble away at -a piece of candy which
‘Pappa Mikko’ had brought from St.
Michel.
The old man smiled, for he was always
asked for stories wherever he went—he was
a famous story-teller—and, stroking little
Mimi’s hair gently, he looked at the group
around the fire before replying. There was
Erik, the father, a broad-shouldered man,
with a dark, weather-beaten face and rather
a sad look, as so many of his countrymen
have. His face showed that his struggle
in the world had not been easy, for he had
to be working from the time he got up
until he went to bed; and then when the
harvest had been bad, and the winter much
longer than usual, and everything seemed
to go wrong—ah! it was so hard then to
see the mother and the little ones have only
bark-bread to eat, and not always enough
6 FINNISH LEGENDS
of that, and one winter they had had nothing
else for months. Erik wouldn’t have minded
for himself, but for them ...! Ah well,
that was all over now; he had been able at
last to save up a little sum of money, and
the harvests were extra good this year, and
he had bought Mother Stina a cloak for
Christmas! Just think of it—a fine cloak,
all the way from the fair at Kuopio !
And next to Erik sat his wife Stina, a
short, fat little woman, with such a merry
face and happy-looking eyes that you could
hardly believe that she had lived on any-
thing but the best herring and potatoes and
rye-bread all her life. Close by her side
was her little boy Antero, who was only
seven years old, and in his eagerness for
the stories to commence he still held his
piece of candy in his hand without tasting it.
Then there was little Mimi in Father
Mikko’s lap. She was nearly ten years
old, and was not a pretty little girl; but
she had very lovely soft brown eyes and
curly flaxen hair, and a quiet, demure
manner of her own, and her mother de-
clared that when she grew up she would
be able to spin and weave and cook better
than any other girl in the parish, and that
the young man that should get her Mimi for
a wife would get a real treasure,
And lastly, there was Father Mikko him-
self, an old man over sixty, yet strong and
+
Heltqvist
Cos
SLEIGHING IN FINLAND,
FATHER MIKKO 7
hearty, with a long gray beard and gray
hair, and eyes that fairly twinkled with good
humour. You could hardly see his mouth
for his beard and moustache, and certainly
his nose was a little too small and turned
up at the end to be exactly. handsome, and
his cheek-bones dd stand out a little too
high; but yet everybody, young and. old,
liked him, and his famous stories made him
a welcome guest wherever he came.
So Father Mikko lit his queer little pipe,
and settled down comfortably with Mimi in
his lap, and a glass of beer at his side to
refresh himself with when he grew weary of
talking. There was only the firelight in
the room, and as the flames roared up the
chimney they cast a warm, cosy light over
the whole room, and made them all feel so
comfortable that they thanked God in their
hearts in their simple way, because. they
had so many blessings and comforts when
such a storm was raging outside that it
shook the house and drifted the snow up
higher than the doors and windows,
Then Father Mikko began, and this is
the first story that he told them,
THE WORLD’S CREATION AND
THE BIRTH OF WAINAMOINEN
JONG, long ago, before this world
was made, there lived a lovely
maiden called Ilmatar, the daugh-
ter of the Ether. She lived in the
air—there were only air and water then—but
at length she grew tired of always being in
the air, and came down and floated on the
surface of the water. Suddenly, as she lay
there, there came a mighty storm-wind, and
poor Ilmatar was tossed about helplessly
on the waves, until at length the wind died
- down and the waves became still, and Ilma-
tar, worn out by the violence of the tempest,
sank beneath the waters.
Then a magic spell overpowered her, and
she swam on and on vainly seeking to rise
above the waters, but always unable to do
so. Seven hundred long weary years she
swam thus, until one day she could not bear
it any longer, and cried out: ‘Woe is me
THE WORLD'S CREATION 9
that I have fallen from my happy home in
the air, and cannot now rise above the sur-
face of the waters. O great Ukko,! ruler
of the skies, come and aid me in my sorrow p
No sooner had she ended her appeal to
Ukko than a lovely duck flew down out of the
sky, and hovered over the waters looking for
a place to alight; but itfoundnone. Then
Ilmatar raised her knees above the water,
so that the duck might rest upon them ; and
no sooner did the duck spy them than it flew
towards them and, without even stopping to
rest, began to build a nest upon them.
When the nest was finished, the duck
laid in it six golden eggs, and a seventh of
iron, and sat upon them to hatch them. -
Three days the duck sat on the eggs, and all
the while the water around Ilmatar’s knees
grew hotter and hotter, and her knees began
to burn as if they were on fire. The pain
was so great that it caused her to tremble
all over, and her quivering shook the nest
off her knees, and the eggs all fell to the
bottom of the ocean and broke in pieces.
But these pieces came together into two parts
and grew to a huge size, and the upper one
became the arched heavens above us, and
the lower one our world itself. From the
white part of the egg came the moonbeams,
and from the yolk the bright sunshine.
1 The chief god of the Finns before they became
Christians.
ro FINNISH LEGENDS
At last the unfortunate Ilmatar was able
to raise her head out of the waters, and she
then began to create the land. Wherever
she put her hand there arose a lovely hill,
and where she stepped she made a lake.
Where she dived below the surface are the
deep places of the ocean, where she turned
her head towards the land there grew deep
bays and inlets, and where she floated on
her back she made the hidden rocks and
reefs where so many ships and lives have
been lost. Thus the islands and the rocks
and the firm land were created.
After the land was made Wainamoinen
was born, but he was not born a child, but
a full-grown man, full of wisdom and magic
power. For seven whole years he swam
about in the ocean, and in the eighth he left
the water and stepped upon the dry land.
Thus was the birth of Wainamoinen, the
wonderful magician.
‘Ah!’ said little Mimi, with a sigh of
relief, ‘I was afraid you weren’t going to tell
us about Wainamoinen at all.’
And then Father Mikko went on again.
THE PLANTING OF THE TREES
Saar
JAINAMOINEN lived for many
years upon the island on which
he had first landed from the sea,
pondering how. he should plant
the trees and make the mighty forests grow.
At length he thought of Sampsa, the first-
born son of the plains, and he sent for him
to do the sowing. So Sampsa came and
scattered abroad the seeds of all the trees
and plants that are now on the earth,—firs
and pine-trees on the hills, alders, lindens,
and willows in the lowlands, and bushes and
hawthorn in the secluded nooks.
Soon all the trees had grown up and
become great forests, and the hawthorns
were covered with berries. Only the acorn
lay quiet in the ground and refused to sprout.
Wainamoinen watched seven days and nights
to see if it would begin to grow, but it lay
perfectly still, Just then he saw ocean
12 FINNISH LEGENDS
maidens on the shore, cutting grass and
raking it into heaps. And as he watched
them there came a great giant out of the
sea and pressed the heaps into such tight
bundles that the grass caught fire and burnt
to ashes. Then the giant took an acorn
and planted it in the ashes, and almost in-
stantly it began to sprout, and a tree shot
up and grew and grew until it became a
mighty oak, whose top was far above the
clouds, and whose branches shut out the light
of the Sun and the Moon and the stars.
When Wainamoinen saw how the oak
had shut off all the light from the earth, he
was as deeply perplexed how to get rid of it,
as he had been before to make it grow. So
he prayed to his mother Ilmatar to grant him
power to overthrow this mighty tree, so that
the sun might shine once more on the plains
of Kalevala.
No sooner had he asked Ilmatar for help
than there stepped out of the sea a tiny man
no bigger than one’s finger, dressed in cap,
gloves, and clothes of copper, and carrying
a small copper hatchet in his belt. Waina-
moinen asked him who he was, and the tiny
man replied: ‘I ama mighty ocean-hero, and
am come to cut down the oak-tree.’ But
Wainamoinen began to laugh at the idea of
so little a man being able to cut down so
huge a tree.
But even while Wainamoinen was laugh-
THE PLANTING OF THE TREES 13
ing, the dwarf grew all at once into a great
giant, whose head was higher than the
clouds, and whose long beard fell down to
his knees. The giant began to whet his axe
on a huge piece of rock, and_before he had
finished he had worn out six blocks of the
hardest rock and seven of the softest sand-
stone. . Then he strode up to the tree and
began to cut itdown. When the third blow
had fallen the fire flew from his axe and
from the tree; and before he had time to
strike a fourth blow, the tree tottered and fell,
covering the whole earth, north, south, east,
and west, with broken fragments. And
those who picked up pieces of the branches
received good fortune; those who found
pieces of the top became mighty magicians ;
and those who found the leaves gained last-
ing happiness.
And then the sunlight came once more
to Kalevala, and all things grew and
flourished, only the barley had not yet been
planted. Now Wainamoinen had found
seven magic barley-grains as he was wan-
dering on the seashore one day, and he took
these and was about to plant them; but the
titmouse stopped him, saying: ‘The magic
barley will not grow unless thou first cut
down and burn the forest, and then plant
the seeds in the wood-ashes,?
So Wainamoinen cut down the trees
as the titmouse had said, only he left
14 FINNISH LEGENDS
the birch-trees standing. After all the
rest were cut down an eagle flew down,
and, alighting on a birch-tree, asked why
all the others had been destroyed, but the
birches left. And Wainamoinen answered
that he had left them for the birds to build
their nests on, and for the eagle to rest on,
and for the sacred cuckoo to sit in and sing.
The eagle was so pleased at this that he
kindled a fire amongst the other trees for
Wainamoinen, and they were all burnt except
the birches.
Wainamoinen then brought forth the
seven magic barley-seeds from his skin-
pouch, and sowed them in the ashes, and
as he sowed he prayed to great Ukko to send
warm rains from the south to make the seeds
sprout. And the rain came, and the barley ©
grew so fast that in seven days the crop was
almost ripe.
“WAINAMOINEN AND YOUKA-
HAINEN
J}HUS Wainamoinen finished his
Ye labours and began to lead a happy
life on the plains of Kalevala.
“He passed his evenings singing
. of the deeds of days gone by and stories of
the creation, until his fame as a great
singer spread far and wide in all directions.
At this time, far off in the dismal North-
land, there lived a young and famous singer
and magician named Youkahainen. He was
sitting one day at a feast with his friends,
when some one came and told about the .
famous singer Wainamoinen, and how he
was a sweeter singer and a more powerful
magician than any one else in the world.
This filled Youkahainen’s heart with envy,
and he vowed to hasten off to the south and
to enter into a contest with Wainamoinen to
see if he could not beat him.
His mother tried to persuade him not to
16 FINNISH LEGENDS
go, but in vain, and he made ready for the
journey, declaring that he would sing such
magic songs as would turn old Waina-
moinen into stone. Then he brought out
his noble steed and harnessed: him to a
golden sledge, and then jumping in, he
gave the steed a cut with his pearl-handled
whip, and dashed off towards Kalevala,
On the evening of the third day he drew
near to Wainamoinen’s home, and there he
met Wainamoinen himself driving along the
highway.
Now Youkahainen was too proud to turn
out of the road for any one, and so their
sledges dashed together and were smashed
to pieces, and the harnesses became all
twisted up together. Then Wainamoinen
said: ‘Who art thou, O foolish youth,
that thou drivest so badly that thou hast
run into my sledge and broken it to pieces ?’
And Youkahainen answered proudly: ‘I am
Youkahainen, and have come hither to beat
the old magician Wainamoinen in singing
and in magic.’ :
Wainamoinen then told him who he was,
and accepted the challenge, and so the con-
test began. But Youkahainen soon found
that he was no match for his opponent, and
at length he cried out in anger: ‘If I can-
not beat thee at singing and in magic, at
least I can conquer thee with my bright
sword.’
WAINAMOINEN & YOUKAHAINEN 17
Wainamoinen answered that he would
not fight so weak an opponent, and then
Youkahainen declared that he was a coward
and afraid to fight. At last these taunts
made Wainamoinen so angry that he could
not restrain himself any longer, and he be-
gan to sing. He sang such wondrous spells
that the mountains and the rocks began to
tremble, and the sea was upheaved as if by
a great storm. Youkahainen stood trans-
fixed, and as Wainamoinen went on singing
his sledge was changed to brushwood and
the reins to willow branches, the pearl-
handled whip became a reed, and his steed
was transformed into a rock in the water,
and all the harness into seaweed. And still
the old magician sang his magic spells, and
Youkahainen’s gaily-painted bow became a
rainbow in the sky, his feathered arrows
flew away as hawks and eagles, and his dog
was turned to astone at his feet. His cap
turned into a curling mist, his clothing into
white clouds, and his jewel-set girdle into
stars.
And at length the spell began to take
effect on Youkahainen himself. Slowly,
slowly he felt himself sinking into a quick-
sand, and all his struggles to escape were
in vain. When he had sunk up to his
waist he began to beg for mercy, and cried
out: *O great Wainamoinen, thou art the
greatest of all magicians. Release me, I
Cc
18 + FINNISH LEGENDS
beg, from this quicksand, and I will give
thee two magic bows. One is so strong
that only the very strongest men can draw
it, and the other a child can shoot.’
But Wainamoinen refused the bows and
’ sank Youkahainen still deeper. And as he
sank, Youkahainen kept begging for mercy,
and offering first two magic boats, and then
two magic steeds that could carry any
burden, and finally all his gold and silver
and his harvests, but Wainamoinen would
not even listen to him. At length Youka-
hainen had sunk so far that his mouth be-
gan to be filled with water and mud,
and he cried out as a last hope: ‘O
mighty Wainamoinen, if thou wilt release
me I will give thee my sister Aino as thy
bride.’
This was the ransom that Wainamoinen
had been waiting for, for Aino was famous
for her beauty and loveliness of character,
and so he released poor Youkahainen and
gave him back his sledge and everything
just as it had been before. And when it
was all ready Youkahainen jumped into
it and drove off home without saying a
word.
When he reached home he drove so
carelessly that his sledge was broken to
pieces against the gate-posts, and he left
the broken sledge there and walked straight
into the house with hanging head, and at
WAINAMOINEN & YOUKAHAINEN 19
first would not answer any of his family’s
questions. At length he said: ‘ Dearest
mother, there is cause enough for my grief,
for I have had to promise the aged Waina-
moinen my dear sister Aino as his bride.’
But his mother arose joyfully and clapped
her hands and said: ‘That is no reason to
be sad, my dear son, for I have longed for
many years that this very thing should
happen—that Aino should have so brave
and wise a husband as Wainamoinen.’
So the mother told the news to Aino, but
when she heard it she wept for three whole
days and nights and refused to be com-
forted, saying to her mother: ‘Why should
this great sorrow come to me, dear mother,
for now I shall no longer be able to adorn
my golden hair with jewels, but must hide
it all beneath the ugly cap that wives have
to wear. All the golden sunshine and the
silver moonlight will go from my life.’ ;
But her mother tried to comfort her by
telling her that the sun and moon would
shine even more brightly in her new home
than in her old, and that Kalevala was a
land of flowers.
‘I think Aino was very stupid not to
want to leave that horrid Lapland,’ said
Mimi; ‘but then I suppose she didn’t know
20 FINNISH LEGENDS
what a beautiful country ours is,’ she added
thoughtfully.
Here Antero, who only cared for the
stories, mustered up enough courage to ask
Pappa Mikko to go on, which the old man
did at once.
a
SY i; are bs
en
EE €
aa alm LAS
ENE
ET KOSS
Be
AINO’S FATE
py
XGQHE next morning the lovely Aino
went early to the forest to gather
birch shoots and tassels. After
she had finished gathering them
she hastened off towards home, but as she
was going along the path near the border
of the woods she met Wainamoinen, who
began thus :
‘ Aino, fairest maid of the north, do not
wear thy gold and pearls for others, but only
for me; wear for me alone thy golden
tresses.’
‘Not for thee,’ Aino replied, ‘nor for
others either, will I wear my jewels. I
need them no longer; I would rather wear
the plainest clothing and live upon a crust
of bread, if only I might live for ever with
my mother.’
And as she said this she tore off her
jewels and the ribbons from her hair, and
22 FINNISH LEGENDS
threw them from her into the bushes, and
then she hurried home, weeping. At the
door of the dairy sat her mother, skimming
milk. When she saw Aino weeping she
asked her what it was that troubled her.
Aino, in reply, told her all that had happened
in the forest, and how she had thrown away
from her all her ornaments.
Her mother, to comfort her, told her to
go to a hill-top near by and open the store-
house there, and there in the largest room,
in the largest box in that room, she would
find six golden girdles and seven rainbow-
tinted dresses, made by the daughters of
the Moon and of the Sun. ‘When I was
young,’ her mother said, ‘I was out upon
the hills one day seeking berries, And by
chance I overheard the daughters of the
Sun and Moon as they were weaving and
spinning upon the borders of the clouds
above the fir-forest. I went nearer to them,
and crept up on a hill within speaking dis-
tance of them, Then I began to beseech
them, saying: “Give some of your silver,
lovely daughters of the Moon, to a poor but
worthy maid; and I beg you, daughters of
the Sun, give me some of your gold.†And
then the Moon’s daughters gave me silver
from their treasure, and the Sun’s daughters
gave me gold that I might adorn my hair
and forehead. I hastened joyfully home
with my treasures to my mother’s house,
AINO’S FATE 23
and for three days I wore them. Then I
took them off and laid them in boxes, and I
have never seen them since. But now, my
daughter, go and adorn thyself with gold
and silk ribbons; put a necklace of pearls
around thy neck, and a golden cross upon
thy bosom; dress thyself in pure white
linen ; put on the richest frock that is there
and tie it with a belt of gold; put silk
stockings on thy feet and the finest of shoes.
Then come back to us that we may admire
thee, for thou wilt be more beautiful than
the sunlight, more lovely than the moon-
beams,
But Aino would not be consoled, and kept
on weeping. ‘How happy I was in my
childhood,’ she sang, ‘when I used to roam
the fields and gather flowers, but now my
heart is full of grief and all my life is filled
with darkness. It would have been better
for me if I had died a child ;—then my
mother would have wept a little, and my
father and sisters and brothers mourned a
little while, and then all their sorrow would
have been ended?
Aino wept for three days more, and then
her mother once more asked her why she
wept so, and Aino replied: ‘I weep, O
mother, because thou hast promised me to
the aged Wainamoinen, to be his comforter
and caretaker in his old age. Far better if
thou hadst sent me to the bottom of the sea,
24 FINNISH LEGENDS
to live with the fishes and to become a mer-
maid and ride on the waves. This had been
far better than to be an old man’s slave and
darling.’
When she had said this she left her
mother and hastened to the storehouse on
the hill, There she opened the largest box
and took off six lids, and at the bottom
found six golden belts and seven silk dresses.
She chose the best of all the treasures there
and adorned herself like a queen, with rings
and jewels and gold ornaments of every
sort.
When she was fully arrayed she left the
storehouse and wandered over fields and
meadows and on through the dim and
gloomy fir-forest, singing as she went:
‘Woe is me, poor broken-hearted Aino!
My grief is so heavy that I can no longer
live. I must leave this earth and go to
Manala, the country of departed spirits.
Father, mother, brothers, sisters, weep for
me no longer, for I am going to live beneath
the sea, in the lovely grottos, on a couch
of sea-moss.’
For three long weary days Aino wan-
dered, and as the cold night came on she
at last reached the seashore. There she
sank down, weary, on a rock, and sat there
alone in the black night, listening to the
solemn music of the wind and the waves, as
they sang her funeral melody. When at
AINO’S FATE 25
last the day dawned Aino beheld three
water-maidens sitting on a rock by the sea.
She hastened to them, weeping, and then
began to take off all her ornaments and lay
them carefully away. When at length she
had laid all her gold and silver decorations
on the ground, she took the ribbons from
her hair and hung them in a tree, and then
laid her silken dress over one of the branches
and plunged into the sea. At a distance
she saw a lovely rock of all the colours of
the rainbow, shining in the golden sunlight.
She swam up and climbed upon it to rest.
But suddenly the rock began to sway, and
with a loud crash it fell to the bottom of the
sea, Carrying with it the unhappy Aino.
And as she sank down she sang a last sad
farewell to all her dear ones at home—a
song that was so sweet and mournful that
the wild beasts heard it, and were so touched
by it that they resolved to send a messenger
to tell her parents what had happened.
So the animals held a council, and first
the bear was proposed as messenger, but
they were afraid he would eat the cattle.
Next came the wolf, but they feared that he
might eat the sheep. Then the fox was pro-
posed, but then he might eat the chickens.
So at length the hare was chosen to bear
the sad tidings, and he promised to perform
his office faithfully.
He ran like the wind, and soon reached
26 FINNISH LEGENDS
Aino’s home. There he found no one in
the house, but on going to the door of the
bath-cabin he found some servants there
making birch brooms. They had no sooner
caught sight of him than they threatened to
roast him and eat him, but he replied: ‘Do
not think I have come hither to let you
roast me. For I come with sad tidings to
tell you of the flight of Aino and how she
died. The rainbow-coloured stone sank
with her to the bottom of the sea, and she
perished, singing like a lovely song-bird.
There she sleeps in the caverns at the
bottom of the sea, and on the shore she has
left her silken dress and all her gold and
jewels.’
When these tidings came to her mother
the bitter tears poured from her eyes, and
she sang, ‘O all other mothers, listen:
never try to force your daughters from the
house they long to stay in, unto husbands
whom they love not. Thus I drove away
my daughter, Aino, fairest in the North-
land.’
' Singing thus she sat and wept, and the
tears trickled down until they reached her
shoes, and began to flow out over the ground.
Here they formed three little streams, which
flowed on and grew larger and larger until
they became roaring torrents, and in each
torrent was a great waterfall. And in the
midst of the waterfalls rose three huge rocky
AINO’S FATE 27
pillars, and on the rocks were three green
hills, and on each of the hills was a birch-
tree, and on each tree sat a cuckoo. And
all three sang together. And the first one
sang ‘Love! O Love!’ for three whole
moons, mourning for the dead maiden.
And the second sang ‘Suitor! Suitor!’
wailing six long moons for the unhappy
suitor. And the third sang sadly ‘Con-
solation ! Consolation!’ never ending all
his life long for the comfort of the broken-
hearted mother.
Mother Stina looked at little Mimi very
solemnly when this story was ended, as if
she wondered whether she herself would ever
need to take to heart the warning of Aino’s
mother. But no one said anything, and
Father Mikko continued on with the next
story.
S\iy
cs
«
J
uy
A
pk
(J
CEN
gy
es
A
WAINAMOINEN’S SEARCH FOR
AINO
AHEN the news reached Waina-
moinen he began to weep most
bitterly, and the tears fell all
that day and night ; but the next
day he hastened to the water’s edge and
prayed to the god of dreams to tell him
where the water-gods dwelt. And the
dream-god answered him lazily, and told
him where the island was around which the
sea-gods and the mermaids lived.
Then Wainamoinen hastened to his boat-
house, and chose a copper boat, and in it
placed fishing lines and hooks and nets, and
when all was ready he rowed off swiftly to-
wards the forest-covered island which the
dream-god had told him of. No sooner
had he arrived there than he began to fish,
using a line of silver and a hook of gold.
But for many days he fished in vain, yet
WAINAMOINEN’S SEARCH FOR AINO 29
still he"persevered. At last one day a won-
drous fish was caught, and it played about
and struggled a long time until at length it
was exhausted, and the hero landed it in the
boat.
When Wainamoinen saw it he was
astonished at its beauty, but after gazing at
it for some time he drew out his knife and
was about to cut it up ready for eating.
But no sooner had he touched the fish with
his knife than it leapt from the bottom of
the boat and dived under the water. Then
it rose again out of his reach and said to
him: ‘O ancient minstrel, I did not come
hither to be eaten by thee, merely to give
thee food for a day.’
‘Why didst thou come then?’ asked
Wainamoinen.
‘I came, O minstrel, to rest in thine
arms and to be thy companion and wife for
ever,’ the fish replied; ‘to keep thy home
in order and to do whatever thou pleased.
For I am not a fish; Iam no salmon of the
Northern Seas, but Youkahainen’s youngest
sister. I am the one thou wert fishing for
—Aino, whom thou lovest. Once thou
wert wise, but now art foolish, cruel. Thou
didst not know enough to keep me, but
wouldst eat me for thy dinner !’
Then Wainamoinen begged her to return
to him, but the fish replied: ‘‘ Nevermore
will Aino’s spirit come to thee to be so
30 FINNISH LEGENDS
treated,’ and as it spoke the fish dived out
of sight. :
Still Wainamoinen did not give up, but
took out his nets and began dragging the
waters. And he dragged all the waters in
the lands of Lapland and of Kalevala, and
caught fish of every sort, only Aino, now
the water-maiden, never came into his net,
‘Fool that I am,’ he said at length, ‘surely
I was once wise, had at least a bit of
wisdom, but now all my power has left me.
For I have had Aino in my boat, but did
not know until too late that I had even
caught her.’ And with these words he
gave up his search and set off to his home
in Kalevala. Andon his way he mourned
that the joyous song of the sacred cuckoo
had ceased, and he sang:-‘I shall never
learn the secret how to live and prosper.
If only my ancient mother were still living,
she could give me good advice that this
sorrow might leave me.’
Then his mother awoke from her tomb in
the depths and spoke to him: ‘Thy mother
was but sleeping, and I’ll now advise thee
how this sorrow may pass over. Goat once
to the Northland, where dwell wise and
lovely maidens, far lovelier than Aino.
Take one of them for thy wife; she will
make thee happy and be an honour to thy
home.’
WAINAMOINEN’S SEARCH FOR AINO 31
‘J don’t think he had much of a heart if
he could be consoled so easily as all that,’
said Mother Stina, a little indignantly.
‘Wait and you shall see,’ said old
Father Mikko with a smile; and he con-
tinued,
WAINAMOINEN’S UNLUCKY
JOURNEY
eae AINAMOINEN made ready for a
journey to the Northland, to the
land of cold winters and of little
sunshine, where he’ was to seek
a wife. He saddled his swift steed, and
mounting, started towards the north. On
and on he went upon his magic steed, gal-
loping over the plains of Kalevala. And
when he came to the shores of the wide sea,
he did not halt, but galloped on over the
water without even so much as wetting a
hoof of his magic courser.
But wicked Youkahainen hated Waina-
moinen for what he had done when he de-
feated him in magic, and so he made ready
a bow of steel. He painted it with many
bright colours and trimmed it with gold and
silver and copper. Then he chose the
strongest sinews from the stag, and at
AN UNLUCKY JOURNEY 33
length the great bow was ready. On the
back was painted a courser, at each end a
colt, near the bend a sleeping maiden, near
the notch a running hare. And after that
he.cut some arrows out of oak, put tips of
sharpened copper on them, and five feathers
on the end. Then he hardened the arrows
and steeped them in the blood of snakes
and the poison of the adder to give them
magic power.
_ When all was ready Youkahainen went
out to wait for his enemy. For many days
and nights he watched in vain, but still he
did not weary, and at last one day at dawn
he saw what seemed to be a black cloud on
the waters. But by his magic art he knew
that it was Wainamoinen on his magic
steed. Then he went after his bow, but his
mother stopped him and asked him whom
he meant to shoot with his bow and
poisoned arrows. Youkahainen replied:
‘I have made this mighty bow and these
poisoned arrows for the old magician
Wainamoinen, that I may destroy my
rival.’
His mother reproved him, saying, ‘If
thou slayest Wainamoinen all our joy will
vanish, all the singing and music will die
with him. . It is better that we have his
magic music in this world than to have it
all go to the underground world Manala,
where the spirits of the dead dwell’
D
34 FINNISH LEGENDS
Youkahainen hesitated for a moment, but
then envy and hatred filled his heart, and he
replied : ‘Even though all joy and pleasure
vanish from the world, yet will I shoot this
rival singer, let the end be what it will.’
With these words he hastened out and
took his stand in a thicket near the shore.
He chose the three strongest arrows from
his quiver, and selecting the best among
these three, he laid it against the string and
aimed at Wainamoinen’s heart. And as he
still waited for him to come nearer, he sang
this incantation: ‘Be elastic, bow-string
mine, swiftly fly, O oaken arrow, swift as
light, O poisoned arrow, to the heart of
Wainamoinen. If my hand too low shall
aim thee, may the gods direct thee higher.
If mine eye too high shall aim thee, may
the gods direct thee lower.’
Then he let the arrow fly, but it flew
over Wainamoinen’s head and pierced and
scattered the clouds above. Again he shot
a second, but it flew too low and penetrated
to the depths of the sea. Then he aimed
the third, and it flew from his bow swift as
lightning. Straight forward it flew, and
- struck the magic steed full in the shoulder
so that Wainamoinen was plunged headlong
into the waves. And then arose a mighty
storin-wind, and the old magician was carried
far out into the wide open sea.
But Youkahainen believed that he had
AN UNLUCKY JOURNEY 35
killed his rival, and so went home, rejoicing
and singing as he went. And his mother
asked him, ‘Hast thou slain great Waina-
moinen ?’ and he replied, ‘I have slain old
Wainamoinen. Into the salt sea he plunged
headlong, and the old magician is now at
the bottom of the deep.’
But his mother replied: ‘Woe to earth
for what thou hast done. Joy and singing
are gone for ever, for thou hast slain the
great wise singer, thou hast slain the joy of
Kalevala.â€
All his listeners seemed very much dis-
satisfied at the turn the story had taken, so
Father Mikko hastened to assure them that
Wainamoinen was not really dead, and then
he began the next story.
WAINAMOINEN’S RESCUE
UT Wainamoinen was not dead,
but swam on for eight days and
seven nights trying to reach
land. And when the evening
of the eighth day came and still no land
was in sight, he began to grow tired and to
despair of ever getting out alive.
But just then he spied an eagle of
wonderful size flying towards him from the
west. And the eagle flew up to him and
asked who he was and how he had come
there in the ocean.
And Wainamoinen replied: ‘I am Waina-
moinen, the great singer and magician, I
had left my home for the distant Northland,
and as I galloped over the ocean and neared
the shore, the wicked Youkahainen killed
my steed with his magic arrows, and I was
cast headlong into the waters, And then a
mighty wind arose and drove me farther
INTERIOR OF LAPP HUT.
WAINAMOINEN’S RESCUE 37
and ever farther out to sea, and now I have
been struggling with the winds and waves
for eight long weary days, and I fear that I
shall perish of cold and hunger before 1
reach any land.’
The eagle replied: ‘Do not be discouraged,
but seat thyself upon my back and I will
carry thee to land, for I have not forgotten
the day when thou left the birch-trees stand-
ing for the birds to sing in andthe eagle
to rest on.’
So Wainamoinen climbed upon the eagle’s
broad back and. seated himself securely
there, and off. the eagle flew, straight to
the nearest land. There on the shore of
the dismal Northland the eagle left him, and
flew off to join his mate.
Wainamoinen found himself upon a bare,
rocky point of land, without a trace of
human life about it, nor any path through
the woods by which it was surrounded.
And he wept bitterly, for he was far from
home,- covered with wounds from his battle
with the winds and waters, and faint with
hunger: three days and three nights he
wept without ceasing.
Now the fair and lovely daughter of old
Louhi had laid a wager with the Sun, that
she would rise before him the next morning.
And so she did, and had time to shear six
lambs before the Sun had left his couch
beneath the ocean, And after this she
38 FINNISH LEGENDS
swept up the floor of the stable with a
birch broom, and collecting the sweepings
on a copper shovel, she carried them to
the meadow near the seashore. There she
heard the sound of some one weeping, and
hastening back she told her mother of it.
Then Louhi, ancient mistress of the North-
land, hurried out from her house and down
to the seashore. There she heard the sound
of weeping, and quickly pushed off from the
shore in a boat and rowed to where the
weeping Wainamoinen sat.
When she came to him she said to him:
‘What folly hast thou done to be in so sad
a state?’
Wainamoinen replied: ‘It is indeed folly
that has brought me into this trouble. I
was happy enough at home before I went
on this expedition.’
Then Louhi asked him to tell her who he
was of all the great heroes.
Wainamoinen replied: ‘ Formerly I was
honoured as a great singer and magician: I
was called the “Singer of Kalevala,†the
wise Wainamoinen.’
Then Louhi said: ‘Rise, O hero, from
thy lowly couch among the willows, come
with me to my home and there tell me the
story of thy adventures.’ So she took the
starving hero into her boat and rowed him
to the shore, and took him to her house.
There she gave him food, and the warmth
WAINAMOINEN’S RESCUE 39
and rest and shelter soon restored to him
all his strength. Then Louhi asked him
to relate his adventures, and he told her all
that had happened to him.
When he had finished Louhi said to him :
‘Weep no more, Wainamoinen, for thou
shalt be welcome in our homes, thou shalt
live with us and eat our salmon and other
fish.’
Wainamoinen thanked her for her kind-
ness, but added: ‘One’s own country and
table and home are the best and dearest.
May the great god, Ukko, the Creator,
grant that I may once more reach my dear
home and country. It is better to drink
clear water from a birchen cup in one’s own
home, than in foreign lands to drink the
richest liquors from the golden beakers of
strangers.’
Then Louhi asked him: ‘What reward
wilt thou give me, if I carry thee back to
thy beloved home, to the plains of Kale-
vala ??
Wainamoinen asked her what reward she
would consider sufficient, whether gold or
silver treasures, but Louhi answered: ‘I
ask not for gold or silver, O wise Waina-
moinen, but canst thou forge for me the
magic Sampo, with its lid of many colours,
the magic mill that grinds out flour on one
side, and salt from another side, and turns
out money from the third? I will give
40 FINNISH LEGENDS
thee; too, my daughter, as a reward, to be
thy wife and to care for thy home.’
But Wainamoinen answered sadly: ‘I
cannot forge for thee the magic Sampo, but
take me to my country and I will send thee
Ilmarinen, who will make it for thee, and
wed thy lovely daughter. Ilmarinen is a
wondrous smith ; he it was who forged the
heavens, and so perfectly did he do it that
we cannot see a single mark of the hammer
on them.’
Louhi replied: ‘Only to him who can
forge the magic Sampo for me will I give
my daughter.’ Then she harnessed up
her sledge and put Wainamoinen in it and
made him all ready for his journey home.
And as he started off she spoke these words
to him: ‘Do not raise thy eyes to the
heavens, do not look upward while the day
lasts, before the evening star has risen, or a
terrible misfortune will happen to you.’
Then Wainamoinen drove off, and his
heart grew light as he left the dismal North-
land behind him on his way to Kalevala.
iTHE RAINBOW-MAIDEN ,
S}HE fair Rainbow-maiden, Louhi’s
daughter, sat upon a rainbow in
the heavens, and was clad in the
most splendid dress of gold and
silver. She was busy weaving golden webs
of wonderful beauty, using a shuttle of gold
and a silver weaving-comb.
As Wainamoinen came swiftly along the
way which led from the dark and dismal
Northland to the plains of Kalevala, before
he had gone far on his way he heard in the
sky above him the humming of the Rain-
bow-maiden’s loom. Without thinking of
old Louhi’s warning, he looked up and be-
held the maiden seated on the gorgeous
rainbow weaving beauteous cloths. No
sooner had he seen the lovely maiden than
he stopped, and calling to her asked her to
come to his sledge.
42 FINNISH LEGENDS
The Rainbow-maiden replied: ‘Tell me
what thou wishest of me.’
‘Thou shalt come with me,’ Wainamoinen
replied, ‘to bake me honey-biscuit, to fill my
cup with foaming beer, to sing beside my
table, to be a queen within my home in the
land of Kalevala,’
But the maiden replied: ‘ Yesterday I
went at twilight to the flowery meadows.
There I heard a thrush singing, and I asked
him, ‘“ Tell me, pretty song-bird, how shall I
live most happily, as a maiden in my father’s
home or as a wife by my husband’s side ?â€
And the bird sang in reply, ‘The summer
days are bright and warm, and so is a
maiden’s freedom; the winter is cold and
dark, and so are the lives of married women.
They are like dogs chained in a kennel, no
favours are given to wives.â€â€™
But Wainamoinen answered the maiden :
‘The thrush sings only nonsense. Maidens
are treated like little children, but wives are
like queens. Come to my sledge, O maiden,
for Iam not the least among heroes, nor am
I ignorant of magic. Come, and I will make
thee my wife and queen in Kalevala.’
Then the Rainbow-maiden promised to be
his wife if he would split a golden hair with
a knife that had no edge, and take a bird’s
egg from the nest with a snare that no one
could see. Wainamoinen did both these
things, and then begged her to come to
THE RAINBOW-MAIDEN 43
his sledge, for he had done what she
asked.
But she set another task for him, telling
him she would marry him if he could peel
a block of sandstone and cut a whip-handle
from ice without making a single splinter.
And Wainamoinen did both these things,
but still the maiden refused to go until he
had performed a third task. This was to
make from the splinters of her distaff a little
ship, and to launch it into the water without
touching it.
Then Wainamoinen took the pieces of her
distaff and set to work. He took them to a
mountain from which he got the iron for his
work, and for three days he laboured with
hatchet and hammer. But on the evening
of the third day a wicked spirit, Lempo,
caught his hatchet as he raised it up, and
turned it as it fell, so that it hit-a rock and
broke in fragments, and one of the pieces
flew into the magician’s knee, and cut it, so
that the blood poured out,
Then Wainamoinen began to sing a magic
incantation to stop the blood from flowing,
but his magic was powerless against the
evil Lempo, and he could not stop the blood.
Then he gathered certain herbs with wonder-
ful powers, and put them on the wound, but
still he could not heal it up, for Lempo’s
spell was too powerful for his magic. So he
got into his sledge again, and drove off at a
44 FINNISH LEGENDS
gallop to seek for help. Soon he came to
a place where the road branched off in three
directions. He chose the left-hand one, and
galloped on till he reached a house, When
he went to the door he found only a boy
and a baby inside, and when he had told
them what he wanted, the boy said, ‘ There
is no one here that can help thee, but take
the middle road, and perhaps thou wilt find
help.’
So off he galloped to where the roads
branched off, and then along the middle one.
to another house. There he found an old
witch lying on the floor, but she gave him
the same answer that the boy had done, and
sent him to the right-hand road.
On this road he came to another cottage,
where an old man with a long gray beard
was sitting by the fire. And when Waina-
moinen told him of his trouble, the old man
replied, ‘Greater things have been done by
but three of the magic words; water has
been turned to land, and land to water.’ On
hearing this answer Wainamoinen rose from
his sledge and went into the cottage, and
seated himself there. And all this time his
knee was bleeding, so that the blood was
enough to fill seven huge birchen pots.
Then the old man asked him who he was,
and bade him sing to him the origin! of the
1 For they believed that a magic song that told
the origin of any trouble would also cure it,
THE RAINBOW-MAIDEN 45
iron that had wounded him so, and Waina-
moinen related the following story of how
iron was first made:
Long ago after there were air and water,
fire was born, and after the fire came iron.
Ukko, the creator, rubbed his hands upon
his left knee, and there arose thence three
lovely maidens, who were the mothers of
iron and steel. These three maidens walked
forth on the clouds, and from their bosoms
ran the milk of iron, down unto the clouds
and thence down upon the earth. Ukko’s
eldest daughter cast black milk over the
river-beds, and the second cast white milk
over the hills and mountains, and the third
red milk over the lakes and oceans; and
from the black milk grew the soft black iron-
ore ; from the white milk the lighter-coloured
ore; and from the red milk the brittle red
iron-ore.
After the iron had lain in peace for a
while, Fire came to visit his brother Iron
and tried to eat him up. Then Iron ran
from him and took refuge in the swamps
and marshes, and that is how we now find
iron-ore hidden in the marshes.
Then was born the great smith, Ilmarinen,
and the next morning after he was born he
built his smithy on a hill near the marshland.
There he found the hidden iron-ore, and
carried it to his smithy and put it in the
furnace to be smelted. And Ilmarinen had
46 FINNISH LEGENDS
not blown more than three strokes of the
bellows before the iron began to grow soft
as dough. But then Iron cried out to him,
‘Take me from this furnace, Ilmarinen, save
me from-this cruel torture!’ for the heat of
the fire had grown unbearable.
Thou art not hurt, but only a little
frightened,’ Ilmarinen replied; ‘but I will
take thee out, and thou shalt be a great
warrior and slay many heroes,’
But Iron swore by the hammer and anvil,
‘J will injure trees and mountains, but I’ll
never kill the heroes. I will be men’s
servant and their tool, but will not serve for
weapons.’
So Ilmarinen put the iron on his anvil,
and made from it many fine things and tools
of every kind. But he could not harden the
iron into steel, though he pondered over it
for a long time. He made a lye from birch-
ashes and water to harden the iron in, but
it was all in vain.
Just then a little bee came flying up, and
Ilmarinen begged him to bring honey from
all the flowers in the meadows, that he might
put it in the water and so harden the iron
to steel. But a hornet, one of the servants
of the evil spirit Lempo, was sitting on the
roof and overheard Ilmarinen’s words. And
the hornet flew off and collected all the
evil charms he could find—the hissing of
serpents, the venom of adders, the poison of
THE RAINBOW-MAIDEN 47
spiders, the stings of every insect—and
brought them to Ilmarinen. He thought
that the bee had come and brought him
honey from the meadows, and so mixed all
these poisons with the water in which he
was to plunge the iron. And when he
thrust the iron into the poisoned water it
was turned to hard steel, but the poisons
made it forget its oath and grow hard-
hearted, and it began to wound men and
cause their blood to flow in streams, This
was the origin of steel and iron.
When Wainamoinen had finished, the old
man rose from the hearth and began an
incantation to make the wound close up.
First he cursed Iron that it had become so
wicked, and then he bade the blood cease
to flow by the power of his magic. And as
he went on he prayed to great Ukko that if
this magic incantation should not prove
sufficient, Ukko himself would come and
stop the wound.
By the time he had finished his words of
magic the blood ceased flowing from the
wound. Then the old man sent his son to
make a healing salve out of herbs, to take
away the soreness from Wainamoinen’s
knee.
First the youth made a salve from oak-
bark and young shoots, and many sorts of
healing grasses. Three days and three
nights he steeped them in a copper kettle,
48 FINNISH LEGENDS
but when he had finished the salve would
not do. Then he added still other healing
herbs, and steeped it for three days more,
and at last it was ready, First he tried it
on a birch-tree that had been broken down
by wicked Lempo. He rubbed the salve
on the broken branches and said: ‘With
this salve I anoint thee, recover, O birch-
tree, and grow more beautiful than ever !?
And the tree grew together and became
more beautiful and strong than ever before.
Then he tried the salve on broken granite
boulders and on fissures in the mountains,
and it was so powerful that it closed them
all together as if they had never existed.
After this he hurried home and gave the
magic salve to his father, and told him
what he had done with it.
The old man anointed. Wainamoinen’s
knee with it, saying: ‘Do not rely on thine
own virtue or power, but in thy creator's
strength; do not speak with thine own
wisdom, but with great Ukko’s. Whatever
in thee is good comes from Ukko,’
No sooner had the old man put on the
salve and said these words, than Waina-
moinen was seized with a terrible pain, and
lay rolling and writhing on the floor in
agony. But the old man bandaged up his
knee with a silken bandage, and prayed to
Ukko to come to his assistance,
And suddenly the pain left Wainamoinen
THE RAINBOW-MAIDEN ‘49
and his knee became as strong and well as
ever. Then he raised his eyes in gratitude
to heaven and prayed thus to Ukko: ¢ Praise
to thee, my Creator, for the aid that thou
hast given me. For thou hast banished all
my pain and trouble. O all ye people of
Kalevala, both those now living and those
to come, boast not of the work that ye
have done but give to God the praise, for
the great Ukko alone can make all things
perfect, Ukko is the one master !?
There was a moment’s pause, and then
little Mimi said that she was so glad Waina-
- moinen was well again, and asked Father
Mikko to tell them what happened to him
next. But the old man answered that he
must have a /z¢¢/e time to breathe at least.
So he filled his pipe again and lighted it,
and Erik brought up some more beer, and
they sat and smoked and drank beer and
chatted for a while,
Then, when he felt rested once more,
Father Mikko obeyed Mimi’s urgent request
and began again to tell them how Waina-
moinen got home, and what happened
afterwards.
Crate Va
RR Se Nea A a
Noe bat
4
\
ILMARINEN FORGES THE SAMPO
SAGO sooner was Wainamoinen cured
of his wound than he put his
Be sledge in order and drove off at
lightning speed towards Kalevala.
For three days he journeyed over hills and
valleys, over marshes and meadows, and on
the evening of the third day he reached the
land of Kalevala once again,
There, on the border line he halted, and
began a magic song. And as he sang a
fir-tree began to grow from the earth, and
kept on growing until its top had grown up
above the clouds and reached to the stars.
When the tree had finished growing, Waina-
moinen sang another magic song, so that
the moon was caught fast in the tree’s
branches and obliged to shine there until
Wainamoinen should reverse his spell. And
then by another spell he made the stars of
the Great Bear fast in the tree-top, and then
ILMARINEN FORGES THE SAMPO 5I
jumped into his sledge and drove on again to
his home, with his cap set awry on his head,
mourning because he had promised to send
Ilmarinen back to the -N orthland, to forge
the magic Sampo as his ransom.
As he drove on he came to IImarinen’s
smithy, and he stopped and went in to him.
Imarinen welcomed him and asked where
he had been so long, and what had happened
to him.
Then Wainamoinen told him of his
journey to the Northland, and all the
dangers he had gone through, and he
added: ‘In a village there I saw a
maiden, who is the fairest in all the North-
land. All there sing her praises, for her
forehead shines like the rainbow and her
face is fair as the golden moonlight. She
is more beautiful than the sun and all the
Stars together, but she will not marry any
suitor. But do thou go, dear IImarinen,
and see her wondrous beauty ; forge the
magic Sampo for her mother and then thou
shalt win this lovely maiden to be thy
wife,’
But Ilmarinen replied: «O cunning
Wainamoinen, I know that thou hast pro-
mised me as a ransom for thyself. But I
will never go to that gloomy country, nor
do I care for thy beautiful maiden ; I will
not go for all the maids in Pohjola,’
Wainamoinen answered: ‘But I can tell
52 FINNISH LEGENDS
thee of still greater wonders, for I have
seen a giant fir-tree growing on the border
of our own country; its top is higher than
the clouds, and in its branches shine the
moon and the Great Bear.’
‘I will not believe thy wonderful story,’
replied Ilmarinen, ‘until I see the tree with
my own eyes and the moon and stars shining
in it?
‘Come with me,’ said Wainamoinen, ‘and
I will show thee that I speak the truth.’
So off they set to see the wondrous tree.
When they had come to it Wainamoinen
asked Ilmarinen to climb the tree and to
bring down the moon and stars, and he at
once began to climb up towards them.
But, while he was climbing, the fir-tree
spoke to him, saying: ‘ Foolish hero, why
hast thou so little knowledge as to try to
steal the moon from my branches?’ No
sooner had the tree said these words to
Ilmarinen, than Wainamoinen sang a magic
spell, calling up a great storm-wind, and
saying to it: ‘O storm-wind, take Ilmarinen
and carry him in thy airy vessel to the dark
and dismal Northland.’
And the storm-wind came and heaped up
the clouds so that they formed a boat, and
seizing Ilmarinen from the tree it placed
him in the clouds and rushed off to the
north, carrying clouds and all with it. On
and on he sailed, rising higher than the
ILMARINEN FORGES THE SAMPO 53
moon, tossed about by the wind, until at
last he came to the Northland and the
storm-wind set him down in Louhi’s court-
yard. :
Old toothless Louhi saw him as he
alighted, and asked him: ‘Who art thou
that comest through the air, riding on the
storm-wind? Hast thou ever met the great
smith Ilmarinen, for I have long been
waiting for him to come and forge the magic
Sampo for me.’
‘I do indeed know him well,’ he replied,
‘for I myself am I]marinen.’
At these words Louhi hurried into the
house and told her youngest daughter to
dress herself in all her most splendid clothes
and ornaments, for IImarinen was come to
make the Sampo for them. So the maiden
chose her loveliest silken dresses, and
placed a circlet of copper round her brow,
a golden girdle round her waist, and pearls
about her neck, and in her hair she twisted
threads of gold and silver. When she was
dressed she looked, with her?rosy red cheeks
and bright sparkling eyes, more lovely than
any other maiden in all the Northland, and
then she hurried to the hall to meet
Ilmarinen.
Louhi went to Ilmarinen and led him
into the house, where there was a feast
spread ready for him. She gave him the
best seat at the table, and the choicest
84 FINNISH LEGENDS
viands to eat, and gave him everything he
wished for. Then she asked him if he
would forge the Sampo for her, and pro-
mised him, if he would, her fairest daughter
as his wife.
Ilmarinen was charmed with her daugh-
ter’s beauty, and he promised to do what
she asked. But when he went to look for
a place to work in, he could find no place,
and not even so much as a pair of bellows
to blow his fire with. Still he was not dis-
couraged, but for three days he wandered
about, looking for a place to build a work-
shop. On the evening of the third day he
saw a huge rock that was suited for his pur-
pose, and there he began to build: The
first day he built the chimney and started a
fire; the second day he made his bellows
and put them in place; the third day he
finished his furnace, and had all ready to
begin his work.
Then Ilmarinen made a magic mixture of
certain metals and put them in the bottom
of the furnace. And he hired some of
Louhi’s men to work the bellows and keep
putting fuel on the fire. Three long summer
days the workmen blew the bellows, until at
length the base rock began to blossom in
flames from the magic heat.
On the evening of the first day Ilmarinen
bent over the furnace and took out a magic
bow. It gleamed like the moon, had a
ILMARINEN FORGES THE SAMPO 55
shaft of copper and tips of silver, and was
the most wonderful bow that had ever been
made. But it would not rest satisfied unless
it killed a warrior every day, and two on
feast-days. So Ilmarinen broke it into
pieces and threw them back into the furnace,
and tried again to forge the Sampo.
On the evening of the second day he
looked into the furnace and drew forth a
magic vessel. It was all purple, save the
ribs that were of gold and the vase of copper,
and it was the most beautiful vessel that
ever had been made. But wherever it went
it always led men into quarrels and fights,
so Ilmarinen broke it into pieces and threw
it back into the furnace.
On the evening of the third day he took
out of the furnace a magic heifer, with horns
of gold and the most beautifully-shaped head.
But she was ill-tempered and would not stay
at home, but rushed through the forest and
swamps and wasted all her milk on the
ground. So IImarinen cut the magic heifer
in pieces and threw them back into the
furnace.
And on the fourth evening he took out a
wonderful plough, the ploughshare of gold
and the handles of silver and the beam of
copper. But it ploughed up fields of barley
and the richest meadows, so Ilmarinen threw
it back into the furnace.
Then he drove away all his workmen,
56 FINNISH LEGENDS
and by his magic called up the storm-winds
to blow his bellows. They came from the
North and South and East and West, and
they blew one day and then another and
then a third, until the fire leapt out through
the windows, the sparks flew from the door,
and the smoke rose up and mingled with
the clouds. And on the third evening Ilma-
rinen looked into the furnace and beheld
the magic Sampo growing there. Quickly
he took it out and placed it on his anvil, and
taking a huge hammer the wonderful smith
forged the luck-bringing Sampo. From one
side it grinds out flour, and from the other
salt, and from the third it coins out money.
And the lid is all the colours of the rainbow,
and as it rocks back and forth it grinds one
measure for the day, and one for the market
and one for the storehouse.
Then old Louhi joyfully took the luck-
bringing Sampo and hid it in the hills of
Lapland. She bound it with nine great
locks, and by her witchcraft made three
roots grow all around it, two deep beneath
the mountains and one beneath the sea-
shore.
And when he had finished the Sampo,
Ilmarinen came to the lovely daughter of
Louhi and asked her if she were ready now
to be his wife. But she replied: ‘If I
should go with thee, and leave the North-
land, all the birds would cease to sing.
ILMARINEN FORGES THE SAMPO 57
No, never while I live will I give up my
maiden freedom, lest all the birds should
leave the forest and the mermaids leave
the waters.’
So Ilmarinen had made the Sampo all in
vain, and he was now far from home and
had no way of returning. But Louhi came
to him and asked him why he was grieving,
and when she learned his trouble, and that
he now wished to return to his own home,
she provided him with a boat of copper.
And when he had set sail she sent the north
wind to carry him on his way, and on the
evening of the third day he reached his
home.
There Wainamoinen met him and asked
if he had forged the magic Sampo. ‘Yes,’
replied Ilmarinen, ‘I have forged the Sampo,
with its lid of many colours. Louhi has the
wondrous Sampo, but I have lost the beauteous
maiden.’
‘Ah!’ said little Mimi, ‘old Louwhi’s
daughter was just as mean as could be,
and of course she didn’t keep her pro-
mise, because Lapps never can be good
people.’
‘Don’t be too hard on the poor Lapps,
my dear,’ said Father Mikko, ‘for you see
this happened a great many hundreds of
: 58 FINNISH LEGENDS
years ago, and the whole world has grown
better since then. But now we will leave
Ilmarinen and Wainamoinen for a while,
and I will tell you about the reckless Lem-
minkainen and his adventures.’
So the old man began as follows :
LEMMINKAINEN AND KYLLIKKI
SONG, long ago a son was born to
Lempo, and he was named Lem-
minkainen, but some call him
Ahti. He grew up amongst the
islands and fed upon the salmon until he
became a mighty man, handsome to look at
and skilled in magic. But he was not as
good as he was handsome—he had a wicked
heart, and was more famous for his dancing
than for great deeds. p
Now at the time my story begins, there
lived in the Northland a beautiful maiden
named Kyllikki. She was so lovely that
the Sun had begged her to marry his son
and come and live with them. But she
refused, and when the Moon came and
besought her to marry her son, and the
Evening Star sought her for his son, she
refused them both. And after that came
suitors from all the countries round about,
60 FINNISH LEGENDS
but the lovely Kyllikki would not marry one
of them.
When Lemminkainen heard of this, he
resolved that he would win her himself.
But his aged mother tried to dissuade him,
telling him that the maiden was of a higher
family than his own, that all the Northland
women would laugh at him, and then if he
should try to punish them for their laughter,
that the warriors of the Northland would
fall on him and kill him. But all this did
not make him change his mind, and he
started off for the distant Northland.
When he came near to Kyllikki’s home,
all the women and maidens that saw him
began to laugh at him because he looked so
poor, and yet dared to try to win the fair
Kyllikki’s hand. When he heard them
laughing, it made him so angry that he
drove on without paying any attention to
how he was driving, and when he came to
the courtyard his sledge hit against the
gate-post and broke to pieces, and threw
him out into the snow.
He rose up angrier than ever, but all
those around only laughed the harder at
him, and made all manner of fun of him.
Then they offered him a place as a shep-
herd on the mountains. So Ahti became a
shepherd, and spent all the days on the
hills, but in the evenings he went to their
dances, and when he had shown them what
LEMMINKAINEN AND KYLLIKKI 61
a skilful dancer he was, he soon became
a great favourite with all the women, and
they began to praise him instead of laughing
at him.
But fair Kyllikki alone would have nothing
to do with him—would not even look at him
in spite of all his endeavours to win her.
At last she was tired out with his attentions,
and told him that he had better return
home, for she did not like him, and that so
long as he stayed there she would not even
look at him.
Still he did not go away, but waited until
a chance came to carry out his new plan.
About a month after this, all the maidens
were met together for a dance in a glen
among the hills, and among them was
Kyllikki. Suddenly Lemminkainen came
galloping up in his sledge and seized the
fair Kyllikki as she was dancing with the
rest, placed her in his sledge, and drove off
like the whirlwind, and as he flew by the
frightened maidens he cried out to them:
‘Never tell that I have taken Kyllikki, or I
will cast a magic spell over your lovers, so
that they will all leave you and go off to the
wars and will never come back to dance and
make merry with you.’
But Kyllikki wept and begged Lemmin-
kainen to give her back her freedom, saying,
‘Oh, give me back my freedom, cruel
Lemminkainen ; let me return on foot to my
62 FINNISH LEGENDS
grieving father and mother. If thou wilt
not let me go, O Ahti, I will curse thee
and will call upon my seven valiant brothers
to pursue and kill thee. Once I was happy
among my people, but now all my joy has
gone since thou hast come to torment me,
O cruel-hearted Ahti !?
But all her words could not move Lem-
minkainen to release her. Then he said to
her: ‘Dearest maiden, fair Kyllikki, cease
thy weeping and be joyful; I will never
harm thee nor deceive thee. Why shouldst
thou be sorrowful, for I have a lovely home
and friends and riches, and thou shalt never
need to labour. Do not despise me be-
cause my family is not mighty, for I have a
good spear and a sharp sword, and with
these I will gain greatness and power for
thy sake.’
Then Kyllikki asked him: ‘O Ahti, son
of Lempo, wilt thou then be to me a faithful
husband ; wilt thou swear to me never to go
to battle nor to strife of any sort ?’
‘I will swear upon my honour,’ Lem-
minkainen replied, ‘that I will never go to
battle, if thou wilt promise in return never
to go to dance in the village, however much
thou mayst long for it.’
So the two swore before the great
Ukko, Lemminkainen promising never to
go to battle, and Kyllikki that she would
never go to the village dances. And
LEMMINKAINEN AND KYLLIKKI 63
then Lemminkainen rejoicing cracked his
whip, and they galloped on like the wind
over hills and valleys towards the plains of
Kalevala.
As they came near to Lemminkainen’s
home, Kyllikki saw that it looked dreary
and poor, and began to weep again, but
Lemminkainen comforted her, telling her
that now he would build a splendid mansion
for her, and so she grew cheerful once more.
They drove up to his mother’s cottage, and
as they entered his mother asked him how
he had fared. Ahti answered: ‘I have
well repaid the scorn of the Northland
maidens, for I have brought the fairest of
them with me in my sledge. I brought her
well wrapt in bear-skins hither, to be my
loving bride for ever. Beloved mother,
make ready for us the best room and pre-
pare a rich feast, that my bride may be
content.’
His mother answered: ‘Praised be
gracious Ukko, that hath given me a
daughter. Praise Ukko, my-son, that thou
hast won this lovely maiden, the pride of
the Northland, who is purer than the snow,
more graceful than the swan, and more
beautiful than the stars. Let us make our
dwelling larger, and decorate the walls most
beautifully in honour of thy lovely bride, the
fairest maid of all creation.’
KYLLIKK’S BROKEN VOW
AEMMINKAINEN and Kyllikki
lived together happily for many
years, keeping the promises they
had made to each other. But
one day Lemminkainen had not come home
from fishing by sunset, and then the longing
to dance was more than Kyllikki could with-
stand, and she went into the village and
joined the maidens in their dance.
As soon as Lemminkainen came home,
his sister Ainikki came to him and told him
how Kyllikki had broken her promise and had
joined in the dance. Then Lemminkainen
grew angry and sad at the same time, and
he went to his mother and asked her to
steep his clothing in the blood of serpents,
for he was going off to battle since Kyllikki
could not keep her vow.
Kyllikki tried to persuade him not to
leave her, telling him that she had dreamt a
KYLLIKKI’S BROKEN VOW 65
dream, in which she saw their home in
flames and the fire bursting out through the
doors and windows and roof. But Lem-
minkainen replied: ‘I have no faith in
women’s dreams or maidens’ vows. Bring
me my copper armour, mother, for I long to
get to the wars, to go to dismal Pohjola,
there to win great stores of gold and silver.’
‘Stay at home, my dear son,’ his aged
mother said, ‘and drink the beer in our
cellars, sitting peaceably by thine own
hearth, for we have more than enough gold
and silver. Only the other day, as our ser-
vants were ploughing the fields they came
upon a chest of gold and silver buried in the
ground—take this and be content.’
When all this had no effect upon Lemmin-
kainen, his mother began to tell him of the
magic of the Northland people, and that
they would sing him into the fire so that he
would be burnt to death. But he replied:
‘Long ago three Lapland wizards tried to
bewitch me, and employed their strongest
spells against me, but I stood unmoved.
Then I began my own magic songs, and be-
fore long I overcame them and sank them
to the bottom of the sea, where they are
still sleeping and the seaweed is growing
through their hair and beards.’
Still his mother tried to stop him, and his
wife Kyllikki begged his forgiveness in tears,
He stood listening to them and brushing out
F
66 FINNISH LEGENDS
his long black hair, but at last he became
impatient, and threw the brush from him
and cried out: ‘I will not stay, but keep
that brush, and when ye see blood oozing
from its bristles, then ye may know that
some terrible misfortune has overtaken me.’
Saying this he left them and put on his
armour and harnessed his steed into his
sledge. Then he sang a song, calling on
all the spirits of the woods and the moun-
tains and the waters and on great Ukko
himself to help him against the Northland
wizards, and when his song was ended he
drove off like the wind.
In the evening of the third day he reached
a little village in the ‘Northland. Here he
drove into a courtyard and called out: ‘Is
there any one strong enough to attend to
my horse and take care of my sledge.’
There was a child playing on the floor of
the house, and it replied that there was no
one there to do it. Then Lemminkainen
rode on to another house and asked the
same question ; and a man standing in the
doorway replied: ‘There are plenty here
that are mighty enough not only to unhar-
ness thy steed, but to conquer thee and drive
thee to thy home ere the sun has set.’
Then Lemminkainen told him that he
would return and slay him, and so drove off
to the highest house in the village. Here
he cast a spell over the watch-dog, so that
KYLLIKKI’S BROKEN VOW 67
he should not bark, and drove in, Then he
struck on the ground with his whip, and
from the ground there arose a vapour that
concealed the sledge, and in the vapour was
a dwarf that took his steed and unharnessed
it and gave it food. But Lemminkainen
went on into the house, having first made
himself invisible. There he found a great
many people singing and making merry,
and by the fires the Northland wizards were
seated. He made his way on, and then
took on his own shape again and entered
into the main hall, and cried out to those
that were singing to be silent.
As soon as she saw him the mistress of
the house ran up to him and asked him who
he was, and how he had passed the watch-
dog unnoticed. Then Lemminkainen told
her who he was, and instantly began to
weave his magic spells, while the lightning
shot from his fur mantle and flames from
his eyes. He sang them all under the
power of his magic—some beneath the
waters, some into the burning fire, some
beneath the heaped-up mountains. Only
one poor old man, who was blind and lame,
did he leave untouched. And when the
old man asked him why it was that he had
alone been left, cruel Lemminkainen began
to abuse him and to torment him with words,
until the old man, Nasshut, grew almost wild
with anger, and hobbled away, swearing to
68 FINNISH LEGENDS
have vengeance. Nasshut journeyed on
and on, and at last arrived at the river
Tuoni, which separates the land of the dead
from the land of the living. There he waited
until Lemminkainen should come, for he
knew, by his wizard’s skill, that he would
come thither soon.
LEMMINKAINEN’S SECOND
WOOING
== TER this Lemminkainen travelled
Ny on through dismal Pohjola until
ENS] 4 he came to the home of aged
<= Touhi. He went in to Louhi and
‘begged her to give him one of her daughters
in marriage, but Louhi refused, saying:
‘Thou hast already taken one wife from
Lapland, the fair Kyllikki, and I will give
thee neither the loveliest nor yet the ugliest
of my daughters.’
Still Lemminkainen kept urging her, and
at last, to get rid of him, she:said: ‘I will
never give one of my daughters to a worth-
less man. Thou mayst not ask me again
until thou bringest me the Hisi-reindeer,
Then Lemminkainen set to work to make
his arrows and his darts. When these were
done he went to Lylikki, the great snow-
shoe maker, and bade him make a huge
Jo FINNISH LEGENDS
pair of snow-shoes, as he was going to hunt
the Hisi-reindeer. At first Lylikki tried to
dissuade him, telling him he could never
succeed, but perhaps would die in the forest.
But Lemminkainen ordered him again to
make the snow-shoes, and Lylikki set to
work. He made them of wood, only a few
inches wide, but longer than Lemminkainen
was tall, and with straps in the middle to
fasten them on to the feet; and he also
made a staff for Lemminkainen to push
himself along with, or to keep his balance
with when he slid down the hills.
At length they were finished, and Lemmin-
kainen put them on, and his quiver on his
back, and took his snow-staff in his hand,
and as he set off he cried out: ‘There is no
living thing in all the forest that can escape
me now, when I take my mighty strides in
Lylikki’s snow-shoes.’
But the evil spirit Hisi overheard him as he
boasted thus, and Hisi set to work to make
an enchanted reindeer, that Lemminkainen
would never be able to catch. So he took
bare willow branches to make the horns, and
wood for the head, the feet and legs were
made of reeds, and the veins from withered
grass, the eyes were made from daisies, the
ears from flowers, and the skin of the rough
fir-bark, and the muscles from strong, sappy
wood. When this magic reindeer was com-
pleted it was the swiftest and the finest-
LEMMINKAINEN’S SECOND WOOING 71
looking of all reindeer. And Hisi sent it
off to Pohjola, telling it to lure Lemminkainen
into the snow-covered mountains and there
to wear him out with the cold and the fatigue
of the chase. So the reindeer went forth to
dismal Pohjola, and there it ran through the
courtyards and the outhouses, overturning
tubs of water, throwing the kettles from
their hooks, and upsetting the dishes that
were cooking before the fires. There was a
frightful noise there, for all the dogs began
to bark, and the children to cry, and the
women to laugh, and the men to shout.
And then the magic reindeer went on its
way.
Now Lemminkainen had set out, as soon
as his snow-shoes were ready, and had
hunted the whole world over for a trace of
the Hisi-reindeer, rushing like the wind over
mountains and valleys, until the fire shot
from his snow-shoes, and his snow-staff
smoked. But after he had wandered over
the whole world and still had found no trace
of the Hisi-reindeer, he came at iast to the
corner of Northland where the magic animal
had just run through the courts upsetting
everything, and the children were still crying
and the women laughing when he arrived.
Lemminkainen asked what the cause was of
their uproar, and they told him how the
reindeer had been there.
No sooner had he heard this than off he
72 FINNISH LEGENDS
flew over the snow, and as he went he sang ©
a spell, calling on the powers of Pohjola to
enable him to catch the Hisi-beast. After
he had sung, he gave three huge strides with
his snow-shoes, and at the end of the third
he caught up with the Hisi-reindeer, and in
another moment had it bound fast. Then
he spoke to the reindeer and patted it on
the head, and bade it come with him to
Louhi. But suddenly the animal made a
mighty rush, snapped his bonds in two, and
sprang away over the hills and valleys out
of sight.
Lemminkainen started off after it, but at
the first step his snow-shoes broke right in
two and threw him down, breaking his arrows
and. his snow-staff in his fall. Then he
arose and looked sadly at his broken shoes
and arrows and stick, and said to himself:
‘ How shall I ever succeed in my hunt, now
that my shoes are broken, and the reindeer
is once more free ?’
LEMMINKAINEN’S DEATH
OR a long time Lemminkainen sat
Â¥ considering whether he should
give up the chase and return to
Kalevala, or still keep on after
the Hisi-reindeer. At length he regained
hope and courage, and having sung an
incantation that made his snow-shoes and
arrows and staff whole again, he started off
once more.
This time he turned his steps to the
home of Tapio, the god of the forest, and
as he went he began to sing wondrous songs
to Tapio and his wife Mielikki, begging
them to help him, and promising them
great stores of gold and silver if they would
do so.
At last he arrived at Tapio’s palace,
which had window-frames of gold, and the
palace itself was of ivory. . And within it
Mielikki and her daughters were dressed in
74 FINNISH LEGENDS
golden garments, and wore gold and gems
in their hair, and pearls round their necks.
And theyall promised to help Lemminkainen,
and went off to drive the reindeer up to the
palace so that he might catch it. Nor had
he long to wait before whole troops of rein-
deer came flocking into the palace courtyard,
and Lemminkainen saw among them the
Hisi-deer, and caught it.
Then Lemminkainen sang a song of
triumph, and having paid to Tapio’s wife,
Mielikki, the gold and silver he had promised,
he hastened off with the reindeer to Louhi’s
home. But when he gave the Hisi-deer to
her, she said: ‘I will give thee my fairest
daughter if thou wilt catch and bridle for
me the fiery Hisi-horse, that breathes
smoke and fire from his mouth and nostrils.’
So Lemminkainen went off, taking with
him a golden bridle to put on the horse.
For three days he wandered without catching
sight of the Hisi-horse, but on the third day
he climbed to the top of a very high moun-
tain, and from thence he spied the steed on
the plain amongst the fir-trees, breathing
smoke and flames from his mouth and
nostrils and eyes,
When Lemminkainen saw him he prayed
to great Ukko to send a shower of icy hail
upon the fiery Hisi-steed, and presently a
great shower of hail rained down, and every
hailstone was larger than a man’s head.
LEMMINKAINEN’S DEATH 75
After the hail was over, Lemminkainen
came up to the fiery horse and coaxed him
to let the golden bridle be slipped over his
head. Then off they went like the wind,
the horse obeying Lemminkainen perfectly,
and in a very short time they arrived at
Louhi’s house. When he had given the
Hisi-horse to Louhi, Lemminkainen asked
again for the hand of her fairest daughter.
But Louhi told him she would not give him
her daughter until he had killed the swan
that swam on Tuoni’s river, which flows
between the land of the living and the dead.
Then Lemminkainen started off fearlessly
to seek the graceful swan of Tuoni, and
journeyed on and on until at length he
came to the coal-black river. There the
old shepherd of Pohjola, Nasshut, was
waiting for him, and, though blind, he heard
Lemminkainen’s footsteps, and sent a serpent
from the death-river to meet him. The
serpent stung Lemminkainen just over the
heart, so that he fell down dead almost
instantly, only having time to call upon his
ancient mother to help him.
And Nasshut cast his body into the
dismal river Tuoni, where it was washed
down through the rapids to the Deathland,
Tuonela. There the son of the ruler of the
Deathland took the body, and cutting it into
five portions, cast them back into the stream,
saying : ‘Swim there now, O Lemminkainen!
76 FINNISH LEGENDS
float for ever in this river, so that thou
mayst hunt the wild swan at thy leisure.’
And thus the handsome Lemminkainen
died, and was cast into the river of Tuoni,
that flows along the Deathland.
5 = CZ
Fa 2g the ate
LEMMINKAINEN’S RESTORATION
¥EMMINKAINEN’S mother began
Zi} to grow uneasy at his long ab-
sence, and to fear that some
trouble had befallen him. At
last one day, as his wife, the fair Kyllikki,
was in her room, she noticed that drops of
blood had begun to flow from the bristles
of Lemminkainen’s hair-brush. Then she
began to weep and mourn, and ran and
told his mother, who came and saw the
blood oozing from the brush, and cried
out:
‘Woe is me, for my son, my hero, is in
some terrible distress; some awful mis-
fortune has happened to him.’ Saying
this she hurried off, and went straight to
Louhi’s house. There she asked what had
become of her son, but Louhi only replied
that she did not know, that he had driven
off long ago in a sledge she had given him,
78 FINNISH LEGENDS
and perhaps the wolves or bears had eaten
him.
‘ Thou art only telling falsehoods,’ replied
Lemminkainen’s mother, ‘for no bears or
wolves can devour him; he would put them
to sleep with his magic singing. Now, tell
me truly, O Louhi, whither thou hast sent
my son, or I will destroy all thy store-
houses and even thy magic Sampo.’
And then Louhi said that she had given
him a copper boat, and he had floated off
on the river; perhaps he had perished in
the rapids below. But Lemminkainen’s
mother answered: ‘ Thou art still speaking
falsely. Tell me the truth this time, or I
will send plague and death upon thee.’
Then Louhi answered the third time:
‘I will tell thee the truth. I sent him to
fetch me the Hisi-reindeer, and then after
the fire-breathing horse, and last of all, after
the swan that swims the death-stream,
Tuoni, that he might gain the hand of my
fairest daughter. He may have perished
there, for he has not come back since to
ask for my daughter’s hand.’
No sooner had Louhi said this than the
anxious mother hurried off to hunt for her
son. Over hills and valleys, through marsh
and forest, and over the wide waters she
went, but looked for him in vain. Then
she asked the Trees if they had seen him
but they answered: ‘We have more than
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The Baldwin Library
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| FINNISH LEGENDS
THE CHILDREN’S LIBRARY.
THE BROWN OWL.
THE CHINA CUP.
STORIES FROM FAIRYLAND.
TALES FROM THE MABINOGION.
THE STORY OF A PUPPET.
THE LITTLE PRINCESS.
IRISH FAIRY TALES.
AN ENCHANTED GARDEN.
LA BELLE NIVERNAISE.
THE FEATHER.
FINN AND HIS COMPANIONS.
NUTCRACKER AND MOUSE-KING,
THE PENTAMERONE.
FINNISH LEGENDS.
(Others in the Press.)
FINNISH KOTA.
FINNISH LEGENDS
FOR
ENGEIISH: Gi TED REN
BY
RK, EIVIND
»
SEVEN ILLUSTRATIONS
LONDON
T. FISHER UNWIN
1893
RR ee ae.
STW ESCO
PREFACE
MGQ}HE following stories cover almost
Ga all of the songs of the Kalevala,
the epic of the Finnish people.
They will lead the English child
into a new region in the fairy world, yet one
where he will recognise many an old friend
in anew form. -The very fact that they do
open up a new portion of the world of the
marvellous, will, it is hoped, render them all
the more acceptable, and perhaps, when the
child who reads them grows up to manhood,
will inspire an actual interest in the race
that has composed them.
And this race and their land will repay
study, for nowhere will one find a more
beautiful land than Finland, nor’ a braver,
truer, and more liberty-loving people than
vi FINNISH LEGENDS
the Finns, although, alas, their love for
liberty may soon be reduced to an appar-
ently hopeless longing for a lost ideal. For
the iron hand of Russian despotism has
already begun to close on Finland with its
relentless. grasp, and, in spite of former
oaths and promises from the Russian Tsars,
the future of Finland looks blacker and
blacker as time goes on. Yet it is often the
unforeseen that happens, and let us trust that
this may be so in Finland’s case, and that a
brighter future may soon dawn, and the
dark clouds that now are threatening may
be once more dispersed.
In these stories Mr. T, M. Crawford’s
metrical translation of the Kalevala has been
quite closely followed, even to the adoption
of his Anglicised, or rather Anglo-Swedish,
forms for proper names, though in some
instances the original Finnish form has been
reverted to. This was done reluctantly, but
the actual Finnish forms would seem formid-
able to children in many instances, and
would probably be pronounced even farther
from the original than as they are given here.
It is to be hoped, moreover, that those who
may now read these stories will later on
PREFACE vil
read an actual translation of the Kalevala,
and this is an additional reason for adopting
the terminology of the only English transla-
tion as yet made!
As this book is only intended for children,
it would be out of place to discuss the age,
etc., of the Kalevala, Only it would seem
proper to state,that while the incantations and
some other portions of the text are certainly
very old, some of them no doubt dating from
a period prior to the separation of the Finns
and Hungarians, yet, as Professor Yrj6 Kos-
kinen remarks, “ The Kalevala in its present
state is without doubt the work of the Kavelian
tribe of Finns, and probably dates from
after their arrival in Northern and North-
Western Russia.†This will of itself largely
justify the making Kalevala synonymous
with the present Finland, Pohjola with the
present Lapland, Kavjala with the present
Karjala (Anglice, Karefa) in South-Eastern
Finland, etc. But.even if this were not so,
yet the advantage of such localisation in a
book for children is of itself obvious.
As the land and people with which the
stories are concerned is so unknown to
1 A Finnish newspaper recently states that Mr. C.
is now at work on an improved translation.
viii FINNISH LEGENDS
English children, it has seemed best to have
some -sort of introduction and framework
in which to present them, and therefore
“ Father Mikko†was chosen as the story-
teller.
If this little volume may in any degree
_awake some interest in the Finnish people
its author will be amply satisfied, and its
end will have been attained.
R. EIVIND.
Afpril.1893.
CONTENTS
PAGE
FATHER MIKKO sl . " sy
TuE WorRLD’s CREATION AND THE BIRTH
OF WAINAMOINEN _ 3 TS
THE PLANTING OF THE TREES
WAINAMOINEN AND YOUKAHAINEN uel Sie
AINO’s FATE , : . eI
WAINAMOINEN’S SEARCH FOR AINO . 28
WAINAMOINEN’S UNLUCKY JOURNEY 2432")
WAINAMOINEN’S RESCUE . : . 36
THE RAINBOW-MAIDEN . . - 41
ILMARINEN FORGES THE SAMPO . . 50
LEMMINKAINEN AND KYLLIKKI . - 59
KYLLIKKI’s BROKEN Vow . : . 64
xX FINNISH LEGENDS
PAGE
LEMMINKAINEN’s SECOND WooING . 69
LEMMINKAINEN’s DEATH : Teen7S
LEMMINKAINEN’s RESTORATION een 7
WAINAMOINEN’S BoaT-BUILDING - 86
WAINAMOINEN FINDs THE Lost Worps 93
THE RivaL Suirors _. : » 99
ILMARINEN’s WooING : - . 106
THE BREWING OF BEER . 5 Sage
ILMARINEN’s WEDDING FEaAst , . 118
THE ORIGIN OF THE SERPENT - 124
THE UNWELCOME GUEST. : . 31
THE IsLE OF REFUGE. » 136
THE FROST-FIEND . : - 144
KULLERVO’s BIRTH . » IS
KULLERVO AND ILMARINEN’s WIFE - 156
KULLERVO’s LIFE AND DEATH . » 160
ILMARINEN’S BRIDE OF GOLD. . 166
ILMARINEN’S FRUITLESS WooING + 170
WAINAMOINEN’s EXPEDITION AND THE
BIRTH OF THE KANTELE (Harr) . 173
THE CAPTURE OF THE SAMPO , - 81
THE Sampo 1s Lost IN THE SEA - 186
CONTENTS Xl
PAGE
THE BIRTH OF THE SECOND KANTELE . 190
Loun!1 ATTEMPTS REVENGE é - 194
Louut STEALS THE SUN, THE Moon, AND
FIRE . : 5 5 - 199
THE RESTORATION OF THE SUN AND MOON 205
MaRIATTA AND WAINAMOINEN’S DE-
PARTURE . . . - 210
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TABLE OF PROPER NAMES
WITH PRONUNCIATION
Ahti (ach'-tee), Another name for Lemminkainen.
Ahto (ach'-to). God of the sea.
Ainikki (aé’nik-kée). Sister of Lemminkainen.
Aino (aé’no). Sister of Youkahainen.
Annikki (an'-nik-kee), Sister of Ilmarinen.
fist (hee’-see), Evil spirit ; also called Lempo.
Lku Turso (ee'-koo-tiir’-so). _ A sea-monster.
Limarinen (il'-ma-ree'-nén), The famous smith.
Iimatar (il'-m&-tar), A daughter of the ether, mother
of Wainamoinen.
Imatra (ee'-ma-tri). Celebrated waterfall on the
river Wuvksi, near Viborg.
Kalerwoinen (kal'-er-woi'-nén) (ov Kalervo). Father
of Kullervo.
Kalevala (ka’-lay-va'-la). The land of heroes. The
home of the Finns, The name of the Finnish
epic poem.
Karjala (kar'-ya-la). The home of a Finnish tribe—
a portion of Finland (called also Karelen in
Swedish).
xiv FINNISH LEGENDS
Kullervo (ktil'-ler-vd). Slayer of the Rainbow-
maiden,
Kura (ki’-ra), Ahti’s companion to the North-
land.
Lakko (lak’-ko). Ilmarinen’s mother,
Lemminkainen (lém!-min-kaé’-nén), Also called
Ahti. Son of Lempo.
Lemfpo (lém'-po). Same as Hist; also the father of
Lemminkainen.
Louhi (loo’-chee), -Mistress of Pohjola.
Lowjatar (low'-ya-tar). Tuoni’s daughter ; mother
of the nine diseases.
Lylikki (ly'-IWk-kee). Maker of snowshoes in Pohjola.
Mana (ma’-na), Also called Tuoni ; god of death.
Manala (ma'-na-la). Also called Tuonela; the
abode of Mana; the Deathland.
Mariatta (Mar'-Jat'-th). The virgin mother of
Wainamoinen’s conqueror.
Mielikki (meay'-lik-kee). The forest-goddess.
Osmotar (os'-m6-tar). The wise maiden who first
made beer.
Otso (ot'-so), The bear.
Piltti (pilt’-tee). Mariatta’s maid-servant.
Pohjola (poch'-y6-la), The Northland.
Ruotus (ri-d'-tiis), A man who gives Mariatta
shelter in his stable.
Sampo (sam’-pd). The magic mill forged by
Ilmarinen, which brought wealth and happiness
to its possessor,
Suonetar (swo'-né-tér). The goddess of the veins.
Suoyatar (sw6'-y&-tir). The mother of the serpent,
Tapio (ta’-pé-6), The forest-god,
TABLE OF PROPER NAMES XV
Tuonela (tuo'-nay-la). The abode of Tuoni; the
Deathland ; Manala. -
Tuonetar (tuo’-nay-tar). The goddess of Tuonela,
Tuoni (tuo’-nee). The god of the Deathland ;
Mana.
Ukko (ak’-kG). The greatest god of the Finns.
Untamo (iin’-ta-m6). Kalervo's brother.
Wainamoinen (waé'-na-moy'’-nén). The chief hero
of the Kalevala ; son of Kapé.
Wipunen (wi'-pii-nen). The dead magician from
whom Wainamoinen obtained the three lost
words,
Wirokannas (wee'-r6-kan’-nas), The priest who
baptized Mariatta’s son,
Wuoksit (widk'-see), A river in South-Eastern
Finland, connecting Lakes Saima and Ladoga.
Youkahainen (yoo’-ka-chaé’-nén). A great minstrel
and magician of Pohjola.
REMARKS.—The Finnish # is pronounced as a
guttural; nearly as Ger. ch in ich. This is re-
presented by ch in the above list.
Every vowel should be pronunced by itself—not
run together so as to make a totally different
resultant sound, e.g. Azzo should be pronounced
not z-2d, but a’-ee-nd, the d@ and ee being close
together, with the greatest stress upon the 4d, etc,
7 corresponds to English y in year,
A
bo
_
oo
“5
LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS
FINNISH Kota : 3 Frontispiece
SLEIGHING IN FINLAND . Facing page 7
INTERIOR OF Lape Hur. = 37
A LAPLAND WIZARD 5 Fete 08
Lapp WoMEN IN HOLIDAY
COSTUME . : 5 53 118
Mimi IN Houipay Dress . a 151
A WATERFALL : : A 181
FATHER MIKKO
NN
AR up in the ice-bound north,
where the sun is almost invisible
in winter, and where the summer
os nights are bright as day, there
lies a land which we call Finland; but the
people who live there call it Swomenmaa
now, and long, long ago they used to call it
Kalevala (which means the land of heroes).
And north of Finland lies Lapland, which
the Finns now call Zafpz, but in the olden
days they called it Pohjola (that is, Morth-
land). There the night lasts for whole
weeks and months about Christmas, and in
the summer again they have no night at all
for many weeks. For more than half the
year their country is wrapped in snow and
frost, and yet they are both of them a kind-
hearted people, and among the most honest
and truthful in the world.
. e e . °
B
2 FINNISH LEGENDS
One dark winters day an old man was
driving in a sledge through the fir forest in
the northern part of Finland. He was so
well wrapped up in sheep-skin robes that
he looked more like a huge bundle of rugs,
with a cord round the middle, than any-
thing else, and the great white sheep-skin
cap which he wore hid all the upper part of
his face, while the lower part was buried in
the high collar of his coat. All one could
see was a pair of bright blue eyes with frost-
fringed eyelashes, blinking at the snow that
was thrown up every now and then by his
horse’s feet.
He was a travelling merchant from away
up in the north-western part of Russia, and
had been in southern Finland to sell his
wares, at the winter fairs that are held every
year in the Finnish towns and villages. Now
he was on his way home, and had come
up through Kuopio, and had got on past
Kajana already, but now it had just begun
to snow, and as the storm grew worse, he
pressed on to reach the cabin of a friend
who lived not far ahead ; and he intended to
stay there until the storm should subside
and the weather be fit for travelling once
more.
It was not long before he reached the
cabin, and getting out of his sledge slowly,
being stiff from the cold and the cramped
position, he Knocked on the door with his
FATHER MIKKO 3
whip-handle. It was opened at once, and
he was invited in without even waiting to
see who it was, and was given the welcome
that is always given in that country to a
wearied traveller. But when he had taken
his wraps off there was a general cry of
recognition, and a second even more hearty
welcome.
‘Welcome, Father Mikko !?
‘What good -fortune has brought you
hither ??
‘Come up to the fire,’ and a chorus of
cries from two little children, who greeted
‘Pappa Mikko’ with delight as an old and
welcome acquaintance, Then the father of
the family went out and attended to Father
Mikko’s horse and sledge, and in a few
minutes was back again and joined the old
man by the fire. Next his wife brought out
the brandy-bottle and two glasses, and after
her husband had filled them, he and Father °
Mikko drank each other’s health very
formally, for that is the first thing one must
do when a guest comes in that country,
You must touch your glass against your
friend’s, and say ‘good health,’ and raising
it to your lips drink it straight off, and all
the time you must look each other straight
in the eyes.
When this important formality was
finished the four members of the family and
Father Mikko made themselves comfortable
4 FINNISH LEGENDS
around the fire, and they began to ask him
how things had prospered with him since
they had seen him last, and to tell him
about themselves—how Erik, the father of
the family, had been sick, and the harvest
had been extra good that year, and one of
the cows had a calf, and all the things that
happen to people in the country.
And then he told them of what was going
on in the towns where he had been, and how
every one was beginning to get ready for
Christmas. And he turned to the two little
children and told them about the children
in the towns—how they had had such a
lovely time at ‘Little Christmas,’ at the
house he was staying in. How the little
ones had a tiny little tree with wee wax
candles on it exactly like the big tree they
were to have at Christmas, and how, when
he left, all the children had begun to be
impatient for Christmas Eve, with its
presents and Christmas fish and porridge.
After the old man had ended his account
it was dinner-time, and they all ate with
splendid appetites, while Father Mikko de-
clared that the herring and potatoes and rye-
bread and beer made a far better dinner than
any he had had in the big cities in the south
—not even in Helsingfors had he had a
better. Then when dinner was over, and they
1 A children’s festival about one week before the
real Christmas.
FATHER MIKKO 5
had all gathered round the fire again, little
Mimi climbed up into ‘Pappa Mikko’s’
lap, and begged him to tell them ‘a// the
stories he had ever heard, from the very
beginning of the world all the way down.’
And her father and mother joined with her
in her request, for in their land even the
grown-up people have not become too grand
to listen to stories. As for the little boy,
Antero, he was too shy to say anything;
but he was so much interested to hear
‘Pappa Mikko’ that he actually forgot to
nibble away at -a piece of candy which
‘Pappa Mikko’ had brought from St.
Michel.
The old man smiled, for he was always
asked for stories wherever he went—he was
a famous story-teller—and, stroking little
Mimi’s hair gently, he looked at the group
around the fire before replying. There was
Erik, the father, a broad-shouldered man,
with a dark, weather-beaten face and rather
a sad look, as so many of his countrymen
have. His face showed that his struggle
in the world had not been easy, for he had
to be working from the time he got up
until he went to bed; and then when the
harvest had been bad, and the winter much
longer than usual, and everything seemed
to go wrong—ah! it was so hard then to
see the mother and the little ones have only
bark-bread to eat, and not always enough
6 FINNISH LEGENDS
of that, and one winter they had had nothing
else for months. Erik wouldn’t have minded
for himself, but for them ...! Ah well,
that was all over now; he had been able at
last to save up a little sum of money, and
the harvests were extra good this year, and
he had bought Mother Stina a cloak for
Christmas! Just think of it—a fine cloak,
all the way from the fair at Kuopio !
And next to Erik sat his wife Stina, a
short, fat little woman, with such a merry
face and happy-looking eyes that you could
hardly believe that she had lived on any-
thing but the best herring and potatoes and
rye-bread all her life. Close by her side
was her little boy Antero, who was only
seven years old, and in his eagerness for
the stories to commence he still held his
piece of candy in his hand without tasting it.
Then there was little Mimi in Father
Mikko’s lap. She was nearly ten years
old, and was not a pretty little girl; but
she had very lovely soft brown eyes and
curly flaxen hair, and a quiet, demure
manner of her own, and her mother de-
clared that when she grew up she would
be able to spin and weave and cook better
than any other girl in the parish, and that
the young man that should get her Mimi for
a wife would get a real treasure,
And lastly, there was Father Mikko him-
self, an old man over sixty, yet strong and
+
Heltqvist
Cos
SLEIGHING IN FINLAND,
FATHER MIKKO 7
hearty, with a long gray beard and gray
hair, and eyes that fairly twinkled with good
humour. You could hardly see his mouth
for his beard and moustache, and certainly
his nose was a little too small and turned
up at the end to be exactly. handsome, and
his cheek-bones dd stand out a little too
high; but yet everybody, young and. old,
liked him, and his famous stories made him
a welcome guest wherever he came.
So Father Mikko lit his queer little pipe,
and settled down comfortably with Mimi in
his lap, and a glass of beer at his side to
refresh himself with when he grew weary of
talking. There was only the firelight in
the room, and as the flames roared up the
chimney they cast a warm, cosy light over
the whole room, and made them all feel so
comfortable that they thanked God in their
hearts in their simple way, because. they
had so many blessings and comforts when
such a storm was raging outside that it
shook the house and drifted the snow up
higher than the doors and windows,
Then Father Mikko began, and this is
the first story that he told them,
THE WORLD’S CREATION AND
THE BIRTH OF WAINAMOINEN
JONG, long ago, before this world
was made, there lived a lovely
maiden called Ilmatar, the daugh-
ter of the Ether. She lived in the
air—there were only air and water then—but
at length she grew tired of always being in
the air, and came down and floated on the
surface of the water. Suddenly, as she lay
there, there came a mighty storm-wind, and
poor Ilmatar was tossed about helplessly
on the waves, until at length the wind died
- down and the waves became still, and Ilma-
tar, worn out by the violence of the tempest,
sank beneath the waters.
Then a magic spell overpowered her, and
she swam on and on vainly seeking to rise
above the waters, but always unable to do
so. Seven hundred long weary years she
swam thus, until one day she could not bear
it any longer, and cried out: ‘Woe is me
THE WORLD'S CREATION 9
that I have fallen from my happy home in
the air, and cannot now rise above the sur-
face of the waters. O great Ukko,! ruler
of the skies, come and aid me in my sorrow p
No sooner had she ended her appeal to
Ukko than a lovely duck flew down out of the
sky, and hovered over the waters looking for
a place to alight; but itfoundnone. Then
Ilmatar raised her knees above the water,
so that the duck might rest upon them ; and
no sooner did the duck spy them than it flew
towards them and, without even stopping to
rest, began to build a nest upon them.
When the nest was finished, the duck
laid in it six golden eggs, and a seventh of
iron, and sat upon them to hatch them. -
Three days the duck sat on the eggs, and all
the while the water around Ilmatar’s knees
grew hotter and hotter, and her knees began
to burn as if they were on fire. The pain
was so great that it caused her to tremble
all over, and her quivering shook the nest
off her knees, and the eggs all fell to the
bottom of the ocean and broke in pieces.
But these pieces came together into two parts
and grew to a huge size, and the upper one
became the arched heavens above us, and
the lower one our world itself. From the
white part of the egg came the moonbeams,
and from the yolk the bright sunshine.
1 The chief god of the Finns before they became
Christians.
ro FINNISH LEGENDS
At last the unfortunate Ilmatar was able
to raise her head out of the waters, and she
then began to create the land. Wherever
she put her hand there arose a lovely hill,
and where she stepped she made a lake.
Where she dived below the surface are the
deep places of the ocean, where she turned
her head towards the land there grew deep
bays and inlets, and where she floated on
her back she made the hidden rocks and
reefs where so many ships and lives have
been lost. Thus the islands and the rocks
and the firm land were created.
After the land was made Wainamoinen
was born, but he was not born a child, but
a full-grown man, full of wisdom and magic
power. For seven whole years he swam
about in the ocean, and in the eighth he left
the water and stepped upon the dry land.
Thus was the birth of Wainamoinen, the
wonderful magician.
‘Ah!’ said little Mimi, with a sigh of
relief, ‘I was afraid you weren’t going to tell
us about Wainamoinen at all.’
And then Father Mikko went on again.
THE PLANTING OF THE TREES
Saar
JAINAMOINEN lived for many
years upon the island on which
he had first landed from the sea,
pondering how. he should plant
the trees and make the mighty forests grow.
At length he thought of Sampsa, the first-
born son of the plains, and he sent for him
to do the sowing. So Sampsa came and
scattered abroad the seeds of all the trees
and plants that are now on the earth,—firs
and pine-trees on the hills, alders, lindens,
and willows in the lowlands, and bushes and
hawthorn in the secluded nooks.
Soon all the trees had grown up and
become great forests, and the hawthorns
were covered with berries. Only the acorn
lay quiet in the ground and refused to sprout.
Wainamoinen watched seven days and nights
to see if it would begin to grow, but it lay
perfectly still, Just then he saw ocean
12 FINNISH LEGENDS
maidens on the shore, cutting grass and
raking it into heaps. And as he watched
them there came a great giant out of the
sea and pressed the heaps into such tight
bundles that the grass caught fire and burnt
to ashes. Then the giant took an acorn
and planted it in the ashes, and almost in-
stantly it began to sprout, and a tree shot
up and grew and grew until it became a
mighty oak, whose top was far above the
clouds, and whose branches shut out the light
of the Sun and the Moon and the stars.
When Wainamoinen saw how the oak
had shut off all the light from the earth, he
was as deeply perplexed how to get rid of it,
as he had been before to make it grow. So
he prayed to his mother Ilmatar to grant him
power to overthrow this mighty tree, so that
the sun might shine once more on the plains
of Kalevala.
No sooner had he asked Ilmatar for help
than there stepped out of the sea a tiny man
no bigger than one’s finger, dressed in cap,
gloves, and clothes of copper, and carrying
a small copper hatchet in his belt. Waina-
moinen asked him who he was, and the tiny
man replied: ‘I ama mighty ocean-hero, and
am come to cut down the oak-tree.’ But
Wainamoinen began to laugh at the idea of
so little a man being able to cut down so
huge a tree.
But even while Wainamoinen was laugh-
THE PLANTING OF THE TREES 13
ing, the dwarf grew all at once into a great
giant, whose head was higher than the
clouds, and whose long beard fell down to
his knees. The giant began to whet his axe
on a huge piece of rock, and_before he had
finished he had worn out six blocks of the
hardest rock and seven of the softest sand-
stone. . Then he strode up to the tree and
began to cut itdown. When the third blow
had fallen the fire flew from his axe and
from the tree; and before he had time to
strike a fourth blow, the tree tottered and fell,
covering the whole earth, north, south, east,
and west, with broken fragments. And
those who picked up pieces of the branches
received good fortune; those who found
pieces of the top became mighty magicians ;
and those who found the leaves gained last-
ing happiness.
And then the sunlight came once more
to Kalevala, and all things grew and
flourished, only the barley had not yet been
planted. Now Wainamoinen had found
seven magic barley-grains as he was wan-
dering on the seashore one day, and he took
these and was about to plant them; but the
titmouse stopped him, saying: ‘The magic
barley will not grow unless thou first cut
down and burn the forest, and then plant
the seeds in the wood-ashes,?
So Wainamoinen cut down the trees
as the titmouse had said, only he left
14 FINNISH LEGENDS
the birch-trees standing. After all the
rest were cut down an eagle flew down,
and, alighting on a birch-tree, asked why
all the others had been destroyed, but the
birches left. And Wainamoinen answered
that he had left them for the birds to build
their nests on, and for the eagle to rest on,
and for the sacred cuckoo to sit in and sing.
The eagle was so pleased at this that he
kindled a fire amongst the other trees for
Wainamoinen, and they were all burnt except
the birches.
Wainamoinen then brought forth the
seven magic barley-seeds from his skin-
pouch, and sowed them in the ashes, and
as he sowed he prayed to great Ukko to send
warm rains from the south to make the seeds
sprout. And the rain came, and the barley ©
grew so fast that in seven days the crop was
almost ripe.
“WAINAMOINEN AND YOUKA-
HAINEN
J}HUS Wainamoinen finished his
Ye labours and began to lead a happy
life on the plains of Kalevala.
“He passed his evenings singing
. of the deeds of days gone by and stories of
the creation, until his fame as a great
singer spread far and wide in all directions.
At this time, far off in the dismal North-
land, there lived a young and famous singer
and magician named Youkahainen. He was
sitting one day at a feast with his friends,
when some one came and told about the .
famous singer Wainamoinen, and how he
was a sweeter singer and a more powerful
magician than any one else in the world.
This filled Youkahainen’s heart with envy,
and he vowed to hasten off to the south and
to enter into a contest with Wainamoinen to
see if he could not beat him.
His mother tried to persuade him not to
16 FINNISH LEGENDS
go, but in vain, and he made ready for the
journey, declaring that he would sing such
magic songs as would turn old Waina-
moinen into stone. Then he brought out
his noble steed and harnessed: him to a
golden sledge, and then jumping in, he
gave the steed a cut with his pearl-handled
whip, and dashed off towards Kalevala,
On the evening of the third day he drew
near to Wainamoinen’s home, and there he
met Wainamoinen himself driving along the
highway.
Now Youkahainen was too proud to turn
out of the road for any one, and so their
sledges dashed together and were smashed
to pieces, and the harnesses became all
twisted up together. Then Wainamoinen
said: ‘Who art thou, O foolish youth,
that thou drivest so badly that thou hast
run into my sledge and broken it to pieces ?’
And Youkahainen answered proudly: ‘I am
Youkahainen, and have come hither to beat
the old magician Wainamoinen in singing
and in magic.’ :
Wainamoinen then told him who he was,
and accepted the challenge, and so the con-
test began. But Youkahainen soon found
that he was no match for his opponent, and
at length he cried out in anger: ‘If I can-
not beat thee at singing and in magic, at
least I can conquer thee with my bright
sword.’
WAINAMOINEN & YOUKAHAINEN 17
Wainamoinen answered that he would
not fight so weak an opponent, and then
Youkahainen declared that he was a coward
and afraid to fight. At last these taunts
made Wainamoinen so angry that he could
not restrain himself any longer, and he be-
gan to sing. He sang such wondrous spells
that the mountains and the rocks began to
tremble, and the sea was upheaved as if by
a great storm. Youkahainen stood trans-
fixed, and as Wainamoinen went on singing
his sledge was changed to brushwood and
the reins to willow branches, the pearl-
handled whip became a reed, and his steed
was transformed into a rock in the water,
and all the harness into seaweed. And still
the old magician sang his magic spells, and
Youkahainen’s gaily-painted bow became a
rainbow in the sky, his feathered arrows
flew away as hawks and eagles, and his dog
was turned to astone at his feet. His cap
turned into a curling mist, his clothing into
white clouds, and his jewel-set girdle into
stars.
And at length the spell began to take
effect on Youkahainen himself. Slowly,
slowly he felt himself sinking into a quick-
sand, and all his struggles to escape were
in vain. When he had sunk up to his
waist he began to beg for mercy, and cried
out: *O great Wainamoinen, thou art the
greatest of all magicians. Release me, I
Cc
18 + FINNISH LEGENDS
beg, from this quicksand, and I will give
thee two magic bows. One is so strong
that only the very strongest men can draw
it, and the other a child can shoot.’
But Wainamoinen refused the bows and
’ sank Youkahainen still deeper. And as he
sank, Youkahainen kept begging for mercy,
and offering first two magic boats, and then
two magic steeds that could carry any
burden, and finally all his gold and silver
and his harvests, but Wainamoinen would
not even listen to him. At length Youka-
hainen had sunk so far that his mouth be-
gan to be filled with water and mud,
and he cried out as a last hope: ‘O
mighty Wainamoinen, if thou wilt release
me I will give thee my sister Aino as thy
bride.’
This was the ransom that Wainamoinen
had been waiting for, for Aino was famous
for her beauty and loveliness of character,
and so he released poor Youkahainen and
gave him back his sledge and everything
just as it had been before. And when it
was all ready Youkahainen jumped into
it and drove off home without saying a
word.
When he reached home he drove so
carelessly that his sledge was broken to
pieces against the gate-posts, and he left
the broken sledge there and walked straight
into the house with hanging head, and at
WAINAMOINEN & YOUKAHAINEN 19
first would not answer any of his family’s
questions. At length he said: ‘ Dearest
mother, there is cause enough for my grief,
for I have had to promise the aged Waina-
moinen my dear sister Aino as his bride.’
But his mother arose joyfully and clapped
her hands and said: ‘That is no reason to
be sad, my dear son, for I have longed for
many years that this very thing should
happen—that Aino should have so brave
and wise a husband as Wainamoinen.’
So the mother told the news to Aino, but
when she heard it she wept for three whole
days and nights and refused to be com-
forted, saying to her mother: ‘Why should
this great sorrow come to me, dear mother,
for now I shall no longer be able to adorn
my golden hair with jewels, but must hide
it all beneath the ugly cap that wives have
to wear. All the golden sunshine and the
silver moonlight will go from my life.’ ;
But her mother tried to comfort her by
telling her that the sun and moon would
shine even more brightly in her new home
than in her old, and that Kalevala was a
land of flowers.
‘I think Aino was very stupid not to
want to leave that horrid Lapland,’ said
Mimi; ‘but then I suppose she didn’t know
20 FINNISH LEGENDS
what a beautiful country ours is,’ she added
thoughtfully.
Here Antero, who only cared for the
stories, mustered up enough courage to ask
Pappa Mikko to go on, which the old man
did at once.
a
SY i; are bs
en
EE €
aa alm LAS
ENE
ET KOSS
Be
AINO’S FATE
py
XGQHE next morning the lovely Aino
went early to the forest to gather
birch shoots and tassels. After
she had finished gathering them
she hastened off towards home, but as she
was going along the path near the border
of the woods she met Wainamoinen, who
began thus :
‘ Aino, fairest maid of the north, do not
wear thy gold and pearls for others, but only
for me; wear for me alone thy golden
tresses.’
‘Not for thee,’ Aino replied, ‘nor for
others either, will I wear my jewels. I
need them no longer; I would rather wear
the plainest clothing and live upon a crust
of bread, if only I might live for ever with
my mother.’
And as she said this she tore off her
jewels and the ribbons from her hair, and
22 FINNISH LEGENDS
threw them from her into the bushes, and
then she hurried home, weeping. At the
door of the dairy sat her mother, skimming
milk. When she saw Aino weeping she
asked her what it was that troubled her.
Aino, in reply, told her all that had happened
in the forest, and how she had thrown away
from her all her ornaments.
Her mother, to comfort her, told her to
go to a hill-top near by and open the store-
house there, and there in the largest room,
in the largest box in that room, she would
find six golden girdles and seven rainbow-
tinted dresses, made by the daughters of
the Moon and of the Sun. ‘When I was
young,’ her mother said, ‘I was out upon
the hills one day seeking berries, And by
chance I overheard the daughters of the
Sun and Moon as they were weaving and
spinning upon the borders of the clouds
above the fir-forest. I went nearer to them,
and crept up on a hill within speaking dis-
tance of them, Then I began to beseech
them, saying: “Give some of your silver,
lovely daughters of the Moon, to a poor but
worthy maid; and I beg you, daughters of
the Sun, give me some of your gold.†And
then the Moon’s daughters gave me silver
from their treasure, and the Sun’s daughters
gave me gold that I might adorn my hair
and forehead. I hastened joyfully home
with my treasures to my mother’s house,
AINO’S FATE 23
and for three days I wore them. Then I
took them off and laid them in boxes, and I
have never seen them since. But now, my
daughter, go and adorn thyself with gold
and silk ribbons; put a necklace of pearls
around thy neck, and a golden cross upon
thy bosom; dress thyself in pure white
linen ; put on the richest frock that is there
and tie it with a belt of gold; put silk
stockings on thy feet and the finest of shoes.
Then come back to us that we may admire
thee, for thou wilt be more beautiful than
the sunlight, more lovely than the moon-
beams,
But Aino would not be consoled, and kept
on weeping. ‘How happy I was in my
childhood,’ she sang, ‘when I used to roam
the fields and gather flowers, but now my
heart is full of grief and all my life is filled
with darkness. It would have been better
for me if I had died a child ;—then my
mother would have wept a little, and my
father and sisters and brothers mourned a
little while, and then all their sorrow would
have been ended?
Aino wept for three days more, and then
her mother once more asked her why she
wept so, and Aino replied: ‘I weep, O
mother, because thou hast promised me to
the aged Wainamoinen, to be his comforter
and caretaker in his old age. Far better if
thou hadst sent me to the bottom of the sea,
24 FINNISH LEGENDS
to live with the fishes and to become a mer-
maid and ride on the waves. This had been
far better than to be an old man’s slave and
darling.’
When she had said this she left her
mother and hastened to the storehouse on
the hill, There she opened the largest box
and took off six lids, and at the bottom
found six golden belts and seven silk dresses.
She chose the best of all the treasures there
and adorned herself like a queen, with rings
and jewels and gold ornaments of every
sort.
When she was fully arrayed she left the
storehouse and wandered over fields and
meadows and on through the dim and
gloomy fir-forest, singing as she went:
‘Woe is me, poor broken-hearted Aino!
My grief is so heavy that I can no longer
live. I must leave this earth and go to
Manala, the country of departed spirits.
Father, mother, brothers, sisters, weep for
me no longer, for I am going to live beneath
the sea, in the lovely grottos, on a couch
of sea-moss.’
For three long weary days Aino wan-
dered, and as the cold night came on she
at last reached the seashore. There she
sank down, weary, on a rock, and sat there
alone in the black night, listening to the
solemn music of the wind and the waves, as
they sang her funeral melody. When at
AINO’S FATE 25
last the day dawned Aino beheld three
water-maidens sitting on a rock by the sea.
She hastened to them, weeping, and then
began to take off all her ornaments and lay
them carefully away. When at length she
had laid all her gold and silver decorations
on the ground, she took the ribbons from
her hair and hung them in a tree, and then
laid her silken dress over one of the branches
and plunged into the sea. At a distance
she saw a lovely rock of all the colours of
the rainbow, shining in the golden sunlight.
She swam up and climbed upon it to rest.
But suddenly the rock began to sway, and
with a loud crash it fell to the bottom of the
sea, Carrying with it the unhappy Aino.
And as she sank down she sang a last sad
farewell to all her dear ones at home—a
song that was so sweet and mournful that
the wild beasts heard it, and were so touched
by it that they resolved to send a messenger
to tell her parents what had happened.
So the animals held a council, and first
the bear was proposed as messenger, but
they were afraid he would eat the cattle.
Next came the wolf, but they feared that he
might eat the sheep. Then the fox was pro-
posed, but then he might eat the chickens.
So at length the hare was chosen to bear
the sad tidings, and he promised to perform
his office faithfully.
He ran like the wind, and soon reached
26 FINNISH LEGENDS
Aino’s home. There he found no one in
the house, but on going to the door of the
bath-cabin he found some servants there
making birch brooms. They had no sooner
caught sight of him than they threatened to
roast him and eat him, but he replied: ‘Do
not think I have come hither to let you
roast me. For I come with sad tidings to
tell you of the flight of Aino and how she
died. The rainbow-coloured stone sank
with her to the bottom of the sea, and she
perished, singing like a lovely song-bird.
There she sleeps in the caverns at the
bottom of the sea, and on the shore she has
left her silken dress and all her gold and
jewels.’
When these tidings came to her mother
the bitter tears poured from her eyes, and
she sang, ‘O all other mothers, listen:
never try to force your daughters from the
house they long to stay in, unto husbands
whom they love not. Thus I drove away
my daughter, Aino, fairest in the North-
land.’
' Singing thus she sat and wept, and the
tears trickled down until they reached her
shoes, and began to flow out over the ground.
Here they formed three little streams, which
flowed on and grew larger and larger until
they became roaring torrents, and in each
torrent was a great waterfall. And in the
midst of the waterfalls rose three huge rocky
AINO’S FATE 27
pillars, and on the rocks were three green
hills, and on each of the hills was a birch-
tree, and on each tree sat a cuckoo. And
all three sang together. And the first one
sang ‘Love! O Love!’ for three whole
moons, mourning for the dead maiden.
And the second sang ‘Suitor! Suitor!’
wailing six long moons for the unhappy
suitor. And the third sang sadly ‘Con-
solation ! Consolation!’ never ending all
his life long for the comfort of the broken-
hearted mother.
Mother Stina looked at little Mimi very
solemnly when this story was ended, as if
she wondered whether she herself would ever
need to take to heart the warning of Aino’s
mother. But no one said anything, and
Father Mikko continued on with the next
story.
S\iy
cs
«
J
uy
A
pk
(J
CEN
gy
es
A
WAINAMOINEN’S SEARCH FOR
AINO
AHEN the news reached Waina-
moinen he began to weep most
bitterly, and the tears fell all
that day and night ; but the next
day he hastened to the water’s edge and
prayed to the god of dreams to tell him
where the water-gods dwelt. And the
dream-god answered him lazily, and told
him where the island was around which the
sea-gods and the mermaids lived.
Then Wainamoinen hastened to his boat-
house, and chose a copper boat, and in it
placed fishing lines and hooks and nets, and
when all was ready he rowed off swiftly to-
wards the forest-covered island which the
dream-god had told him of. No sooner
had he arrived there than he began to fish,
using a line of silver and a hook of gold.
But for many days he fished in vain, yet
WAINAMOINEN’S SEARCH FOR AINO 29
still he"persevered. At last one day a won-
drous fish was caught, and it played about
and struggled a long time until at length it
was exhausted, and the hero landed it in the
boat.
When Wainamoinen saw it he was
astonished at its beauty, but after gazing at
it for some time he drew out his knife and
was about to cut it up ready for eating.
But no sooner had he touched the fish with
his knife than it leapt from the bottom of
the boat and dived under the water. Then
it rose again out of his reach and said to
him: ‘O ancient minstrel, I did not come
hither to be eaten by thee, merely to give
thee food for a day.’
‘Why didst thou come then?’ asked
Wainamoinen.
‘I came, O minstrel, to rest in thine
arms and to be thy companion and wife for
ever,’ the fish replied; ‘to keep thy home
in order and to do whatever thou pleased.
For I am not a fish; Iam no salmon of the
Northern Seas, but Youkahainen’s youngest
sister. I am the one thou wert fishing for
—Aino, whom thou lovest. Once thou
wert wise, but now art foolish, cruel. Thou
didst not know enough to keep me, but
wouldst eat me for thy dinner !’
Then Wainamoinen begged her to return
to him, but the fish replied: ‘‘ Nevermore
will Aino’s spirit come to thee to be so
30 FINNISH LEGENDS
treated,’ and as it spoke the fish dived out
of sight. :
Still Wainamoinen did not give up, but
took out his nets and began dragging the
waters. And he dragged all the waters in
the lands of Lapland and of Kalevala, and
caught fish of every sort, only Aino, now
the water-maiden, never came into his net,
‘Fool that I am,’ he said at length, ‘surely
I was once wise, had at least a bit of
wisdom, but now all my power has left me.
For I have had Aino in my boat, but did
not know until too late that I had even
caught her.’ And with these words he
gave up his search and set off to his home
in Kalevala. Andon his way he mourned
that the joyous song of the sacred cuckoo
had ceased, and he sang:-‘I shall never
learn the secret how to live and prosper.
If only my ancient mother were still living,
she could give me good advice that this
sorrow might leave me.’
Then his mother awoke from her tomb in
the depths and spoke to him: ‘Thy mother
was but sleeping, and I’ll now advise thee
how this sorrow may pass over. Goat once
to the Northland, where dwell wise and
lovely maidens, far lovelier than Aino.
Take one of them for thy wife; she will
make thee happy and be an honour to thy
home.’
WAINAMOINEN’S SEARCH FOR AINO 31
‘J don’t think he had much of a heart if
he could be consoled so easily as all that,’
said Mother Stina, a little indignantly.
‘Wait and you shall see,’ said old
Father Mikko with a smile; and he con-
tinued,
WAINAMOINEN’S UNLUCKY
JOURNEY
eae AINAMOINEN made ready for a
journey to the Northland, to the
land of cold winters and of little
sunshine, where he’ was to seek
a wife. He saddled his swift steed, and
mounting, started towards the north. On
and on he went upon his magic steed, gal-
loping over the plains of Kalevala. And
when he came to the shores of the wide sea,
he did not halt, but galloped on over the
water without even so much as wetting a
hoof of his magic courser.
But wicked Youkahainen hated Waina-
moinen for what he had done when he de-
feated him in magic, and so he made ready
a bow of steel. He painted it with many
bright colours and trimmed it with gold and
silver and copper. Then he chose the
strongest sinews from the stag, and at
AN UNLUCKY JOURNEY 33
length the great bow was ready. On the
back was painted a courser, at each end a
colt, near the bend a sleeping maiden, near
the notch a running hare. And after that
he.cut some arrows out of oak, put tips of
sharpened copper on them, and five feathers
on the end. Then he hardened the arrows
and steeped them in the blood of snakes
and the poison of the adder to give them
magic power.
_ When all was ready Youkahainen went
out to wait for his enemy. For many days
and nights he watched in vain, but still he
did not weary, and at last one day at dawn
he saw what seemed to be a black cloud on
the waters. But by his magic art he knew
that it was Wainamoinen on his magic
steed. Then he went after his bow, but his
mother stopped him and asked him whom
he meant to shoot with his bow and
poisoned arrows. Youkahainen replied:
‘I have made this mighty bow and these
poisoned arrows for the old magician
Wainamoinen, that I may destroy my
rival.’
His mother reproved him, saying, ‘If
thou slayest Wainamoinen all our joy will
vanish, all the singing and music will die
with him. . It is better that we have his
magic music in this world than to have it
all go to the underground world Manala,
where the spirits of the dead dwell’
D
34 FINNISH LEGENDS
Youkahainen hesitated for a moment, but
then envy and hatred filled his heart, and he
replied : ‘Even though all joy and pleasure
vanish from the world, yet will I shoot this
rival singer, let the end be what it will.’
With these words he hastened out and
took his stand in a thicket near the shore.
He chose the three strongest arrows from
his quiver, and selecting the best among
these three, he laid it against the string and
aimed at Wainamoinen’s heart. And as he
still waited for him to come nearer, he sang
this incantation: ‘Be elastic, bow-string
mine, swiftly fly, O oaken arrow, swift as
light, O poisoned arrow, to the heart of
Wainamoinen. If my hand too low shall
aim thee, may the gods direct thee higher.
If mine eye too high shall aim thee, may
the gods direct thee lower.’
Then he let the arrow fly, but it flew
over Wainamoinen’s head and pierced and
scattered the clouds above. Again he shot
a second, but it flew too low and penetrated
to the depths of the sea. Then he aimed
the third, and it flew from his bow swift as
lightning. Straight forward it flew, and
- struck the magic steed full in the shoulder
so that Wainamoinen was plunged headlong
into the waves. And then arose a mighty
storin-wind, and the old magician was carried
far out into the wide open sea.
But Youkahainen believed that he had
AN UNLUCKY JOURNEY 35
killed his rival, and so went home, rejoicing
and singing as he went. And his mother
asked him, ‘Hast thou slain great Waina-
moinen ?’ and he replied, ‘I have slain old
Wainamoinen. Into the salt sea he plunged
headlong, and the old magician is now at
the bottom of the deep.’
But his mother replied: ‘Woe to earth
for what thou hast done. Joy and singing
are gone for ever, for thou hast slain the
great wise singer, thou hast slain the joy of
Kalevala.â€
All his listeners seemed very much dis-
satisfied at the turn the story had taken, so
Father Mikko hastened to assure them that
Wainamoinen was not really dead, and then
he began the next story.
WAINAMOINEN’S RESCUE
UT Wainamoinen was not dead,
but swam on for eight days and
seven nights trying to reach
land. And when the evening
of the eighth day came and still no land
was in sight, he began to grow tired and to
despair of ever getting out alive.
But just then he spied an eagle of
wonderful size flying towards him from the
west. And the eagle flew up to him and
asked who he was and how he had come
there in the ocean.
And Wainamoinen replied: ‘I am Waina-
moinen, the great singer and magician, I
had left my home for the distant Northland,
and as I galloped over the ocean and neared
the shore, the wicked Youkahainen killed
my steed with his magic arrows, and I was
cast headlong into the waters, And then a
mighty wind arose and drove me farther
INTERIOR OF LAPP HUT.
WAINAMOINEN’S RESCUE 37
and ever farther out to sea, and now I have
been struggling with the winds and waves
for eight long weary days, and I fear that I
shall perish of cold and hunger before 1
reach any land.’
The eagle replied: ‘Do not be discouraged,
but seat thyself upon my back and I will
carry thee to land, for I have not forgotten
the day when thou left the birch-trees stand-
ing for the birds to sing in andthe eagle
to rest on.’
So Wainamoinen climbed upon the eagle’s
broad back and. seated himself securely
there, and off. the eagle flew, straight to
the nearest land. There on the shore of
the dismal Northland the eagle left him, and
flew off to join his mate.
Wainamoinen found himself upon a bare,
rocky point of land, without a trace of
human life about it, nor any path through
the woods by which it was surrounded.
And he wept bitterly, for he was far from
home,- covered with wounds from his battle
with the winds and waters, and faint with
hunger: three days and three nights he
wept without ceasing.
Now the fair and lovely daughter of old
Louhi had laid a wager with the Sun, that
she would rise before him the next morning.
And so she did, and had time to shear six
lambs before the Sun had left his couch
beneath the ocean, And after this she
38 FINNISH LEGENDS
swept up the floor of the stable with a
birch broom, and collecting the sweepings
on a copper shovel, she carried them to
the meadow near the seashore. There she
heard the sound of some one weeping, and
hastening back she told her mother of it.
Then Louhi, ancient mistress of the North-
land, hurried out from her house and down
to the seashore. There she heard the sound
of weeping, and quickly pushed off from the
shore in a boat and rowed to where the
weeping Wainamoinen sat.
When she came to him she said to him:
‘What folly hast thou done to be in so sad
a state?’
Wainamoinen replied: ‘It is indeed folly
that has brought me into this trouble. I
was happy enough at home before I went
on this expedition.’
Then Louhi asked him to tell her who he
was of all the great heroes.
Wainamoinen replied: ‘ Formerly I was
honoured as a great singer and magician: I
was called the “Singer of Kalevala,†the
wise Wainamoinen.’
Then Louhi said: ‘Rise, O hero, from
thy lowly couch among the willows, come
with me to my home and there tell me the
story of thy adventures.’ So she took the
starving hero into her boat and rowed him
to the shore, and took him to her house.
There she gave him food, and the warmth
WAINAMOINEN’S RESCUE 39
and rest and shelter soon restored to him
all his strength. Then Louhi asked him
to relate his adventures, and he told her all
that had happened to him.
When he had finished Louhi said to him :
‘Weep no more, Wainamoinen, for thou
shalt be welcome in our homes, thou shalt
live with us and eat our salmon and other
fish.’
Wainamoinen thanked her for her kind-
ness, but added: ‘One’s own country and
table and home are the best and dearest.
May the great god, Ukko, the Creator,
grant that I may once more reach my dear
home and country. It is better to drink
clear water from a birchen cup in one’s own
home, than in foreign lands to drink the
richest liquors from the golden beakers of
strangers.’
Then Louhi asked him: ‘What reward
wilt thou give me, if I carry thee back to
thy beloved home, to the plains of Kale-
vala ??
Wainamoinen asked her what reward she
would consider sufficient, whether gold or
silver treasures, but Louhi answered: ‘I
ask not for gold or silver, O wise Waina-
moinen, but canst thou forge for me the
magic Sampo, with its lid of many colours,
the magic mill that grinds out flour on one
side, and salt from another side, and turns
out money from the third? I will give
40 FINNISH LEGENDS
thee; too, my daughter, as a reward, to be
thy wife and to care for thy home.’
But Wainamoinen answered sadly: ‘I
cannot forge for thee the magic Sampo, but
take me to my country and I will send thee
Ilmarinen, who will make it for thee, and
wed thy lovely daughter. Ilmarinen is a
wondrous smith ; he it was who forged the
heavens, and so perfectly did he do it that
we cannot see a single mark of the hammer
on them.’
Louhi replied: ‘Only to him who can
forge the magic Sampo for me will I give
my daughter.’ Then she harnessed up
her sledge and put Wainamoinen in it and
made him all ready for his journey home.
And as he started off she spoke these words
to him: ‘Do not raise thy eyes to the
heavens, do not look upward while the day
lasts, before the evening star has risen, or a
terrible misfortune will happen to you.’
Then Wainamoinen drove off, and his
heart grew light as he left the dismal North-
land behind him on his way to Kalevala.
iTHE RAINBOW-MAIDEN ,
S}HE fair Rainbow-maiden, Louhi’s
daughter, sat upon a rainbow in
the heavens, and was clad in the
most splendid dress of gold and
silver. She was busy weaving golden webs
of wonderful beauty, using a shuttle of gold
and a silver weaving-comb.
As Wainamoinen came swiftly along the
way which led from the dark and dismal
Northland to the plains of Kalevala, before
he had gone far on his way he heard in the
sky above him the humming of the Rain-
bow-maiden’s loom. Without thinking of
old Louhi’s warning, he looked up and be-
held the maiden seated on the gorgeous
rainbow weaving beauteous cloths. No
sooner had he seen the lovely maiden than
he stopped, and calling to her asked her to
come to his sledge.
42 FINNISH LEGENDS
The Rainbow-maiden replied: ‘Tell me
what thou wishest of me.’
‘Thou shalt come with me,’ Wainamoinen
replied, ‘to bake me honey-biscuit, to fill my
cup with foaming beer, to sing beside my
table, to be a queen within my home in the
land of Kalevala,’
But the maiden replied: ‘ Yesterday I
went at twilight to the flowery meadows.
There I heard a thrush singing, and I asked
him, ‘“ Tell me, pretty song-bird, how shall I
live most happily, as a maiden in my father’s
home or as a wife by my husband’s side ?â€
And the bird sang in reply, ‘The summer
days are bright and warm, and so is a
maiden’s freedom; the winter is cold and
dark, and so are the lives of married women.
They are like dogs chained in a kennel, no
favours are given to wives.â€â€™
But Wainamoinen answered the maiden :
‘The thrush sings only nonsense. Maidens
are treated like little children, but wives are
like queens. Come to my sledge, O maiden,
for Iam not the least among heroes, nor am
I ignorant of magic. Come, and I will make
thee my wife and queen in Kalevala.’
Then the Rainbow-maiden promised to be
his wife if he would split a golden hair with
a knife that had no edge, and take a bird’s
egg from the nest with a snare that no one
could see. Wainamoinen did both these
things, and then begged her to come to
THE RAINBOW-MAIDEN 43
his sledge, for he had done what she
asked.
But she set another task for him, telling
him she would marry him if he could peel
a block of sandstone and cut a whip-handle
from ice without making a single splinter.
And Wainamoinen did both these things,
but still the maiden refused to go until he
had performed a third task. This was to
make from the splinters of her distaff a little
ship, and to launch it into the water without
touching it.
Then Wainamoinen took the pieces of her
distaff and set to work. He took them to a
mountain from which he got the iron for his
work, and for three days he laboured with
hatchet and hammer. But on the evening
of the third day a wicked spirit, Lempo,
caught his hatchet as he raised it up, and
turned it as it fell, so that it hit-a rock and
broke in fragments, and one of the pieces
flew into the magician’s knee, and cut it, so
that the blood poured out,
Then Wainamoinen began to sing a magic
incantation to stop the blood from flowing,
but his magic was powerless against the
evil Lempo, and he could not stop the blood.
Then he gathered certain herbs with wonder-
ful powers, and put them on the wound, but
still he could not heal it up, for Lempo’s
spell was too powerful for his magic. So he
got into his sledge again, and drove off at a
44 FINNISH LEGENDS
gallop to seek for help. Soon he came to
a place where the road branched off in three
directions. He chose the left-hand one, and
galloped on till he reached a house, When
he went to the door he found only a boy
and a baby inside, and when he had told
them what he wanted, the boy said, ‘ There
is no one here that can help thee, but take
the middle road, and perhaps thou wilt find
help.’
So off he galloped to where the roads
branched off, and then along the middle one.
to another house. There he found an old
witch lying on the floor, but she gave him
the same answer that the boy had done, and
sent him to the right-hand road.
On this road he came to another cottage,
where an old man with a long gray beard
was sitting by the fire. And when Waina-
moinen told him of his trouble, the old man
replied, ‘Greater things have been done by
but three of the magic words; water has
been turned to land, and land to water.’ On
hearing this answer Wainamoinen rose from
his sledge and went into the cottage, and
seated himself there. And all this time his
knee was bleeding, so that the blood was
enough to fill seven huge birchen pots.
Then the old man asked him who he was,
and bade him sing to him the origin! of the
1 For they believed that a magic song that told
the origin of any trouble would also cure it,
THE RAINBOW-MAIDEN 45
iron that had wounded him so, and Waina-
moinen related the following story of how
iron was first made:
Long ago after there were air and water,
fire was born, and after the fire came iron.
Ukko, the creator, rubbed his hands upon
his left knee, and there arose thence three
lovely maidens, who were the mothers of
iron and steel. These three maidens walked
forth on the clouds, and from their bosoms
ran the milk of iron, down unto the clouds
and thence down upon the earth. Ukko’s
eldest daughter cast black milk over the
river-beds, and the second cast white milk
over the hills and mountains, and the third
red milk over the lakes and oceans; and
from the black milk grew the soft black iron-
ore ; from the white milk the lighter-coloured
ore; and from the red milk the brittle red
iron-ore.
After the iron had lain in peace for a
while, Fire came to visit his brother Iron
and tried to eat him up. Then Iron ran
from him and took refuge in the swamps
and marshes, and that is how we now find
iron-ore hidden in the marshes.
Then was born the great smith, Ilmarinen,
and the next morning after he was born he
built his smithy on a hill near the marshland.
There he found the hidden iron-ore, and
carried it to his smithy and put it in the
furnace to be smelted. And Ilmarinen had
46 FINNISH LEGENDS
not blown more than three strokes of the
bellows before the iron began to grow soft
as dough. But then Iron cried out to him,
‘Take me from this furnace, Ilmarinen, save
me from-this cruel torture!’ for the heat of
the fire had grown unbearable.
Thou art not hurt, but only a little
frightened,’ Ilmarinen replied; ‘but I will
take thee out, and thou shalt be a great
warrior and slay many heroes,’
But Iron swore by the hammer and anvil,
‘J will injure trees and mountains, but I’ll
never kill the heroes. I will be men’s
servant and their tool, but will not serve for
weapons.’
So Ilmarinen put the iron on his anvil,
and made from it many fine things and tools
of every kind. But he could not harden the
iron into steel, though he pondered over it
for a long time. He made a lye from birch-
ashes and water to harden the iron in, but
it was all in vain.
Just then a little bee came flying up, and
Ilmarinen begged him to bring honey from
all the flowers in the meadows, that he might
put it in the water and so harden the iron
to steel. But a hornet, one of the servants
of the evil spirit Lempo, was sitting on the
roof and overheard Ilmarinen’s words. And
the hornet flew off and collected all the
evil charms he could find—the hissing of
serpents, the venom of adders, the poison of
THE RAINBOW-MAIDEN 47
spiders, the stings of every insect—and
brought them to Ilmarinen. He thought
that the bee had come and brought him
honey from the meadows, and so mixed all
these poisons with the water in which he
was to plunge the iron. And when he
thrust the iron into the poisoned water it
was turned to hard steel, but the poisons
made it forget its oath and grow hard-
hearted, and it began to wound men and
cause their blood to flow in streams, This
was the origin of steel and iron.
When Wainamoinen had finished, the old
man rose from the hearth and began an
incantation to make the wound close up.
First he cursed Iron that it had become so
wicked, and then he bade the blood cease
to flow by the power of his magic. And as
he went on he prayed to great Ukko that if
this magic incantation should not prove
sufficient, Ukko himself would come and
stop the wound.
By the time he had finished his words of
magic the blood ceased flowing from the
wound. Then the old man sent his son to
make a healing salve out of herbs, to take
away the soreness from Wainamoinen’s
knee.
First the youth made a salve from oak-
bark and young shoots, and many sorts of
healing grasses. Three days and three
nights he steeped them in a copper kettle,
48 FINNISH LEGENDS
but when he had finished the salve would
not do. Then he added still other healing
herbs, and steeped it for three days more,
and at last it was ready, First he tried it
on a birch-tree that had been broken down
by wicked Lempo. He rubbed the salve
on the broken branches and said: ‘With
this salve I anoint thee, recover, O birch-
tree, and grow more beautiful than ever !?
And the tree grew together and became
more beautiful and strong than ever before.
Then he tried the salve on broken granite
boulders and on fissures in the mountains,
and it was so powerful that it closed them
all together as if they had never existed.
After this he hurried home and gave the
magic salve to his father, and told him
what he had done with it.
The old man anointed. Wainamoinen’s
knee with it, saying: ‘Do not rely on thine
own virtue or power, but in thy creator's
strength; do not speak with thine own
wisdom, but with great Ukko’s. Whatever
in thee is good comes from Ukko,’
No sooner had the old man put on the
salve and said these words, than Waina-
moinen was seized with a terrible pain, and
lay rolling and writhing on the floor in
agony. But the old man bandaged up his
knee with a silken bandage, and prayed to
Ukko to come to his assistance,
And suddenly the pain left Wainamoinen
THE RAINBOW-MAIDEN ‘49
and his knee became as strong and well as
ever. Then he raised his eyes in gratitude
to heaven and prayed thus to Ukko: ¢ Praise
to thee, my Creator, for the aid that thou
hast given me. For thou hast banished all
my pain and trouble. O all ye people of
Kalevala, both those now living and those
to come, boast not of the work that ye
have done but give to God the praise, for
the great Ukko alone can make all things
perfect, Ukko is the one master !?
There was a moment’s pause, and then
little Mimi said that she was so glad Waina-
- moinen was well again, and asked Father
Mikko to tell them what happened to him
next. But the old man answered that he
must have a /z¢¢/e time to breathe at least.
So he filled his pipe again and lighted it,
and Erik brought up some more beer, and
they sat and smoked and drank beer and
chatted for a while,
Then, when he felt rested once more,
Father Mikko obeyed Mimi’s urgent request
and began again to tell them how Waina-
moinen got home, and what happened
afterwards.
Crate Va
RR Se Nea A a
Noe bat
4
\
ILMARINEN FORGES THE SAMPO
SAGO sooner was Wainamoinen cured
of his wound than he put his
Be sledge in order and drove off at
lightning speed towards Kalevala.
For three days he journeyed over hills and
valleys, over marshes and meadows, and on
the evening of the third day he reached the
land of Kalevala once again,
There, on the border line he halted, and
began a magic song. And as he sang a
fir-tree began to grow from the earth, and
kept on growing until its top had grown up
above the clouds and reached to the stars.
When the tree had finished growing, Waina-
moinen sang another magic song, so that
the moon was caught fast in the tree’s
branches and obliged to shine there until
Wainamoinen should reverse his spell. And
then by another spell he made the stars of
the Great Bear fast in the tree-top, and then
ILMARINEN FORGES THE SAMPO 5I
jumped into his sledge and drove on again to
his home, with his cap set awry on his head,
mourning because he had promised to send
Ilmarinen back to the -N orthland, to forge
the magic Sampo as his ransom.
As he drove on he came to IImarinen’s
smithy, and he stopped and went in to him.
Imarinen welcomed him and asked where
he had been so long, and what had happened
to him.
Then Wainamoinen told him of his
journey to the Northland, and all the
dangers he had gone through, and he
added: ‘In a village there I saw a
maiden, who is the fairest in all the North-
land. All there sing her praises, for her
forehead shines like the rainbow and her
face is fair as the golden moonlight. She
is more beautiful than the sun and all the
Stars together, but she will not marry any
suitor. But do thou go, dear IImarinen,
and see her wondrous beauty ; forge the
magic Sampo for her mother and then thou
shalt win this lovely maiden to be thy
wife,’
But Ilmarinen replied: «O cunning
Wainamoinen, I know that thou hast pro-
mised me as a ransom for thyself. But I
will never go to that gloomy country, nor
do I care for thy beautiful maiden ; I will
not go for all the maids in Pohjola,’
Wainamoinen answered: ‘But I can tell
52 FINNISH LEGENDS
thee of still greater wonders, for I have
seen a giant fir-tree growing on the border
of our own country; its top is higher than
the clouds, and in its branches shine the
moon and the Great Bear.’
‘I will not believe thy wonderful story,’
replied Ilmarinen, ‘until I see the tree with
my own eyes and the moon and stars shining
in it?
‘Come with me,’ said Wainamoinen, ‘and
I will show thee that I speak the truth.’
So off they set to see the wondrous tree.
When they had come to it Wainamoinen
asked Ilmarinen to climb the tree and to
bring down the moon and stars, and he at
once began to climb up towards them.
But, while he was climbing, the fir-tree
spoke to him, saying: ‘ Foolish hero, why
hast thou so little knowledge as to try to
steal the moon from my branches?’ No
sooner had the tree said these words to
Ilmarinen, than Wainamoinen sang a magic
spell, calling up a great storm-wind, and
saying to it: ‘O storm-wind, take Ilmarinen
and carry him in thy airy vessel to the dark
and dismal Northland.’
And the storm-wind came and heaped up
the clouds so that they formed a boat, and
seizing Ilmarinen from the tree it placed
him in the clouds and rushed off to the
north, carrying clouds and all with it. On
and on he sailed, rising higher than the
ILMARINEN FORGES THE SAMPO 53
moon, tossed about by the wind, until at
last he came to the Northland and the
storm-wind set him down in Louhi’s court-
yard. :
Old toothless Louhi saw him as he
alighted, and asked him: ‘Who art thou
that comest through the air, riding on the
storm-wind? Hast thou ever met the great
smith Ilmarinen, for I have long been
waiting for him to come and forge the magic
Sampo for me.’
‘I do indeed know him well,’ he replied,
‘for I myself am I]marinen.’
At these words Louhi hurried into the
house and told her youngest daughter to
dress herself in all her most splendid clothes
and ornaments, for IImarinen was come to
make the Sampo for them. So the maiden
chose her loveliest silken dresses, and
placed a circlet of copper round her brow,
a golden girdle round her waist, and pearls
about her neck, and in her hair she twisted
threads of gold and silver. When she was
dressed she looked, with her?rosy red cheeks
and bright sparkling eyes, more lovely than
any other maiden in all the Northland, and
then she hurried to the hall to meet
Ilmarinen.
Louhi went to Ilmarinen and led him
into the house, where there was a feast
spread ready for him. She gave him the
best seat at the table, and the choicest
84 FINNISH LEGENDS
viands to eat, and gave him everything he
wished for. Then she asked him if he
would forge the Sampo for her, and pro-
mised him, if he would, her fairest daughter
as his wife.
Ilmarinen was charmed with her daugh-
ter’s beauty, and he promised to do what
she asked. But when he went to look for
a place to work in, he could find no place,
and not even so much as a pair of bellows
to blow his fire with. Still he was not dis-
couraged, but for three days he wandered
about, looking for a place to build a work-
shop. On the evening of the third day he
saw a huge rock that was suited for his pur-
pose, and there he began to build: The
first day he built the chimney and started a
fire; the second day he made his bellows
and put them in place; the third day he
finished his furnace, and had all ready to
begin his work.
Then Ilmarinen made a magic mixture of
certain metals and put them in the bottom
of the furnace. And he hired some of
Louhi’s men to work the bellows and keep
putting fuel on the fire. Three long summer
days the workmen blew the bellows, until at
length the base rock began to blossom in
flames from the magic heat.
On the evening of the first day Ilmarinen
bent over the furnace and took out a magic
bow. It gleamed like the moon, had a
ILMARINEN FORGES THE SAMPO 55
shaft of copper and tips of silver, and was
the most wonderful bow that had ever been
made. But it would not rest satisfied unless
it killed a warrior every day, and two on
feast-days. So Ilmarinen broke it into
pieces and threw them back into the furnace,
and tried again to forge the Sampo.
On the evening of the second day he
looked into the furnace and drew forth a
magic vessel. It was all purple, save the
ribs that were of gold and the vase of copper,
and it was the most beautiful vessel that
ever had been made. But wherever it went
it always led men into quarrels and fights,
so Ilmarinen broke it into pieces and threw
it back into the furnace.
On the evening of the third day he took
out of the furnace a magic heifer, with horns
of gold and the most beautifully-shaped head.
But she was ill-tempered and would not stay
at home, but rushed through the forest and
swamps and wasted all her milk on the
ground. So IImarinen cut the magic heifer
in pieces and threw them back into the
furnace.
And on the fourth evening he took out a
wonderful plough, the ploughshare of gold
and the handles of silver and the beam of
copper. But it ploughed up fields of barley
and the richest meadows, so Ilmarinen threw
it back into the furnace.
Then he drove away all his workmen,
56 FINNISH LEGENDS
and by his magic called up the storm-winds
to blow his bellows. They came from the
North and South and East and West, and
they blew one day and then another and
then a third, until the fire leapt out through
the windows, the sparks flew from the door,
and the smoke rose up and mingled with
the clouds. And on the third evening Ilma-
rinen looked into the furnace and beheld
the magic Sampo growing there. Quickly
he took it out and placed it on his anvil, and
taking a huge hammer the wonderful smith
forged the luck-bringing Sampo. From one
side it grinds out flour, and from the other
salt, and from the third it coins out money.
And the lid is all the colours of the rainbow,
and as it rocks back and forth it grinds one
measure for the day, and one for the market
and one for the storehouse.
Then old Louhi joyfully took the luck-
bringing Sampo and hid it in the hills of
Lapland. She bound it with nine great
locks, and by her witchcraft made three
roots grow all around it, two deep beneath
the mountains and one beneath the sea-
shore.
And when he had finished the Sampo,
Ilmarinen came to the lovely daughter of
Louhi and asked her if she were ready now
to be his wife. But she replied: ‘If I
should go with thee, and leave the North-
land, all the birds would cease to sing.
ILMARINEN FORGES THE SAMPO 57
No, never while I live will I give up my
maiden freedom, lest all the birds should
leave the forest and the mermaids leave
the waters.’
So Ilmarinen had made the Sampo all in
vain, and he was now far from home and
had no way of returning. But Louhi came
to him and asked him why he was grieving,
and when she learned his trouble, and that
he now wished to return to his own home,
she provided him with a boat of copper.
And when he had set sail she sent the north
wind to carry him on his way, and on the
evening of the third day he reached his
home.
There Wainamoinen met him and asked
if he had forged the magic Sampo. ‘Yes,’
replied Ilmarinen, ‘I have forged the Sampo,
with its lid of many colours. Louhi has the
wondrous Sampo, but I have lost the beauteous
maiden.’
‘Ah!’ said little Mimi, ‘old Louwhi’s
daughter was just as mean as could be,
and of course she didn’t keep her pro-
mise, because Lapps never can be good
people.’
‘Don’t be too hard on the poor Lapps,
my dear,’ said Father Mikko, ‘for you see
this happened a great many hundreds of
: 58 FINNISH LEGENDS
years ago, and the whole world has grown
better since then. But now we will leave
Ilmarinen and Wainamoinen for a while,
and I will tell you about the reckless Lem-
minkainen and his adventures.’
So the old man began as follows :
LEMMINKAINEN AND KYLLIKKI
SONG, long ago a son was born to
Lempo, and he was named Lem-
minkainen, but some call him
Ahti. He grew up amongst the
islands and fed upon the salmon until he
became a mighty man, handsome to look at
and skilled in magic. But he was not as
good as he was handsome—he had a wicked
heart, and was more famous for his dancing
than for great deeds. p
Now at the time my story begins, there
lived in the Northland a beautiful maiden
named Kyllikki. She was so lovely that
the Sun had begged her to marry his son
and come and live with them. But she
refused, and when the Moon came and
besought her to marry her son, and the
Evening Star sought her for his son, she
refused them both. And after that came
suitors from all the countries round about,
60 FINNISH LEGENDS
but the lovely Kyllikki would not marry one
of them.
When Lemminkainen heard of this, he
resolved that he would win her himself.
But his aged mother tried to dissuade him,
telling him that the maiden was of a higher
family than his own, that all the Northland
women would laugh at him, and then if he
should try to punish them for their laughter,
that the warriors of the Northland would
fall on him and kill him. But all this did
not make him change his mind, and he
started off for the distant Northland.
When he came near to Kyllikki’s home,
all the women and maidens that saw him
began to laugh at him because he looked so
poor, and yet dared to try to win the fair
Kyllikki’s hand. When he heard them
laughing, it made him so angry that he
drove on without paying any attention to
how he was driving, and when he came to
the courtyard his sledge hit against the
gate-post and broke to pieces, and threw
him out into the snow.
He rose up angrier than ever, but all
those around only laughed the harder at
him, and made all manner of fun of him.
Then they offered him a place as a shep-
herd on the mountains. So Ahti became a
shepherd, and spent all the days on the
hills, but in the evenings he went to their
dances, and when he had shown them what
LEMMINKAINEN AND KYLLIKKI 61
a skilful dancer he was, he soon became
a great favourite with all the women, and
they began to praise him instead of laughing
at him.
But fair Kyllikki alone would have nothing
to do with him—would not even look at him
in spite of all his endeavours to win her.
At last she was tired out with his attentions,
and told him that he had better return
home, for she did not like him, and that so
long as he stayed there she would not even
look at him.
Still he did not go away, but waited until
a chance came to carry out his new plan.
About a month after this, all the maidens
were met together for a dance in a glen
among the hills, and among them was
Kyllikki. Suddenly Lemminkainen came
galloping up in his sledge and seized the
fair Kyllikki as she was dancing with the
rest, placed her in his sledge, and drove off
like the whirlwind, and as he flew by the
frightened maidens he cried out to them:
‘Never tell that I have taken Kyllikki, or I
will cast a magic spell over your lovers, so
that they will all leave you and go off to the
wars and will never come back to dance and
make merry with you.’
But Kyllikki wept and begged Lemmin-
kainen to give her back her freedom, saying,
‘Oh, give me back my freedom, cruel
Lemminkainen ; let me return on foot to my
62 FINNISH LEGENDS
grieving father and mother. If thou wilt
not let me go, O Ahti, I will curse thee
and will call upon my seven valiant brothers
to pursue and kill thee. Once I was happy
among my people, but now all my joy has
gone since thou hast come to torment me,
O cruel-hearted Ahti !?
But all her words could not move Lem-
minkainen to release her. Then he said to
her: ‘Dearest maiden, fair Kyllikki, cease
thy weeping and be joyful; I will never
harm thee nor deceive thee. Why shouldst
thou be sorrowful, for I have a lovely home
and friends and riches, and thou shalt never
need to labour. Do not despise me be-
cause my family is not mighty, for I have a
good spear and a sharp sword, and with
these I will gain greatness and power for
thy sake.’
Then Kyllikki asked him: ‘O Ahti, son
of Lempo, wilt thou then be to me a faithful
husband ; wilt thou swear to me never to go
to battle nor to strife of any sort ?’
‘I will swear upon my honour,’ Lem-
minkainen replied, ‘that I will never go to
battle, if thou wilt promise in return never
to go to dance in the village, however much
thou mayst long for it.’
So the two swore before the great
Ukko, Lemminkainen promising never to
go to battle, and Kyllikki that she would
never go to the village dances. And
LEMMINKAINEN AND KYLLIKKI 63
then Lemminkainen rejoicing cracked his
whip, and they galloped on like the wind
over hills and valleys towards the plains of
Kalevala.
As they came near to Lemminkainen’s
home, Kyllikki saw that it looked dreary
and poor, and began to weep again, but
Lemminkainen comforted her, telling her
that now he would build a splendid mansion
for her, and so she grew cheerful once more.
They drove up to his mother’s cottage, and
as they entered his mother asked him how
he had fared. Ahti answered: ‘I have
well repaid the scorn of the Northland
maidens, for I have brought the fairest of
them with me in my sledge. I brought her
well wrapt in bear-skins hither, to be my
loving bride for ever. Beloved mother,
make ready for us the best room and pre-
pare a rich feast, that my bride may be
content.’
His mother answered: ‘Praised be
gracious Ukko, that hath given me a
daughter. Praise Ukko, my-son, that thou
hast won this lovely maiden, the pride of
the Northland, who is purer than the snow,
more graceful than the swan, and more
beautiful than the stars. Let us make our
dwelling larger, and decorate the walls most
beautifully in honour of thy lovely bride, the
fairest maid of all creation.’
KYLLIKK’S BROKEN VOW
AEMMINKAINEN and Kyllikki
lived together happily for many
years, keeping the promises they
had made to each other. But
one day Lemminkainen had not come home
from fishing by sunset, and then the longing
to dance was more than Kyllikki could with-
stand, and she went into the village and
joined the maidens in their dance.
As soon as Lemminkainen came home,
his sister Ainikki came to him and told him
how Kyllikki had broken her promise and had
joined in the dance. Then Lemminkainen
grew angry and sad at the same time, and
he went to his mother and asked her to
steep his clothing in the blood of serpents,
for he was going off to battle since Kyllikki
could not keep her vow.
Kyllikki tried to persuade him not to
leave her, telling him that she had dreamt a
KYLLIKKI’S BROKEN VOW 65
dream, in which she saw their home in
flames and the fire bursting out through the
doors and windows and roof. But Lem-
minkainen replied: ‘I have no faith in
women’s dreams or maidens’ vows. Bring
me my copper armour, mother, for I long to
get to the wars, to go to dismal Pohjola,
there to win great stores of gold and silver.’
‘Stay at home, my dear son,’ his aged
mother said, ‘and drink the beer in our
cellars, sitting peaceably by thine own
hearth, for we have more than enough gold
and silver. Only the other day, as our ser-
vants were ploughing the fields they came
upon a chest of gold and silver buried in the
ground—take this and be content.’
When all this had no effect upon Lemmin-
kainen, his mother began to tell him of the
magic of the Northland people, and that
they would sing him into the fire so that he
would be burnt to death. But he replied:
‘Long ago three Lapland wizards tried to
bewitch me, and employed their strongest
spells against me, but I stood unmoved.
Then I began my own magic songs, and be-
fore long I overcame them and sank them
to the bottom of the sea, where they are
still sleeping and the seaweed is growing
through their hair and beards.’
Still his mother tried to stop him, and his
wife Kyllikki begged his forgiveness in tears,
He stood listening to them and brushing out
F
66 FINNISH LEGENDS
his long black hair, but at last he became
impatient, and threw the brush from him
and cried out: ‘I will not stay, but keep
that brush, and when ye see blood oozing
from its bristles, then ye may know that
some terrible misfortune has overtaken me.’
Saying this he left them and put on his
armour and harnessed his steed into his
sledge. Then he sang a song, calling on
all the spirits of the woods and the moun-
tains and the waters and on great Ukko
himself to help him against the Northland
wizards, and when his song was ended he
drove off like the wind.
In the evening of the third day he reached
a little village in the ‘Northland. Here he
drove into a courtyard and called out: ‘Is
there any one strong enough to attend to
my horse and take care of my sledge.’
There was a child playing on the floor of
the house, and it replied that there was no
one there to do it. Then Lemminkainen
rode on to another house and asked the
same question ; and a man standing in the
doorway replied: ‘There are plenty here
that are mighty enough not only to unhar-
ness thy steed, but to conquer thee and drive
thee to thy home ere the sun has set.’
Then Lemminkainen told him that he
would return and slay him, and so drove off
to the highest house in the village. Here
he cast a spell over the watch-dog, so that
KYLLIKKI’S BROKEN VOW 67
he should not bark, and drove in, Then he
struck on the ground with his whip, and
from the ground there arose a vapour that
concealed the sledge, and in the vapour was
a dwarf that took his steed and unharnessed
it and gave it food. But Lemminkainen
went on into the house, having first made
himself invisible. There he found a great
many people singing and making merry,
and by the fires the Northland wizards were
seated. He made his way on, and then
took on his own shape again and entered
into the main hall, and cried out to those
that were singing to be silent.
As soon as she saw him the mistress of
the house ran up to him and asked him who
he was, and how he had passed the watch-
dog unnoticed. Then Lemminkainen told
her who he was, and instantly began to
weave his magic spells, while the lightning
shot from his fur mantle and flames from
his eyes. He sang them all under the
power of his magic—some beneath the
waters, some into the burning fire, some
beneath the heaped-up mountains. Only
one poor old man, who was blind and lame,
did he leave untouched. And when the
old man asked him why it was that he had
alone been left, cruel Lemminkainen began
to abuse him and to torment him with words,
until the old man, Nasshut, grew almost wild
with anger, and hobbled away, swearing to
68 FINNISH LEGENDS
have vengeance. Nasshut journeyed on
and on, and at last arrived at the river
Tuoni, which separates the land of the dead
from the land of the living. There he waited
until Lemminkainen should come, for he
knew, by his wizard’s skill, that he would
come thither soon.
LEMMINKAINEN’S SECOND
WOOING
== TER this Lemminkainen travelled
Ny on through dismal Pohjola until
ENS] 4 he came to the home of aged
<= Touhi. He went in to Louhi and
‘begged her to give him one of her daughters
in marriage, but Louhi refused, saying:
‘Thou hast already taken one wife from
Lapland, the fair Kyllikki, and I will give
thee neither the loveliest nor yet the ugliest
of my daughters.’
Still Lemminkainen kept urging her, and
at last, to get rid of him, she:said: ‘I will
never give one of my daughters to a worth-
less man. Thou mayst not ask me again
until thou bringest me the Hisi-reindeer,
Then Lemminkainen set to work to make
his arrows and his darts. When these were
done he went to Lylikki, the great snow-
shoe maker, and bade him make a huge
Jo FINNISH LEGENDS
pair of snow-shoes, as he was going to hunt
the Hisi-reindeer. At first Lylikki tried to
dissuade him, telling him he could never
succeed, but perhaps would die in the forest.
But Lemminkainen ordered him again to
make the snow-shoes, and Lylikki set to
work. He made them of wood, only a few
inches wide, but longer than Lemminkainen
was tall, and with straps in the middle to
fasten them on to the feet; and he also
made a staff for Lemminkainen to push
himself along with, or to keep his balance
with when he slid down the hills.
At length they were finished, and Lemmin-
kainen put them on, and his quiver on his
back, and took his snow-staff in his hand,
and as he set off he cried out: ‘There is no
living thing in all the forest that can escape
me now, when I take my mighty strides in
Lylikki’s snow-shoes.’
But the evil spirit Hisi overheard him as he
boasted thus, and Hisi set to work to make
an enchanted reindeer, that Lemminkainen
would never be able to catch. So he took
bare willow branches to make the horns, and
wood for the head, the feet and legs were
made of reeds, and the veins from withered
grass, the eyes were made from daisies, the
ears from flowers, and the skin of the rough
fir-bark, and the muscles from strong, sappy
wood. When this magic reindeer was com-
pleted it was the swiftest and the finest-
LEMMINKAINEN’S SECOND WOOING 71
looking of all reindeer. And Hisi sent it
off to Pohjola, telling it to lure Lemminkainen
into the snow-covered mountains and there
to wear him out with the cold and the fatigue
of the chase. So the reindeer went forth to
dismal Pohjola, and there it ran through the
courtyards and the outhouses, overturning
tubs of water, throwing the kettles from
their hooks, and upsetting the dishes that
were cooking before the fires. There was a
frightful noise there, for all the dogs began
to bark, and the children to cry, and the
women to laugh, and the men to shout.
And then the magic reindeer went on its
way.
Now Lemminkainen had set out, as soon
as his snow-shoes were ready, and had
hunted the whole world over for a trace of
the Hisi-reindeer, rushing like the wind over
mountains and valleys, until the fire shot
from his snow-shoes, and his snow-staff
smoked. But after he had wandered over
the whole world and still had found no trace
of the Hisi-reindeer, he came at iast to the
corner of Northland where the magic animal
had just run through the courts upsetting
everything, and the children were still crying
and the women laughing when he arrived.
Lemminkainen asked what the cause was of
their uproar, and they told him how the
reindeer had been there.
No sooner had he heard this than off he
72 FINNISH LEGENDS
flew over the snow, and as he went he sang ©
a spell, calling on the powers of Pohjola to
enable him to catch the Hisi-beast. After
he had sung, he gave three huge strides with
his snow-shoes, and at the end of the third
he caught up with the Hisi-reindeer, and in
another moment had it bound fast. Then
he spoke to the reindeer and patted it on
the head, and bade it come with him to
Louhi. But suddenly the animal made a
mighty rush, snapped his bonds in two, and
sprang away over the hills and valleys out
of sight.
Lemminkainen started off after it, but at
the first step his snow-shoes broke right in
two and threw him down, breaking his arrows
and. his snow-staff in his fall. Then he
arose and looked sadly at his broken shoes
and arrows and stick, and said to himself:
‘ How shall I ever succeed in my hunt, now
that my shoes are broken, and the reindeer
is once more free ?’
LEMMINKAINEN’S DEATH
OR a long time Lemminkainen sat
Â¥ considering whether he should
give up the chase and return to
Kalevala, or still keep on after
the Hisi-reindeer. At length he regained
hope and courage, and having sung an
incantation that made his snow-shoes and
arrows and staff whole again, he started off
once more.
This time he turned his steps to the
home of Tapio, the god of the forest, and
as he went he began to sing wondrous songs
to Tapio and his wife Mielikki, begging
them to help him, and promising them
great stores of gold and silver if they would
do so.
At last he arrived at Tapio’s palace,
which had window-frames of gold, and the
palace itself was of ivory. . And within it
Mielikki and her daughters were dressed in
74 FINNISH LEGENDS
golden garments, and wore gold and gems
in their hair, and pearls round their necks.
And theyall promised to help Lemminkainen,
and went off to drive the reindeer up to the
palace so that he might catch it. Nor had
he long to wait before whole troops of rein-
deer came flocking into the palace courtyard,
and Lemminkainen saw among them the
Hisi-deer, and caught it.
Then Lemminkainen sang a song of
triumph, and having paid to Tapio’s wife,
Mielikki, the gold and silver he had promised,
he hastened off with the reindeer to Louhi’s
home. But when he gave the Hisi-deer to
her, she said: ‘I will give thee my fairest
daughter if thou wilt catch and bridle for
me the fiery Hisi-horse, that breathes
smoke and fire from his mouth and nostrils.’
So Lemminkainen went off, taking with
him a golden bridle to put on the horse.
For three days he wandered without catching
sight of the Hisi-horse, but on the third day
he climbed to the top of a very high moun-
tain, and from thence he spied the steed on
the plain amongst the fir-trees, breathing
smoke and flames from his mouth and
nostrils and eyes,
When Lemminkainen saw him he prayed
to great Ukko to send a shower of icy hail
upon the fiery Hisi-steed, and presently a
great shower of hail rained down, and every
hailstone was larger than a man’s head.
LEMMINKAINEN’S DEATH 75
After the hail was over, Lemminkainen
came up to the fiery horse and coaxed him
to let the golden bridle be slipped over his
head. Then off they went like the wind,
the horse obeying Lemminkainen perfectly,
and in a very short time they arrived at
Louhi’s house. When he had given the
Hisi-horse to Louhi, Lemminkainen asked
again for the hand of her fairest daughter.
But Louhi told him she would not give him
her daughter until he had killed the swan
that swam on Tuoni’s river, which flows
between the land of the living and the dead.
Then Lemminkainen started off fearlessly
to seek the graceful swan of Tuoni, and
journeyed on and on until at length he
came to the coal-black river. There the
old shepherd of Pohjola, Nasshut, was
waiting for him, and, though blind, he heard
Lemminkainen’s footsteps, and sent a serpent
from the death-river to meet him. The
serpent stung Lemminkainen just over the
heart, so that he fell down dead almost
instantly, only having time to call upon his
ancient mother to help him.
And Nasshut cast his body into the
dismal river Tuoni, where it was washed
down through the rapids to the Deathland,
Tuonela. There the son of the ruler of the
Deathland took the body, and cutting it into
five portions, cast them back into the stream,
saying : ‘Swim there now, O Lemminkainen!
76 FINNISH LEGENDS
float for ever in this river, so that thou
mayst hunt the wild swan at thy leisure.’
And thus the handsome Lemminkainen
died, and was cast into the river of Tuoni,
that flows along the Deathland.
5 = CZ
Fa 2g the ate
LEMMINKAINEN’S RESTORATION
¥EMMINKAINEN’S mother began
Zi} to grow uneasy at his long ab-
sence, and to fear that some
trouble had befallen him. At
last one day, as his wife, the fair Kyllikki,
was in her room, she noticed that drops of
blood had begun to flow from the bristles
of Lemminkainen’s hair-brush. Then she
began to weep and mourn, and ran and
told his mother, who came and saw the
blood oozing from the brush, and cried
out:
‘Woe is me, for my son, my hero, is in
some terrible distress; some awful mis-
fortune has happened to him.’ Saying
this she hurried off, and went straight to
Louhi’s house. There she asked what had
become of her son, but Louhi only replied
that she did not know, that he had driven
off long ago in a sledge she had given him,
78 FINNISH LEGENDS
and perhaps the wolves or bears had eaten
him.
‘ Thou art only telling falsehoods,’ replied
Lemminkainen’s mother, ‘for no bears or
wolves can devour him; he would put them
to sleep with his magic singing. Now, tell
me truly, O Louhi, whither thou hast sent
my son, or I will destroy all thy store-
houses and even thy magic Sampo.’
And then Louhi said that she had given
him a copper boat, and he had floated off
on the river; perhaps he had perished in
the rapids below. But Lemminkainen’s
mother answered: ‘ Thou art still speaking
falsely. Tell me the truth this time, or I
will send plague and death upon thee.’
Then Louhi answered the third time:
‘I will tell thee the truth. I sent him to
fetch me the Hisi-reindeer, and then after
the fire-breathing horse, and last of all, after
the swan that swims the death-stream,
Tuoni, that he might gain the hand of my
fairest daughter. He may have perished
there, for he has not come back since to
ask for my daughter’s hand.’
No sooner had Louhi said this than the
anxious mother hurried off to hunt for her
son. Over hills and valleys, through marsh
and forest, and over the wide waters she
went, but looked for him in vain. Then
she asked the Trees if they had seen him
but they answered: ‘We have more than
LEMMINKAINEN’S RESTORATION 79
enough to think of with our own griefs.
Weare cut down with cruel axes and burned
to death, and no one pities us.’
So she wandered on and on, and finally
she asked the Paths if they had seen her
son pass by. But the Paths replied: ‘Our
own lives are too wretched to think of other
people’s sorrows. We are trodden under
foot by beasts and men, and the heavy carts
cut us in pieces.’
Next she asked the Moon, but the Moon
replied: ‘I have trouble enough of my own.
I have to wander all alone in both summer
and winter nights, and have no rest.’
Next she questioned the Sun, and he was
kinder than the rest, and told her how her
son had died in the gloomy river Tuoni.
Then she hastened to Ilmarinen, the
wondrous smith, and bade him make a huge
rake for her out of copper, with teeth a
hundred fathoms long and the handle five
“hundred fathoms. Ilmarinen quickly forged
a magic rake, and she hurried off with it to
the gloomy river Tuoni, praying as she
went: ‘O Sun, whom Ukko hath created,
shine for me now with magic power into
the kingdom of death, into dark Manala,
and lull all the evil spirits there to sleep.’
The Sun came and sat upon a birch-tree
near the river of Tuoni, and shone upon the
Deathland, Tuonela, until all the spirits fell
asleep. Then he rose, and hovering over
80 FINNISH LEGENDS
them, warmed them into a yet. deeper
slumber, and then hurried back to his place
in the sky.
Meanwhile Lemminkainen’s mother had
raked a long time in the coal-black river,
but could find nothing. Then she waded
in deeper and deeper, until she could reach
into the deepest caverns with her rake.
First, she found his jacket, and then the
rest of his clothing; and finally, the third
time she swept her rake along, it brought
up- Lemminkainen’s body, but the hands
and arms and head were still missing.
Still she went on with her search, and at
length all the pieces were gathered together.
When she had laid them beside each
other, in their proper positions, she began
to pray to the goddess of the veins, Suonetar,
and the maiden of the ether, to come and
join the different parts together, and to sew
up the wounds and make him whole. And
then she prayed to the mighty Ukko to
help them, and to heal every part that was
wounded or bruised, to touch them with his
magic touch, and restore Lemminkainen to
life.
And Ukko did so, and Lemminkainen
lived once more, but he was still blind
and deaf and dumb. But his mother con-
sidered deeply how she might restore these
senses to him, and at length she called the
little bee to her, and bade it go out and
LEMMINKAINEN’S RESTORATION 81
collect honey from the healing plants in the
meadows. So the bee flew away and re-
turned very soon laden with honey from all
the healing plants, and she anointed her son
with this, but it only gave him his sight,
and still left him deaf and dumb.
Again the mother sent off the bee, telling
it to go across the seven oceans, and to
alight on an enchanted isle in the eighth.
There it would find magic honey to bring
back. The bee did as it was told and
found the magic honey-balm in tiny earthen
vessels, and flew back with seven vessels in
its arms and seven on each shoulder, all
filled with the magic honey-balm, Lem-
minkainen’s mother anointed him with this,
and he could hear, but still remained
speechless.
Then the mother bade the bee fly up to
the seventh heaven and to bring down from
thence the honey of Ukko’s wisdom, which
was so abundant there. When the bee
declared that it could not fly so high, she
told it the way and sent it off. So the bee
flew up and up, and at the end of the first
day it rested on the moon. At the end of
the second day it reached the shoulders of
the Great Bear, and on -the third day it
flew over the Great Bear’s head and reached
the seventh heaven of Ukko. There it
found three golden kettles, and in the first
was a balm that gave ease to the heart, and
G
82 FINNISH LEGENDS
the balm in the second gave happiness, but
the balm of the third kettle gave life. So
the bee took some of the life-giving balm
and hastened back to earth.
Then Lemminkainen’s mother anointed
him with this magic balm, speaking a magic
spell as she rubbed him with it, and im-
mediately he awoke, and his first words
were: ‘Truly I have been sleeping long,
but yet my sleep was a sweet one, for I
knew neither joy nor sorrow.’
When his mother asked how he had
gone thither and who it was that had
harmed him, he told her all—how Louhi
had sent him for the swan, and how old
Nasshut, the blind Northland shepherd, had
sent the serpent against him and killed him,
for he did not know the charm to cure the
sting of serpents. Then his mother up-
braided him for his ignorance, and told him
how the serpent was born from the marrow
of the duck and the brain of swallows,
mixed with Suojatar’s saliva, and she told
him too what the spell was to use against
them. Thus his mother brought him back
to life and health, and he was wiser and
handsomer than ever, but still he was
downhearted.
His mother asked him the reason of this,
and he replied that he was still thinking of
Louhi’s daughter and longing for her as his
bride, but that first he must shoot the wild
LEMMINKAINEN’S RESTORATION 83
swan. But his mother answered: ‘Do not
think of the wild swan, nor yet of Louhi’s
daughters. Return with me to Kalevala to
thy home, and thank and praise thy Maker,
Ukko, that he hath saved thee, for I alone
could never have saved thee from dismal
Manala.’
So ‘Lemminkainen hastened home with
his mother,—back again to his pleasant
home in Kalevala.
Every one expressed satisfaction that
Lemminkainen had been restored to life—
‘for, you see,’ said Mimi, ‘though he was
really a bad man, he did so many wonderful
things that you just can’t help wishing for
him not to be killed.’
But now it had grown quite late, nearly
nine o’clock, and so they all ate their
supper and then Erik and Father Mikko
sat smoking and talking while Mother
Stina and the little ones went into the other
room to bed,—for Erik had actually two
rooms in his house,—and it isn’t every
Finnish country cabin that has that, you
know. They talked of their country, for
that was the dearest subject to both of them,— —
they were intelligent men for their “class, —
and when Father Mikko told how the
Russian Tsar was taking their liberties away
from them, and was beginning to break all
84 FINNISH LEGENDS
his oaths and promises and would no doubt
end up by making them as badly off as the
people on the south side of the Finnish
Gulf—when Father Mikko related all this,
Erik’s eyes flashed and he longed to be
able to draw the sword to defend his
beloved country’s liberty.
But at last they had gone over all these
things and were sleepy themselves, so they
made up their beds on some sheepskin
rugs on the floor, and soon fell into a sound
sleep.
The next day it was still storming, and so
Father Mikko gave up all idea of leaving
that day. About three o’clock in the after-
noon—it was dark as night then—they had
all finished dinner and settled down around
the fire as on the day before, and Father
Mikko was easily persuaded to go on with
his stories.
Erik was at work on a pair of snow-shoes,
just like those that Lemminkainen wore in
the story of the hunt after the Hisi-deer.
They were nearly finished—about six feet
long and five inches wide in the broadest
part, with a place in the middle to fasten
them on to the feet, and the front ends were
turned up. All that now remained to be
done was to polish them off, and Erik
worked at this while Father Mikko told his
LEMMINKAINEN’S RESTORATION 85
stories. The children had enough to do to
watch ‘Pappa’ Mikko’s face and listen to
the wonderful tales, and Mother Stina was
busy with some sewing—she couldn’t spin
because the noise of the wheel would have
drowned Father Mikko’s voice.
‘Now that we have brought Lemmin-
kainen back from the Death-river,’ the old
man said, ‘we will see what Wainamoinen
was doing all this while.’ So he began as
follows :
WAINAMOINEN’S BOAT-BUILDING
AJAINAMOINEN started to build
a boat from the Rainbow-
maiden’s distaff, but he had
soon used up all his timber, and
the boat was far from finished. So he
asked Sampsa (the planter of the first trees
that grew on earth) to go and search out
the needful timber in order to finish the
boat.
Sampsa started off with a golden axe
upon his shoulder and a copper hatchet in
his belt. He wandered through the moun-
tain forests, and at length came upon a
great aspen, and was just going to cut it
down, when the aspen asked him what he
wanted. ‘I wish to take your timber for
a vessel,’ Sampsa replied, ‘that the wise
magician Wainamoinen is building.’ Then
the aspen answered: ‘All the boats that
have been made of my wood have been
WAINAMOINEN’S BOAT-BUILDING 87
but failures ; they float but a little way, and
then sink to the ocean’s bottom, for my
trunk is full of hollow places, where the
worms have eaten my wood.’
So Sampsa left the aspen and searched
still further, until he came to a pine-tree
that was even taller than the aspen was.
Sampsa struck a blow with his axe, and at
the same time asked the pine-tree if it
would furnish good timber for Waina-
. Moinen’s boat. But the pine-tree answered :
‘All the ships that have been made from
me are useless, I am full of imperfections,
for the ravens live among my branches and
bring ill-luck,’
And Sampsa was obliged to leave the
pine-tree and go on until he came to a
tremendous oak-tree, whose trunk was
thicker than the height of even the tallest
men. And he asked the oak-tree if it
would furnish wood for Wainamoinen’s boat.
‘I will gladly furnish the wood,’ replied
the oak-tree, ‘for I am tall and sound and
strong. The warm sun shines upon me
for three months in the summer, and the
sacred cuckoo dwells in my branches and
brings good fortune.’ So Sampsa quickly
felled the oak, and brought the timber,
skilfully hewn, to Wainamoinen.
The wise magician Wainamoinen then
began to put his boat together by the aid
of magic spells. The first magic song that
SS ee te Ie
88 FINNISH LEGENDS
he sang joined the framework together, and
the second song fastened the planking into
the ribs, and the third put the rowlocks in
place and made the oars. But, alas! when
all this was done, there were still three
magic words needed to complete the stem
and stern and bulwarks.
Wainamoinen saw that all his labour
was in vain unless he found the three magic
words, for unless the stern and stem were
fastened and the bulwarks built, the boat
could never put to sea. He pondered long
over where he might find the lost words,
and after a while he concluded that they
might be found in the brains of swallows
and the heads of swans and the plumage of
the sea-duck, But though he killed great
numbers of these birds, he could not find
the three lost words. Then he thought
that he might find them on the tongues of
reindeers or of the squirrels; but though
he killed great numbers of them, and found
many words on their’ tongues, the three
lost words were not there.
Then he said to himself: ‘1 will seek the
lost words in the kingdom of Manala ; there
are countless words to be found there in the
Deathland.’ So off he went, travelling for
three weeks over hill and dale, through
marshes and thickets, until at length he
came to the river of Tuoni. There he called
out in a voice like thunder: ‘Bring a boat,
WAINAMOINEN’S BOAT-BUILDING 89
O daughter of Tuoni, and ferry me over this
black and fatal river.’
Tuoni’s daughter, a wee little dwarf, but
very wise and ancient, bade him first say
why he wished to come into the Deathland
while he was still alive. And first Waina-
moinen answered that Tuoni himself, the
death-god, had sent him. But the maid
replied : ‘Had Tuoni brought thee, he would
now be with thee, and thou wouldst be
wearing his cap and gloves.’ So Waina-
moinen answered again: ‘I was slain by
an iron weapon.’ But the maid would not
believe him, because he had no bleeding
wound. Then he said the third time, that
he had been washed there by the river.
But still the maid would ‘not believe him,
for his clothing was not wet. And the
fourth time he said that fire had burnt him.
But the maid replied: ‘If the fire had
brought thee to Manala, thy hair and eye-
brows and beard would be all singed and
burnt. But now I ask thee for the last
time what it is that hath brought thee,
living, hither. Tell me the truth this time.’
Then Wainamoinen told her that he had
been building a boat by magic, but that he
yet lacked one spell, and had come thither
to seek it. “When he had said this, Tuoni’s
daughter came across-and rowed him to the
opposite side, having first tried to dissuade
him from coming. But Wainamoinen was
go FINNISH LEGENDS
not afraid; and when he had landed he
walked straight up to the abode of Tuoni.
There Tuonetar, Tuoni’s wife, gave him
a golden goblet filled with beer, saying:
‘Drink Tuoni’s beer, O wise and ancient
Wainamoinen!’ But he carefully inspected
the liquor before he tasted it, and saw that
it was black and full of the spawn of frogs
‘and poisonous serpent-broods ; and he said
to Tuonetar: ‘I have not come hither to
drink Tuoni’s poisons, for they that do so
will surely be destroyed.’ :
Tuonetar then asked him why he had
come, and he told her of his boat-building,
and how he still needed the three magic
words, and that he hoped to find them there.
‘Tuoni will never reveal them,’ Tuonetar
said; ‘nor shalt thou ever leave these gates
alive ;’ and as she spoke she waved the
slumber-wand over Wainamoinen’s head,
and he sank into a deep sleep. And to
make sure of his not escaping, Tuoni’s son,
a hideous wizard with only three fingers,
wove nets of iron and of copper, and set
them all through the river, to catch Waina-
moinen if by any chance he should get so
far. .
But Wainamoinen soon freed himself
from Tuonetar’s slumber-spell, and knowing
in how great danger he was, he instantly
transformed himself into a serpent, and
wriggled his way to the river, and through
WAINAMOINEN’S BOAT-BUILDING 91
the nets that had been set to catch him,
until at length he came out safe into the
land of the living again ; and the next morn-
ing, when Tuoni’s wizard son went to look
at his nets, he found all kinds of evil fish
and serpents, but not the wise old magician.
But Wainamoinen prayed to Ukko: ‘I
thank thee, O Ukko, that thou hast pro-
tected me; but never suffer any other of
thy heroes, not even the wisest, to go
against the laws of nature to the awful
Tuonela. For there are but few who
return from thence.’ :
And then Wainamoinen called together
the people on the plains of Kalevala, and
spoke to the young men and maidens, say-
ing: ‘Listen, all ye young people. Never
disobey your parents; never harm the
innocent, nor wrong the weak, nor utter
falsehood, else ye will pay the penance for
it in the gloomy prison of Manala ; for there
is the dwelling-place of the wicked, and a
place for the guilty. Beneath the burning
rocks there are fiery couches, with pillows
of hissing serpents, and coverlets of green
writhing vipers, And the wicked there
drink the blood of adders, but have nothing
to eat at all. If ye would be happy, shun
this abode of the wicked ones in Tuonela.’
‘But I thought Wainamoinen wasn’t to
92 FINNISH LEGENDS
use any wood for his boat except the pieces
of the distaff,’ said Mimi. :
‘Well, you see,’ said Father Mikko, ‘the
main thing was to build the boat by magic,
and we'll see now how he did that. I
don’t believe a little extra wood made any
difference.’ So he went on:
A LAPLAND WIZARD.
WAINAMOINEN FINDS.THE LOST
ons
Deathiand and now hee sat and
+ pondered whither he should go
next to seek them.. While he was thinking
over this, a shepherd came to him and said :
‘Thou canst find a thousand words of wisdom
on the tongue of the dead hero Wipunen.
I know- the road that leads to his grave:
first, thou must journey a long distance over
the points of needles, and then a long way
upon the edges of sharp swords, and then a
third road on the edges of hatchets.’
Then Wainamoinen considered how he
should be able to walk over the needles and
swords and hatchets, and at last hit ona
plan. He went to the smith Ilmarinen
and bade him make shoes of iron, and
gloves of copper, and a magic staff of the
04 FINNISH LEGENDS
strongest metal, as he was going to seek
the lost words from the wise Wipunen.
Ilmarinen made him the shoes and gloves
and staff, but said: ‘The wise magician
Wipunen died long ages ago, he surely
cannot tell thee the magic words.’
Still Wainamoinen was not disheartened,
but began his journey. The first day he
hurried along over the points of needles, and
all the second day over the sword edges,
and on the evening of the third day he had
come across the edges of the hatchets and
teached the spot where Wipunen lay buried.
From Wipunen’s shoulders grew great
aspens, on each temple grew a birch-tree,
on his mighty chin an alder, from his beard
grew willows, from his mouth a fir-tree, and
an oak upon his forehead.
Then Wainamoinen drew his magic
hatchet from its leather sheath, and cut
down all the trees that were growing over
Wipunen. And then he took his magic
staff and thrust it between Wipunen’s teeth
and prised open his mouth, and as he did so,
he sang a spell to bring Wipunen’s spirit
back from the Deathland, Tuonela. And
when the spell was sung, Wipunen felt the
pain of the staff within his mouth, and bit
it so hard that he cut clear through the iron
outside, but the centre was of steel, too hard
even for Wipunen’s teeth. So he opened
his mouth wide in anguish, and as he did so
FINDING THE LOST WORDS 95
Wainamoinen slipped and fell headlong,
armour and all, right down his throat. And
Wipunen said, as he swallowed him: ‘I
have eaten sheep and reindeer, bears and.
oxen, but I have never tasted a sweeter
morsel than this.’
But now Wainamoinen was sorely per-
plexed to know what he should do. After
pondering over the matter, he took a dagger
that he wore, and from the wooden handle
he built a boat by the aid of magic spells,
and began to row all through the old
magician’s body, through every single vein
and vessel, but Wipunen scarcely felt it,
and paid no attention to him. Then
Wainamoinen thought again, and taking off
his armour he made it into a forge with
bellows and all complete, and used his
knees for an anvil and his arm for a
hammer, -and started to work. - For three
days he worked away inside the magician’s
body, until the bellows blew a perfect whirl-
wind and the anvil rang like thunder.
At length old Wipunen could bear it no
longer and cried out: ‘What great magician
art thou, for I have eaten many men and
heroes, but never such an one as thou: for
the smoke is pouring from my nostrils, and
the fire streams from my mouth, and my
throat is full of iron clinkers. Go and’ leave
me, wretched torturer! Why hast thou,
come hither to hurt me? Art thou a trial
96 FINNISH LEGENDS
sent by mighty Ukko, for if so I will be
resigned, but if thou art of some human
race, I will search out thy tribe and destroy
it. Leave my body, cease thy forging, let
me rest in peace and slumber. Or if thou
wilt not leave me, I will call on all the great
magicians of the past, the spirits of the
mountains and woods and seas and rivers, on
Ilmatar, daughter of the ether, to assist me.
Or if these be not sufficient, I will call on
mighty Ukko to drive thee forth. If thou
art from the winds, then return to the copper
mountains where they live; if from the sea,
return to it; if from the forests, then return
to them, or I will drive thee to the bottom
of the coal-black river of Tuoni, whence
thou shalt never move again,’
‘I am well contented here,’ said
Wainamoinen, ‘in these roomy caverns.
I can eat thy heart and flesh and for drink
I will take thy blood. And I will set my
forge still deeper in thy vitals, and will
swing my hammer still harder on thy heart
and lungs and liver. I shall never leave
thee until I learn all thy wisdom, and the
three lost words, that all thy magic know-
ledge may not perish with thee from tae
earth.’
Then Wipunen began to sing all his
knowledge and his magic spells for
Wainamoinen. He sang the origin of
witchcraft, the source of good and evil and
FINDING THE LOST WORDS 97
how by the will of Ukko the water was first
divided from the ether. And next he sang
of how the moon and sun were made, and
whence the colours of the rainbow came,
and how the stars were sprinkled in the
sky. Three whole days and nights he
sang, until the stars and the moon stood
still to listen, and the very waves of the sea
and the tides ceased to rise and fall, and the
rivers stopped in their courses.
At length Wainamoinen had learned all
the wisdom of the great magician, and the
three lost words, and he made ready to
leave Wipunen’s body, bidding him open
wide his mouth that he might get out and
leave him for ever.
‘I have eaten many things, O
Wainamoinen,’ said Wipunen, ‘bears and
reindeer, wolves and oxen, but never such
a thing as thou. Now thou hast found the
wisdom that thou seekest, go in peace and
never come back to me.’
Then he opened his mouth wide, and
Wainamoinen glided forth and hastened
swiftly as the deer to Kalevala. First he
went into the smithy, and Ilmarinen asked
him if he had learned the lost words that
would enable him to finish his vessel. ‘I
have learned a thousand magic words,’
answered Wainamoinen, ‘and among them
are the lost words that I sought.’
‘Thereupon he hastened off to where his
H
98 FINNISH LEGENDS
vessel lay, and with the three lost words he
joined the stem and stern and raised the
bulwarks. Thus he had built the vessel
with magic alone, and by magic art he
launched it too, not touching it with foot or
knee or hand, using only magic to push it.
Thus was the task completed which should
gain for him the Rainbow-maiden in her
beauty.
‘Oh! do hurry and tell us about that,’
said Mimi, and Father Mikko continued.
THE RIVAL SUITORS
XGOW the Rainbow-maiden was
| really the same as old Lowhi’s fair-
est daughter, whom Wainamoinen
had wooed, and for whom
Ilmarinen had made the magic Sampo, and
Wainamoinen had learned this. So when
the magic boat was finished, he made
ready for a journey to the Northland, to °
try once more to win the fair Pohjola
maiden for his bride.
He ornamented the magic vessel with
gold and silver, and painted it scarlet, and
on the masts he set sails of linen, red, white,
and blue. Then he stepped on board, and
called on Ukko to protect and help him,
and on the winds to aid him on his way,
and off the magic boat flew towards
Pohjola, never needing an oar to help it,
Annikki, Ilmarinen’s sister, was down by
the seashore just at dawn that morning,
100 FINNISH LEGENDS
and as she gazed out over the sea, she saw
a blue speck in the distance. At first she
thought it was a flock of birds, and then as
it drew nearer it looked like a great tree
floating on the water, but at last she saw that
it was a vessel with but one man in it, and
when it came still nearer she recognised -
Wainamoinen.
-She called out to him and asked him
whither he was going. He replied that he
was come a-fishing, but Annikki said: ‘Thy
boat is not rigged like a fisher-boat, nor hast
thou lines or nets with thee. Tell me the
truth, O-Wainamoinen!’ And he answered
the second time, that he had come to kill
wild geese and ducks. But Annikki told
him that she knew that was untrue, for he
had no hunting dogs in the vessel with him,
nor any weapons. Then he told her that
he was sailing to the wars. Annikki
replied: ‘My father often used to sail to
war, but in a ship with many rowers, and
with many armed heroes on board, but thy
vessel is surely not fitted for battle. Now
tell me the truth, O wise Wainamoinen, or
else I will send a storm-wind after thee and
break: thy ship in pieces.’
Then he told her the truth, that he was
going to woo the Rainbow-maiden, Louhi’s
daughter, and then Annikki knew that he
spoke the truth. She hurried off to her
brother’s smithy and said to him: ‘ Dearest
THE RIVAL SUITORS IOr
brother, if thou wilt forge for me a silver
loom and gold and silver finger-rings and
earrings, golden girdles and golden orna-
ments for my hair, I will tell thee something
that is very important for thee to know,’
So Ilmarinen promised, and his sister
* said: ‘O Ilmarinen, if thou hopest’ ever to
wed the fair maid of Pohjola, thou must
hasten and make thy sledge ready, for
Wainamoinen is now sailing thither in a
magic boat to win her before thee.’ Then
Ilmarinen bade his sister prepare a magic
soap and make a bath ready for him while
he was forging the gold and silver orna-
ments that she had bargained for.
When Ilmarinen had finished his work he
found the bath and the magic soap all ready
for him, and he began to wash off the grime
and dirt and soot of the smithy. When he
was through, and came out of the bath, he
had grown wonderfully bright and hand-
some, for the magic soap had made his
. cheeks rosy and his eyes bright as moon-
light. Then he put on his finest garments,
soft linen, and silken stockings, a blue vest
and scarlet trousers, and a fur coat of seal-
skin, held by buttons made of jewels, and
a belt with golden buckles. After he was
dressed he ordered his magic sledge to be
harnessed, and on the front placed six
cuckoos and seven blue-birds that they
might sing and charm the Northland maiden.
102 FINNISH LEGENDS
When all was ready Ilmarinen prayed to
great Ukko to send snow that it might
cover all the country and let his sledge glide
easily to Pohjola. And the snow came, and
Ilmarinen wrapped himself up warmly in
bearskins, and drove off like the wind, first
invoking Ukko’s blessing on his journey.
On he went, over hill and dale, with the
cuckoos and bluebirds singing on the sledge,
and then he drove along the seashore to
the north in a cloud of snow and sand and
mist and sea-foam, looking out for Waina-
moinen’s vessel. On the evening of the
third day he caught up with Wainamoinen,
and called out to him: ‘O ancient Waina-
moinen, let us woo the maiden peacefully,
and let her choose which one of us she
will’ To this Wainamoinen agreed; and
having promised not to use deceit of any
sort against one another, they hurried on
their way,— Wainamoinen calling up the
south wind to help him, and Ilmarinen’s
steed shaking the hills of Northland as he
galloped on.
Soon they drew near to Louhi’s dwelling,
and the watchdogs began to bark more
loudly than they had ever done before,
Louhi’s husband told his daughter to go and
see what the trouble was, but she replied
that she was busy grinding barley, and could
not go. Then he told his wife to go, but
she was too busy cooking dinner. So the
THE RIVAL SUITORS 103
father grew angry, and said: ‘Women are
always busy either baking or sleeping ; go,
my son, and learn what all the trouble is.’
But the son refused, because he was busy
splitting wood.
So at last Louhi’s husband was obliged
to go himself, for the dogs kept barking
louder and louder. There, as soon as he
had reached the gate, he saw a scarlet-
coloured ship sailing into the bay, and a
sledge driving up along the shore at full
speed. Then he hastened back into the
house, and told them all that he had seen.
And Louhi took a branch and gave it to her
daughter, saying: ‘ Place this on the fire, my
daughter, and if in burning it drips blood,
then these strangers bring war and blood-
shed ; but if clear water, then they come in
peace.’
So the maiden put the branch on the fire,
and as they watched it they saw honey
trickling out, and from this Louhi knew that
the two men were coming as suitors. Then
they hastened out into the courtyard, and
saw the-vessel in the harbour, painted scarlet,
and an ancient white-bearded magician at
the helm; and on the land they saw a
brightly-coloured sledge, with cuckoos and
bluebirds singing on the front, and driven
by a young and handsome hero,
Louhi immediately recognised them both,
and said to her daughter: ‘ Wilt thou Rave
104 FINNISH LEGENDS
one of these suitors, dearest daughter? He
that comes in the ship is good old Waina-
moinen, bringing countless treasures for thee
from Kalevala. The other in the sledge,
with the singing birds, is the blacksmith
Ilmarinen, who brings no presents save him-
self. When they come into the house bring
a pitcher of honey-drink, and give it to the
one that thou wilt follow. Give it to old
Wainamoinen, for he brings thee countless
treasures.’
But the daughter replied: ‘I will never
marry a man for riches, but for his real
worth. Mothers did not use to sell their
daughters thus in the olden times to suitors
whom they did not love. I shall choose
Ilmarinen for his true worth and wisdom.’
Old Louhi grew angry at this, and tried
to change her daughter’s mind, but all she
could say did not move her; and just then
Wainamoinen came to the house, and ad-
dressed the maiden thus: ‘Come with me,
O lovely maiden, be my bride and honoured
wife, and share my joys and sorrows with
me.’
The maiden answered: ‘Hast thou built
the magic vessel, using neither hand nor
foot to touch it?’
‘I have built it, and brought it hither,’
answered Wainamoinen, ‘It is finely made
by magic, and will live in the worst of
storms ; nothing can ever sink it.’
THE RIVAL SUITORS 105,
But then the maiden said to him: ‘I will
not wed a husband born in the sea, Storms
would bring us trouble, and the winds rack
our hearts. I cannot go with thee, cannot
marry thee, O Wainamoinen.’
ILMARINEN’S WOOING
his answer, Ilmarinen came
hurrying into the house and into
the guest-room. There servants
brought him honey-drink in silver pitchers,
but he said: ‘I will never taste the drink of
Northland till I see the Rainbow-maiden.
With her I will gladly drink, for I have
come hither to seek her hand.’ Then Louhi
said to him: ‘The maiden is not ready to
receive thee, and thou may not woo her
before thou hast ploughed the field of hiss-
ing serpents. Once the evil spirit Lempo
ploughed it, but it has never been done
since.’
Ilmarinen wandered off sadly, but while
he was pondering over what he should do,
he saw the lovely maid herself. He went
up to her and said: ‘ Long ago I forged the
Sampo for thee, and then thou promised to
ILMARINEN’S WOOING 107
become my wife. But now thy mother
demands that I first plough the field of
serpents before I win thee.’ But the maiden
comforted him, and told him how to plough
the field with a plough: of gold and silver
and copper.
So Ilmarinen went off and built a smithy,
and placed in the furnace gold and silver
and copper and iron. And from these he
forged a plough, with ploughshare of gold
and beam of silver and copper handles ;
and for himself he made boots and gloves
and armour of iron; and as he worked he
sang magic spells to give his work power to
overcome the serpents. Then he harnessed
to the plough the fire-breathing Hisi-horse,
and went into the field. There were serpents
of every sort, creeping and crawling over
one another, and hissing horribly, but
Imarinen cast a spell over them, and
ploughed the field, so that all the snakes
were buried in the furrows. And then he
went to Louhi, and claimed her daughter’s
hand.
But Louhi refused to let him have her
daughter until he should catch the great
bear of Manala, and bring him to her. So
he went off to the maid again, and told her
what old Louhi had demanded of him. The
lovely maiden instructed him how to prepare
a muzzle for the bear, forging it of steel on
a rock beneath the water, at a spot where
108 FINNISH LEGENDS
three currents met together, and the straps
were to be of steel and copper mixed. And
Ilmarinen made a muzzle as she had directed,
and set off for Manala, the dismal Death-
land. As he went he prayed to the goddess
of the mists to send a fog where the great
bear of “Manala was, so that he might not
see I]Imarinen as he approached. And the
goddess sent the fog, and Ilmarinen was
able to creep'up to the bear and throw the
magic muzzle over his head, and then to lead
him to Louhi without any trouble.
When he had brought the bear to her, he
asked her again for her lovely daughter’s
hand. But Louhi said to him: ‘Thou must
perform one more task still, and then, when
that is done, thou shalt have my dear daugh-
ter. Catch for me the monster-pike that
lives in the river of Tuoni, but thou may
not use hook, nor line, nor nets, nor boat.
Hundreds have been sent to catch it, but all
have died in Tuoni’s dark waters.’
And now Ilmarinen was deeply dis-
couraged, and went off to tell the maiden
of this’ third task, which he thought it was
impossible to do. But she told him to forge
an eagle in his magic furnace, and that the
eagle would catch the monster-pike for him.
So Ilmarinen. went to work and forged an
eagle in his smithy: talons of iron, beak of
steel and copper. And when the eagle was
entirely made from iron and copper, he
ILMARINEN’S WOOING "10g
mounted on its back and bade it fly away
to the river of Tuoni, there to catch the
monster-pike. When they had reached the
bank, Ilmarinen dismounted and began to
search for the pike, while the eagle hovered
over the water. While Ilmarinen was search-
ing, a huge monster rose from the depths and
tried to seize him, but the eagle swooped
down, and with one bite of his mighty beak,
wrenched off the monster’s head. Still
Imarinen continued his search, until at last
the monster-pike itself rose up to seize him,
But as it came to the surface, the giant-
eagle swooped down upon it, and buried its
talons in the pike’s flesh. Then the fish,
maddened with the pain, rushed down to
the deepest caverns, dragging the eagle
with it until the bird had to loose its hold
and soar aloft again. A second time the
eagle swooped down and struck deep into
the pike’s shoulders ; but the pike dived to
the bottom again and escaped. At last the
eagle made a third descent, and this time
grasped the pike firmly with his beak of
steel, and planted his talons firmly on the
rocks, and this time he succeeded in drag-
ging the pike from out the river.
Then the eagle flew off with the pike to
the top of a tall pine-tree, and there ate the
body of his victim, leaving the head for
Ilmarinen. But the eagle himself soared
up into the air, up beyond the clouds,
IIo FINNISH LEGENDS
and at length disappeared behind the
sun, ¢
Imarinen returned to Louhi with the
pike’s head and again claimed her daughter
in marriage. Louhi answered him: ‘Thou
hast performed this last task but badly, since
thou only brought me the worthless head.
But still, since thou hast completed the other
tasks also, I will give thee my fair daughter,
Thou hast won the Maid of Beauty, to be
the help and joy of all thy future life,’
But while Ilmarinen was rejoicing in his
good fortune, the aged Wainamoinen wan-
dered sorrowfully homewards, bewailing his
sad lot, thus to be compelled to live without
a wife to cheer his home. ‘ Woe is me,’ he
sang, ‘that I did not woo and marry in my
youth, for the old men cannot hope to
conquer the young ones when they go
a-wooing.’
When this story was ended, Father Mikko
stopped a while to rest, and the others dis-
cussed the stories that he had just told. All
were pleased that the Rainbow-maiden had
chosen [I]marinen instead of the aged Wain-
amoinen, and little Antero asked ‘ Pappa’
Mikko what they had had to eat at the
wedding—he was rather more deeply inter-
ested in thing’ to eat than anything else—
so Father Mikko continued, after he had
rested a while.
-THE BREWING OF BEER
(JREAT preparations were now made
in Louhi’s home for her daugh-
ter’s wedding with Ilmarinen. In
distant Karjala, a part of Kale-
vala, was a great ox, the largest in the
world, It took a weasel seven days to
travel round his neck and shoulders; the
swallow had to fly a whole day without rest-
ing, to get from one horn-tip to the other;
the squirrel travelled thirty days, starting
from the tail, before he reached the shoulders.
This great ox was led by a thousand heroes
to Pohjola, to Louhi’s house, but when he
had come thither, no one could be found to
kill him.
Then there came an aged hero from
Karjala, and went up to the ox to kill him
with his war-club. But the ox turned and
gave him one fierce glance, and the old
warrior dropped his club and ran away and
112 FINNISH LEGENDS
hid in the forest. Then they sent forth far
and near to find some one to kill the ox, but
no one came. At last there arose from the
sea a tiny dwarf, who, when he stepped on
land, grew suddenly into a giant, with hands
of iron, a copper-coloured face, a hat of flint
upon his head, and sandstone shoes upon
his feet. As soon as this sea-spirit saw the.
ox, he rushed at it and killed it with one
blow of his golden sword, Thus was the
meat provided for the feast.
The banquet-hall was so large that when
a dog barked at one door no one could hear
him at the opposite side, and when a cock
crowed on the roof no one on the ground
could hear him. Louhi went in thither, to
see that all was being put in readiness, but
while she was there she said aloud as if to
herself: ‘Whence will I get the liquor for
my guests, for I know nothing of the secret
of beer-brewing ?’
An old man was sitting beside the fire,
and he answered her: ‘ Beer comes from
barley, hops, and water. The seed of the
hops were scattered loosely over the earth,
and from them arose the graceful hop-vine,
climbing over everything. The barley was
planted in the land of Kalevala, and it grew
and flourished there.
‘Then the hops, clinging to “the trees,
began to hum, and the barley and the water
in the wells to sing, saying: ‘Let us join
THE BREWING OF BEER 1I3
our forces together, that we may live united,
for that is far better than to be separated as
we now are.†So the ancient maiden Osmo-
tar took six golden grains of barley, seven
hops, and seven cups of water, and set them
in a‘caldron on the fire. There she let
them steep and boil during the warm summer
days, and at length poured off the liquor
into tubs made of birch-wood. Now she
pondered long how she should make the
liquor ferment and cause it to foam and
sparkle.
‘Then Osmotar called one of the Kalevala
maidens and bade her step into the birchen
tub. The maiden did so, and on looking
around she saw a splinter of wood lying on
the bottom. She picked it up, thinking it
was worthless, but nevertheless she took it .
to Osmotar. Osmotar rubbed her hands
upon her knees and turned the bit of wood
into a white squirrel As soon as she had
made the squirrel, she sent it off to Tapio’s
kingdom, to the great forest, and com-
manded it to bring her cones from the
magic fir-trees and young shoots from the
magic pines. And the squirrel hurried off
and travelled through the forest until it
came to Tapio’s home. There. it found
three magic pine-trees growing, and three
fir-trees beside them, and having taken the
young shoots and the cones and stowed
them in its pouch, it came back again to
I
II4 FINNISH LEGENDS
Osmotar. But when she put the cones and
pine-shoots into the beer, it still refused to
ferment.
‘So Osmotar made the Kalevala maiden
get into the birchen tub once more, and this
time the maiden found a chip upon the
bottom. When she took it to Osmotar, the
latter rubbed her hands upon her knees
again, and turned the chip into a magic
golden-breasted marten. Then she sent
the marten off to the dens of the mountain
bears, to gather the foam from their angry
lips as they fought with one another, The
marten flew away, and soon returned with
the foam that it had gathered from the
mouths of the raging bears. But when
Osmotar added it to the liquor there was no
effect, and the beer remained as still as
ever.
‘For a third time, then, the maid of Kale-
vala stepped into the tub, and this time
found a pod on the bottom. Osmotar took
the pod and rubbed it between her hands
and knees, and there flew out of it a honey-
bee. She sent the bee off to the Islands of
the Sea, telling it to go to a meadow there, -
where a maiden lay asleep, and growing by
the maiden’s side there were honey-grasses
and fragrant flowers. From these the bee
was to collect the honey and bring it back.
The bee flew off straight over the ocean,
and on the evening of the third day reached
THE BREWING OF BEER IIS
the Isles of the Sea, where it found the
maiden fast asleep amongst the flowers, clad
in a silver robe, with a girdle of copper.
By her grew the loveliest and sweetest of
flowers and grasses, and the bee loaded
itself down with their honey and returned
to Osmotar with it. This time, when the
honey was placed in the beer it began to
ferment and rise and bubble and foam until
it filled all the tubs and ran over on the
sands. .
“When the beer was ready, all the heroes
of Kalevala came to drink it, and Lemmin-
kainen drank so much that he became in-
toxicated. But Osmotar, now that she had
made the beer,-did not know how to keep
it, for it was still running out of the tubs
and over everything. While she was sitting
and grieving over this, the robin sang to her
from an aspen, and told her to put it into
strong oaken barrels bound with copper
hoops, and thus the last difficulty was over-
come.
‘Thus was beer first brewed from hops
and barley,’ continued the old man, ‘and
- the beer of Kalevala is famed to strengthen
the feeble, to cheer the sad, to make the old
young, and the timid brave. It makes the
heart joyful and puts wise sayings on the
tongue, but the fool it makes still more
foolish.’
Thus the old man ended his account of
116 FINNISH LEGENDS
the origin of beer, and Louwhi, who had
listened to him carefully, took all the tubs
she had and put hops and barley in them,
and water on top, and then lit huge fires to
heat stones, that she might drop them in
the mixture and make it boil. She made
such a great quantity of beer that the
springs were emptied and the forests grew
small, and such a vast column of smoke ©
went up as filled half of Pohjola and was
seen even in distant Karjala and Lem-
minkainen’s home. And all the people
there thought it arose from some mighty
battle between great heroes. But Lemmin-
- kainen pondered over it, and at last he
found out that it was the fires for Louhi’s
beer-making for the wedding feast, and he
grew bitterly angry, for Louhi had refused
him her daughter’s hand, and now had given
her to Ilmarinen.
But now the beer was ready and was
stored away in casks hooped with copper,
and thousands of delicate dishes were made
ready for the feast. But when all was
nearly ready the beer began to grow im-
patient in its casks, and cried out for the
guests to come that songs might be sung in
its honour. So Louhi sent first for a pike
and a salmon to sing its praises, but they
could not do it. Next she sent for a boy,
but the boy was too ignorant to sing the
praises of the beer, and all this time the
THE BREWING OF BEER 117
beer was calling out more and more loudly
from its prison. Then Louhi determined to
invite the guests at once, lest the beer should
break forth from the casks.
So she called one of her servants and
said to her: ‘Go, my trusted servant, and
call together all the Pohjola people to the
banquet. Go out into the highways too,
and bring in all the poor and blind and
cripples, the old and the young, that they
may be merry at my daughter’s wedding.
And ask all the people of Karjala and the
ancient Wainamoinen, but be sure thou
dost not invite wild Lemminkainen.’? At
this the servant asked why she was not to
ask: Lemminkainen, and Louhi answered :
‘Lemminkainen must not come, for he
loves war and strife, and would bring dis-
turbance and sorrow to our feast, and scoff
at our maidens,’
And the servant, having learned from
Louhi how she should recognise Lemmin-
kainen, set off and invited rich and poor,
old and young, the deaf, the blind, and the
cripples in all Pohjola and Karjala, but did
“not ask Lemminkainen,
_ ILMARINEN’S WEDDING FEAST
ar length the guests began to
§ arrive, and Ilmarinen came es-
corted by hundreds of his friends,
* driving a coal-black steed, and
with the same birds singing on his sledge as
when he came to woo the Rainbow-maiden,
Louhi’s fairest daughter. When he alighted
from his sledge, Louhi sent her best’ ser-
vants to take the steed and give him ‘the
very best of food in a-manger of pure gold.
But as Ilmarinen advanced to enter the
house, they found that he was too tall to
pass through the doorway without stooping,
which would have been very unlucky: so
Louhi had to have the top beam taken away
before he could enter.
Inside the dwelling was so changed that
no one would have recognised it. “ Louhi
had cast a magic spell over it, and all the
beams and door and window-sills were made
LAPP WOMAN IN HOLIDAY COSTUME.
ILMARINEN’S WEDDING FEAST 119
from bones that gleamed like ivory; the
windows were adorned with trout-scales, and
’ the fires were set in flowers ; and the seats
and tables and floors were of gold and silver
and copper, with marble hearth-stones and
silken carpets on the floors. Louhi bade
Ilmarinen welcome when he came into the
guest-hall, and calling up her servant-
maidens, she gazed at her daughter’s suitor,
The maidens bore wax tapers, and by their
light the bridegroom looked handsomer than
ever, and his eyes sparkled like the waves
of the sea.
Then Louhi bade the maidens lead
Ilmarinen to the seat of honour at the table
in the great hall, and then all the other
guests took their places, and the feast be-
gan. First of all the daintiest dishes of
every sort were served by Louhi to the
bridegroom—honey - biscuits, river - salmon,
butter, bacon, and every delicacy one can
think of—and after he was served, the ser-
vants took the dishes around to the others.
After this the foaming beer was brought in
silver pitchers, and all were served in the
same order.
All the heroes and magicians assembled
there began to grow merry, and Waina-
moinen said that some one should sing the
praises of the beer. But no one else could
be found to do it, and all pressed Waina-
moinen to sing, so at last he arose and be-
120 FINNISH LEGENDS
gan. He sang of the beer first, and then
from his great stock of wisdom he sang them
one song after the other of the days of old,
until every guest grew happy from his magic
power of song. But when Wainamoinen
had finished his singing, he added: ‘ Yet I
am but a poor singer. For if great Ukko
should sing his perfect songs of wisdom, he
would sing the oceans into honey and the
sands to berries, and the pebbles into
barley, the rivers into beer, the fruit to gold,
and the mountains into bread. Grant thy
blessing, great Ukko, upon this feast of
ours. Send joy and health and comfort
to all those here, that we may ever look
back with pleasure to Ilmarinen’s marriage
with the fair Maiden of the Rainbow.’
Thus Wainamoinen, the great singer,
ended his singing, and the time had come
for the bride and bridegroom to leave
for their distant home in Kalevala. But
first must Osmotar, the wise maiden, in-
struct the bride as to her future life. Os-
motar told her that she must henceforth be
thoughtful and not foolish, that she must
love her husband’s kinsfolks as her own.
Osmotar told her, too, never to be idle, and
then instructed her in all the many house-
hold duties of the wives of Kalevala, but at
the same time impressed it upon her how
wicked she would be if with all this she were
to forget her own parents. After this Osmotar
ILMARINEN’S WEDDING FEAST 121
turned to the bridegroom and bade him
ever love his bride and honour her, nor ever
treat her ill. ;
Thus she advised them both, and they
made ready to leave. But the Maiden
of the Rainbow wept, because she was
leaving all the joys and pleasures of her
youth, and those she loved, to go to a dis-
tant land, where all would be new and
strange, and perhaps, too, hard for her.
Yet at length all the farewells had been said,
the last goodbye was spoken, and the two
got into their sledge and the next instant
the swift black steed flew off like an arrow,
rushing on toward the land of Kalevala,
leaving far behind them the gloomy North-
land, which was yet so dear to the Rainbow-
maiden, and which she was never to see
again.
Three days they journeyed onward over
hill and valley without stopping, and the third
evening brought them in sight of Ilmarinen’s
smithy, and they could see the smoke rising
from the chimneys of their home. There
they found that they had been expected for
a long time, and there was great rejoicing
when their sledge drove up, with the birds
singing merrily on its front, and all bright
and happy.
Lakko,. Ilmarinen’s mother, received
them at the door and welcomed the
fair Rainbow-maiden most heartily, and
122 FINNISH LEGENDS
when the bridal pair had taken off their furs,
she served them with the very best of food
and drink—choicest bits of reindeer, wheaten
biscuit, honey-cakes, and fish of all sorts, and
the best of beer. And while they ate, the
others, who had been old Louhi’s guests,
_ began to arrive, and soon there was a great
feast going on, almost as great a ‘one as
there had been before at Louhi’s.
While they were all feasting, Wainamoinen
arose and began to sing again. This time
he sang the praises of the bridegroom’s
father and mother, and the bride and groom,
and ended up with praising the guests that
were assembled there. Then he and many
of the guests took their leave and journeyed
off together to their homes. Three days
they drove on together, and Wainamoinen
kept on singing all the time, until suddenly
his song was cut short, for his sledge ran
into a birch-tree and was broken into pieces.
But Wainamoinen considered the case and
then said: ‘Is there any one here who will
go to Tuonela, to the Deathland, for the
auger of Tuoni, that I may mend my sledge
with it?’ But no one would venture on so
perilous a journey, so at length Wainamoinen
went himself and obtained Tuoni’s magic
auger, and with its aid, on his return, he
put together his magic sledge again.
Then he harnessed up his steed once
more and galloped off to his home. Thus
ILMARINEN’S WEDDING FEAST 123
ended Ilmarinen’s wedding and the feasts
that followed it.
These two stories took Antero’s fancy,
and he begged that ‘Pappa Mikko would
tell about some more times when they had
good things to eat.’
But Father Mikko said: ‘People can’t
be eating all the time, Antero, and I think
the others would rather hear about what
Lemminkainen did, when he heard of the
feast and was not invited himself.’
Mimi cried ‘Yes, yes!’ and so the old
man began.
THE ORIGIN OF THE SERPENT
s===—S Lemminkainen was ploughing his
b/ Ny fields one day, he heard the
P4 noise of sledges as if a vast
number of people were on their
way past. At once he guessed the reason,
for they were the guests going to IJmarinen’s
wedding, while he alone had not been in-
vited. Then his face turned pale with
anger, and he left his ploughing and
hastened off to his house. When he arrived
there, he asked his mother to give hima
hearty meal, and after that he went to the
bath-house and after the bath put on his
finest garments, as if going to a feast.
His mother asked him where he was
going and he told her that he was bound
for the great feast that Louhi had prepared.
But his mother tried to keep him from
going, telling him that they did not want
him there, or else they would have invited ~
rd
A
EN) /5
KOEN
THE ORIGIN OF THE SERPENT 125
him, but he answered: ‘This sword with
its sharp edges constantly reminds me
that I am needed in distant Pohjola.’ His
mother spoke again, saying: ‘Do not go,
my dear son, for Death will meet thee
thrice upon the way.’ Lemminkainen
replied that he did not fear Death, but would
overcome him, but at the same time asked
his mother what the first danger would be.
‘When thou hast travelled for one day,’
she replied, ‘thou wilt come to a stream of
fire, with a fiery cataract, and in the fire-
fall a rock, and on the rock a fiery hill, and
on its top an eagle made of flames, who
devours all that approach him.’
Lemminkainen answered that he would
easily pass this danger, and asked to know
the second. His mother told him: ‘When
thou hast travelled two days, thou wilt come
to a fiery pit filled with red-hot stones, and
no one has ever been able to pass over it.’
But Lemminkainen thought but little of
this second danger, and asked his mother
to tell him what the third one was. She
replied: ‘When thou hast gone one day
farther, and hast come to Pohjola, the wolf
and the black bear will attack thee, and
many hundred men have perished in their
jaws.’ But he told her how easily he would
overcome them and then have conquered
all the dangers of the journey. Then his
mother added: ‘ There are three things still
126 FINNISH LEGENDS
to conquer. When thou reachest Louhi’s
dwelling, thou wilt find walls built of iron
rising up to the sky, and surrounded by
railings of spears on which are serpents and
all manner of venomous creatures twisting
and creeping about; and right before the
gateway lies the largest of them all, longer
than the rafters of a house. And beyond
all this, thou wilt find great hosts of armed
warriors, who have grown angry over their
beer and they will certainly kill you. And
if thou shouldst come into the courtyard,
thou wilt find it full of sharp stakes, to
hold the heads of those that go thither un-
bidden, Do not forget how thou ‘once
fared in Pohjola, that had I not saved thee
thou wouldst now be at the bottom of
Tuoni’s river’ :
Yet after she had warned him of all this,
Lemminkainen would not be persuaded to
remain at home, but put on his magic
armour of copper and took his father’s
sword, and his own strongest bow. Then
he had his steed hitched to a sledge and
went out into the courtyard to drive off.
There his mother bade him farewell and
gave him some last words of advice, telling
him that if he should come to the feast, to
drink but half of his goblet of beer, for there
were serpents in the other half, and to
behave modestly and not to try to take the
best of everything for himself.
THE ORIGIN OF THE SERPENT 127
When she had ended, Lemminkainen
jumped upon his sledge, cracked his whip,
and drove off like the wind. He had not
gone far before a flock of wild birds flew
across his road and dropped a few feathers
on the ground. Lemminkainen stopped
and picking them up put them carefully
in his leather pouch, ‘for, he thought,
‘no one knows what may happen.’ As
soon as he had picked up the feathers he
was off again, but he had not gone far
when his steed stopped in terror, for there,
right in front of them, was a broad river of
fire, and a fire-fall.with a rock in the middle,
and on the rock a fiery hill, and on the hill
a flaming eagle.
The Eagle asked him whither he was
going, and Lemminkainen replied that he
was hurrying to Louhi’s feast and begged
the Eagle to let him pass. ‘Truly thou
shalt pass,’ the Eagle answered, ‘but only
through the flames and down my throat,
But Lemminkainen was not dismayed. He
took out the feathers from his pouch and
rubbed them between his fingers, and
presently there arose a whole flock of birds
and flew straight down the eagle’s mouth so
that its hunger was satisfied, then Lemmin-
kainen was able to pass over the river by
the help of his magic, and to drive on his
way.
He drove for another day and then his
128 FINNISH LEGENDS
horse suddenly stopped again in terror, for
there was a huge pit full of fire right in
front, which stretched as far as one could
see to east and west. Yet Lemminkainen
was not discouraged, but prayed to great
Ukko, that he would send a great storm
from all the four points of the compass, and
fill the: pit with snow. And the snow came
and as it fell into the seething pit of fire it
melted and formed a lake; and Lemmin-
kainen quickly cast a spell upon this lake
so that a solid bridge of ice was formed
over it, and he drove over in perfect safety.
Thus the second danger was passed and
he drove on more swiftly than ever. After
another day’s journey, when he had come
near. to Louhi’s abode, his horse stopped
again, trembling with fear. This time there
were a fierce wolf and a great black bear in
the road. But Lemminkainen put his hand
into his leathern pouch and pulled out a
tuft of wool. This he rubbed between his
hands and breathed on it, and it changed
into a whole flock of sheep, on which the
bear and the wolf jumped and left Lemmin-
kaineén to pursue his journey in peace.
In a very short time he had reached
Louhi’s house. But there he found the ;
great wall of iron and the fence of spears
and the horrible snakes and lizards that his
mother had told him of. Yet he pulled out
his magic broad sword and cut an opening
THE ORIGIN OF THE SERPENT 129
through the wall and the fence of spears
and the mass of serpents, and passed
through to the gateway. There he found a
huge serpent with a hundred eyes, each as
large as bowls, and a thousand tongues
long as javelins, and teeth like hatchets.
Lemminkainen sang one spell, but it was
not powerful enough, and the huge monster
started to rush at him and seize him in its
awful mouth. But Lemminkainen just in
time began to sing a stronger spell.
For evil things cannot bear to have their
wicked origin told, and if therefore one
sings the source of any evil, one makes it
harmless at once, so Lemminkainen sang:
‘If thou wilt not give room for me to pass,
I will sing of thy evil origin, will tell how
thy horrid head was made. Suoyatar, thy
evil mother, once spat upon the waves of
the sea. The spittle was rocked by the
waves and warmed by the sun, until after a
long time it was washed ashore. There
the daughters of Ukko, the Creator, saw it,
and said: ‘“*What would happen if great
Ukko were to breathe the breath of life
into this writhing, senseless mass?†But
Ukko overheard them and said: “ Naught
but evil comes from evil, therefore I will not
give it life.â€
‘Now, wicked Lempo heard what Ukko
had said, and he himself breathed into it
the breath of life, and shaped it to the form
K
130 FINNISH LEGENDS
of a serpent, adding to the spittle all manner
of evil things, every poisonous plant and
thing from the Deathland. This was
thine origin, O Serpent, vilest thing of all
creation ; therefore clear the pathway that I
may enter the halls of the hostess Louhi.’
Thus sang Lemminkainen, and the
serpent uncoiled itself and crawled away,
while Ahti himself went on through the
gateway.
CW eA \\
Pea ea ad
A a v7 ANY
Ry ae bre,
i a
SU o ee ee
le
THE UNWELCOME GUEST
PF SSQHUS Lemminkainen came un-
# bidden to Louhi’s abode, but
he had arrived too late for the
" feast... He entered the house
with such a mighty tread that the floors
bent under him and the walls and ceilings
creaked as he advanced. Louhi’s husband
was seated in the guest-room, and Lemmin-
kainen said to him: ‘The same greeting to
thee that thou givest to me! Are there food
and beer here for a stranger and barley for
a hungry steed ?’
Louhi’s husband answered : ‘I have never
yet refused a place in my stables. for a
stranger’s horse, and if thou wilt act honestly
there is a place for thee between the iron
kettles.’
Lemminkainen said: ‘When my father
Lempo comes to a house as a guest, he is
well received and given the place of honour.
132 FINNISH LEGENDS
Why should I, his son, be put between the
pots and kettles to be covered with soot?’
With these words he walked up to the
table, and taking his seat he waited to be
served.
Then Louhi said to him: ‘O Lemmin-
kainen, thou wert not invited hither, and I
feel that thou bringest sorrow with thee.
All our dinner was eaten and our beer drunk
yesterday, and we have nothing left for
thee.’
This made Lemminkainen very angry,
and he replied: ‘O toothless mistress of
Pohjola, thou hast managed thy feast very
badly, for thou hast had delicacies of every
sort for the others, who gave but trifling
presents, while for me, who have sent the
most of all, thou hast nothing at all after
my long journey.’
Then Louhi called up one of her meanest
servants and bade her serve the guest.
And there came a little short woman, who
made ready a soup out of fish-bones and
fish-heads and crusts of bread and turnip-
stalks, and brought him the worst of the
servants’ beer to quench his thirst with.
Lemminkainen looked into the pitchers of
beer, and saw snakes and worms and
lizards floating about in them. This made
him furiously angry, yet he resolved to
drink the beer at any rate, and then to
punish them for their evil treatment of him.
THE UNWELCOME GUEST 133
So he drew a fish-hook out of his magic
wallet, and with it he caught all the evil
creatures in the beer and killed them with
his sword, and drank the beer.
When he had done this, he turned to the
host and upbraided him for his bad treat-
ment, and finally said that as the Pohjola
folk could not treat guests decently, perhaps
he could purchase good beer at least. At
this Louhi’s husband grew angry and
conjured up a little lake in the floor at
Lemminkainen’s feet, and bade him quench
his thirst at that. But Lemminkainen
conjured up a bull with gold and silver
horns, that drank up all the water. Then
Louhi’s husband conjured up a wolf to
_devour the bull, but Ahti called up a rabbit
to draw off the wolf’s attention. Next the
host conjured up a dog to eat the rabbit,
but Ahti drew away the dog by means of a
squirrel that he called up by his magic. At
that the host made a golden marten to catch
the squirrel, and Lemminkainen a scarlet-
coloured fox which ate the golden marten.
Next the host conjured a hen to distract the
scarlet fox, and Lemminkainen made a
hawk to tear the hen to pieces.
Then old Louhi’s husband cried: ‘We
shall never be happy here until thou art
driven out, O evil Ahti,’ and with these
words he drew his sword and challenged
Lemminkainen to combat. So Ahti drew
134 FINNISH LEGENDS
his sword also, and when the two were
measured, they found that Ahti’s was the
shorter by half an inch.
Then Lemminkainen said to his host:
‘Although thou hast the longer sword, yet
thou shalt begin the fight.’
After this they placed themselves in
position, and the host of Pohjola began.
But so powerful was Lemminkainen’s magic
that he only hit the walls and floor and
rafters, but could not touch Ahti himself,
Then Lemminkainen said sneeringly: ‘ What
harm have the walls and rafters done, that
thou shouldst cut them to pieces. But
come, let us go out into the courtyard, that
the hall may not be covered with blood.’
So they went out into the yard, and
there they spread out an ox-hide, and took
up their places on it to continue the fight.
Lemminkainen again allowed the host to
begin, and the latter struck three mighty
blows, but still could not harm Ahti. Then
the battle began in real earnest, and the
sparks flew from their swords until it seemed
as if there were a sheet of flame flowing
from Lemminkainen’s sword and down
upon the head and shoulders of his opponent.
And when he saw this, Lemminkainen said :
©O thou son of Pohjola, see how thy neck
is shining like the ocean at dawn.’
The other turned without thinking, to see
what it was, and quick as lightning Lemmin-
THE UNWELCOME GUEST 135
kainen whirled his sword round his head,
and with one blow cut off the host’s head as
easily as one cuts the top from a turnip, and
the head rolled along on the ground. In
the yard were hundreds of sharp stakes, and
on all but one there was a human head.
So Lemminkainen quickly took the host’s
head and stuck it on the empty stake, and
then went into the house and ordered Louhi
to bring him water to wash his hands, as he
had just slain her husband.
But Louhi hastened out and called in
hundreds of armed warriors to avenge her
husband’s death. And in a very short time
Lemminkainen saw that he musi either flee
or else be killed if he remained.
THE ISLE OF REFUGE
SAE MMINKAINEN hastened from
A Louhi’s house and looked around
|) ("for his sledge and steed to
g
eae escape from the Pohjola men.
But both had disappeared, and in their
place he found only a clump of willows.
As he stood there, wondering what he
should do next, the noise of armed
men running together grew louder and
louder, and he knew that they would soon
reach him. So Lemminkainen changed
himself into an eagle, and rose up into the
clouds, As he flew towards the south he
met a gray hawk flying northward, and
called to it: ‘O Gray Hawk, fly to Pohjola
and tell the warriors of the Northland that
they will never catch the Eagle, Lemmin-
kainen, ere he reaches his home in distant
Kalevala.’
Then he flew on home and taking on
THE ISLE OF REFUGE - 137
again his own form, he went to his mother’s
house. When she saw the troubled look
in his face, she guessed that some great
danger threatened him, and began to ask
him if it were this, or that, or the other
that troubled him, but to all her questions
he answered ‘no,’ At length she bade him
tell her, then, what his trouble was, and he
replied: ‘All the men of Northland are
sharpening their swords and spears to kill
thy unlucky son Ahti, for I have slain the
host of Pohjola, Louhi’s husband, in a
quarrel, and the men of Northland will soon
come hither to avenge it.’
His mother then reminded him how she
had warned him of the journey and its
troubles, and asked him where he was
going to take refuge. Lemminkainen
replied that he did not know, and asked
his mother to help him, and she answered :
‘If I should turn thee into a tree, thou might
be cut down for firewood. Or if into a
berry, the maidens might pluck thee. Or
if to a fish, thou would never have a happy
life. But if thou wilt swear to me not to go
to war again for sixty years, then I will tell
thee of a distant isle, far off across the
ocean, where thou mayst rest in safety.’
So Lemminkainen gave his promise, on
his honour, not to fight for sixty years, and
then his mother told him how to find the
isle of refuge. He must sail across nine
138 FINNISH LEGENDS
seas and in the middle of the tenth he
would come to the island, where his father
had once taken refuge long before. There
he must-stay until the third year was come,
and then he might return to his home.
Lemminkainen took enough provisions in
his boat for a long journey, and then bidding
farewell to his mother and his home he
sailed away. When he had raised the linen
sails, he called up a fair wind to drive him
onward, and for three months he sailed on
without a moment’s rest, until at length he
reached the magic Isle of Refuge.
First, he asked the people of the island
if there was room there for his boat, and on
receiving their consent he drew it up out of
the water. Next he asked them if he might
take refuge and conceal himself there, and
they granted this too; but when he asked
for a little ground to cultivate, and a place
in the forest to cut down the trees, they told
him that the whole island had long ago been
divided up amongst them, and that he must
live in one of their houses if he wished to
stay on the island.
But Lemminkainen was not satisfied with
this, and told them that he only wished to
be allowed to go into the forest and sing
some few magic songs there, and this they
willingly allowed him to do. So he went
into the forest and began to sing the most
wondrous spells, making oak-trees to grow
THE ISLE OF REFUGE 139
up around him, and on each branch an acorn,
and on each acorn sat a cuckoo. Then the
cuckoos began to sing, and gold fell from
every beak, and silver from their wings, and
copper from their feathers, until the isle was
abundantly supplied with precious metals.
Then Lemminkainen sang again, and turned
the sand to gems and the pebbles into pearls,
and he covered the whole island with flowers,
and made little lakes with gold and silver
ducks swimming in them, until every one
was delighted, and the maidens most of all.
Then Ahti said: ‘If I were in a fine castle
I would conjure up the most wonderful feasts
and sing the grandest songs you have ever
heard.’ No sooner had he said this than
they led him to their finest castle, and there
he conjured up a splendid feast, with knives
and forks and all the dishes made of gold
and silver. From this time on Ahti was
treated as an honoured guest, and spent his
time most delightfully. In every village on
the island were seven castles, and in each
castle were seven daughters, and all of these
made Lemminkainen welcome as he went
from one to another according to his fancy.
Thus he spent the whole of his years of
exile; but there was one maid, old and
ugly, and living in a remote viliage, whom
he neglected.
At length the time of his return was come,
and he made up his mind to leave, But
140 FINNISH LEGENDS
just as he had decided to go, the maid whom
he had neglected came to him and bade
him beware, for she was going to take
revenge for his slighting her; but Lemmin-
kainen scarcely heard her, for he was so
busy thinking about his journey home. But
the maiden went around to all the men of
the island, and told them evil stories about
Lemminkainen, and then she went and
burned his boat.
The next morning Lemminkainen started
off to bid his friends the maidens farewell,
but he had not gone far before he saw the
men getting their weapons ready to come
and attack him, and he saw that he must
fly immediately if he wished to escape alive.
So he hastened down to his boat, but when
he reached it there were only the ashes left.
At first he did not know what to do, but he
spied seven broken pieces of planks and a
few fragments from a broken distaff, and
taking these he began to sing some mystic
spells over them, No sooner had he finished
his incantations than a magic boat stood
ready before him, and he got into it and
sailed away. But before he was far from
the shore all the maidens came down to the.
beach and began to weep and beg him to
come back and dwell with them for ever.
But Lemminkainen answered them that he
felt a great longing to see his home once
more and his mother, yet that he was truly
THE ISLE OF REFUGE I4I
sorrowful to leave them, but it must be so.
And so he sailed on until the isle was out of
sight.
The boat sailed on and on for two days
and nights, but on the third day came a
mighty storm-wind, and tossed the vessel
about until it broke all in pieces, and left
Lemminkainen struggling in the waters. He
swam for long days and nights, struggling
with the waves, until at length he reached
a rocky point projecting out into the ocean.
' There he landed and soon found his way-to
a castle that was built upon the rocks. He
told the mistress of the castle how he had
been in the water for days and days, and
was almost perishing from hunger, and she,
being a kind-hearted woman, gave him a
splendid feast of bread and butter, veal and
bacon, and fish and honey-cakes, and when
he had eaten that and rested, she gave him
a new boat, loaded with provisions, in which
to finish his journey. -
So off he sailed again, and after many
weary days of sailing he at length reached
his beloved island-home. But when he
landed and went up to where the house
had stood, there was not a sign of anything
left. The whole place was all overgrown
with trees and bushes.
Then Lemminkainen sat down and began
to weep; but it was not for the loss of his
home and all his riches that he wept but
142 FINNISH LEGENDS
for his beloved mother. As he sat there he
caught sight of an eagle flying in the air
above, and Ahti asked him if he knew what
had happened to his mother. But the eagle
could only tell him that his people had
all perished long go. Next he asked the
raven, and the raven told him that his
people had been killed by his enemies from
Pohjola.
On hearing this Lemminkainen began
again to mourn her loss, and to look about
for some dear relic that he might keep in
remembrance of her. But as he looked he
suddenly came on a faint pathway leading
away from the house, and on it he saw the
prints of light feet. He began to follow it
eagerly, over hill and valley until he reached
the gloomy forest. There it led him to a
. hidden glade, right in the middle of the
island, and there he found a humble
cabin, and his gray-haired mother weeping
in it.
Ahti cried aloud for joy at the sight of
her, and then he told her how he had
mourned. her as dead. She asked him in
return how he had spent those years on the
Isle of Refuge, and he told her all; how
charming the life there was, and how he
had enjoyed himself there, but that at the
end all the men of the isle had come to hate
him, because the maidens admired him so
much, and how through their jealousy and
THE ISLE OF REFUGE 143
the hatred of the one maid whom he had
neglected, he had nearly lost his life. And
when he had ended his story they both gave
thanks to great Ukko that they had found
each other again.
19@ el
WES
Via SS
omy
B
THE FROST-FIEND
JHEN the next day began to dawn,
Lemminkainen went to the beach,
that was hidden behind a project-
ing point, where his vessels lay.
He found them still there, but as he ap-
proached he heard the rigging wailing in the
wind, and saying: ‘Must we lie here for
ever and rot, since Ahti has sworn not to
go to war for sixty long years ?’
Then Lemminkainen cried out to his
vessels: ‘Mourn no more, my good war-
ships, for soon ye shall be filled with warriors
and hastening to the battle’ When he had
uttered these words he hurried back to his
mother and bade her sorrow no longer over
the insult that the Pohjola warriors had
offered to her, for he was going now to
make war on them in order to punish them
for it,
His mother, when she heard his intention,
THE FROST-FIEND 148
besought him earnestly not to go to war and
break his oath to her, for some great mis-
fortune would surely come upon him, But
he paid no heed to her, and went to seek his
friend Kura to accompany him on his ex-
pedition. When he came to the isle on
which Kura lived, he went up to the house
and said: ‘O my dear friend Kura, dost
thou not remember the time when we fought
together long ago against the men of dismal
Northland ?) Come with me now and be
my companion in another war against them.’
Now Kura’s father was sitting by the win-
dow, whittling out a javelin, and his mother
was near the door skimming milk, and his
brother and sisters. were also working near
by. And all of them cried out that Kura
could not go to war, for he was but lately
married, and they bade Lemminkainen leave
him. f
But Kura himself jumped up from where
he was lying before the fire, and began to
put on his armour in great haste. On his
helmet were wolves of bronze, and a horse
on each javelin. Then Kura took his mighty
spear, and going forth into the court he
hurled it towards the north; and it flew on
and on, whistling through the air, until at
length it fell upon the earth of the distant
Northland. And after this Kura touched
his javelin against Lemminkainen’s spear
and promised to be his faithful comrade in
L
146 FINNISH LEGENDS
the expedition. So the two great warriors
made all needful preparation and set forth
to sail to dismal Pohjola.
But Louhi knew by magic art that they
were coming, and she called the Black-frost
to her, and gave him these commands:
‘Hasten forth, O Black-frost, and freeze all
the wide sea. Freeze Lemminkainen’s vessel
fast in the ice, and freeze the magician him-
self in his vessel, so that he may never more
awaken from his icy sleep until I myself
may choose to free him.’
So the Black-frost hastened off to do her
bidding. And first he stripped the leaves
off the trees and took all the colour from
the flowers on his way to the sea-shore.
When he reached the shore, the first night
he froze all the rivers that empty into the
sea and the waters along the shore, but he
did not touch the open sea that night. But
on the second night he froze all the sea, and
the ice kept growing thicker and thicker all
around Lemminkainen’s vessel, until at last
the Black-frost even began to freeze Lem-
minkainen’s hands and feet and ears.
But when Lemminkainen felt this he began
to sing an incantation against the Black-
frost, saying: ‘ Black-frost, evil child of the
Northland and only son of Winter, thou
mayst freeze the trees and waters and the
very stones,—but let me be in peace. Freeze
the iron mountains till they burst in sunder ;
THE FROST-FIEND 147
freeze Wuoksi and Imatra, but do not try to
harm me, for I will sing thine origin and
make thee powerless. For thou wert born .
on the borders of the ever-dismal Northland,
and wert fed by crawling snakes. The
Northwind rocked thee to sleep in the
marshes, and thus thou grew, a thing of
evil, and at last the name of Frost was
given thee. And as thou became larger,
thou didst learn to rend the trees in winter
and to cover all the lakes with ice. But if
thou wilt not leave me now, I will cast thee
into Lempo’s fiery hearth, and will lay thee
on the anvil, that Ilmarinen may pound thee
to pieces with his mighty hammer.’
Now the Frost-fiend knew how great a
magician Lemminkainen was, and therefore
he agreed that he would leave the two
warriors unharmed, but keep their ship
frozen up as it was. And so Ahti and
‘Kura had to leave their vessel and journey
over the ice toland. At length they reached
the country called Starvation-land, and there
they found a house, but there was no food
in it. So they went on still farther, over
hill and valley, and as they went, Lemmin-
kainen gathered soft moss from the tree-
trunks and made stockings of it to keep
their feet warm.
On and on they went, seeking for some
pathway to guide them, but all was one
snow-covered wilderness, Then Kura said:
148 FINNISH LEGENDS
‘Alas, O Ahti; we came hither to take ven-
geance on the men of Pohjola, but I fear
that we shall leave our own bones here, and
our flesh be food for eagles and ravens. We
shall never learn the pathway that can guide
us to our homes. My poor mother will
never know what has become of me—
whether I have perished in the heat of
battle, or on some lonely hill, or in some
dismal forest. She can only mourn me as
one dead, and sit and weep bitter tears.’
Then Lemminkainen said: ‘My aged
mother, think of our former happy days,
when all went well and all was joy and
happiness. But now sorrow and misfortune
are come upon me, yet shall we not despair ;
for we are young and strong, and will give
way neither to hunger nor to evil sorcerers,
but will use the prayer my father used to
pray, saying: “Guard us, O thou great
Creator ; shield us in thine arms, and give us
of thy wisdom. Be our guardian and our
Father, that thy children may not wander
from the path which thou hast given them.�
Then when Lemminkainen had finished
speaking, he took his cares and made fleet
coursers of them, and the reins he made of
days of evil, and from his pains he made
the saddles. Then he and Kura galloped
off each to his own home, and thus Lem-
minkainen was once more returned to his
aged mother’s arms. Now let us leave him
THE FROST-FIEND 149
there, and Kura with his bride and kinsfolk,
and speak hereafter of other heroes.
Thus Father Mikko ended, adding: ‘And
I think we must stop now for the night, for
it is getting late’ Then they had supper,
and it was not long before all of them had
gone to bed and were sound asleep.
Early the next morning they were all
awakened by a dull thud and a smothered
shout. Erik and Father Mikko jumped up
and lit a lantern, and then hurried to the
door, which stood open. They had dug a
passage-way out through the snow the day
before, and they saw that the walls of snow
had just caved in, and sticking out of the
middle of the heap was a pair of small legs
waving about wildly in the air.
The next minute they had pulled out the
owner of the legs, and little Antero stood
before them, looking very much frightened
and very foolish too, Hehad his snow-shoes
and some meat with him, and managed to
explain, between his sobs, that he had in-
tended to go and hunt for reindeer in Lap-
land, the way Lemminkainen did in the
story, but his snow-shoe had caught in the
wall and disaster had overtaken him. The
would-be hero was promptly taken in charge
by Mother Stina, and soon all was quiet
again.
150 FINNISH LEGENDS
When they went out the next morning,
they found that the snow had long since
stopped, but the wind was blowing so hard
and it was so bitterly cold, that Father
Mikko was easily persuaded to stay another
day.
After dinner they settled down exactly as
the day before, Mimi in ‘ Pappa’ Mikko’s lap
again, and in a few minutes he began to tell
them some more of his wonderful stories.
I will tell you about some one you have
not heard of yet,’ Father Mikko said ; ‘about
Kullervo, though I am sure you will none
of you like Kullervo himself—but yet the
story itself may be interesting.’ So he
began.
MIMI IN HOLIDAY DRESS.
KULLERVO’S BIRTH
ANY ages ago there was a mother
} who had three sons, and one of
them grew up to be a prosperous
merchant, but the other two
were carried off—one to distant Pohjola and
one to Karjala. And the one in Pohjola
was named Untamo, but the one in Karjala
was called Kalerwoinen.
One day Untamo set his nets near Kaler-
woinen’s home to catch salmon, but in the
evening Kalerwoinen came by and took all
the fish out of the nets and carried them off
home. When Untamo found it out he went
to his brother, and soon they fell to blows ;
but neither could conquer the other, though
they gave one another sound beatings.
After this had happened, Kalerwoinen
sowed some barley near Untamo’s barns;
and Untamo’s sheep broke into the field
and ate the barley, and then Kalerwoinen’s
152 FINNISH LEGENDS
dog killed the sheep. This made Untamo
so angry that he collected a great army and
marched against his brother to put him and
all his tribe to death. And when they
reached Kalerwoinen’s home they burned
all the houses and killed every one except
Kalerwoinen’s daughter Untamala.
Now not long after this a child was born
to Untamala, and she named him Kullervo.
Then they laid the fatherless infant in the
cradle and began to rock him, but he began
at once to make the cradle rock without
assistance, and he rocked for three whole
days, so hard that his hair stood quite on
end. On the third day he began to kick
until he had burst his swaddling clothes, and
then he crept out of the cradle and broke
that also in pieces. When Kullervo was
only three months old he began to speak,
and the first words which he uttered were
these: ‘When I have grown big and strong
I will avenge the murder of my grandfather
Kalerwoinen and his people.’
At this Untamo was greatly alarmed, and
took counsel with his people as to what
should be done with the child. At length
they hit upon a plan. They took the child
and bound him firmly in a willow basket
and then put him in the lake among the
bulrushes. After three days had passed
they went to see if he were dead, but he had
broken loose from the basket and was sitting
KULLERVO’S BIRTH 153
on the waves, fishing with a copper rod and
a golden line; so they took him back again
to the house. Next Untamo ordered a
great heap of dried brushwood to be col-
lected together, and a pile was made higher
than the tree-tops; on the top of this they
set the boy and then set fire to the pile, It
burned three whole days, and then Untamo
_ sent men to see if the child was dead; but
they found him sitting in the middle of the
fire raking the coals together with a copper
rod, and not a hair of his head was even
singed,
Then they took him home and considered
again how they should kill him, and this
time they took him and crucified him on an
oak-tree. And on the third day they came
and found that he had painted an armed
warrior on every leaf, made fast though he
was to the tree, and so they took him down
and brought him home again. This time
they saw that they could not harm him, so
Untamo told him that he would take him as
a servant, and that if he did well he should
be paid well.
When Kullervo had grown a little, he
was set to take care of a baby, and was
given very careful instructions as to how to
rock it and attend to all its wants; but the
cruel Kullervo-treated it harshly, and in the
evening killed it and burned the cradle in
the fire. So Untamo was afraid to give
154 FINNISH LEGENDS
him any further employment . about the
house, but bade him go out and cut down
the forest on the mountain side. Then
Kullervo went to the smith and bade him
make a huge axe of copper, and when it was
ready he spent one day in sharpening it and
another in making the handle, and then
hastened off to the forest. There he chose
the biggest tree on all the mountain side
and felled it at one blow. Six more huge
trees were cut down just as easily, but then
Kullervo grew disgusted with the work, and
pronounced a curse over the whole moun-
tain, and stopped working.
So when Untamo came in the evening to
see how he was getting on, and found only
seven trees felled, he saw that he must set
Kullervo to some other task. The next
day, therefore, he took him into a field and
bade him build a fence round it. As
soon as Untamo was gone, Kullervo set to
work, using whole trees and raising the
fence higher than the clouds ; and when he
had finished there was no gate to enter by,
and the fence was so high that no one could
climb over it. When Untamo came and
saw what he had done, and that no one
could now get into the field, he told Kullervo
that he was unfitted for such work, and
must go and thresh the rye and barley.
Then Kullervo made a flail and set to
work. And he threshed so hard that all
KULLERVO’S BIRTH 15S
the grain was beaten to powder and the
straw was broken up into useless pieces.
But when Untamo saw this, he grew very
angry, and cried out that Kullervo was a
wretched workman who spoiled whatever he
touched, and the next day he took him off and
sold him tothe blacksmith Ilmarinen in dis-
tant Karjala. And the price Ilmarinen paid
was three old worn-out kettles, seven worth-
less sickles, and three old scythes and hoes
and axes, surely quite enough for such a
fellow as Kullervo.
KULLERVO AND ILMARINEN’S
WIFE
<>=3S soon as the purchase was com-
iS pleted, Kullervo asked Ilmarinen
and his wife to give him some
; + work for the next day. So they
decided to make him a shepherd. But the
wife, once the Rainbow-maiden, did not like
the new servant, so she baked him a cheat-
loaf—a very thick loaf, half of barley, halt
of oatmeal, and with a great flint-stone in
the centre, and around the flint-stone was
melted butter. Then’ she gave it to Kul-
lervo and told him not to eat it until he was
out on the pasture-ground.
The next morning Ilmarinen’s wife showed
Kullervo the cattle, and bade him take them
to the open glades among the forests, where
they would find food in abundance. Then
she addressed a prayer to Ukko that he
would guard the flock in case the shepherd
KULLERVO AND ILMARINEN’S WIFE 157
should neglect them. And she sought the
aid too of all the goddesses of the forest and
the daughters of summer and the spirits of
the fountains and the brooks, to care for her
cattle and watch over them. And she also
sang a spell to keep away the bear from
coming and devouring them, And when all
these prayers and spells were ended she sent
Kullervo off with the herds.
Kullervo drove them off to their pastures
in the woods, carrying his lunch in a basket
onhisarm. And as he walked he sang of his
hard lot as a slave, and how he was given
only the scraps and crusts to eat, while his
master and mistress fed on honey-cakes and
wheaten biscuit. At length the time came
for him to eat his luncheon, and he sat
down and drew the cheat-loaf from the
basket. But instead of eating it at once he
turned it carefully over and over in his hands,
and thought : ‘ Many loaves are fine to look
at on the outside, but are nothing but chaff
inside,’ and he drew out his knife to try the
loaf.
This knife was the one thing that his
mother had kept of all her father’s posses-
sions, and Kullervo looked upon it as some-
thing sacred. Now as he plunged it into
the cheat-loaf it hit right upon the hard flint
in the centre and broke in several pieces.
Then Kullervo sat down and began to weep
over his loss, and to ponder how he should
158 FINNISH LEGENDS
revenge it. But a raven was sitting in a
tree near by and overhead him talking to
himself, and the raven said: ‘Why art thou
so distressed, Kullervo?: Drive the herd
away, one half to the wolves’ and the other
half to the bears’ dens, so that they may all
be devoured. And then when it is time to
return home call together the wolves and
bears and make them look like cattle, by
thy magic art, and drive them home for thy
mistress to milk. Thus thou wilt repay this
insultâ€
At these words Kullervo jumped up and
did as the raven had said. And when the
sun was setting in the west, Kullervo
hastened homeward, driving bears and
wolves before him, but by a magic spell he
made them look like cattle. And as he
went, he said to them: ‘Seize my hateful
mistress when she comes to milk the cattle,
and tear and rend her in pieces.’ And he
took a cow-horn and made a bugle of it and
blew till the hills rang, to announce his
return.
When he reached the cow-yard, I]mari-
nen’s wife greeted him joyfully, for it was
late and she had feared that something had
happened. And she told her oldest maid-
servant to go and milk the cows as she her-
self was busy. But Kullervo said: ‘ Thou
shouldst go thyself, for the cows are in
better condition to-night than they have
KULLERVO AND ILMARINEN’S WIFE 159
ever been before.’ And so she went, and
when she saw them she cried out in wonder:
‘Truly my cattle are beautiful to-night, for
their hair glistens like the fur of lynxes, and
is soft as ermine skin’
With these words she seated herself to
begin milking, but all at once the wolves
and bears appeared in their true shapes and
began to tear her to pieces. Then she
cried out to Kullervo, when she saw what he
had done, but he answered: ‘If I have
done evil thou hast done still greater evil,
for thou hast baked a stone inside my bread,
and I have broken on it my knife, the only
relic of my mother’s people’
Then Ilmarinen’s wife began to beg him
to aid her, and promised him the best of
everything to eat, and that he should never
- have to work again. But Kullervo would
not listen to her prayers, but rejoiced at her
agony, and then the wolves and bears made
one more onset, and she fell and died.
Such was the end of the beauteous Rainbow-
maiden, for whom so many had wooed, and
who had become the pride and joy of
Kalevala,
KULLERVO’S LIFE AND DEATH
Ilmarinen should come home and
find out what had happened. And
- “ after he was at a safe distance he
began to play upon the bugle he had made,
until Ilmarinen ran out of his smithy to see
who it could be, and there before him in the
courtyard Ilmarinen saw the body of his wife
and learned what had happened: and he sat
down and wept bitterly, for all the joy of his
life was now gone from him.
But Kullervo hastened on, and as he went
he mourned his hard lot. When he had
gone a little way he met an old witch on the
road, and she asked him whither he was
going. ‘I shall journey to the dismal North-
land,’ answered Kullervo, ‘there to slay the
wicked Untamo, who has killed all my kins-.
folk†Then the witch said: ‘Thou art
wrong, for thy father and thy sisters escaped
KULLERVO’S LIFE AND DEATH 161
from Untamo’s wrath, and now thy mother
has joined them and they are living happily
together on the distant borders of Kalevala.’
And when Kullervo begged her to tell him
the way to them she did so, and he hastened
off to find them.
At length he reached his parents’ abode,
but at first they did not recognise him, But
when he spoke to his mother she knew him
at once, and embraced him and kissed him,
and made him welcome in his new home,
And then they related to one another all
that had happened in the years they had
been apart, and his mother ended by saying :
‘Praised be Ukko that thou hast come back
to us; but there is yet one absent one—thy
eldest sister strayed away many years ago,
hunting berries on the hills, and we have
never seen or heard of her since.’
’ So Kullervo settled down to live with his
parents, and began to work with the others.
The first day they all went out to fish for
salmon, and Kullervo was put at the oars to
row their boat. Then he asked whether he
should row with all his strength, or only a
little part of it, and they told him that he
could not pull too hard. So he put forth
all his giant’s strength, and in a minute the
boat was all broken to pieces. 5
His father said: ‘I see that thou art too
clumsy to row; perhaps thou wilt do better
to drive the salmon into the nets,’ And
M
162 FINNISH LEGENDS
Kullervo asked again whether he should use
all his strength, and he received the same
answer as before. So he set to work beat-
ing the water to scare the fish into the net ;
but he beat so hard that he mixed all the
mud on the bottom with the water, and
pounded the salmon all to pulp and destroyed
all the nets.
Then his father saw that he was not fit
for such work, so he sent him off to pay the
yearly taxes. Kullervo did so, and after he
had paid them he started off in his sledge
to drive home again. He had not driven
far when he met a lovely maiden, whom he
asked to get into his sledge and come with
him to his home and marry him. But she
made fun of him, and he drove off in anger,
When he had driven still farther he met
another maiden, still more lovely than the
first, and this one he at length persuaded
to get into his sledge and come home with
him and marry him. But when they had
driven along for two days towards his home,
the maiden asked him about his kinsfolk,
and he told her that he was Kalervo’s
son.
No sooner had the maiden heard this
than she gave a great cry of anguish and
cried out: ‘Alas, then, thou art my brother !
“For I am Kalervo’s daughter, who wan-
dered off one day to pick berries and never
returned,’ and with these words she jumped
KULLERVO’S LIFE AND DEATH 163
from the sledge and hastened weeping to a
river near by. There she plunged beneath
the icy waters and was never seen again
alive, but her lifeless body floated down to
the black river of Tuoni.
But Kullervo unharnessed his steed from
the sledge and galloped off home and there
related to his mother all that had occurred,
and how he had unknowingly been the
cause of his sister’s death, and when he
had finished his story, he added: ‘Woe is
me that I did not die long ago. But now
I must hasten off to gloomy Pohjola, there
to slay the wicked Untamo, and myself be
also slain.’ Having said this he also made
ready his armour and ground his broad-
sword until it was as sharp as a razor. But
before he went, he asked his father and
brother and sister and mother if they
would grieve when they heard of his death.
And all but his mother told him that they
would never sorrow over the death of such
an evil fellow. But his mother alone said
that, in spite of all the evil he had done,
her mother’s love was still strong and that
she would weep over him for years to
come.
- Thereupon Kullervo went forth on his
journey to the icy Northland, but before he
had gone far a messenger came and told
him that his father was dead and asked
Kullervo to come back and help bury him,
164 FINNISH LEGENDS
but he would not come. And a little later
he was told of the death of his brother and
then of his sister, and last of all of his
mother. Still he refused to come to bury
any of them, only, when the news of his
mother’s death reached him, he mourned
that he had not been with her in her last
moments, and bade the servants bury her
with every possible honour and respect.
Now as he neared the home of Untamo’s
tribe, he prayed to Ukko to endow his
sword with magic powers, so that Untamo
and all his people might be surely slain.
And Ukko did as he had asked, and with
the magic sword Kullervo slew, single-
handed, all Untamo’s people, and burned
all their villages to ashes, leaving behind
him only dead bodies and smoking ruins.
Then he hastened home, and found that it
was only too true that all his family had died
while he was away ; and he went out to his
mother’s grave and wept over it. But as
he wept, his mother spoke to him from the
grave and bade him let their old dog lead
him into the forest to the home of the
wood-nymphs, who would care for him. So
Kullervo set off, led by the faithful dog.
But on the way they came to the grassy
mound where Kullervo had met his long-lost
sister, and there he found that even the
grass and the flowers and the trees were
weeping. Suddenly overcome with sorrow,
KULLERVO’S LIFE AND DEATH 165
he drew forth his magic sword from out its
scabbard, and, bidding a last farewell to all
the world, he thrust the handle firmly into
the earth and threw himself upon the
sword-point, so that it pierced his heart.
Thus ended the evil life of Kullervo,
They were all silent for a moment when
the sad story of Kullervo’s life and death
was ended, and then Mimi said: ‘I wish
you'd tell us about nice men like Ilmarinen
and Wainamoinen, Pappa Mikko ; Kullervo
was real hateful.’
‘Well, then, I will tell you of what
Ilmarinen did when he had lost his wife,
the Rainbow-maiden,’—and the old man
began.
ILMARINEN’S BRIDE OF GOLD
mam LER Ilmarinen’s wife had been
F MN so cruelly slain, he wept for
three whole days and nights
without ceasing. And after that
for three months he did not go into his
smithy nor even so much as lift his hammer
from the ground. And as he mourned he
cried: ‘Woe is me, for all is weariness and
sorrow now that my dear wife is slain, and
there is no more rest for me in my home.’
But after the three months of mourning
were past, Ilmarinen went out and dug up
a great quantity of gold and silver and cut
down thirty sledge-loads of birch - trees,
which he burnt to charcoal. Then he put
the charcoal in the bottom of his furnace
and laid a large piece of gold and a still
larger piece of silver on top, and closing the
furnace, he started the fire and set the
workmen to blowing the bellows; but the
ILMARINEN’S BRIDE OF GOLD 167
men were lazy and let the fire go out. So
Ilmarinen drove them all away and began
to blow the fire by magic spells alone.
Three days he worked the bellows by his
magic spells, and on the evening of the
third day he looked inside the furnace,
hoping to see an image rising from the
melted gold and silver. And there came
forth a lovely lamb all gold and silver, and
every one admired its beauty save Ilmarinen,
who said: ‘Get back into the furnace, for I
only desire a beauteous bride, born of the
melted gold and silver,
So he threw the lamb back into the
furnace and added still more gold and
silver and other magic metals, and then
set his workmen to blow the bellows again.
But they proved lazy this time too, and he
had once more to use his magic spells to
blow the fire. Again he looked into the
furnace, on the evening of the third day,
and this time there arose a colt of gold and
silver and with hoofs of shining ‘copper.
Every one admired the beautiful colt save
Ilmarinen, who threw it back into the furnace.
Once more he added gold and silver and
set the workmen to blow the bellows, but
they neglected their work this time too.
Then he blew the fire by magic, and cast
other magic spells over the furnace, so that
the gold and silver should grow into a lovely
maiden. When he looked into the furnace
168 FINNISH LEGENDS
on the evening of the third day, he saw at
last the figure of a maiden rising from the
flames, but it had neither feet nor hands
nor ears. So Ilmarinen took her from the fire
and forged unceasingly until feet and hands
and ears were all completed, and the
maiden was now the most beautiful that
any one had ever seen, but yet she could
not walk, nor talk, nor see, nor hear.
But Ilmarinen carried the golden maiden
out of the smithy and took her to the bath-
room where he washed the golden and
silver image and then took it and laid it in
his couch, in his wife’s place. That night
he heaped up bear-skins and rugs of all
kinds on top of the bed, hoping that the
image would come to life from the warmth,
but it was all in vain, and Ilmarinen was
almost frozen himself when he rose next
morning. Then he said to himself: ‘ Surely
this lovely maiden was not meant to be my
bride. I will take her to Wainamoinen,
and perhaps she may come to life for him.’
So off he went and offered the beautiful
image to Wainamoinen, telling him that he
had brought a lovely maiden to be Waina-
moinen’s bride now in his old age. But
Wainamoinen, after praising the image’s
beauty, said: ‘My dear brother Ilmarinen,
it is better to throw this image back into
thy furnace, and to forge from the melted
metal a thousand useful trinkets, For I will
ILMARINEN’S BRIDE OF GOLD 169
never wed an image made of gold and
silver.’ :
And then Wainamoinen turned to those
of his people who were standing near by,
and said to them: ‘Never bow to any
image made of gold or silver, for they
cannot see, nor hear, nor speak, and they
will only bring you sorrow.â€
JO Ilmarinen cast the maid of gold
into a corner of his smithy and
harnessed up his sledge and
Tea drove off to the dismal North-
land, to ask Louhi to give him another of
her daughters in marriage. Three days he
journeyed, and on the evening of the third
he reached old Louhi’s home.
Louhi asked him how her daughter, the
Rainbow-maiden, fared, and Ilmarinen, with
hanging head and sorrowful face, told how
his poor wife had perished, and ended up
his story by asking Louhi to give him her
next fairest daughter to be his wife. But
Louhi grew angry and upbraided him with
not having guarded her other daughter, and
thus being guilty of her death, and she
scornfully refused to give him another of her
daughters.
But Ilmarinen went into the house in
ILMARINEN’S FRUITLESS WOOING 171
great anger and there addressed Louhi’s
next fairest daughter, begging her to come
to his home with him and become his wife.
The maid replied: ‘I will never marry the
man who has been the cause of my dear
sister’s death. And even if I were to marry
I would wish a nobler suitor than a mere
blacksmith.’ Then Ilmarinen grew pale
with anger, and seizing the maiden in his
mighty arms he rushed off to his sledge and
drove off like the wind before any one could
stop him.
The poor maid wept and begged Ilmarinen
to release her and to let her die by the
roadside, rather than to take her thus to
his home. ‘If thou wilt not release me,’
she said, ‘I will change into a salmon and
escape thee.’ But Ilmarinen told her that
he would pursue her in the shape of a pike.
Then the maiden said, first, that she would
become an ermine, but Ilmarinen told her
he would turn into a snake and catch her;
and then she said that she would become a
swallow, but Ilmarinen threatened to become
an eagle.
So they drove on and on, and the maiden
wept the whole time, and begged Ilmarinen
to let her go, even if it were only to die in
the snow, but he refused and grew more
and more angry at her obstinacy. At
length they reached Ilmarinen’s home and
he took the maiden into the house. But
172 FINNISH LEGENDS
here, seeing there was no hope of escape,
she determined to make him so angry that
he would kill her and thus she would be
freed from him. So she began to make
fun of him and to scorn him and laugh at
him, until at length Imarinen was in such a
rage that he scarcely knew what he was
doing, and drew his sword to kill her.
But the sword refused to do this cruel
deed, saying: ‘I was born to drink the
blood of warriors, but not of such a pure
and lovely maid as this.’ So Ilmarinen,
being unable to kill her, began to weave a
magic spell about her, and in a few minutes
she changed all of a sudden into a sea-gull,
and flew off screaming towards the sea-
cliffs.
And when he had done this, Ilmarinen
went out and got into his sledge and drove
off to his brother Wainamoinen. When he
arrived, Wainamoinen asked him why he
was so sad, and whether all was well in
Pohjola. To this IImarinen replied : ‘Why
should not all be well in Pohjola? They
have the Sampo there, and until it leave
them they will always prosper.’ And then
Wainamoinen asked him of the maiden
whom he had gone to woo. ‘I have turned
that hateful maid into a seagull,’ Ilmarinen
answered, frowning, ‘and now she flies
shrieking above the rolling waves, and will
never have another suitor.’
WAINAMOINEN’S EXPEDITION
AND THE BIRTH OF THE
KANTELE (HARP)
Cay AINAMOINEN reflected on what
Ilmarinen had said of the pros-
perity of the Northland, and at
length proposed that they should
go and capture the Sampo and bring it back
to Kalevala. But Ilmarinen said: ‘It will
be hard to carry off the Sampo, for Louhi
has fastened it with nine great locks, and
around it grow three roots, beneath the
mountain and the waters and the sands.’
Still Wainamoinen persuaded him to go,
and Ilmarinen went to his smithy and began
to forge a sword for Wainamoinen. And
when it was finished, it was so strong, by
the power of the magic spells that had been’
used in making it, that it would cut through
the hardest flint stones.
Then the two heroes put on their armour
174 FINNISH LEGENDS
and made their sledges ready, and drove off
along the seashore northward. But they
had not gone far before they heard a voice
lamenting. They drove up to the spot
whence the voice seemed to come, and there
they found a ship lying deserted on the
sands.
Wainamoinen asked the ship what it was
lamenting over, and the ship replied: ‘ Alas,
I weep because I am obliged to remain here
idle ; for I was built to be a warship, and I
long to sail filled with warriors against the
foe, but I am left here to lie alone and rot
to pieces.’ Then Wainamoinen said : ‘ Thou
shalt lie here no longer, but we will sail in
thee against the men of Pohjola. But tell
me whether thou art a magic ship that can
sail without wind, or oarsmen, or pilot.’
‘Nay,’ the ship replied, ‘I cannot sail if the
wind or oars do not help me on and some
one guide me with the rudder. But give
me these to help me, and I can sail faster
than any other ship in the world.’
Then they left their sledges and launched
the ship and stepped aboard. And Waina-
moinen began to sing his wondrous spells,
and in an instant one side of the vessel was
filled with bearded warriors, and the-other
with lovely maids, and in the middle came
powerful gray-bearded heroes, First he set
the young men at the oars, but however
hard they strove they could not budge the
WAINAMOINEN’S EXPEDITION 175
ship. And next the maidens tried, but they
too failed. Last of all the mighty gray-
bearded heroes took the oars, but yet the
vessel did not move. Then IImarinen him-
self grasped the oars, and in a moment the
vessel was moving through the waters at full
speed, with old Wainamoinen at the helm.
They had not gone far when they came
to an island, and on the shore was a man
working on a fishing-boat. As they drew
nearer he looked up and hailed them, asking
whither they were bound. Wainamoinen
answered: ‘O stupid Lemminkainen, dost
thou not recognise us, and canst thou not
guess whither we are bound?’ Then
Lemminkainen, for it was really he, said:
‘I recognise you both now. It is IImarinen
who is rowing, and thou art Wainamoinen.
But tell me whither ye are sailing ??
Then Wainamoinen told him that they
were bound for Pohjola to capture the magic
Sampo, and, on hearing this, Lemminkainen
begged to go with them, saying that he
would fight valiantly with them, So they ©
took him on board, and the three great
heroes sailed on their way. But before
they had gone much farther, they came to a
place where there were lovely maidens sing-
ing sweetly on the shore, but all around
were hidden rocks and whirlpools, and their
vessel was near sinking. But Lemminkainen
knew the spell that would compel the
176 FINNISH LEGENDS
maidens to calm the whirlpools, and to lead
the ship in safety past all the hidden reefs
out into open water again. And when
Lemminkainen had sung this spell, old
Wainamoinen was able to steer in safety
through the foam-covered rocks and out into
open water; but no sooner were they clear
than the vessel stopped as suddenly as if she
were anchored to the spot.
Ilmarinen and lLemminkainen then
plunged a long pole to the bottom of the
waters, and strove to push the ship ahead,
but it was impossible. Then Wainamoinen
bade Lemminkainen look beneath the vessel
to see what it was that stopped them, and
they found that it was no hidden reef or
sand-bar, but a mighty pike on whose
shoulders the vessel had stuck fast. At
Wainamoinen’s order, Lemminkainen drew
his sword and aimed a mighty blow at the
monster, but he missed it and fell overboard.
He was drawn out all dripping, and the
~ others consoled him for his failure. Next
Ilmarinen drew his sword and struck at the
monster, but at the first blow his sword
broke in pieces. At last Wainamoinen,
reproaching the others for their feebleness,
drew his magic sword, and with one thrust
he impaled the monster on it. Then lifting
the monster out of the water he cut him into
pieces and let them fall on the water, and
float in towards land.
WAINAMOINEN’S EXPEDITION 177
Thus the vessel was free at last. But the
heroes were weary with their exertions, and
so they rowed in to land, and there gathered
up the fragments of the fish that had floated
to the shore. Wainamoinen handed these
pieces to the maidens who were with them
in the vessel, and they prepared the most
delicious feast from the pike, having enough
and to spare for all on board. And they
piled the bones in a heap on the rocks.
Then Wainamoinen looked at the pile ot
bones, and after pondering deeply he said:
‘Wondrous things may be made from these
bones, if only I can find a skilful workman
to carry out my designs and make the
kantele1 But no workman could be found
who was wise enough to understand Waina-
moinen’s directions, for no one had ever
heard of a antele before. At length old
Wainamoinen saw that there was no one
who could help him, and so he set to work
himself. He made the arches of the harp
from the pike’s jawbones, and the pins that
hold the strings he made from the teeth,
and for the strings he took hairs from the
tail of a magic steed.
And at last the first kantele was finished,
and it was so beautiful that every one
crowded round to look at it. When it was
1 A sort of harp that is sometimes used even now
in Finland. Pronounced Zan'-tay-lay. It usually
has five strings,
N
178 FINNISH LEGENDS
all ready Wainamoinen handed it to those
around to try their skill, but they could only
make discords whenever they touched it,
Then Lemminkainen bade the others leave
it to him, for Ze would show them how to
play upon it. But when he touched the
strings it sounded worse than when any of
the others had tried it, And after one and
all had tried it, and found that it only gave
forth discords, they proposed to throw it into
the sea. But the harp said: ‘I shall never
perish in the sea, but will bring great joy to
Kalevala. Put me in my makers hands,
and I will sing for him.’ So they took it
and laid it at the aged Wainamoinen’s feet.
Then the great magician took the won-
drous kantele and rested it upon his knee.
First he tuned it, tightening all the strings
until they sounded sweetly together, and
then he swept his hands across them, and a
flood of wonderful melody poured forth from
the kantele. And as the wondrous notes
resounded in the air, every living thing that
heard them stopped and listened. From
the forests came the bears and ermines, and
the wolves and lynxes. Even Tapio the
forest-god drew near, with all his attendant
spirits, enchanted by the magic sounds.
From the sea the fishes came to the edge of
the waters, and the sea-god Ahto with his
water-spirits. The daughters of the Sun
and Moon stopped their spinning on the
WAINAMOINEN’S EXPEDITION 179
clouds, and dropped their spindles, so that
the threads were broken in two.
For three whole days the magic kantele
poured forth its melody beneath Waina-
moinen’s skilful fingers, until every one that
heard it wept, and even the master-player
himself was at last moved to tears by the
power of his own playing. The bright
teardrops flowed down his long beard and
over his garments, and on over the earth in
sparkling streams, until they were lost in the
waters of the deep sea. And then the music
ceased, and Wainamoinen laid the kantele
aside and said: ‘Is there any one here who
can gather up my teardrops from the sea ??
But all were silent, for they could not do it.
But a raven came flying up and offered
to attempt it, and Wainamoinen promised
him the most beautiful plumage if he should
succeed, but the raven tried and failed,
Then came a duck, and Wainamoinen made
it the same promise. And the duck swam
off and dived down to the ocean’s depths,
and at length it had collected every teardrop
and brought them to the great magician, but
a wondrous change had taken place in them,
for they were no longer tears, but the most
beautiful pearls,
Thus were pearls first created, and for
this the blue duck received its lovely
plumage,
180 FINNISH LEGENDS
‘That is the loveliest story of all,’ cried
Mimi. ‘How I wish I could have heard
Wainamoinen’s music! Was his kantele
like the one pappa has up in the loft, Pappa
Mikko? If it was, I wish pappa would play
on ours,’
‘I expect they are just alike,’ replied
Father Mikko; ‘and when your pappa’s
pappa was alive, I remember that he used
to play on the kantele very sweetly, but there
are not many in our land that can play the
kantele now.’
‘Well,’ said Mimi, with a sigh, ‘I suppose
there aren’t, so you might as well tell us
what Wainamoinen did next, Pappa Mikko,
please.’
And Father Mikko began again.
A WATERFALL,
THE CAPTURE OF THE SAMPO
and magicians sailed "away
again towards the dismal North-
land. Ilmarinen led the rowers on one
side of the ship, and Lemminkainen on the
other, and old Wainamoinen steered. They
soon reached Pohjola and landed near
Louhi’s house. : ;
When they had drawn their vessel up on
land, they all went up to Louhi’s house, and
Wainamoinen told her that they were come
for the Sampo; that if she would only give
them the many-coloured lid they would go
away content, but if not, they would take
the whole Sampo by force. Then Louhi
grew very angry and called together all the
Northland warriors to slay them. But
Wainamoinen began to play upon his
kantele, and so wonderfully sweet were the
182 FINNISH LEGENDS
tunes that he played, that the warriors
forgot all about fighting and began to weep,
and all the maidens of Pohjola began to
dance. Still Wainamoinen played on and
on, until a deep slumber came upon all the
Northland folk. Then he ceased playing,
and cast a powerful spell over them, so that
they should not awake.
Whenall the Pohjolafolk were sound asleep
the three great heroes went to the mountains
to seek the magic Sampo. And as they
went Wainamoinen played such wonderful
music that the great cliffs opened before
them, and left them an open road to where
the Sampo lay hid. When they had come
near the cavern in which the Sampo lay,
they sent Lemminkainen to enter the cave
and bring it out. He, boasting of his
strength, went into the cavern, and seizing
hold of the magic Sampo, he put forth all
his strength to lift it up, but it remained
immovable, for the roots had grown
deep into the earth, and bound it down
tightly.
’ Then Lemminkainen remembered a huge
ox that he had seen out in the fields, with
horns seven fathoms long, and he went after
it and hitched it to the biggest plough he
could find, and began to plough all around
the roots which held the Sampo down, And
in a very short while the roots became
loosened, and they were able to pick up the
THE CAPTURE OF THE SAMPO 183
magic Sampo and carry it on board their
vessel.
As soon as it was safely on board they
sailed away, leaving all the Pohjola folk sleep-
ing. On they flew towards their homes in
Kalevala; but Lemminkainen grew weary
of the silence, and asked Wainamoinen why
he would not sing to cheer them. But
Wainamoinen answered that song would only
disturb the rowers, and that it was best
never to rejoice until all danger was past.
At length, when they had gone three days
on their journey, Lemminkainen grew angry
at Wainamoinen’s silence, and began to sing
himself. But his voice sounded harsh and
unmelodious, and it made the very ship
tremble.
Far off on the land a crane was standing
amidst the rushes, amusing itself by counting
its toes. But when it heard Lemminkainen’s
attempts at singing, it was so frightened
that it flew off screaming over Pohjola, and
by its screeching it awoke all the slumbering
people. As soon as Louhi awoke she hurried
off to her barns and cattle-pens to see if
anything had been stolen, but she found
everything all right. Next she hurried to
the mountains, to the cavern where she had
hidden the Sampo, but when she came there
she found the cavern empty, and saw how
her visitors had torn the Sampo loose from
its fastenings,
184 FINNISH LEGENDS
Then Louhi returned to her house pale
with anger and fear, for she knew that if the
Sampo were lost that all the prosperity of
the Northland would be lost with it. So
she called up the goddess of the fogs, and
sent her out to delay Wainamoinen’s vessel.
And then she called on Iko-Turso—a wicked
monster living in the depths of the sea—to
swim to the ship and sink it, and to eat the
men in it, but to bring back the Sampo to
Pohjola once more. And she prayed, more-
over, to great Ukko that if the sea-monster
should not succeed, that Ukko himself would
send a fearful tempest to wreck the vessel.
First came the goddess of the fog, and
wrapped them in such a thick mist that they
could not move. Three days they lay so,
and then Wainamoinen drew his sword,
exclaiming : ‘We shall all perish here in the
fog if no attempt is made to drive it away,’
and with these words he struck the waves
with his sword. From the blade there
flowed a stream of honey, and all at once
the fog broke up, and left the way clear
before them. But scarcely had the fog dis-
appeared than they heard a mighty roaring
sound, and the foam began to shoot up from
the water alongside, and to cover the ship.
Then Wainamoinen leaned over the vessel’s
side, and stretching out his arm he grasped
something that he saw in the water, and
pulled up the awful monster Iko-Turso.° But
qT
THE CAPTURE OF THE SAMPO 185
the monster was so affrighted by being lifted
out of the water that he promised to leave
them in peace, and never to appear above
the waters again if Wainamoinen would only
release him. So Wainamoinen let him go,
and the second danger was past.
But now came the third and most terrible
of all, for Ukko sent a mighty storm-wind,
which lashed the waves into a fury, and
stirred up the ocean to its very bottom.
And at the very first pitch of the ship the
magic kantele was swept overboard by the
waves, and Ahto, the sea-god, caught it and
carried it off to his home beneath the waves.
Then Wainamoinen began to bewail the loss
of his wonderful instrument; but as the
storm grew worse, and tossed their ship
about like a feather, all on board began to
despair of ever reaching land alive: But
Wainamoinen gave them comfort and cour-
age, and he and Ilmarinen and Lemmin-
kainen by their magic spells quietened the
winds and the waves, and repaired the
damage which the vessel had suffered from
the storm. And then they went on their
way in peace.
Doane
SG
4
a oe Uae
THE SAMPO IS LOST IN THE SEA
dUT when Louhi found that all her
magic had failed, she assembled
all her warriors, and embarked
them in her largest: ship, and
herself sailed off to recapture the Sampo by
force of arms. Before long they came in
sight of Wainamoinen’s vessel, and when he
saw that Louhi was pursuing him with such
a mighty host of warriors, he cried out to
IlImarinen and Lemminkainen to row with
all their might, in order to escape from their -
pursuers. So all the rowers rowed until
the vessel fairly trembled, and the foam was
tossed up from the bow as high as the
clouds, but still they could not gain on their
pursuers,
Then Wainamoinen saw that he must use
some other means, so he took out a piece
of flint from his tinder-box and dropped it
into the water, saying as he did so: ‘Rise
THE SAMPO IS LOST IN THE SEA 187
up from the bottom of the sea into a mighty
mountain, so that Louhi’s ship may be
dashed to pieces.’ And suddenly a mountain
of rock sprang up out of the water, and
before Louhi could stop her ship it had hit
upon the rocks and was wrecked.
But Louhi was not to be outdone in magic,
so she took the timbers of the ship and
made from them a magic eagle, using the
rudder for its tail and five sharp iron scythes
for its talons. And on his wings and back
she posted all her warriors, and then the
magic eagle rose up into the air. It made
one circle round the heavens, and then lit
upon the mast of Wainamoinen’s vessel,
almost overturning it by its weight. Wain-
amoinen first prayed to Ukko for aid, and
then he asked Louhi if she would consent
now to divide the Sampo between them.
But she scorned his offer, and the eagle
made a swoop downward to pick up the
Sampo in its talons. But Lemminkainen
raised his sword, and no sooner had the
eagle grasped the Sampo than he brought
down his sword with such force that every
talon was cut off but one.
Then the eagle flew up on to the mast
once more, and upbraided Lemminkainen
because he had broken his promise to his
mother that he would not go to war for
sixty years. But Wainamoinen, believing
that his last hour was come, took the rudder
188 FINNISH LEGENDS
in his hand and struck the eagle such a
mighty blow that all the warriors fell from
its wings and back. into the water. Then
the eagle made one more swoop down upon
the vessel, and, with the one talon it had
left, it dragged the Sampo over the side of
the ship so that it fell to the bottom of the
ocean and was broken to pieces. And it is
this that has brought so much wealth to the
sea, for where the Sampo is there will
always be wealth also. But a few pieces of
the lid floated ashore to Kalevala, and it is
therefore that our country has now the
harvests that before that grew in the dismal
Northland.
But Louhi threatened Wainamoinen, say-
ing: ‘I will steal away thy silver moon-
light and thy golden sunlight. I will send
the frost and hail to kill thy crops, and will
send the bear—Otso—from the forests to
kill thy cattle and sheep. I will send upon
thy people nine diseases, each one of them
more fatal than the one before.’ Then
Wainamoinen replied: ‘No one from dis-
mal Northland can harm us of Kalevala,
Only Ukko rules the fate of peoples, and he
will guard my crops from frost and hail,
and my cattle from the bear, Otso. Thou
mayst hide evil people in thy Northland
caverns, but thou canst never steal the
Sun and Moon, and all thy frosts and
plagues and bears may turn against thyself.’
THE SAMPO IS LOST IN THE SEA 189
And then Louhi departed to her home,
weeping for the loss of the magic Sampo,
and ever since that time there have been
famines and poverty in gloomy Pohjola.
But Wainamoinen and the other heroes
returned home rejoicing, and on the shore
they found fragments of the Sampo’s lid.
Then Wainamoinen prayed to Ukko to be
merciful and kind to them, and to protect
them from frost and hail and bears, and
to let the golden light of the Moon and
Sun shine for ever on the plains of Kale-
vala.
‘Ah!’ said Erik, half smiling, ‘it’s a great
pity that the whole Sampo didn’t float
ashore to our country, for perhaps then
there would never have been any famines
in our land at all,’ and he sighed as he
thought of some of the hard winters in
years past.
‘All is in God’s hands,’ said Father
Mikko reverently, ‘and we must take both
good and ill as they come to us—it is not
for us to say what we would wish. Let us
be thankful that even a part of the Sampo
floated hither,’ he added, smiling.
There was a few moments’ silence, and
then Mimi asked what Wainamoinen had
done about his lost kantele, so Father
Mikko went on.
THE BIRTH OF THE SECOND
KANTELE
HEN the heroes had returned
home, and found the fragments
of the Sampo on the shore, they
wished to make merry over the
good fortune which even these fragments
were sure to bring, but Wainamoinen could
not give them music, since the wondrous
kantele had been lost in the sea. Then he
bade Ilmarinen make a huge rake with
copper teeth a hundred fathoms long and
the handle a thousand fathoms, and when
the rake was ready, Wainamoinen took
it, and sailing out over the sea in a magic
vessel that needed neither sails nor oars to
move it, he raked over the whole bottom of
the ocean. But he only raked up shells
and sea-weed, and found no trace of the
kantele.
Then Wainamoinen returned sadly home,
saying: ‘Never again shall I pour forth
BIRTH OF THE SECOND KANTELE 1091
floods of music to the people of Kalevala
from the magic strings of my kantele.’ And
driven on by his grief he left his house and
went far off into the forest. -As he wandered
there he heard the birch-tree lamenting,
and Wainamoinen asked the tree why it
was unhappy when it had such lovely silver
. leaves and tassels. To this the birch-tree
replied: ‘Thou thinkest that I am always
happy, and that my leaves and tassels
must always be whispering joy. But, alas!
Iam so weak and feeble, and must alway
stand alone without a word of sympathy.
Others rejoice at the coming of the spring,
but I am robbed of bark and tassels and
tender twigs, and am cut up for firewood,
and then in the winter time the frost and
the cold biting winds kill my young shoots
and strip me of my silver leaves and leave
me cold and naked.’
While the birch-tree was speaking,
Wainamoinen’s face began to brighten, and
he finally exclaimed: ‘ Weep no more, good
birch-tree, for I will turn thy grief into joy
and make thee sing the most marvellous
songs.’ Having said this he set to work to
make a new kantele, taking birch-wood for
the framework, At length the frame was
all ready, but he did not know of what to
make the pegs. Suddenly he came upon
a great oak-tree on which grew golden-
coloured acorns, and on each acorn sat a
192 FINNISH LEGENDS
sacred cuckoo singing its melody. So
Wainamoinen took a piece of the oak and
made the pegs from it.
But the harp was not yet finished, for the
five strings were still lacking. Then Waina-
moinen journeyed on through the forest, until
at length he came to where a forest-maiden
was sitting on a mound and singing, and
her long golden hair was falling loose over
her shoulders. So Wainamoinen went up to
her and begged her to give him some of
her golden tresses, from which to weave the
five strings for the kantele. And the
maiden willingly gave up a portion of her
golden hair, and from it Wainamoinen wove
five strings, and at last the second kantele
was complete. Then Wainamoinen sat
down upon a rock and placed the kantele
upon his knees, and after putting all the
strings in tune he began to play. The
fairy music resounded over hill and dale,
until at length the very mountains began to
dance with delight, and the rocks were rent
in sunder and floated on the surface of the
ocean. The trees of the forest, too, laughed
with joy and began to dance about like
children. The young men and maidens
rejoiced as they listened to the music, and
the gray-haired men -and. women were
amazed, while the babies tried to crawl to
where the sweet sounds came from.
The magic music resounded far and wide
BIRTH OF THE SECOND KANTELE 193
over Kalevala, and all the wild beasts of
the forest fell upon their knees in wonder,
while the birds perched upon the trees
about him and accompanied the music
with their singing. The fish left their
homes beneath the waters and crowded to
the shore to listen. And everything in
nature, from earth and air and water, came
to listen to the magic sweetness of Waina-
moinen’s playing.
Three days and more he played unceas-
ing; playing in the houses of his people
until their very beams rejoiced, and wander-
ing through the forest, where the trees all
bent in homage to him and waved their
branches to his music, Then over the
meadows, still playing, until the very ferns
and flowers laughed with delight and the
bushes chimed im in unison with the magic
music of the kantele.
‘Oh! I’m so glad that he got another
kantele,’ cried little Mimi, delighted. ‘And
now what is coming next, Pappa Mikko ?’
‘I shall tell you all of Louhi’s attempt at
revenge on the heroes who captured the -
Sampo,’ he replied; ‘and how they all
failed, and then I shall wind up with the
last story of all!’
After having rested a while, the old man
continued,
oO
LOUHI ATTEMPTS REVENGE
Gms UH! grew more and more angry
NZ and envious when she heard how
Sy prosperous and happy all the
aE folk of Kalevala were, since the
fragments of the Sampo had floated to their
shore. So she pondered long in her evil
heart, how she might send them sorrow and
misfortune. Now just at that time the old
witch Lowjatar, Tuoni’s daughter, came to
Louwhi and asked for shelter from the storms
and cold, and Louhi took her in and treated
her like an honoured guest. And while
Lowjatar was there, nine children were born
to her, all horrible diseases, and she named
them Colic, Fever, Plague, Pleurisy, Ulcer,
Consumption, Gout, Sterility, and Cancer.
And then Louhi’s evil heart rejoiced, and
she took the nine diseases and sent them
into Kalevala, there to harass and kill
Wainamoinen’s people.
LOUHI ATTEMPTS REVENGE 195
And when the diseases came, every one
in Kalevala, both young and old, fell ill of
all sorts of illnesses, and Wainamoinen at
first did not know whence_all this evil had
come. But soon by his magic power he
learned that it came from the children of
Tuoni’s daughter, Lowjatar, and then he set
to work to drive them away. First he took
all those that were ill to the bath-houses,
and then he brought buckets of water and
heated blocks of stone until he had filled
the whole room with warm steam. Then
he prayed to Ukko to drive away all these
diseases from them, and to send these evil
spirits to Tuoni’s kingdom, where they
belonged.
After Wainamoinen had prayed thus to
Ukko, he took a magic balsam and rubbed
it over all those that were ill, and sang
magic spells over them, and then prayed
once more to Ukko for success, and at
length he drove out the nine diseases and
saved his people from dying.
When the nine diseases had been driven
out of Kalevala, the news of Wainamoinen’s
victory over them came at length to the old
witch Louhi, and she grew angrier than
ever that her revenge had failed. But she
pondered over what means of revenge she
should try next, and at length she hit upon
another plan. She went out into the forest
and cast a magic spell upon the hugest bear
196 FINNISH LEGENDS
in all the Northland—the great Otso 1—and
he hastened from his Pohjola home and
began to kill the flocks and herds in
Kalevala.
Then Wainamoinen hastened to Ilma-
rinen, and bade him make a triple-pointed
spear with which to kill Otso. And when
the spear was ready, Wainamoinen hastened
off to the forest to find the bear, singing as
he went, and calling upon the forest-god
Tapio and his wife to grant him success in
his hunt. He had not gone far before he
heard his dog bark, and hurrying up to the
spot he found Otso standing facing the dog
and trying to snap him up, and before the
bear perceived him, Wainamoinen was able
to end Otso’s life with a single thrust of his
magic spear. ;
When Otso was dead, Wainamoinen
threw the body across his shoulder and
hastened off home, singing songs of rejoicing
as he went. And when he reached his
house there was great rejoicing, and every
one came out to welcome the dead bear,
addressing it as if Otso were some honoured
guest come to see them. First Waina-
moinen sang a song of praise to the dead
Otso, and bade his people welcome him
with all due honour. And then the people
answered with the most extravagant ex-
pressions of pleasure and welcome and
1 Otso = bear,
LOUHI ATTEMPTS REVENGE 107 _
admiration for Otso, and offered him all the
best things in the house, and when all this
ceremony was over they took off the fur
and cut the body up ready for cooking, and
prepared the steaks and joints to make a
grand feast.
At length the whole of the bear was
cooked, and a great feast was spread in
Wainamoinen’s house on golden dishes, and
with sparkling beer in copper beakers. And
when all were seated at the table, Waina-
moinen rose and sang the story of Otso’s
birth and life. And this is the story which
he sang: ‘Long ago a maiden walked in
the ether on the edges of the clouds, and as
she walked she threw down wool and hair
upon the waters from two boxes that she
carried. The wool and hair were floated in
to the shore, and there Mielikki, wife of the
forest-god, found them and joined the wool
and hair together by magic spells. Then
she laid the bundle in a birch-bark basket
and bound it in the top of the lofty pine,
and there the young bear was rocked into
life.
‘Otso grew quickly and became graceful
in his movements, although his feet were
clumsy and his ankles crooked, his mouth
large and forehead broad; but he still had
no teeth or claws. Then Mielikki said:
“J would give thee claws and teeth, Otso,
but I fear that thou wilt use them to harm
198 FINNISH LEGENDS
people with.†But Otso fell on his knees
and swore that he would never harm the
good. So Mielikki took the hardest knots
from all the trees to make him teeth and
claws, but all of them were too weak. Then
she went to a magic fir that grew in
Tapio’s kingdom, and which had silver
branches and golden cones, and from these
she made Otso’s claws and teeth.. Thus
was Otso born and reared.’
So they feasted and made merry, and
when the feast was over they all tried to see
which could pull out Otso’s teeth and claws,
in order to preserve them for their magic
power.. And of all the men there only the
aged Wainamoinen could draw them out.
When this was done, Wainamoinen called
for his kantele and bade them light torches,
as it was already dark. Then he sang
sweet songs and played lovely music, so
that the long evening passed away like
magic, and he sang of the hunter’s victory
and prayed jto Ukko always to give good
fortune to the hunters of Kalevala.
Thus were Louhi’s two first attempts at
revenge unsuccessful.
LOUHI STEALS THE SUN, THE
MOON, AND FIRE
@===3JHEN these two dangers were
if overcome, Wainamoinen played
upon his kantele so sweetly that
the Sun and Moon came down
from their stations in the sky to listen to his
music. But evil Louhi crept upon them
unawares and made both Sun and Moon
her captives, and carried them off to the
dismal Northland, and there she hid them
both in caverns in the mountains, that they
might never again shine upon Kalevala.
Next Louhi crept back to Kalevala and stole
all the fire from the hearths, and left all
their homes cold and cheerless. Then there
was nothing but black night in the world,
and great Ukko himself did not know what
to do without the light of the Sun and
Moon.
Ukko wandered all over the clouds to find
200 FINNISH LEGENDS
out what had become of the Sun and Moon,
and at last he whirled his fire-sword round
his head so that the lightning flashed over
the whole sky. From this lightning he
kindled a little fire, and putting it in a gold
and silver cradle, he gave it to the Ether-
maidens to rock and care for, until it grew
into a second Sun. So the Fire-child was
cared for tenderly, and he grew fast; but
one day the maidens were not watching him
closely, and he escaped from them, and
bursting through the clouds with a noise
like a thunder-clap, he shot across the
heavens like a red fire-ball.
Then Wainamoinen said to Ilmarinen:
‘Come, let us see what this fire is that is
fallen from the heavens.’ And so they set
out towards the spot where the ball of, fire
had seemed to fall. Soon they came to a
wide river and set to work to make a magic
boat to cross it, and in a very short time the
boat was made, and they rowed over. On
the other: bank they were met by the oldest
of the Ether-maidens, who asked them
whither they were going.
So they told her who they were, and that
they had lost all fire and light in Kalevala,
so that they were come to seek the fire that
they had seen fall from the heavens. Then
the Ether-maiden told them what had
happened, saying: ‘After the Fire-child had
begun to grow, he escaped from us one day
LOUHI STEALS THE SUN, ETC. 201
and bursting through the clouds he came
down to Pohjola. There he killed youths
and babes and old people, until he was
driven away by a magic spell. He fled
thence, burning fields and forests on his way,
until at length he plunged into a great lake,
and made the waters boil and rage. Then
the fish held a council how to get rid of him,
and it was decided that. one of them must
swallow him. First the salmon tried, but
failed, and then the bold whiting made a
dash and succeeded in swallowing the evil
Fire-child. After this the waters of the
lake grew quiet, and all went on as
before.
‘But soon the whiting was seized with
terrible pains and began to swim round in
agony, begging for some one to kill him and
put him out of his sufferings. For a long
time he swam about unheeded, but at last a
trout seized the whiting and swallowed him.
For a while all was quiet again, but then
the trout began to suffer in his turn. Still
every fish was afraid to swallow him, until
a pike darted up and ate up the trout. But
then the pike. was seized with the same
pains, and he is now swimming about in
great agony, but none will help him.’
When the Ether-maiden had finished
her account of what had happened, Waina-
moinen and Ilmarinen wove a great net from
seaweed, and hurrying to the lake they
202 FINNISH LEGENDS
began to draw the net all through it in-order
to catch the Fire-fish. But the net was a
poor one, and they failed to catch the pike
that had swallowed the other fish and the
Fire-child.
Then the two magicians gave up their
useless net, and, choosing an island near
by, they resolved to plant flax that they
‘might make a stronger and better net.
They went to Tuoni’s kingdom before they
could find the proper seed, and found it
there under the care of a tiny insect. When
they had brought the seed from the Death-
land, they planted it on the shore, in the
ashes of a ship that had been burnt there,
and in a single night the flax had grown up
and ripened. Then they pulled it, and
washed and dried and combed it, and took
it to the Kalevala maidens to spin. Soon
the spinning was done and the net was
woven.
So the two great heroes took the flaxen
net and hastened back to the lake and
began to drag for the Fire-fish. But they..
only caught common fish, and the pike re-
mained hidden in the deep caverns. Then
Wainamoinen made the net longer and
wider and they tried again, but though they
caught fish of every species, the Fire-fish was
not amongst them. Wainamoinen then
prayed to Ahto, god of the ocean, and his
wife, Wellamo, that they would drive the
LOUHI STEALS THE SUN, ETC. 203
Fire-fish into his nets. Scarcely had Waina-
moinen finished speaking, when a little
dwarf rose from the waters and offered to
help them. They accepted the tiny man’s
aid, and while they drew their nets, the
dwarf beat the waters with a magic pole
and scared all the fish toward them. And
as they drew, Wainamoinen sang a magic
charm to bring the fish in still greater
numbers. ‘
This time the net was full of pike, and
they dragged it to the shore rejoicing, and
among them they found the Fire-fish, So
they threw the other fish back into the
water, and Wainamoinen drew his knife
and began to cut up the Fire-fish. Inside
of the pike he found the trout, and inside of
the trout the whiting, and on opening the
whiting he came upon a ball of blue yarn.
Wainamoinen quickly unwound the blue
ball, and within that found a red ball, and
when he had opened the red ball he came
to the ball of fire in the middle.
They pondered how they should get the
fire to Kalevala, and at last Ilmarinen seized
it in his hands to carry it off. But it singed
Wainamoinen’s beard and burned Ilma-
rinen’s hands dreadfully, and then it jumped
out of their reach and rolled off over field
and forest, burning everything in its course.
Wainamoinen hastened after it, and at length
caught it hidden in a mass of punk-wood.
204 FINNISH LEGENDS
Then he took it and put it, wood and all, in
a copper box and hastened off home. Thus
the fire returned to Kalevala.
But Ilmarinen, suffering great agony from
his burnt hands, hastened to the sea to lave
them in the cool water. And he called up
the ice and frost and snow to come and cool
his parched hands, and, when all these proved
insufficient, he called on great Ukko to send
him some healing balm to take away the
cruel torture, And Ukko granted his prayer
and his hands were healed. Then Ilmarinen
returned home and rejoiced to find that
Wainamoinen had already brought the fire
thither.
THE RESTORATION OF THE SUN
AND MOON
py} HOUGH the Fire had been re-
Ye stored to Kalevala, still the
& golden Moon and the silver Sun
<4 were lost, and the frost came
and killed the crops, and the cattle began
to die of hunger. Every living thing felt
sick and faint in the dark, dreary world.
Then one of the maidens of Kalevala
suggested to Ilmarinen to make a moon of
gold and a sun of silver, and to hang them
up in the heavens; so Ilmarinen set to
work, While he was forging them, Waina-
moinen came and asked what he was work-
ing at, and so Ilmarinen told him that he
was going to make a new sun and moon.
But Wainamoinen said: ‘This is mere folly,
for silver and gold will not shine like the
sun and moon.’ Still IImarinen worked on,
_and at length he had forged a moon of gold
206 FINNISH LEGENDS
and asun of silver, and hung them in their
places in the sky. But they gave no light,
as Wainamoinen had said.
Then Wainamoinen determined to find
out where the sun and moon had gone. So
he cut three chips from an alder-tree, and
laying them on the ground before him, he
cast many magic spells over them. Then
when all was ready, he asked the alder-
chips to tell him truly where the sun and.
moon were hid. The alder-chips then
answered, that they were hidden in the
caverns of the mountains of Pohjola.
No sooner had Wainamoinen heard this,
than he made ready for a journey and
started off for the dismal Northland. When
he had travelled three days and was come
to the borders of Pohjola, he found a wide
river in the road and no boat to cross over
in. So he built a huge fire on the shore,
and soon such a dense column of smoke
arose that Louhi sent some one to see what
was the matter. But when Wainamoinen
called to the messenger to bring him a
boat, the man made no reply, but hurried
back to Louhi and told her that it was
-Wainamoinen, who was coming to her
house.
Then Wainamoinen saw that he could
never get across in that way, so he changed
himself into a pike and swam over very
easily, and then changed back to his own
RESTORATION OF SUN & MOON 207
shape when he had reached the opposite
shore. He hastened on with mighty strides,
and soon reached Louhi’s dwelling. There
he was met as if he were a most honoured
guest, and they invited him into the hall.
Wainamoinen went in unsuspectingly, but
no sooner was he inside than he found
himself surrounded by crowds of armed
- warriors. -
The warriors asked him in a threatening
tone why he had come thither. But Waina-
moinen was not frightened, but answered
boldly that he had come to seek the Sun
and the Moon. Then .the chief of the
warriors replied: ‘We have the Sun and
Moon safe in a mountain cavern, and thou
shalt never get them back, nor shalt thou
leave this hall alive.’ No sooner had he
finished speaking than Wainamoinen drew
his magic sword, and fell upon those that
stood between him and the door. They
gave way before him, and in a moment he
was out in the courtyard, where he could
have room to fight fairly. All the warriors
rushed at him with drawn swords and lifted
spears, and the fire flashed from their
weapons. But Wainamoinen was more than
a match for all of them, and in a very short
time he had stretched them all lifeless on
the ground.
Then he left the court and hastened on
to find the Sun and Moon. Soon he came
208 FINNISH LEGENDS
to a solitary birch-tree, and beside the tree
stood a carved pillar of stone, which con-
cealed an opening in the rocks. Waina-
moinen gave three blows with his magic
sword, and the pillar broke in pieces, show-
ing behind it an entrance into the rock; but
the entrance was shut by a massive door,
and there was only a little crack through
which he could peep. Inside he saw the
Sun and Moon prisoners, but though he
tried with all his strength and all his magic
spells to open the door, it still remained
tightly shut, and he could. not budge it so
much as an inch.
Wainamoinen began to despair of ever
succeeding in liberating the Sun and Moon,
and he hastened off home to ask for II-
marinen’s help. He directed him to forge
a whole set of skeleton-keys, so that some
one of them would fit the lock of the door
to the Sun’s prison. Ilmarinen went to
work and soon his anvil was ringing merrily
to the blows of his hammer.
Now Louhi had grown very much alarmed
after Wainamoinen had slain all her warriors,
and so she assumed the shape of an eagle
and flew away to Kalevala to see what was
going on there. She heard the merry ring
of Ilmarinen’s work and flew down and lit
in the window of the smithy. There she
asked what he was doing, and the cunning
Ilmarinen replied: ‘I am forging a collar
RESTORATION OF SUN & MOON 209
-of steel for the neck of evil Louhi, and with
it I shall bind her fast to the rocks.’
Louhi was terribly alarmed at this, so she
flew off :to Pohjola and released the Sun
and Moon from prison immediately, and
sent them up to their places in the heavens.
Then the silver sunlight and the golden
moonlight returned once more to Kalevala,
and Ilmarinen, and Wainamoinen, and all
the people offered up a prayer that they
might never again be deprived of the blessed
Sun and Moon.
‘It would have served old Louhi right if
Ilmarinen fad made a steel collar and put
it round her neck,’ said Mimi. ‘But I’m
so glad that Wainamoinen always got the
best of it,’ she added. E
‘ There was one time when he was defeated,
however,’ said Father Mikko, ‘and now I
shall tell it you. It is the last story, and is
about Wainamoinen’s departure from Kale-
vala.’ So he began.
MARIATTA AND WAINAMOINEN’S
DEPARTURE
Py-RGQHERE lived a fair and lovely
RAI maiden in Kalevala, called Mari-
OS ig atta. She was the loveliest and
——— purest of virgins, and tended her
parents’ flocks upon the mountain sides.
Here one day, as she was watching the
sheep, she heard a voice calling to her, and
on looking round she found that it was a
bright red berry calling to her, and asking
her to pluck it. Mariatta did not know
that this was a magic berry, so she picked
it and put it to her lips to eat it. But the
berry rolled from her lips down into her
bosom, and said to her: ‘Thou shalt have
a son, and he shall become a mighty man
and drive forth the old magician Waina-
moinen.’
Then Mariatta took the flocks home and
was so silent and still that her parents
MARIATTA AND WAINAMOINEN 211
noticed it and asked her what was the
matter. So she told them what had
happened, but they grew angry and would
not keep her in their house, for they did not
believe the story about the berry.
Poor Mariatta was now obliged to wander
about without a shelter from the cold winds.
At length she sent a servant, who had re-
mained faithful to her and had accompanied
her, to a village of Pohjola to ask for shelter
from an old man named Ruotus. The
maid, Piltti, went to Ruotus and told him
of Mariatta’s hard lot, but Ruotus and his
wife would not have her in their house, but
only. grudgingly consented to let her go to
a stable in the forest, where the Fire-horse
of Hisi was kept.
So Mariatta was obliged to go to the
stable in the dense forest far off from every
human being, and there she begged the
Hisi-horse to keep her warm by his fiery
breath. The Hisi-horse was kinder to her
than men had been, for he let her lie down
comfortably in his manger, and kept her
warm with his fiery breath. There the
babe was born, and his mother grew happy
once more, in spite of her sorrowful circum-
stances. But one night, while she slept,
the babe disappeared, and the poor mother
was overwhelmed with grief,
Then she wandered forth and looked
everywhere for him, but in vain. So she
212 FINNISH LEGENDS
asked the North-star if he had seen her
son, But the North-star answered: ‘I
‘ would not tell thee even if I knew. For it
is thy son who hath made me and set me
here in the bitter cold.’ And next Mariatta
asked the Moon, and received the same
answer as the North-star had given. Then
she went to the Sun and asked him. And
the Sun said: ‘I know very well where thy
son is hidden, for he made me and put me
here to shine with my silver light. He lies
sleeping yonder in the Swampland.’ So
Mariatta hastened to the spot that the Sun
had pointed out and there found her babe
sleeping peacefully in the water among the
rushes.
Then she returned with the babe to her
father’s house, and this time he received her
and allowed her to live there in peace.
And the child grew in beauty and wisdom,
and his mother called him Flower, but
others called him Son-of-Sorrow. Then
his mother called in an old man, Wiro-
kannas, to baptize the child, but Wirokannas
said: ‘First must some one see if the child
shall become an honest man, or a wicked
wizard, for if he be not honest I will not
baptize him.’
So Wainamoinen was called to examine
the child—it was only two weeks old then
—and see if it would grow up a noble man
or not. Wainamoinen came and saw the
MARIATTA AND WAINAMOINEN 213
child, and then said: ‘Since this child is
only a poor outcast, born in a manger, and
having no father save a berry, let him be
cast out on to the hillsides or into the
marshes to perish.’
But all at once the babe himself began
to speak, saying: ‘O aged Wainamoinen,
foolish hero, thou hast given a false decision.
Thou thyself hast done great wrongs, yet
hast not been punished. Thou gavest thine
own brother Ilmarinen to ransom thy poor
life. Thou persecuted the lovely Aino so
that she perished in the deep sea, yet thou
wert not killed for all this.’
Then Wirokannas saw that this was truly
a magic babe, and he baptized him to
become a mighty hero, and a ruler and
king over Kalevala.
Years passed by after this, and Waina-
moinen felt his power gradually leaving him
and going over to Mariatta’s child. So the
ancient hero, with a sad heart, sang his
last magic spell in Kalevala, and made a
magic boat of copper to sail away in. Then
he cast loose from the shore and sailed off
towards the west, singing as he went:
‘Fare ye well, my people. Many suns
shall rise and set on Kalevala until the
people shall at length regret my absence and
shall call upon me to come back with my
magic songs and wisdom, Fare ye well,’
Thus Wainamoinen, in his magic boat
214 FINNISH LEGENDS
of copper, left Kalevala. On-he sailed to
the land of the setting sun, and at length he
reached the haven and anchored his boat,
never again to return to Kalevala. But the
wondrous kantele and all his songs and
wisdom remain among us to this day.
‘And now,’ said Father Mikko, ‘I have
told you my last story—old Wainamoinen
has left Kalevala and the rule of the Christ-
child has begun. Under it our land has
advanced and grown comfortable and happy
—let us only pray that we may never be
less so.’
They were all silent for some time, and
then all of them thanked Father Mikko
heartily for the pleasure that he had given
them. Soon after this they had supper and
went to bed, and the next morning Father
Mikko drove off in his sledge, the moonlight
covering all the country with a flood of
silver, and soon he had disappeared into
the dark and silent fir-forest ; but not before
he had promised them all that he would
stop there again next year if possible.
THE END
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‘* A work worthy of the highest praise.â€â€”Graghic.
ene ore
Imperial 16mo cloth eilt, gilt edges, 3s. 6d.
FAIRY TALES FROM BRENTANO.
Told in English by KaTE F, KR@:KER. 3rd
Edition.
‘Welcome in the nursery. The translation has been
very cleverly accomplished.†—Academy.
Juvenile Books 5
Illustrated paper boards, 5s. ; cloth, gilt edges, 6s.
NEW FAIRY TALES FROM BREN-
TANO. By KATE F. KRG@KER. 8 coloured
Illustrations.
“SJ read the book with edification and delight.â€â€”
Truth.
—_xX*—
Medium 4to, paper boards, 35. 6d.
' THE BROWNIES: Their Book. By
PALMER Cox. 4th Edition. Illustrated.
“The Brownies are such prime favourites.â€â€”Guar-
dian.
—_xX—
Medium 4to, cloth, 6s.
ANOTHER BROWNIE BOOK. By
_ PALMER Cox. Illustrated.
“The illustrations are perhaps even more mirthful
than the letterpress, but both are admirable.†—Morning
Post.
—%X—
4to, bevelled boards, 35. 6d.
MARJORIE AND HER PAPA: How
they wrote a Story and made Pictures for it
_ A Book for Children.
‘‘ Altogether a book to be desired by and for chit-
dren.†—Spectator.
“ The best of “ae children’s Magazines.â€
SPECTATOR.
is. Nicholas
For Young Folks.
CONDUCTED BY
MARY MAPES DODGE
Price 1s, monthly.
SUITABLE FOR 2
CHILDREN OF BOTH SEXES,
CHILDREN OF ALL AGES, AND
CHILDREN OF ALL SIZES.
Each Part contains 80 pp. of inter-
esting matter, illustrated by about 50
high-class Engravings.
The Half-yearly Volumes, price 8s. each, are
handsomely bound in red cloth, gilt.
LONDON: T. FISHER UNWIN,
PATERNOSTER SQUARE, E.C.
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