National Epics by Kate Milner Rabb

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"Thy advice is good, but I will not take it. The young man shall be my
husband."

When Wainamoinen was refused in spite of his gifts, Louhi addressed
herself to Ilmarinen, and set him, in turn, three tasks: to plough the
serpent field of Hisi, to muzzle Tuoni's bear, and to catch the pike of
Mana, in the river of Tuoni.

With the help of his sweetheart, Ilmarinen accomplished these tasks, and
the wedding day was set. Old Wainamoinen, heavy hearted, journeyed
homeward, and sent the edict to his people that in the future old men
should not go wooing, or strive with younger men.

Great preparations were made for the wedding feast; the mighty ox of
Karjala was slain, and for the first time, beer was brewed in Pohyola.
Invitations were sent to all the people of Pohyola and the tribes of
Kalevala, to all save Lemminkainen.

When Ilmarinen returned for his bride, he was received with honor, and the
wedding feast was merry. But when the time came to take the bride away,
the Rainbow Maid was unwilling, she who before had been so ready to go
with him. Many times had she been told of the miseries of the wife: her
husband's slave, her whole life one of service, one long endeavor to
please her husband's mother and father. After her lament, Osmatar, the
Bride-adviser, instructed her how to please her husband's family, and
admonished Ilmarinen to guard well his Bride of Beauty. Then the two set
forth together, the Rainbow Maid shedding many tears at parting with her
loved ones.

The bride and groom were received with joy by Ilmarinen's family, and old
Wainamoinen himself sang at the wedding feast.

But Lemminkainen was angry because he had received no invitation to the
wedding, and in spite of his mother's advice, set out to make war against
the Lapps. He successfully overcame all the terrors that beset him, and
reached Sariola, but was so coldly received there that, enraged at such
treatment, he slew his host, the landlord of Pohyola, and fled homeward to
escape the hosts whom Louhi called to defend her.

His mother sent him to the isle of refuge to escape the northern hosts. In
the centre of the tenth ocean it rose, the refuge of his father; there he
must abide three years, and must take a vow not to fight again for sixty
summers.

The three years passed speedily on the happy isle, where dwelt many
maidens who admired the reckless hero, and he departed just in time to
escape the swords of the jealous heroes of the isle. His ancient home was
in ashes when he returned, his mother missing; but while he mourned for
her, he chanced upon her, hiding from the Lapps in the forest. Again he
determined to seek out his enemies and be revenged on them. Taking with
him his friend Tiera he sought the north, but was met by the Frost-Fiend
and compelled to return.

To the house of Ilmarinen the blacksmith, was sold by Untamoinen a slave,
Kullervo. He was a giant who had done naught but evil, until in despair
his master sold him to the blacksmith. Kullervo, or Kullerwoinen, was made
a shepherd and sent forth with the flocks. But rage at the blacksmith's
wife, who baked a stone in his bread on which he broke the magic knife of
his people, caused him to transform the flocks into wolves, who tore the
Rainbow Wife to pieces when she went to milk them.

Then Kullerwoinen fled from the blacksmith, and set out to find his
tribe-people, but on the way unknowingly corrupted his sister, and in
despair at his evil deeds, destroyed himself.

Ilmarinen was full of grief at the loss of his wife. Unhappy and restless,
he forged for himself a bride of gold; but the image failed to satisfy
him, and Wainamoinen, reproving him, forbade his people in the future to
worship any graven image. Then the blacksmith again sought the north to
win the sister of his former bride, but was met with bitter reproaches for
the sorrow he had brought upon the family. Nevertheless, he seized the
maiden to carry her away, but she was so angry and so unhappy that he
changed her to a seagull and came home wifeless and sad.

Wainamoinen and Ilmarinen soon conceived the idea of going to the
Northland to win back the Sampo. On the way they allied to themselves the
wizard Lemminkainen. As they approached the whirlpool near Pohyola, their
vessel stuck on the shoulders of a great pike. When neither Lemminkainen
nor Ilmarinen could slay it, Wainamoinen impaled it on his fire-sword, and
the three banqueted on the great fish. From its bones, Wainamoinen framed
the first harp. No one could win music from it but its creator; but when
he touched its strings and sang, the very trees danced about him, wild
animals lay in peace at his feet, and the hearts of men were ravished. As
his listeners wept at the strains, Wainamoinen's tears rolled down into
the ocean. Thence the duck brought them, changed to pearls, receiving for
a reward its beautiful coat. Such was the origin of sea-pearls.

When Wainamoinen had put the inhabitants of Pohyola to sleep with his
magic music, the heroes found the Sampo with little difficulty, and bore
it away from the copper mountain. But as they hastened home, the
discordant voice of Lemminkainen, who sang for joy of their capture,
caused the crane to screech, and the bird's cry roused the people of
Pohyola. Louhi speedily discovered her loss, and started in pursuit of the
heroes. In various ways she attacked them,--with war ships that were
stopped by a reef conjured up by Wainamoinen, by a terrible storm, and by
a giant eagle that perched on their boat. In their struggle with her the
Sampo was broken and its fragments scattered on the ocean. Louhi left
them, uttering dire threats; and Wainamoinen, gathering up what fragments
of the Sampo he could find, buried them where they would bring prosperity
to his people.

Now Wainamoinen longed to sing to his harp to rejoice the hearts of his
people, but the magic instrument had been lost in the storm conjured by
Louhi. After raking the sea for it in vain, he constructed a new harp from
the birch-tree, and delighted the people with his songs.

In revenge for the theft of the Sampo, Louhi sent nine diseases upon
Wainamoinen's people,--colic, pleurisy, fever, ulcer, plague, consumption,
gout, sterility, and cancer, the offspring of the fell Lowyatar; but by
the use of vapor baths and balsams Wainamoinen healed his people. Then
Louhi sent Otso the Bear, the honey-eater, but he was slain by the hero,
who made a banquet of his flesh for the people. Enraged at her failures,
she stole the sun, moon, and fire, and left Kalevala in darkness. Ukko,
taking pity on his people, struck lightning from his fire-sword and gave
the fire-child to a virgin to be cared for. In an unguarded moment it
sprang earthward, fell into the sea, and was swallowed by a fish, that, in
the agonies of torment, was swallowed by another. Wainamoinen went fishing
with Ilmarinen, and at last caught the gray pike,--found in it the trout,
found in the trout the whiting, and in the whiting the fireball. When he
attempted to seize the fireball he burned his fingers, and dropped it.
Ilmarinen did likewise. Then the ball rolled rapidly away until
Wainamoinen caught it in an elm-tree, and took it home to gladden his
people. Still they were cheerless without the sun and moon, and
Wainamoinen was obliged to go to Louhi and compel her to give up the sun
and moon. When he returned there was joy in Kalevala.

In the Northland dwelt a happy maiden, Mariatta, who, eating of the magic
berry, as she wandered one day in the fields, bore by it a child which she
called Flower. Her parents cast her off, and as no one would take her in,
she was compelled to go to the flaming steed of Hisi, in whose manger the
child was born. Once when she slumbered the child vanished, and she sought
for it in vain, until told by the sun that it was in Wainola, sleeping
among the reeds and rushes.

The child grew in grace and beauty, but no priest would baptize him, all
saying that he was a wizard. Wainamoinen, too, counselled that he be
destroyed; but when the two weeks old babe lifted its head and reproached
him, saying that he had committed many follies but had been spared by his
people, Wainamoinen baptized him, and gave him the right to grow a hero
and become a mighty ruler over Karyala.

As Wainamoinen grew feeble with the passing years, he built himself a boat
of copper, and singing a plaintive song in which he said the people of
Suomi would look forward to his return as a time of peace and plenty, he
set forth, sailing through the dusk of evening to the fiery sunset, and
anchored in the purple horizon, leaving behind him for an heritage his
harp, his wondrous songs, and his wisdom sayings.

SELECTIONS FROM THE KALEVALA.

ILMARINEN'S WEDDING FEAST.

Ilmarinen, the blacksmith, visited the Northland, won the Rainbow Maid,
and successfully performed the tasks set by her mother Louhi. Great
preparations were made in Pohyola for the wedding, and the coming of the
bridegroom was anxiously expected.

Louhi, hostess of the Northland,
Ancient dame of Sariola,
While at work within her dwelling,
Heard the whips crack on the fenlands,
Heard the rattle of the sledges;
To the northward turned her glances,
Turned her vision to the sunlight,
And her thoughts ran on as follow:
"Who are these in bright apparel,
On the banks of Pohya-waters,
Are they friends or hostile armies?"

Then the hostess of the Northland
Looked again and well considered,
Drew much nearer to examine,
Found they were not hostile armies,
Found that they were friends and suitors;
In the midst was Ilmarinen,
Son in-law to ancient Louhi.

When the hostess of Pohyola
Saw the son-in-law approaching,
She addressed the words that follow:

"I had thought the winds were raging,
That the piles of wood were falling,
Thought the pebbles in commotion,
Or perchance the ocean roaring;
Then I hastened nearer, nearer,
Drew still nearer and examined,
Found the winds were not in battle,
Found the piles of wood unshaken,
Found the ocean was not roaring,
Nor the pebbles in commotion;
Found my son-in-law was coming
With his heroes and attendants,
Heroes counted by the hundreds.

"Should you ask of me the question,
How I recognized the bridegroom
Mid the host of men and heroes,
I should answer, I should tell you:
'As the hazel-bush in copses,
As the oak-tree in the forest,
As the moon among the planets;
Drives the groom a coal-black courser,
Running like a famished black-dog,
Flying like the hungry raven,
Graceful as the lark at morning,
Golden cuckoos, six in number,
Twitter on the birchen cross-bow;
There are seven blue-birds singing
On the racer's hame and collar.'"

Noises hear they in the court-yard,
On the highway hear the sledges.
To the court comes Ilmarinen,
With his body-guard of heroes;
In the midst the chosen suitor,
Not too far in front of others,
Not too far behind his fellows.
Spake the hostess of Pohyola:

"Hie ye hither, men and heroes,
Haste, ye watchers, to the stables,
There unhitch the suitor's stallion,
Lower well the racer's breast-plate,
There undo the straps and buckles,
Loosen well the shafts and traces,
And conduct the suitor hither,
Give my son-in-law good welcome!"

Ilmarinen turned his racer
Into Louhi's yard and stables,
And descended from his snow-sledge
Spake the hostess of Pohyola:

"Come, thou servant of my bidding,
Best of all my trusted servants,
Take at once the bridegroom's courser
From the shafts adorned with silver,
From the curving arch of willow,
Lift the harness trimmed in copper,
Tie the white-face to the manger,
Treat the suitor's steed with kindness,
Lead him carefully to shelter
By his soft and shining bridle,
By his halter tipped with silver;
Let him roll among the sand-hills,
On the bottoms soft and even,
On the borders of the snow-banks,
In the fields of milky color.
Lead the hero's steed to water,
Lead him to the Pohya-fountains,
Where the living streams are flowing,
Sweet as milk of human kindness,
From the roots of silvery birches,
Underneath the shade of aspens.

"Feed the courser of the suitor,
With the sweetest corn and barley,
With the summer-wheat and clover,
In the caldron steeped in sweetness;
Feed him at the golden manger,
In the boxes lined with copper,
At my manger richly furnished,
In the warmest of the hurdles;
Tie him with a silk-like halter,
To the golden rings and staples,
To the hooks of purest silver,
Set in beams of birch and oak-wood;
Feed him on the hay the sweetest,
Feed him on the grains nutritious,
Give the best my barns can furnish.

"Curry well the suitor's courser
With the curry-comb of fish-bone,
Brush his hair with silken brushes,
Put his mane and tail in order,
Cover well with silken blankets,
Blankets wrought in gold and silver,
Buckles forged from shining copper.

"Come, ye small lads of the village,
Lead the suitor to my chambers,
With your auburn locks uncovered,
From your hands remove your mittens,
See if ye can lead the hero
Through the door without his stooping,
Lifting not the upper cross-bar,
Sinking not the oaken threshold,
Moving not the oaken casings,
Great the hero who must enter.

"Ilmarinen is too stately,
Cannot enter through the portals,
Not the son-in-law and bridegroom,
Till the portals have been lengthened;
Taller by a head the suitor
Than the doorways of the mansion."
Quick the servants of Pohyola
Tore away the upper cross-bar,
That his cap might not be lifted;
Made the oaken threshold lower
That the hero might not stumble;
Made the birch-wood portals wider,
Opened full the door of welcome,
Easy entrance for the suitor.

Speaks the hostess of the Northland
As the bridegroom freely passes
Through the doorway of her dwelling:

"Thanks are due to thee, O Ukko,
That my son-in-law has entered!
Let me now my halls examine;
Make the bridal chambers ready,
Finest linen on my tables,
Softest furs upon my benches,
Birchen flooring scrubbed to whiteness,
All my rooms in perfect order."

Then the hostess of Pohyola
Visited her spacious dwelling,
Did not recognize her chambers;
Every room had been remodelled,
Changed by force of mighty magic;
All the halls were newly burnished,
Hedgehog bones were used for ceilings,
Bones of reindeer for foundations,
Bones of wolverine for door-sills,
For the cross-bars bones of roebuck,
Apple-wood were all the rafters,
Alder-wood, the window casings,
Scales of trout adorned the windows,
And the fires were set in flowers.
All the seats were made of silver,
All the floors of copper-tiling,
Gold-adorned were all the tables,
On the floor were silken mattings,
Every fire-place set in copper,
Every hearth-stone cut from marble,
On each shelf were colored sea-shells,
Kalew's tree was their protection.

To the court-room came the hero,
Chosen suitor from Wainola,
These the words of Ilmarinen:

"Send, O Ukko, health and pleasure
To this ancient home and dwelling,
To this mansion richly fashioned!"
Spake the hostess of Pohyola:

"Let thy coming be auspicious
To these halls of thee unworthy,
To the home of thy affianced,
To this dwelling lowly fashioned,
Mid the lindens and the aspens.

"Come, ye maidens that should serve me,
Come, ye fellows from the village,
Bring me fire upon the birch-bark,
Light the fagots of the fir-tree,
That I may behold the bridegroom,
Chosen suitor of my daughter,
Fairy Maiden of the Rainbow,
See the color of his eyeballs,
Whether they are blue or sable,
See if they are warm and faithful."

Quick the young lads from the village
Brought the fire upon the birch-bark,
Brought it on the tips of pine-wood;
And the fire and smoke commingled
Roll and roar about the hero,
Blackening the suitor's visage,
And the hostess speaks as follows:

"Bring the fire upon a taper,
On the waxen tapers bring it!"

Then the maidens did as bidden,
Quickly brought the lighted tapers,
Made the suitor's eyeballs glisten,
Made his cheeks look fresh and ruddy;
Eyes were neither blue nor sable,
Sparkled like the foam of waters,
Like the reed-grass on the margin,
Colored as the ocean-jewels,
Iridescent as the rainbow.

"Come, ye fellows from the hamlets,
Lead my son-in-law and hero
To the highest seat at table,
To the seat of greatest honor,
With his back upon the blue-wall,
Looking on my bounteous tables,
Facing all the guests of Northland."

Then the hostess of Pohyola
Served her guests in great abundance,
Richest drinks and rarest viands,
First of all she served the bridegroom;
On his platters honeyed biscuit,
And the sweetest river-salmon,
Seasoned butter, roasted bacon,
All the dainties of Pohyola.
Then the servants served the others,
Filled the plates of all invited
With the varied food of Northland.
Spake the hostess of Pohyola:

"Come, ye maidens from the village,
Hither bring the beer in pitchers,
In the urns with double handles,
To the many guests in-gathered.
Ere all others, serve the bridegroom."

Thereupon the merry maidens
Brought the beer in silver pitchers
From the copper-banded vessels,
For the wedding guests assembled;
And the beer, fermenting, sparkled
On the beard of Ilmarinen,
On the beards of many heroes.

When the guests had all partaken
Of the wondrous beer of barley,
Spake the drink in merry accents
Through the tongues of the magicians,
Through the tongue of many a hero,
Through the tongue of Wainamoinen,
Famed to be the sweetest singer
Of the Northland bards and minstrels.

* * * * *

"Grant, O Ukko, my Creator,
God of love, and truth, and justice,
Grant thy blessing on our feasting,
Bless this company assembled,
For the good of Sariola,
For the happiness of Northland!
May this bread and beer bring joyance,
May they come in rich abundance,
May they carry full contentment
To the people of Pohyola,
To the cabin and the mansion;
May the hours we spend in singing,
In the morning, in the evening,
Fill our hearts with joy and gladness!
Hear us in our supplications,
Grant to us thy needed blessings,
Send enjoyment, health, and comfort,
To the people here assembled,
To the host and to the hostess,
To the bride and to the bridegroom,
To the sons upon the waters,
To the daughters at their weavings,
To the hunters on the mountains,
To the shepherds in the fenlands,
That our lives may end in honor,
That we may recall with pleasure
Ilmarinen's magic marriage
To the Maiden of the Rainbow,
Snow-white virgin of the Northland."

_Crawford's Translation, Rune XXI._

THE BIRTH OF THE HARP.

Wainamoinen, Ilmarinen, and the wizard Lemminkainen started to the
Northland to win back the Sampo forged for Louhi by Ilmarinen. On the way
their boat stuck on the shoulders of a great pike, which was killed by
Wainamoinen. The three then landed, ordered the pike to be cooked by the
maidens, and feasted until nothing remained of the fish but a heap of
bones.

Wainamoinen, ancient minstrel,
Looked upon the pile of fragments,
On the fish-bones looked and pondered,
Spake these words in meditation:

"Wondrous things might be constructed
From the relics of this monster,
Were they in the blacksmith's furnace,
In the hands of the magician,
In the hands of Ilmarinen."

Spake the blacksmith of Wainola:

"Nothing fine can be constructed
From the bones and teeth of fishes
By the skilful forger-artist,
By the hands of the magician."
These the words of Wainamoinen:

"Something wondrous might be builded
From these jaws, and teeth, and fish-bones;
Might a magic harp be fashioned,
Could an artist be discovered
That could shape them to my wishes."

But he found no fish-bone artist
That could shape the harp of joyance
From the relics of their feasting,
From the jaw-bones of the monster,
To the will of the magician.
Thereupon wise Wainamoinen
Set himself at work designing;
Quick became a fish-bone artist,
Made a harp of wondrous beauty,
Lasting joy and pride of Suomi.
Whence the harp's enchanting arches?
From the jaw-bones of the monster.
Whence the necessary harp-pins?
From the pike-teeth, firmly fastened.
Whence the sweetly singing harp-strings?
From the tail of Lempo's stallion.
Thus was born the harp of magic
From the mighty pike of Northland,
From the relics from the feasting
Of the heroes of Wainola.
All the young men came to view it,
All the aged with their children,
Mothers with their beauteous daughters,
Maidens with their golden tresses;
All the people on the islands
Came to view the harp of joyance,
Pride and beauty of the Northland.

Wainamoinen, ancient minstrel,
Let the aged try the harp-strings,
Gave it to the young magicians,
To the dames and to their daughters,
To the maidens, silver-tinselled,
To the singers of Wainola.
When the young men touched the harp-strings,
Then arose the notes of discord;
When the aged played upon it,
Dissonance their only music.
Spake the wizard, Lemminkainen:

"O ye witless, worthless children,
O ye senseless, useless maidens,
O ye wisdom-lacking heroes,
Cannot play this harp of magic,
Cannot touch the notes of concord!
Give to me this thing of beauty,
Hither bring the harp of fish-bones,
Let me try my skillful fingers."
Lemminkainen touched the harp-strings,
Carefully the strings adjusted,
Turned the harp in all directions,
Fingered all the strings in sequence,
Played the instrument of wonder,
But it did not speak in concord,
Did not sing the notes of joyance.
Spake the ancient Wainamoinen:

"There is none among these maidens,
None among these youthful heroes,
None among the old magicians,
That can play the harp of magic,
Touch the notes of joy and pleasure.
Let us take the harp to Pohya,
There to find a skillful player
That can touch the strings in concord."

Then they sailed to Sariola,
To Pohyola took the wonder,
There to find the harp a master.
All the heroes of Pohyola,
All the boys and all the maidens,
Ancient dames and bearded minstrels,
Vainly touched the harp of beauty.

Louhi, hostess of the Northland,
Took the harp-strings in her fingers;
All the youth of Sariola,
Youth of every tribe and station,
Vainly touched the harp of fish-bone;
Could not find the notes of joyance,
Dissonance their only pleasure;
Shrieked the harp-strings like the whirlwinds,
All the tones were harsh and frightful.

* * * * *

Wainamoinen, ancient minstrel,
The eternal wisdom-singer,
Laves his hands to snowy whiteness,
Sits upon the rock of joyance,
On the stone of song he settles,
On the mount of song he settles,
On the mount of silver clearness,
On the summit, golden colored,
Takes the harp by him created,
In his hands the harp of fish-bone,
With his knee the arch supporting,
Takes the harp-strings in his fingers,
Speaks these words to those assembled:

"Hither come, ye Northland people,
Come and listen to my playing,--
To the harp's entrancing measures,
To my songs of joy and gladness."

Then the singer of Wainola
Took the harp of his creation,
Quick adjusting, sweetly tuning,
Deftly plied his skillful fingers
To the strings that he had fashioned.
Now was gladness rolled on gladness,
And the harmony of pleasure
Echoed from the hills and mountains;
Added singing to his playing,
Out of joy did joy come welling,
Now resounded marvellous music,
All of Northland stopped and listened.
Every creature in the forest,
All the beasts that haunt the woodlands
On their nimble feet came bounding,
Came to listen to his playing,
Came to hear his songs of joyance.
Leaped the squirrels from the branches,
Merrily from birch to aspen;
Climbed the ermines on the fences,
O'er the plains the elk deer bounded,
And the lynxes purred with pleasure;
Wolves awoke in far-off swamp-lands,
Bounded o'er the marsh and heather,
And the bear his den deserted,
Left his lair within the pine-wood,
Settled by a fence to listen,
Leaned against the listening gate-posts,
But the gate-posts yield beneath him;
Now he climbs the fir-tree branches
That he may enjoy and wonder,
Climbs and listens to the music
Of the harp of Wainamoinen.

Tapiola's wisest senior,
Metsola's most noble landlord,
And of Tapio, the people,
Young and aged, men and maidens,
Flew like red-deer up the mountains
There to listen to the playing,
To the harp of Wainamoinen.
Tapiola's wisest mistress,
Hostess of the glen and forest,
Robed herself in blue and scarlet,
Bound her limbs with silken ribbons,
Sat upon the woodland summit,
On the branches of a birch-tree,
There to listen to the playing,
To the high-born hero's harping,
To the songs of Wainamoinen.

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