Kalevala, The Land Of The Heroes Volume I Part 20

I have gold as old as moonlight, Silver old as is the sunlight, Which I won in battle-tumult, In the contest of the heroes, Useful in my purse I found it, Where it jingled in the darkness; If thy gold thou wilt not barter, Perhaps thou wilt exchange thy silver." 230

Thus the lively Lemminkainen For a week on snowshoes glided, Sang a song throughout the forest, There among the depths of jungle, And appeased the forest's mistress, And the forest's master likewise, And delighted all the maidens, Pleasing thus the girls of Tapio.

Then they hunted and drove onward From its lair the elk of Hiisi, 240 Past the wooded hills of Tapio, Past the bounds of Hiisi's mountain, To the man who waited for it, To the sorcerer in his ambush.

Then the lively Lemminkainen Lifted his la.s.so, and threw it O'er the elk of Hiisi's shoulders, Round the camel's neck he threw it, That it should not kick in fury, When upon its back he stroked it. 250

Then the lively Lemminkainen Spoke aloud the words which follow: "Lord of woods, of earth the master, Fairest creature of the heathlands; Mielikki, the forest's mistress, Loveliest of the game-dispensers!

Come to take the gold I promised, Come ye now to choose the silver, On the ground lay down your linen, Spreading out of flax the finest, 260 Underneath the gold that glitters, Underneath the s.h.i.+ning silver, That upon the ground it fall not, Nor among the dirt is scattered."

Then to Pohjola he journeyed, And he said on his arrival: "I have chased the elk of Hiisi On the distant plains of Hiisi.

Give me now, old dame, your daughter, Give the youthful bride I seek for." 270

Louhi, Pohjola's old Mistress Heard his words, and then made answer: "I will only give my daughter, Give the youthful bride you seek for, If you rein the mighty gelding, He the chestnut steed of Hiisi, He the foaming foal of Hiisi, On the bounds of Hiisi's meadow."

Then the lively Lemminkainen Took at once a golden bridle, 280 Took a halter all of silver, And he went to seek the courser, Went to seek the yellow-maned one, On the bounds of Hiisi's meadow.

Then he hastened on his journey, On his way went swiftly forward, Through the green and open meadows, To the sacred field beyond them, And he sought there for the courser, Seeking for the yellow-maned one. 290 At his belt the bit he carried, And the harness on his shoulder.

Thus he sought one day, a second, And at length upon the third day Came he to a lofty mountain, And upon a rock he clambered.

And he turned his eyes to eastward, And he turned his head to sunwards.

On the sand he saw the courser, 'Mid the firs the yellow-maned one. 300 From his hair the flame was flas.h.i.+ng, From his mane the smoke was rising.

Thereupon prayed Lemminkainen: "Ukko, thou of G.o.ds the highest, Ukko, thou of clouds the leader, Of the scattered clouds conductor, Open now thy clefts in heaven, And in all the sky thy windows, Let the iron hail fall downwards, Send thou down the frozen ma.s.ses, 310 On the mane of that good courser, On the back of Hiisi's courser."

Ukko then, the great Creator, Jumala 'mid clouds exalted, Heard and rent the air asunder, Clove in twain the vault of heaven, Scattered ice, and scattered iceblocks, Scattered down the iron hailstones, Smaller than a horse's head is, Larger than a head of man is, 320 On the mane of that good courser, On the back of Hiisi's courser.

Then the lively Lemminkainen, Forward stepped to gaze about him, And advanced for observation, And he spoke the words which follow: "Hiitola's most mighty courser, Mountain foal, with mane all foam-flecked, Give me now thy golden muzzle, Stretch thou forth thy head of silver, 330 Push it in the golden bridle, With the bit of s.h.i.+ning silver.

I will never treat you badly, And I will not drive you harshly, And our way is but a short one, And 'tis but a little journey, Unto Pohjola's bleak homestead, To my cruel foster-mother.

With a rope I will not flog you, With a switch I will not drive you, 340 But with silken cords will lead you, With a strip of cloth will drive you."

Then the chestnut horse of Hiisi, Hiisi's horse, with mane all foam-flecked Forward stretched his golden muzzle, Forward reached his head of silver, To receive the golden bridle, With the bit of s.h.i.+ning silver.

Thus did lively Lemminkainen Bridle Hiisi's mighty courser, 350 In his mouth the bit adjusted, On his silver head the bridle, On his broad back then he mounted, On the back of that good courser.

O'er the horse his whip he brandished, With a willow switch he struck him, And a little way he journeyed Hasting onward through the mountains, Through the mountains to the northward.

Over all the snow-clad mountains, 360 Unto Pohjola's bleak homestead.

From the yard the hall he entered, And he said on his arrival, Soon as Pohjola he entered: "I have reined the mighty courser, Brought the foal of Hiisi bridled, From the green and open meadows, And the sacred field beyond them, And I tracked the elk on snowshoes, On the distant plains of Hiisi. 370 Give me now, old dame, your daughter, Give the youthful bride I seek for."

Louhi, Pohjola's old Mistress, Answered in the words which follow: "I will only give my daughter, Give the youthful bride you seek for, If the river-swan you shoot me, Shoot the great bird on the river.

There on Tuoni's murky river, In the sacred river's whirlpool, 380 Only at a single trial, Using but a single arrow."

Then the lively Lemminkainen He the handsome Kaukomieli, Went and took his tw.a.n.ging crossbow, Went away to seek the Long-neck, Forth to Tuoni's murky river, Down in Ma.n.a.la's abysses.

On with rapid steps he hastened, And he went with trampling footsteps, 390 Unto Tuonela's broad river, To the sacred river's whirlpool, 'Neath his arm a handsome crossbow, On his back his well-stored quiver.

Markahattu then, the cowherd, Pohjola's old sightless greybeard, There by Tuonela's broad river, By the sacred river's whirlpool, Long had lurked, and long had waited, There for Lemminkainen's coming. 400

And at length one day it happened, Came the lively Lemminkainen Hasting on, and swift approaching Unto Tuonela's deep river, To the cataract most terrific, To the sacred river's whirlpool.

From the waves he sent a serpent, Like a reed from out the billows; Through the hero's heart he hurled it, And through Lemminkainen's liver. 410 Through the arm-pit left it smote him, Through the shoulder right it struck him.

Then the lively Lemminkainen Felt himself severely wounded, And he spoke the words which follow: "I have acted most unwisely, That I asked not information From my mother, she who bore me.

Two words only were sufficient, Three at most might perhaps be needed, 420 How to act, and live still longer, After this day's great misfortune.

Charm I cannot water-serpents, Nor of reeds I know the magic.

"O my mother who hast borne me, And hast nurtured me in sorrow, Would that thou might'st know, and hasten To thy son, who lies in anguish.

Surely thou would'st hasten hither, To my aid thou then would'st hasten, 430 To thy hapless son's a.s.sistance, At the point of death now lying, For indeed too young I slumber, And I die while still so cheerful."

Then did Pohjola's blind greybeard, Markahattu, he the cowherd, Fling the lively Lemminkainen, Casting Kaleva's own offspring Into Tuoni's murky river, In the worst of all the whirlpools. 440

Floated lively Lemminkainen, Down the thundering cataract floated, Down the rus.h.i.+ng stream he floated, Unto Tuonela's dread dwelling.

Then the bloodstained son of Tuoni Drew his sword, and smote the hero, With his gleaming blade he hewed him, While it shed a stream of flashes, And he hewed him in five fragments, And in pieces eight he hewed him, 450 Then in Tuonela's stream cast them, Where are Ma.n.a.la's abysses.

"Thou may'st toss about for ever, With thy crossbow and thy arrows, Shooting swans upon the river, Water-birds upon its borders!"

Thus did Lemminkainen perish, Perished thus the dauntless suitor, Down in Tuoni's murky river, Down in Ma.n.a.la's abysses. 460

RUNO XV.--LEMMINKAINEN'S RECOVERY AND RETURN HOME

_Argument_

One day blood begins to trickle from the hair-brush at Lemminkainen's home, and his mother at once perceives that death has overtaken her son.

She hastens to Pohjola and inquires of Louhi what has become of him (1-100). The Mistress of Pohjola at length tells her on what errand she has sent him, and the sun gives her full information of the manner of Lemminkainen's death (101-194). Lemminkainen's mother goes with a long rake in her hand under the cataract of Tuoni, and rakes the water till she has found all the fragments of her son's body, which she joins together, and succeeds in restoring Lemminkainen to life by charms and magic salves (195-554). Lemminkainen then relates how he perished in the river of Tuonela, and returns home with his mother (555-650).

Lemminkainen's tender mother In her home was always thinking, "Where has Lemminkainen wandered, Whereabouts is Kauko roaming, For I do not hear him coming From his world-extended journey?"

Ah, the hapless mother knew not, Nor the hapless one imagined, Where her own flesh now was floating, Where her own blood now was flowing; 10 If he tracked the fir-clad mountains, Or among the heaths was roaming, Or upon a lake was floating, Out upon the foaming billows, Or in some terrific combat, In the most tremendous tumult, With his legs with blood bespattered, To the knees with blood all crimsoned.

Kyllikki, the lovely housewife, Wandered round and gazed about her, 20 Through the home of Lemminkainen, And through Kaukomieli's homestead; On the comb she looked at evening, On the brush she looked at morning, And at length one day it happened, In the early morning hours, Blood from out the comb was oozing, From the brush was gore distilling.

Kyllikki, the lovely housewife, Uttered then the words which follow: 30 "Lo, my husband has departed, And my handsome Kauko wandered In a country void of houses, And throughout some trackless desert.

Blood from out the comb is oozing, Gore is from the brush distilling."

Then did Lemminkainen's mother See herself the comb was bleeding, And began to weep with sorrow.

"O alas, my day is wretched, 40 And my life is most unhappy, For my son has met misfortune, And my child all unprotected, On an evil day was nurtured.

On the poor lad came destruction, Lost is darling Lemminkainen, From the comb the blood is trickling, And the brush with blood is dripping."

In her hands her skirt she gathered, With her arms her dress she lifted, 50 And at once commenced her journey, Hurried on upon her journey.

Mountains thundered 'neath her footsteps, Valleys rose and hills were levelled, And the high ground sank before her, And the low ground rose before her.

Thus to Pohjola she journeyed, Asking where her son had wandered, And she asked in words which follow: "Tell me, Pohjola's old Mistress, 60 Whither sent you Lemminkainen, Whither has my son departed?"

Louhi, Pohjola's old Mistress, Then replied in words which follow: "Of your son I know no tidings, Where he went, or where he vanished.

In his sledge I yoked a stallion, Chose him out a fiery courser.

Perhaps he sank in ice when rotten, O'er the frozen lake when driving, 70 Or among the wolves has fallen, Or some dreadful bear devoured him."