Kalevala : the Epic Poem of Finland Part 25

Then he left the maids ungreeted, Left his longing for the daughters Of the nameless Isle of Refuge, With his farewell-words unspoken, Hastened toward the island-harbor, Toward his magic bark at anchor; But he found it burned to ashes, Sweet revenge had fired his vessel, Lighted by the slighted spinster.

Then he saw the dawn of evil, Saw misfortune hanging over, Saw destruction round about him.

Straightway he began rebuilding Him a magic sailing-vessel, New and wondrous, full of beauty; But the hero needed timber, Boards, and planks, and beams, and braces, Found the smallest bit of lumber, Found of boards but seven fragments, Of a spool he found three pieces, Found six pieces of the distaff; With these fragments builds his vessel, Builds a s.h.i.+p of magic virtue, Builds the bark with secret knowledge, Through the will of the magician; Strikes one blow, and builds the first part, Strikes a second, builds the centre, Strikes a third with wondrous power, And the vessel is completed.

Thereupon the s.h.i.+p he launches, Sings the vessel to the ocean, And these words the hero utters: "Like a bubble swim these waters, Like a flower ride the billows; Loan me of thy magic feathers, Three, O eagle, four, O raven, For protection to my vessel, Lest it flounder in the ocean!"

Now the sailor, Lemminkainen, Seats himself upon the bottom Of the vessel he has builded, Hastens on his journey homeward, Head depressed and evil-humored, Cap awry upon his forehead, Mind dejected, heavy-hearted, That he could not dwell forever In the castles of the daughters Of the nameless Isle of Refuge.

Spake the minstrel, Lemminkainen, Handsome hero, Kaukomieli: "Leave I must this merry island, Leave her many joys and pleasures, Leave her maids with braided tresses, Leave her dances and her daughters, To the joys of other heroes; But I take this comfort with me: All the maidens on the island, Save the spinster who was slighted, Will bemoan my loss for ages, Will regret my quick departure; They will miss me at the dances, In the halls of mirth and joyance, In the homes of merry maidens, On my father's Isle of Refuge."

Wept the maidens on the island, Long lamenting, loudly calling To the hero sailing homeward: "Whither goest, Lemminkainen, Why depart, thou best of heroes?

Dost thou leave from inattention, Is there here a dearth of maidens, Have our greetings been unworthy?"

Sang the magic Lemminkainen To the maids as he was sailing, This in answer to their calling: "Leaving not for want of pleasure, Do not go from dearth of women Beautiful the island-maidens, Countless as the sands their virtues.

This the reason of my going, I am longing for my home-land, Longing for my mother's cabins, For the strawberries of Northland, For the raspberries of Kalew, For the maidens of my childhood, For the children of my mother."

Then the merry Lemminkainen Bade farewell to all the island; Winds arose and drove his vessel On the blue-back of the ocean, O'er the far-extending waters, Toward the island of his mother.

On the sh.o.r.e were grouped the daughters Of the magic Isle of Refuge, On the rocks sat the forsaken, Weeping stood the island-maidens, Golden daughters, loud-lamenting.

Weep the maidens of the island While the sail-yards greet their vision, While the copper-beltings glisten; Do not weep to lose the sail-yards, Nor to lose the copper-beltings; Weep they for the loss of Ahti, For the fleeing Kaukomieli Guiding the departing vessel.

Also weeps young Lemminkainen, Sorely weeps, and loud-lamenting, Weeps while he can see the island, While the island hill-tops glisten; Does not mourn the island-mountains, Weeps he only for the maidens, Left upon the Isle of Refuge.

Thereupon sailed Kaukomieli On the blue-back of the ocean; Sailed one day, and then a second, But, alas! upon the third day, There arose a mighty storm-wind, And the sky was black with fury.

Blew the black winds from the north-west, From the south-east came the whirlwind, Tore away the s.h.i.+p's forecastle, Tore away the vessel's rudder, Dashed the wooden hull to pieces.

Thereupon wild Lemminkainen Headlong fell upon the waters; With his head he did the steering, With his hands and feet, the rowing; Swam whole days and nights unceasing, Swam with hope and strength united, Till at last appeared a cloudlet, Growing cloudlet to the westward, Changing to a promontory, Into land within the ocean.

Swiftly to the sh.o.r.e swam Ahti, Hastened to a magic castle, Found therein a hostess baking, And her daughters kneading barley, And these words the hero uttered: "O, thou hostess, filled with kindness, Couldst thou know my pangs of hunger, Couldst thou guess my name and station, Thou wouldst hasten to the storehouse, Bring me beer and foaming liquor, Bring the best of thy provisions, Bring me fish, and veal, and bacon, b.u.t.ter, bread, and honeyed biscuits, Set for me a wholesome dinner, Wherewithal to still my hunger, Quench the thirst of Lemminkainen.

Days and nights have I been swimming, Buffeting the waves of ocean, Seemed as if the wind protected, And the billows gave me shelter,"

Then the hostess, filled with kindness, Hastened to the mountain storehouse, Cut some b.u.t.ter, veal, and bacon, Bread, and fish, and honeyed biscuit, Brought the best of her provisions, Brought the mead and beer of barley, Set for him a toothsome dinner, Wherewithal to still his hunger, Quench the thirst of Lemminkainen.

When the hero's feast had ended, Straightway was a magic vessel Given by the kindly hostess To the weary Kaukomieli, Bark of beauty, new and hardy, Wherewithal to aid the stranger In his journey to his home-land, To the cottage of his mother.

Quickly sailed wild Lemminkainen On the blue-back of the ocean; Sailed he days and nights unceasing, Till at last he reached the borders Of his own loved home and country; There beheld he scenes familiar, Saw the islands, capes, and rivers, Saw his former s.h.i.+pping-stations, Saw he many ancient landmarks, Saw the mountains with their fir-trees, Saw the pine-trees on the hill-tops, Saw the willows in the lowlands; Did not see his father's cottage, Nor the dwellings of his mother.

Where a mansion once had risen, There the alder-trees were growing, Shrubs were growing on the homestead, Junipers within the court-yard.

Spake the reckless Lemminkainen: "In this glen I played and wandered, On these stones I rocked for ages, On this lawn I rolled and tumbled, Frolicked on these woodland-borders, When a child of little stature.

Where then is my mother's dwelling, Where the castles of my father?

Fire, I fear, has found the hamlet, And the winds dispersed the ashes."

Then he fell to bitter weeping, Wept one day and then a second, Wept the third day without ceasing; Did not mourn the ancient homestead, Nor the dwellings of his father; Wept he for his darling mother, Wept he for the dear departed, For the loved ones of the island.

Then he saw the bird of heaven, Saw an eagle flying near him, And he asked the bird this question: "Mighty eagle, bird majestic, Grant to me the information, Where my mother may have wandered, Whither I may go and find her!"

But the eagle knew but little, Only knew that Ahti's people Long ago together perished; And the raven also answered That his people had been scattered By the swords, and spears, and arrows, Of his enemies from Pohya.

Spake the hero, Lemminkainen: "Faithful mother, dear departed, Thou who nursed me in my childhood, Art thou dead and turned to ashes, Didst thou perish for my follies, O'er thy head are willows weeping, Junipers above thy body, Alders watching o'er thy slumbers?

This my punishment for evil, This the recompense of folly!

Fool was I, a son unworthy, That I measured swords in Northland With the landlord of Pohyola, To my tribe came fell destruction, And the death of my dear mother, Through my crimes and misdemeanors."

Then the ministrel [sic] looked about him, Anxious, looked in all directions, And beheld some gentle foot-prints, Saw a pathway lightly trodden Where the heather had been beaten.

Quick as thought the path he followed, Through the meadows, through the brambles, O'er the hills, and through the valleys, To a forest, vast and cheerless; Travelled far and travelled farther, Still a greater distance travelled, To a dense and hidden glenwood, In the middle of the island; Found therein a sheltered cabin, Found a small and darksome dwelling Built between the rocky ledges, In the midst of triple pine-trees; And within he spied his mother, Found his gray-haired mother weeping.

Lemminkainen loud rejoices, Cries in tones of joyful greetings, These the words that Ahti utters: "Faithful mother, well-beloved, Thou that gavest me existence, Happy I, that thou art living, That thou hast not yet departed To the kingdom of Tuoni, To the islands of the blessed, I had thought that thou hadst perished, Hadst been murdered by my foemen, Hadst been slain with bows and arrows.

Heavy are mine eyes from weeping, And my checks are white with sorrow, Since I thought my mother slaughtered For the sins I had committed!"

Lemminkainen's mother answered: "Long, indeed, hast thou been absent, Long, my son, hast thou been living In thy father's Isle of Refuge, Roaming on the secret island, Living at the doors of strangers, Living in a nameless country, Refuge from the Northland foemen."

Spake the hero, Lemminkainen: "Charming is that spot for living, Beautiful the magic island, Rainbow-colored was the forest, Blue the glimmer of the meadows, Silvered were, the pine-tree branches, Golden were the heather-blossoms; All the woodlands dripped with honey, Eggs in every rock and crevice, Honey flowed from birch and sorb-tree, Milk in streams from fir and aspen, Beer-foam dripping from the willows, Charming there to live and linger, All their edibles delicious.

This their only source of trouble: Great the fear for all the maidens, All the heroes filled with envy, Feared the coming of the stranger; Thought that all the island-maidens, Thought that all the wives and daughters, All the good, and all the evil, Gave thy son too much attention; Thought the stranger, Lemminkainen, Saw the Island-maids too often; Yet the virgins I avoided, Shunned the good and shunned the evil, Shunned the host of charming daughters, As the black-wolf shuns the sheep-fold, As the hawk neglects the chickens."

RUNE x.x.x.

THE FROST-FIEND.

Lemminkainen, reckless minstrel, Handsome hero, Kaukomieli, Hastens as the dawn is breaking, At the dawning of the morning, To the resting-place of vessels, To the harbor of the island, Finds the vessels sorely weeping, Hears the wailing of the rigging, And the s.h.i.+ps intone this chorus: "Must we wretched lie forever In the harbor of this island, Here to dry and fall in pieces?

Ahti wars no more in Northland, Wars no more for sixty summers, Even should he thirst for silver, Should he wish the gold of battle."

Lemminkainen struck his vessels With his gloves adorned with copper, And addressed the s.h.i.+ps as follows: "Mourn no more, my s.h.i.+ps of fir-wood, Strong and hardy is your rigging, To the wars ye soon may hasten, Hasten to the seas of battle; Warriors may swarm your cabins Ere to-morrow's morn has risen.!'"

Then the reckless Lemminkainen Hastened to his aged mother, Spake to her the words that follow: "Weep no longer, faithful mother, Do not sorrow for thy hero, Should he leave for scenes of battle, For the hostile fields of Pohya; Sweet revenge has fired my spirit, And my soul is well determined, To avenge the shameful insult That the warriors of Northland Gave to thee, defenseless woman."

To restrain him seeks his mother, Warns her son again of danger: "Do not go, my son beloved, To the wars in Sariola; There the jaws of Death await thee, Fell destruction lies before thee!"

Lemminkainen, little heeding, Still determined, speaks as follows: "Where may I secure a swordsman, Worthy of my race of heroes, To a.s.sist me in the combat?

Often I have heard of Tiera, Heard of Kura of the islands, This one I will take to help me, Magic hero of the broadsword; He will aid me in the combat, Will protect me from destruction."

Then he wandered to the islands, On the way to Tiera's hamlet, These the words that Ahti utters As he nears the ancient dwellings: Dearest friend, my n.o.ble Tiera, My beloved hero-brother, Dost thou other times remember, When we fought and bled together, On the battle-fields of Northland?

There was not an island-village Where there were not seven mansions, In each mansion seven heroes, And not one of all these foemen Whom we did not slay with broadswords, Victims of our skill and valor."

Near the window sat the father Whittling out a javelin-handle; Near the threshold sat the mother Skimming cream and making b.u.t.ter; Near the portal stood the brother Working on a sledge of birch-wood Near the bridge-pa.s.s were the sisters Was.h.i.+ng out their varied garments.

Spake the father from the window, From the threshold spake the mother, From the portals spake the brother, And the sisters from the bridge-pa.s.s: "Tiera has no time for combat, And his broadsword cannot battle; Tiera is but late a bridegroom, Still unveiled his bride awaits him."

Near the hearth was Tiera lying, Lying by the fire was Kura, Hastily one foot was shoeing, While the other lay in waiting.

From the hook he takes his girdle, Buckles it around his body, Takes a javelin from its resting, Not the largest, nor the smallest, Buckles on his mighty scabbard, Dons his heavy mail of copper; On each javelin pranced a charger, Wolves were howling from his helmet, On the rings the bears were growling.

Tiera poised his mighty javelin, Launched the spear upon its errand; Hurled the shaft across the pasture, To the border of the forest, O'er the clay-fields of Pohyola, O'er the green and fragrant meadows, Through the distant bills of Northland.

Then great Tiera touched his javelin To the mighty spear of Ahti, Pledged his aid to Lemminkainen, As his combatant and comrade.

Thereupon wild Kaukomieli Pushed his boat upon the waters; Like the serpent through the heather, Like the creeping of the adder, Sails the boat away to Pohya, O'er the seas of Sariola.

Quick the wicked hostess, Louhi, Sends the black-frost of the heavens To the waters of Pohyola, O'er the far-extending sea-plains, Gave the black-frost these directions: "Much-loved Frost, my son and hero, Whom thy mother has instructed, Hasten whither I may send thee, Go wherever I command thee, Freeze the vessel of this hero, Lemminkainen's bark of magic, On the broad back of the ocean, On the far-extending waters; Freeze the wizard in his vessel, Freeze to ice the wicked Ahti, That he never more may wander, Never waken while thou livest, Or at least till I shall free him, Wake him from his icy slumber!"

Frost, the son of wicked parents, Hero-son of evil manners, Hastens off to freeze the ocean, Goes to fasten down the flood-gates, Goes to still the ocean-currents.

As he hastens on his journey, Takes the leaves from all the forest, Strips the meadows of their verdure, Robs the flowers of their colors.

When his journey he had ended, Gained the border of the ocean, Gained the sea-sh.o.r.e curved and endless, On the first night of his visit, Freezes he the lakes and rivers, Freezes too the sh.o.r.e of ocean, Freezes not the ocean-billows, Does not check the ocean-currents.

On the sea a finch is resting, Bird of song upon the waters, But his feet are not yet frozen, Neither is his head endangered.

When the second night Frost lingered, He began to grow important, He became a fierce intruder, Fearless grew in his invasions, Freezes everything before him; Sends the fiercest cold of Northland, Turns to ice the boundless waters.

Ever thicker, thicker, thicker, Grew the ice on sea and ocean, Ever deeper, deeper, deeper, Fell the snow on field and forest, Froze the hero's s.h.i.+p of beauty, Cold and lifeless bark of Ahti; Sought to freeze wild Lemminkainen, Freeze him lifeless as his vessel, Asked the minstrel for his life-blood, For his ears, and feet, and fingers.

Then the hero, Lemminkainen, Angry grew and filled with magic, Hurled the black-frost to the fire-G.o.d, Threw him to the fiery furnace, Held him in his forge of iron, Then addressed the frost as follows: "Frost, thou evil son of Northland, Dire and only son of Winter, Let my members not be stiffened, Neither ears, nor feet, nor fingers, Neither let my head be frozen.

Thou hast other things to feed on, Many other beads to stiffen; Leave in peace the flesh of heroes, Let this minstrel pa.s.s in safety, Freeze the swamps, and lakes, and rivers, Fens and forests, bills and valleys; Let the cold stones grow still colder, Freeze the willows in the waters, Let the aspens freeze and suffer, Let the bark peel from the birch-trees, Let the Pines burst on the mountains, Let this hero pa.s.s in safety, Do not let his locks be stiffened.

"If all these prove insufficient, Feed on other worthy matters; Let the hot stones freeze asunder, Let the flaming rocks be frozen, Freeze the fiery blocks of iron, Freeze to ice the iron mountains; Stiffen well the mighty Wuoksi, Let Imatra freeze to silence; Freeze the sacred stream and whirlpool, Let their boiling billows stiffen, Or thine origin I'll sing thee, Tell thy lineage of evil.

Well I know thine evil nature, Know thine origin and power, Whence thou camest, where thou goest, Know thine ancestry of evil.

Thou wert born upon the aspen, Wert conceived upon the willows, Near the borders of Pohyola, In the courts of dismal Northland; Sin-begotten was thy father, And thy mother was Dishonor.

"While in infancy who fed thee While thy mother could not nurse thee?

Surely thou wert fed by adders, Nursed by foul and slimy serpents; North-winds rocked thee into slumber, Cradled thee in roughest weather, In the worst of willow-marshes, In the springs forever flowing, Evil-born and evil-nurtured, Grew to be an evil genius, Evil was thy mind and spirit, And the infant still was nameless, Till the name of Frost was given To the progeny of evil.

"Then the young lad lived in hedges, Dwelt among the weeds and willows, Lived in springs in days of summer, On the borders of the marshes, Tore the lindens in the winter, Stormed among the glens and forests, Raged among the sacred birch-trees, Rattled in the alder-branches, Froze the trees, the shoots, the gra.s.ses, Evened all the plains and prairies, Ate the leaves within the woodlands, Made the stalks drop down their blossoms, Peeled the bark on weeds and willows.

"Thou hast grown to large proportions, Hast become too tall and mighty; Dost thou labor to benumb me, Dost thou wish mine ears and fingers, Of my feet wouldst thou deprive me?

Do not strive to freeze this hero, In his anguish and misfortune; In my stockings I shall kindle Fire to drive thee from my presence, In my shoes lay flaming f.a.ggots, Coals of fire in every garment, Heated sandstones in my rigging; Thus will hold thee at a distance.

Then thine evil form I'll banish To the farthest Northland borders; When thy journey is completed, When thy home is reached in safety, Freeze the caldrons in the castle, Freeze the coal upon the hearthstone, In the dough, the hands of women, On its mother's lap, the infant, Freeze the colt beside its mother.

"If thou shouldst not heed this order, I shall banish thee still farther, To the carbon-piles of Hisi, To the chimney-hearth of Lempo, Hurl thee to his fiery furnace, Lay thee on the iron anvil, That thy body may be hammered With the sledges of the blacksmith, May be pounded into atoms, Twixt the anvil and the hammer.

"If thou shouldst not heed this order, Shouldst not leave me to my freedom, Know I still another kingdom, Know another spot of resting; I shall drive thee to the summer, Lead thy tongue to warmer climates, There a prisoner to suffer, Never to obtain thy freedom Till thy spirit I deliver, Till I go myself and free thee."

Wicked Frost, the son of Winter, Saw the magic bird of evil Hovering above his spirit, Straightway prayed for Ahti's mercy, These the words the Frost-fiend uttered: "Let us now agree together, Neither one to harm the other, Never in the course of ages, Never while the moonlight glimmers On the snow-capped hills of Northland.

If thou hearest that I bring thee Cold to freeze thy feet and fingers, Hurl me to the fiery furnace, Hammer me upon the anvil Of the blacksmith, Ilmarinen; Lead my tongue to warmer climates, Banish me to lands of summer, There a prisoner to suffer, Nevermore to gain my freedom."

Thereupon wild Lemminkainen Left his vessel in the ocean, Frozen in the ice of Northland, Left his warlike boat forever, Started on his cheerless journey To the borders of Pohyola, And the mighty Tiera followed In the tracks of his companion.

On the ice they journeyed northward Briskly walked upon the ice-plain, Walked one day, and then a second, Till the closing of the third day, When the Hunger-land approached them, When appeared Starvation-island.

Here the hardy Lemminkainen Hastened forward to the castle, This the hero's prayer and question; "Is there food within this castle, Fish or fowl within its larders, To refresh us on our journey, Mighty heroes, cold and weary?

When the hero, Lemminkainen, Found no food within the castle, Neither fish, nor fowl, nor bacon, Thus he cursed it and departed: "May the fire destroy these chambers, May the waters flood this dwelling, Wash it to the seas of Mana!"

Then they hastened onward, onward, Hastened on through field and forest, Over by-ways long untrodden, Over unknown paths and snow-fields; Here the hardy Lemminkainen, Reckless hero, Kaukomieli, Pulled the soft wool from the ledges, Gathered lichens from the tree-trunks, Wove them into magic stockings, Wove them into shoes and mittens, On the settles of the h.o.a.r-frost, In the stinging cold of Northland.

Then he sought to find some pathway, That would guide their wayward footsteps, And the hero spake as follows: "O thou Tiera, friend beloved, Shall we reach our destination, Wandering for days together, Through these Northland fields and forests?

Kura thus replies to Ahti: "We, alas! have come for vengeance, Come for blood and retribution, To the battle-fields of Northland, To the dismal Sariola, Here to leave our souls and bodies, Here to starve, and freeze, and perish, In the dreariest of places, In this sun-forsaken country!

Never shall we gain the knowledge, Never learn it, never tell it, Which the pathway that can guide us To the forest-beds to suffer, To the Pohya-plains to perish, In the home-land of the ravens, Fitting food for crows and eagles.

Often do the Northland vultures. .h.i.ther come to feed their fledgelings; Hither bring the birds of heaven Bits of flesh and blood of heroes; Often do the beaks of ravens Tear the flesh of kindred corpses, Often do the eagle's talons Carry bones and trembling vitals, Such as ours, to feed their nestlings, In their rocky homes and ledges.

"Oh! my mother can but wonder, Never can divine the answer, Where her reckless son is roaming, Where her hero's blood is flowing, Whether in the swamps and lowlands Whether in the heat of battle, Or upon the waves of the ocean, Or upon the hop-feld mountains, Or along some forest by-way.

Nothing can her mind discover Of the frailest of her heroes, Only think that he has perished.

Thus the h.o.a.ry-headed mother Weeps and murmurs in her chambers: 'Where is now my son beloved, In the kingdom of Ma.n.a.la?