Kalevala, The Land Of The Heroes Volume I Part 14

Then he sang his songs of magic, And he sang a moon all s.h.i.+ning, 40 On the pine-tree's golden summit; And the Great Bear in the branches.

On he drove with speed tremendous, Straight to his beloved homestead, Head bowed down, and thoughts all gloomy, And his cap was tilted sideways, For the great smith Ilmarinen, He the great primeval craftsman, He had promised as his surety, That his own head he might rescue 50 Out of Pohjola's dark regions, Sariola for ever misty.

Presently his horse he halted At the new-cleared field of Osmo, And the aged Vainamoinen, In the sledge his head uplifted, Heard the noise within the smithy, And the clatter in the coal-shed.

Vainamoinen, old and steadfast, Then himself the smithy entered, 60 And he found smith Ilmarinen, Wielding mightily his hammer.

Said the smith, said Ilmarinen, "O thou aged Vainamoinen, Where have you so long been staying.

Where have you so long been living?"

Vainamoinen, old and steadfast, Answered in the words which follow: "There have I so long been staying, There have I so long been living, 70 In the gloomy land of Pohja, Sariola for ever misty.

Long I coursed on Lapland snowshoes, With the world-renowned magicians."

Then the smith, e'en Ilmarinen, Answered in the words which follow: "O thou aged Vainamoinen, Thou the great primeval sorcerer.

Tell me of your journey thither; Tell me of your homeward journey." 80

Said the aged Vainamoinen, "Much indeed have I to tell you: Lives in Pohjola a maiden, In that village cold a virgin, Who will not accept a suitor, Mocks the very best among them.

Half of all the land of Pohja Praises her surpa.s.sing beauty.

From her temples s.h.i.+nes the moonlight, From her b.r.e.a.s.t.s the sun is s.h.i.+ning, 90 And the Great Bear from her shoulders, From her back the starry Seven.

"Thou thyself, smith Ilmarinen, Thou, the great primeval craftsman, Go thyself to woo the maiden, And behold her s.h.i.+ning tresses.

If you can but forge a Sampo, With its many-coloured cover, You will then receive the maiden, And the fair maid be your guerdon." 100

Said the smith, e'en Ilmarinen, "O thou aged Vainamoinen, You have perhaps already pledged me To the gloomy land of Pohja, That your own head you might rescue, And might thus secure your freedom.

Not in course of all my lifetime, While the golden moon is s.h.i.+ning, Hence to Pohjola I'll journey, Huts of Sariola so dreary, 110 Where the people eat each other, And they even drown the heroes."

Then the aged Vainamoinen Answered in the words which follow: "There is wonder after wonder; There's a pine with flowery summit, Flowery summit, leaves all golden, Near where Osmo's field is bordered.

On the crown the moon is s.h.i.+ning, In the boughs the Bear is resting." 120

Said the smith, e'en Ilmarinen, "This I never can believe in, If I do not go to see it, And my own eyes have not seen it."

Said the aged Vainamoinen, "If you cannot then believe it, We will go ourselves, and witness Whether true or false the story."

Then they both went forth to see it, View the pine with flowery summit, 130 First walked aged Vainamoinen, And smith Ilmarinen second.

When they reached the spot they sought for, On the edge of Osmo's cornfield, Then the smith his steps arrested, In amazement at the pine-tree, With the Great Bear in the branches, And the moon upon its summit.

Then the aged Vainamoinen, Spoke the very words which follow: 140 "Now thou smith, my dearest brother, Climb and fetch the moon above us, Bring thou, too, the Great Bear s.h.i.+ning On the pine-tree's golden summit."

Then the smith, e'en Ilmarinen, Climbed aloft into the pine-tree, Up he climbed into the daylight, Climbed to fetch the moon above him, And the Great Bear, s.h.i.+ning brightly, On the pine-tree's golden summit. 150

Said the pine-tree's golden summit, Said the widely-branching pine-tree, "Mighty man, of all most foolish, O most thoughtless of the heroes!

In my branches, fool, thou climbest, To my summit, as a boy might, And would'st grasp the moon's reflection, And the false stars thou beholdest!"

Then the aged Vainamoinen, Lifted up his voice in singing. 160 As he sang uprose a tempest, And the wind rose wildly furious, And he spoke the words which follow.

And expressed himself in thiswise: "In thy boat, O wind, convey him, In thy skiff, O breeze, convey him, Bear him to the distant regions Of the gloomy land of Pohja."

Then there rose a mighty tempest, And the wind so wildly furious 170 Carried off smith Ilmarinen, Hurried him to distant regions, To the gloomy land of Pohja, Sariola for ever misty.

Then the smith, e'en Ilmarinen, Journeyed forth, and hurried onwards, On the tempest forth he floated, On the pathway of the breezes, Over moon, and under sunray, On the shoulders of the Great Bear, 180 Till he reached the halls of Pohja, Baths of Sariola the gloomy, Yet the tailed-dogs were not barking, And the watch-dogs were not yelping.

Louhi, Pohjola's old Mistress, Old and gap-toothed dame of Pohja, In the house she stood and listened, And at length she spoke as follows: "Who then are you among mortals, Who among the roll of heroes, 190 On the tempest-path who comest, On the sledgeway of the breezes, Yet the dogs ran forth not, barking, And the s.h.a.ggy-tailed ones barked not."

Said the smith, e'en Ilmarinen, "Surely I have not come hither That the village dogs should shame me, Or the s.h.a.ggy-tailed ones hurt me, Here behind these foreign portals, And behind these unknown fences." 200

Then did Pohjola's old Mistress Question thus the new-come stranger: "Have you ever on your travels, Heard reports of, or encountered Him, the great smith Ilmarinen, Most accomplished of the craftsmen?

Long have we been waiting for him, Long been anxious for his coming Here to Pohjola's dark regions, That a Sampo he might forge us." 210

Then the smith, e'en Ilmarinen, Answered in the words which follow: "I have met upon my journey With the smith named Ilmarinen; I myself am Ilmarinen, And a most accomplished craftsman."

Louhi, Pohjola's old Mistress, Old and gap-toothed dame of Pohja, Hurried back into her dwelling, And she spoke the words which follow: 220 "Come my daughter, thou the youngest, Thou the fairest of my children, Robe thyself in choicest raiment, Clothe thee in the brightest-coloured, In the finest of your dresses, Brightest beads upon thy bosom, Round thy neck the very finest, And upon thy temples s.h.i.+ning.

See thou that thy cheeks are rosy, And thy countenance is cheerful. 230 Here's the smith named Ilmarinen, He the great primeval craftsman, Who will forge the Sampo for us, With its brightly-pictured cover."

Then the lovely maid of Pohja, Famed on land, on water peerless, Took the choicest of her dresses, And the brightest of her garments, And the fifth at last selected.

Then her head-dress she adjusted, 240 And her copper belt girt round her, And her wondrous golden girdle.

Back she came from out the storeroom, Dancing back into the courtyard, And her eyes were brightly s.h.i.+ning.

As she moved, her earrings jingled, And her countenance was charming, And her lovely cheeks were rosy.

Gold was s.h.i.+ning on her bosom, On her head was silver gleaming. 250

Then did Pohjola's old Mistress, Lead the smith named Ilmarinen, Into Pohjola's great castle.

Rooms of Sariola the gloomy.

There she set a meal before him, Gave the hero drink in plenty, And she feasted him profusely, And at length she spoke as follows: "O thou smith, O Ilmarinen, Thou the great primeval craftsman, 260 If you can but forge a Sampo, With its many-coloured cover, From the tips of swans' white wing-plumes, From the milk of barren heifer, From a little grain of barley, From the wool of sheep of summer, Will you then accept this maiden, As reward, my charming daughter?"

Then the smith named Ilmarinen Answered in the words which follow: 270 "I will go to forge the Sampo, Weld its many-coloured cover, From the tips of swans' white wing-plumes, From the milk of barren heifer, From a little grain of barley, From the wool of sheep of summer, For 'twas I who forged the heavens, And the vault of air I hammered, Ere the air had yet beginning, Or a trace of aught was present." 280

Then he went to forge the Sampo, With its many-coloured cover, Sought a station for a smithy, And he needed tools for labour; But no place he found for smithy, Nor for smithy, nor for bellows, Nor for furnace, nor for anvil, Not a hammer, nor a mallet.

Then the smith, e'en Ilmarinen, Spoke aloud the words which follow: 290 "None despair, except old women, Scamps may leave their task unfinished; Not a man, how weak soever, Not a hero of the laziest!"

For his forge he sought a station, And a wide place for the bellows, In the country round about him, In the outer fields of Pohja.

So he sought one day, a second, And at length upon the third day 300 Found a stone all streaked with colours, And a mighty rock beside it.

Here the smith his search abandoned, And the smith prepared his furnace, On the first day fixed the bellows, And the forge upon the second.

Thereupon smith Ilmarinen, He the great primeval craftsman, Heaped the fuel upon the fire, And beneath the forge he thrust it, 310 Made his servants work the bellows, To the half of all their power.

So the servants worked the bellows, To the half of all their power.

During three days of the summer, During three nights of the summer.

Stones beneath their heels were resting, And upon their toes were boulders.

On the first day of their labour He himself, smith Ilmarinen, 320 Stooped him down, intently gazing, To the bottom of the furnace, If perchance amid the fire Something brilliant had developed.

From the flames there rose a crossbow, Golden bow from out the furnace; 'Twas a gold bow tipped with silver, And the shaft shone bright with copper.

And the bow was fair to gaze on, But of evil disposition, 330 And a head each day demanded, And on feast-days two demanded.

He himself, smith Ilmarinen, Was not much delighted with it, So he broke the bow to pieces, Cast it back into the furnace, Made his servants work the bellows, To the half of all their power.

So again upon the next day, He himself, smith Ilmarinen, 340 Stooped him down, intently gazing To the bottom of the furnace, And a boat rose from the furnace, From the heat rose up a red boat, And the prow was golden-coloured, And the rowlocks were of copper.

And the boat was fair to gaze on, But of evil disposition; It would go to needless combat, And would fight when cause was lacking. 350