Kalevala, The Land Of The Heroes Volume I Part 19

O'er the hills and dales he glided, Through the lands beyond the ocean, 150 Over all the wastes of Hiisi, Over all the heaths of Kalma, And before the mouth of Surma, And behind the house of Kalma.

Surma's mouth was quickly opened, Down was bowed the head of Kalma, That he thus might seize the hero, And might swallow Lemminkainen; But he tried, and failed to reach him, Failed completely in his effort. 160

O'er all lands he had not skated, Nor had reached the desert's borders, In the furthest bounds of Pohja, In the distant realms of Lapland, So he skated further onward, Till he reached the desert's borders.

When he reached this distant region, Then he heard a great commotion, In the furthest bounds of Pohja, On the plains of Lapland's children. 170 And he heard the dogs were barking, And the Lapland children crying, And the Lapland women laughing, And the other Lapps were grumbling.

Then the lively Lemminkainen Skated on in that direction, Where he heard the dogs were barking On the plains of Lapland's children; And he said on his arrival, And he asked them on his coming: 180 "Wherefore are the women laughing, Women laughing, children crying, And the older folks lamenting, And the grey dogs all are barking?"

"Therefore are the women laughing, Women laughing, children crying, And the older folks lamenting, And the grey dogs all are barking.

Here has charged the elk of Hiisi, With its hoofs all cleft and polished, 190 In the house the tubs kicked over, On the fire upset the kettles, Shaken out the soup within them, Spilt it all among the ashes."

Thereupon the ruddy rascal, He the lively Lemminkainen, Struck his left shoe in the snowdrift, Like an adder in the meadow, Pushed his staff of pinewood forward, As it were a living serpent, 200 And he said as he was gliding, Grasping firm the pole he carried: "Let the men who live in Lapland, Help me all to bring the elk home; And let all the Lapland women Set to work to wash the kettles; And let all the Lapland children Hasten forth to gather splinters; And let all the Lapland kettles Help to cook the elk when captured." 210

Then he poised himself and balanced, Forward pushed, his strength exerting, And the first time he shot forward, From before their eyes he vanished.

Once again he speeded onward, And they could no longer hear him, But the third time he rushed onward, Then he reached the elk of Hiisi.

Then he took a pole of maple, And he made a birchen collar; 220 Hiisi's elk he tethered with it, In a pen of oak he placed it.

"Stand thou there, O elk of Hiisi, Here remain, O nimble reindeer!"

Then upon the back he stroked it, Patted it upon the belly.

"Would that I awhile might tarry, And might sleep awhile and rest me, Here beside a youthful maiden, With a dove of blooming beauty." 230

Then did Hiisi's elk grow furious, And the reindeer kicked out wildly, And it spoke the words which follow: "Lempo's self shall reckon with you, If you sleep beside a maiden, And beside a girl should tarry."

Then it gave a mighty struggle, And it snapped the birchen collar, And it broke the pole of maple, And the pen of oak burst open, 240 And began to hurry forwards, And the elk rushed wildly onwards, Over land and over marshes, Over slopes o'ergrown with bushes, Till the eyes no more could see it, And the ears no longer hear it.

Thereupon the ruddy rascal Grew both sorrowful and angry, Very vexed and very angry, And would chase the elk of Hiisi, 250 But as he was rus.h.i.+ng forward, In a hole he broke his left shoe, And his snowshoe fell to pieces, On the ground he broke the right one, Broke the tips from off his snowshoes, And the frames across the joinings.

While rushed on the elk of Hiisi, Till its head he saw no longer.

Then the lively Lemminkainen, Bowed his head in deep depression, 260 Gazed upon the broken snowshoes, And he spoke the words which follow: "Nevermore in all his lifetime May another hunter venture Confidently to the forest, Chasing Hiisi's elk on snowshoes!

Since I went, O me unhappy, And have spoilt the best of snowshoes, And the splendid frames have shattered, And my spearpoint likewise broken." 270

RUNO XIV.--LEMMINKAINEN'S DEATH

_Argument_

Lemminkainen invokes the forest deities, and at length succeeds in capturing the elk, and brings it to Pohjola (1-270). Another task is given him, to bridle the fire-breathing steed of Hiisi. He bridles it and brings it to Pohjola (271-372). A third task is a.s.signed him, to shoot a swan on the river of Tuonela, Lemminkainen comes to the river, but the despised cowherd, who is lying in wait for him, kills him, and casts his body into the cataract of Tuoni. The son of Tuoni then cuts his body to pieces (373-460).

Then the lively Lemminkainen Deeply pondered and reflected, On the path that he should follow, Whither he should turn his footsteps, Should he leave the elk of Hiisi, And direct his journey homewards, Should he make another effort.

And pursue the chase on snowshoes, With the Forest-Queen's permission, And the favour of the wood-nymphs? 10

Then he spoke the words which follow, And in words like these expressed him: "Ukko, thou of G.o.ds the highest, Gracious Father in the heavens, Make me now two better snowshoes, Leather snowshoes fit for sliding, That I glide upon them swiftly Over land and over marshes, Glide throughout the land of Hiisi, And across the heaths of Pohja, 20 There to chase the elk of Hiisi, And to catch the nimble reindeer.

"In the wood alone I wander, Toil without another hero, Through the pathways of Tapiola, And beside the home of Tapio.

Welcome, wooded slopes and mountains, Welcome to the rustling pinewoods, Welcome to the grey head aspens, And to all who greet me, welcome! 30

"Be propitious wood and thicket, Gracious Tapio, do thou aid me, Bring the hero to the islands, To the hills in safety lead him, Where he can attain the quarry, Whence he may bring back the booty.

"Nyyrikki, O son of Tapio, Thou the mighty red-capped hero, Blaze the path across the country, And erect me wooden guide-posts, 40 That I trace this evil pathway, And pursue the rightful roadway, While I seek my destined quarry, And the booty I am seeking.

"Mielikki, the forest's mistress, Thou the mighty, fair-faced mother!

Let thy gold now wander onward, And thy silver set in motion, Right before the man who seeks it, On the pathway of the seeker. 50

"Take the keys of gold, suspended By the ring that hangs beside thee, Open thou the stores of Tapio, And his castle in the forest, During this my hunting-season, While I hunt in distant regions.

"If thyself thou wilt not trouble, Strictly charge thy little maidens, Send thy serving maidens to me, Give thy orders to thy servants! 60 If thou canst not be my hostess, Do thou not forbid thy maidens, For thou hast a hundred maidens, And a thousand at thy orders, Those on all thy herds attending, Likewise all thy game protecting.

"Little maiden of the forest, Tapio's girl, with mouth of honey, Play upon thy flute of honey, Whistle through thy pipe of honey, 70 In thy n.o.ble mistress' hearing, Gracious queen of all the forest, That she soon may hear the music, And from her repose may rouse her, For she does not hear at present, And she but awakens rarely, Though I supplicate for ever, With my golden tongue imploring!"

Then the lively Lemminkainen Wandered on, but found no booty, 80 Glided through the plains and marshes, Glided through the trackless forests, Where has Jumala his soot-hills, To the charcoal heaths of Hiisi.

Thus he skated one day, two days, And at length upon the third day, Came he to a lofty mountain, Where he climbed a rock stupendous, And he turned his eyes to north-west, To the north across the marshes, 90 And he saw the farms of Tapio, With the doors all golden s.h.i.+ning, To the north, across the marshes, On the slope among the thickets.

Then the lively Lemminkainen Quickly to the spot approaching, Pushed his way through all obstructions, Under Tapio's very windows.

And he looked while stooping forward, In the sixth among the windows. 100 There were resting game-dispensers, Matrons of the woods reposing, All were in their work-day garments, And with filthy rags were covered.

Said the lively Lemminkainen, "Wherefore, Mistress of the Forest, Dost thou wear thy work-day garments, Dirty ragged thresher's garments?

You are very black to gaze on, And your whole appearance dreadful, 110 For your breast is most disgusting, And your form is very bloated.

"When before I tracked the forests, I beheld three castles standing.

One was wooden, one a bone one, And the third of stone was builded.

There were six bright golden windows On the sides of every castle, And if then I gazed within them, 'Neath the wall as I was standing, 120 Saw the lord of Tapio's household, And the mistress of his household; Tellervo, the maid of Tapio, And the rest of Tapio's household, All in rustling golden garments, And parading there in silver, She herself, the Forest-Mistress, Gracious Mistress of the Forest, On her wrists were golden bracelets, Golden rings upon her fingers, 130 On her head a golden head-dress, And her hair adorned with ducats; In her ears were golden earrings, Finest beads her neck encircling.

"Gracious Mistress of the Forest, Of sweet Metsola the matron!

Cast away thy hay-shoes from thee, And discard thy shoes of birchbark, Cast thou off thy thres.h.i.+ng garments, And thy wretched work-day garments, 140 Don thy garments of good fortune, And thy blouse for game-dispensing, In the days I track the forest, Seeking for a hunter's booty.

Long and wearily I wander, Wearily I track my pathway, Yet I wander here for nothing, All the time without a quarry.

If you do not grant me booty, Nor reward me for my labour, 150 Long and sad will be the evening, Long the day when game is wanting.

"Aged greybeard of the forest, With thy pine-leaf hat and moss-cloak, Dress thou now the woods in linen, And the wilds a cloth throw over.

All the aspens robe in greyness, And the alders robe in beauty, Clothe the pine-trees all in silver, And with gold adorn the fir-trees. 160 Aged pine-trees belt with copper, Belt the fir-trees all with silver, Birch-trees with their golden blossoms, And their trunks with gold adornments.

Make it as in former seasons Even when thy days were better, When the fir-shoots shone in moonlight, And the pine-boughs in the sunlight, When the wood was sweet with honey, And the blue wastes flowed with honey, 170 Smelt like malt the heathlands' borders, From the very swamps ran b.u.t.ter.

"Forest-maiden, gracious virgin, Tuulikki, O Tapio's daughter!

Drive the game in this direction, Out into the open heathland.

If it runs with heavy footsteps, Or is lazy in its running, Take a switch from out the bushes, Or a birch-twig from the valley, 180 Switch the game upon the haunches, And upon the flanks, O whip it, Drive it swiftly on before you, Make it hasten quickly onward, To the man who here awaits it, In the pathway of the hunter.

"If the game comes on the footpath, Drive it forward to the hero, Do thou put thy hands together, And on both sides do thou guide it, 190 That the game may not escape me, Rus.h.i.+ng back in wrong direction.

If the game should seek to fly me, Rus.h.i.+ng in the wrong direction, Seize its ear, and drag it forward By the horns upon the pathway.

"If there's brushwood on the pathway, Drive it to the pathway's edges; If a tree should block the pathway, Then the tree-trunk break asunder. 200

"If a fence obstructs the pathway, Thrust the fence aside before you, Take five withes to hold it backward, And seven posts whereon to bind them.

"If a river runs before thee, Or a brook should cross the pathway, Build thou then a bridge all silken, With a red cloth for a gateway; Drive the game by narrow pathways, And across the quaking marshes, 210 Over Pohjola's wide rivers, O'er the waterfalls all foaming.

"Master of the house of Tapio, Mistress of the house of Tapio; Aged greybeard of the forest, King of all the golden forest; Mimerkki, the forest's mistress, Fair dispenser of its treasures, Blue-robed woman of the bushes, Mistress of the swamps, red-stockinged, 220 Come, with me thy gold to barter, Come, with me to change thy silver.