Kalevala, The Land Of The Heroes Volume Ii Part 25

"O Creator, work thy magic, Speak, O Jumala, unto us, Deign to gaze on us, Almighty!

Let those who at night are healthy, Likewise in the day be healthy, Let no suffering fall upon them, And no sickness come among them, Nor their hearts be filled with anguish, 350 That they feel no slightest evil, Feel no more the slightest suffering, In the course of all their lifetime, While the golden moon is s.h.i.+ning."

Vainamoinen, old and steadfast, He the great primeval sorcerer, Thus at length dispelled the evils, Raised their burdens from his people, Drove away the plagues of magic, Healed the magical diseases, 360 And from death he saved his people, Thus saved Kaleva's descendants.

RUNO XLVI.--VaINaMoINEN AND THE BEAR

_Argument_

The Mistress of Pohjola sends a bear to destroy the herds of Kalevala (1-20). Vainamoinen kills the bear, and a great feast is held in Kalevala in honour of the occasion (21-606). Vainamoinen sings, plays on the kantele, and hopes that a time of great happiness and prosperity is coming to Kalevala (607-644).

Unto Pohjola came tidings, To the village cold the tidings That in Vainola 'twas healthy, Freed was Kalevala completely From the evil plagues of magic, And the scourge of nameless sickness.

Louhi, Pohjola's old Mistress, Old and gap-toothed dame of Pohja, Thereupon again grew furious, And she spoke the words which follow: 10 "Still I know another method, And a cunning scheme have thought on.

On the heath the Bear I'll waken, On the waste the curving-clawed one, Vainola's fine flocks to ravage, Herds of Kalevala to slaughter."

On the heath the bear she wakened, From his native land she drove him To the heathlands of Vainola, And to Kalevala's green pastures. 20

Vainamoinen, old and steadfast, Uttered then the words which follow: "Ilmarinen, smith and brother, Make a new spear quickly for me, Make it with three cutting edges, With a copper shaft construct it.

With the bear I now must struggle, Overthrow the s.h.a.ggy monster, That he slay no more my geldings, Nor shall fall upon my brood-mares, 30 Neither shall destroy my cattle, Or attempt my cows to injure."

Then the smith a spear constructed, Not a long one, not a short one, But of middle length he forged it.

On the blade a wolf was sitting, On the edge a bear was standing, At the joint an elk was trotting, On the shaft a colt was running, At the end a reindeer leaping. 40 Then fresh snow was gently falling, And a little snow had drifted As it drifts in early autumn, White as is the hare in winter.

Said the aged Vainamoinen, And he spoke the words which follow: "Now my inclination leads me Unto Metsola to travel; To the forest's daughter's dwelling, And to the Blue Maiden's homestead. 50 Leaving men, I seek the forest, Heroes leave, for distant regions.

Take me as thy man, O forest, Take me, Tapio, for thy hero.

May good fortune now be granted, And to fell the forest-beauty.

"Mielikki, the forest's Mistress, Tellervo, the wife of Tapio, Do thou bind thy dogs securely, Do thou keep thy whelps in order, 60 In the paths, 'mid honeysuckle, And beneath the roof of oakwood.

"Otso, apple of the forest, O thou lazy honey-pawed one!

If thou hearest me approaching, Hearest me, the hero, coming, In thy hair thy claws conceal thou, In thy gums thy teeth conceal thou, That thou never more may'st move them, That they motionless remain there. 70

"O my Otso, O my darling, Fair one with the paws of honey, Do thou rest in hilly country, And among the rocks so lovely, Where the pines above are waving, And the firs below are rustling.

Turn thyself around, O Otso, Turn thee round, O honey-pawed one, As upon her nest the woodgrouse, Or as turns the goose when brooding." 80

Then the aged Vainamoinen Heard his dog was barking loudly, And the dog was fiercely baying Just beside the Small-eye's dwelling, In the pathway of the Broad-nose; And he spoke the words which follow: "First I thought it was a cuckoo, Thought I heard a love-bird singing, But no cuckoo there is calling, And no love-bird there is singing, 90 But it is my dog that's baying, Here my faithful hound awaits me, At the door of Otso's dwelling, At the handsome hero's homestead."

Then the aged Vainamoinen Struck the bear where he was lying, Overturned his bed of satin, Overthrew his lair so golden, And he spoke the words which follow, And in words like these expressed him: 100 "Praise, O Jumala, unto thee, Praise to thee alone, Creator, Unto me the bear who gavest, And the forest gold hast granted."

Gazed he on the golden booty, And he spoke the words which follow: "O my Otso, O my darling, Fair one with the paws of honey, Be not filled with causeless anger, I myself have not o'erthrown thee, 110 Thou thyself hast left the forest, Wandered from thy pine-tree covert, Thou hast torn away thy clothing, Ripped thy grey cloak in the thicket.

Slippery is this autumn weather, Cloudy are the days and misty.

"Golden cuckoo of the forest, s.h.a.ggy-haired and lovely creature, Do thou quit thy chilly dwelling, Do thou quit thy native desert, 120 And thy home of birchen branches, Wattled wigwam where thou dwellest.

Go to wander in the open, O thou beauty of the forest, On thy light shoes wandering onward, Marching in thy blue-hued stockings, Leaving now this little dwelling.

Do thou leave this narrow dwelling, Leave it for the mighty heroes, To the race of men resign it. 130 There are none will treat thee badly, And no wretched life awaits thee.

For thy food they'll give thee honey, And for drink, of mead the freshest, When thou goest to a distance, Whither with the staff they guide thee.

"From this place depart thou quickly, From thy little nest depart thou, From beneath these famous rafters, From beneath this roof so handsome; 140 Glide along upon thy snowshoes, As on pond a water-lily, Then glide on among the fir-trees, Like a squirrel in the branches."

Then the aged Vainamoinen, He the great primeval minstrel, Walked across the plains, loud-playing, O'er the heath he wandered singing, And he brought the n.o.ble stranger.

With his s.h.a.ggy friend he wandered. 150 In the house was heard his playing, 'Neath the roofs they heard his singing.

In the house there cried the people, And exclaimed the handsome people, "Listen to the noise resounding, To the music from the forest, Like the singing of the crossbill, Or a maiden's flute in forest."

Vainamoinen, old and steadfast, Then the house was fast approaching. 160 From the house there called the people, And the handsome people asked him, "Have you brought the bright gold with you, Have you brought the silver hither, Brought our darling money with you, Gathered money on your journey?

Gave the wood the honey-eater, And a lynx to lord of forest, That you come among us singing, On your snowshoes come rejoicing?" 170

Vainamoinen, old and steadfast, Answered in the words which follow: "Singing would I bring the otter, Give to Jumala my praises, So I sing as I am coming, On my snowshoes come rejoicing.

"What I bring is not an otter, Not a lynx, and not an otter, One more famous is approaching, Comes the pride of all the forest. 180 Comes an old man wandering hither, With his overcoat he cometh.

If it be a pleasure to you, Let the doors be widely opened; But if you dislike the stranger, Close the doors against him firmly."

And the people gave him answer, Shouted all the handsome people, "Welcome, Otso, be thy coming, Honey-pawed, who now approachest 190 To our dwelling, freshly scoured, To our household, now so charming.

"This I wished for all my lifetime, All my youth I waited for it, Tapio's horn to hear resounding, And to hear the wood-pipe whistling, Wandering through the golden forest, Coming through the silver woodland, And our little house approaching, And along the narrow pathway. 200

"I had hoped a year of fortune, Waiting for the coming summer, As for new-fallen snow the snowshoe, Or a path for gliding suited, As a maiden for her lover, Or a consort for a red-cheek.

"In the eve I sat at window, Morning, at the door of storehouse, At the gate a week I waited, And a month at pathway's opening. 210 In the lane I stayed a winter, Stood in snow while ground was hardened, Till the hardened land grew softer, And the soft ground turned to gravel, And to sand was changed the gravel, And the sand at length grew verdant, And I pondered every morning, In my head reflected daily, 'Wherefore is the Bear delaying?

Why delays the forest's darling? 220 Has he travelled to Esthonia, Wandered from the land of Suomi?'"

Then the aged Vainamoinen Answered in the words that follow: "Where's my guest to be conducted, Whither shall I lead my gold one?

To the barn shall I conduct him On a bed of straw to lay him?"

And the people gave him answer, Shouted all the handsome people, 230 "Better lead our guest ill.u.s.trious, And conduct our golden beauty Underneath these famous rafters, Underneath this roof so handsome.

There is food arranged for eating, There is drink poured out for drinking, All the floors have there been dusted, And the floors been swept most cleanly, All the women finely dressed them, In their very finest garments, 240 Donned their head-dresses the finest, In their brightest robes arrayed them."

Then the aged Vainamoinen Spoke aloud the words which follow: "O my Otso, O my birdling, O my charge, with paws of honey, Still there's ground for thee to walk on, And upon the heath to wander.

"Golden one, go forth to wander, Dear one, range about the country, 250 Forth to march with sable stockings, Wander in thy cloth-made trousers, On the pathway of the t.i.tmouse, And the path where sparrows wander, Underneath five rafters straying, Underneath six roof-trees walking.

"Now be careful, luckless woman, That the herd may not be frightened, Terrified the little cattle, Nor the mistress' calves be frightened, 260 If the bear approach the homestead, And his s.h.a.ggy jaws should seize them.

"Now, ye boys, the porch abandon, Girls, depart ye from the door-posts, To the house there comes the hero, And the pride of men approaches.

"Otso, apple of the forest, Fair and bulky forest dweller, Be not frightened at the maidens, Fear not the unbraided maidens, 270 Be not fearful of the women, They the wearers of the stockings.

All the women of the household, Quickly round the stove will gather, When they see the hero enter, And behold the youth advancing."

Said the aged Vainamoinen, "Jumala be gracious to us, Underneath these famous rafters, Underneath this roof so handsome. 280 Whither shall I take my darling, And shall bring the s.h.a.ggy creature?"

And the people spoke in answer, "Hail, all hail to thee who comest!

Thither shalt thou bring thy birdling, Thither take thy golden beauty To the end of pole of pinewood, To the end of bench of iron, That his s.h.a.ggy coat we gaze on, And his hair may well examine. 290

"Be not grieved for this, O Otso, Neither let it make thee angry, That we take thy hide an hour, And thy hair to gaze on always.