Kalevala, The Land Of The Heroes Volume I Part 9

After this, the points he sharpened.

And the arrow-points he poisoned.

In the black blood of the serpent, In the blood of hissing adders.

Thus he made his arrows ready, And his bow was fit for bending, 60

And he watched for Vainamoinen, Waited for Suvantolainen, Watched at morning, watched at evenings Waited also through the noontide.

Long he watched for Vainamoinen, Waited long, and wearied never, Sitting gazing from the window, Or upon the stairs he waited, Sometimes lurking by the pathway, Sometimes watching in the meadow, 70 On his back his well-filled quiver, 'Neath his arm his crossbow ready.

Then he waited further onwards.

Lurking near another building, On the cape that juts out sharply, Where the tongue of land curves outward.

Near a waterfall, all foaming.

Past the banks of sacred rivers.

And at length one day it happened.

Very early in the morning, 80 As he turned his eyes to westward, And he turned his head to eastward Something dark he spied on ocean.

Something blue upon the billows.

"Is a cloud in east arising, Or the dawn of day appearing?"

In the east no cloud was rising, Nor the dawn of day appearing.

'Twas the aged Vainamoinen, 'Twas the ever-famous minstrel, 90 Who to Pohjola was hasting, As to Pimentola he journeyed, Mounted on his straw-hued courser.

Like a pea-stalk in his colour.

Then the youthful Joukahainen, He, the meagre son of Lapland, Spanned in haste his mighty crossbow.

And he aimed the splendid weapon At the head of Vainamoinen, Thus to kill Suvantolainen. 100

Then his mother came and asked him, And the aged one inquired, "Wherefore do you span your weapon, Bending thus the iron crossbow?"

Then the youthful Joukahainen Answered in the words which follow.

"Therefore do I span the weapon.

Bending thus the iron crossbow.

For the head of Vainamoinen, Thus to kill Suvantolainen, 110 I will shoot old Vainamoinen, Strike the ever-famous minstrel, Through the heart, and through the liver, 'Twixt the shoulders I will shoot him."

But his mother straight forbade him, And dissuaded him from shooting.

"Do not shoot at Vainamoinen, Do not Kalevalainen slaughter.

Of a n.o.ble race is Vaino; He's my sister's son, my nephew. 120

"If you shoot at Vainamoinen, And should Kalevalainen slaughter.

Gladness from the world will vanish, And from earth will song be banished.

In the world is gladness better.

And on earth is song more cheerful, Than to Ma.n.a.la if banished.

And to Tuonela's darkest regions."

Then the youthful Joukahainen Paused a moment and reflected, 130 And he pondered for an instant, Though his hands to shoot were ready, One would shoot, and one restrained him, But his sinewy fingers forced him.

And at length these words he uttered, And expressed his own decision: "What if twice from earth in future Every gladness should be banished?

Let all songs for ever vanish; I will shoot my arrows, heedless!" 140

Then he spanned the mighty crossbow.

And he drew the bow of copper, And against his left knee bent it, Steady with his foot he held it, Took an arrow from his quiver, Chose a triple-feathered arrow, Took the strongest of his arrows, Chose the very best among them, Then upon the groove he laid it, On the hempen cord he fixed it, 150 Then his mighty bow he lifted, And he placed it to his shoulder, Ready now to shoot the arrow, And to shoot at Vainamoinen.

And he spoke the words which follow: "Do thou strike, O birchwood arrow, Strike thou in the back, O pinewood.

Tw.a.n.g thy best, O hempen bowstring!

If my hand is leaning downward, Let the arrow then strike higher, 160 If my hand is bending upward, Let the arrow then strike downward!"

Quickly then he drew the trigger, Shot the first among his arrows.

Far too high the shaft flew upward.

High above his head to skyward, And it whizzed among the cloudlets, Through the scattered clouds it wandered.

Thus he shot, in reckless fas.h.i.+on, Shot the second of his arrows. 170 Far too low the shot flew downwards.

Deep in Mother Earth 'twas sunken.

Earth was almost sunk to Mana, And the hills of sand were cloven.

Then he shot again, a third time, And the third shaft, straighter flying, In the blue elk's spleen was buried, Under aged Vainamoinen, Thus he shot the straw-hued courser, Like a pea-stalk in his colour; 180 Through the flesh beneath his shoulder, In the left side deep he pierced him.

Then the aged Vainamoinen, Plunged his fingers in the water, With his hands the waves he parted, Grasping at the foaming billows, From the blue elk's back he tumbled From the steed of pea-stalk colour.

Then a mighty wind arising Raised upon the sea a billow, 190 And it bore old Vainamoinen, Swimming from the mainland further, O'er the wide expanse of water, Out into the open ocean.

Then the youthful Joukahainen Uttered words of boastful triumph: "Now thou ancient Vainamoinen, Never while thy life endureth, In the course of all thy lifetime, While the golden moon is s.h.i.+ning, 200 Walk in Vainola's fair meadows.

Or on Kalevala's broad heathlands!

"May you toss for six years running, Seven long summers ever drifting, Tossed about for over eight years, On the wide expanse of water, On the surface of the billows, Drift for six years like a pine-tree, And for seven years like a fir-tree, And for eight years like a tree-stump!" 210

Then the house again he entered, And at once his mother asked him, "Have you shot at Vainamoinen?

Slaughtered Kaleva's famous offspring?"

Then the youthful Joukahainen Answered in the words which follow "I have shot at Vainamoinen, And have o'erthrown Kalevalainen, Sent him swimming in the water, Swept him out upon the billows, 220 On the restless waves of ocean Where the waves are wildly tossing, And the old man plunged his fingers And his palms amid the waters, Then upon his side he tumbled, And upon his back he turned him, Drifting o'er the waves of ocean, Out upon the foaming billows."

But his mother made him answer, "Very evil hast thou acted, 230 Thus to shoot at Vainamoinen And to o'erthrow Kalevalainen.

Of Suvantola the hero, Kalevala's most famous hero."

RUNO VII.--VaINaMoINEN AND LOUHI

_Argument_

Vainamoinen swims for several days on the open sea (1-88). The eagle, grateful to him for having spared the birch-tree for him to rest on, when he was felling the trees takes Vainamoinen on his wings, and carries him to the borders of Pohjola, where the Mistress of Pohjola takes him to her abode, and receives him hospitably (89-274).

Vainamoinen desires to return to his own country, and the Mistress of Pohjola permits him to depart, and promises him her daughter in marriage if he will forge the Sampo in Pohjola (275-322). Vainamoinen promises that when he returns home he will send the smith Ilmarinen to forge the Sampo, and the Mistress of Pohjola gives him a horse and a sledge to convey him home (323-368).

Vainamoinen, old and steadfast, Swam upon the open ocean, Drifting like a fallen pine-tree, Like a rotten branch of fir-tree, During six days of the summer, And for six nights in succession, While the sea spread wide before him, And the sky was clear above him.

Thus he swam for two nights longer, And for two days long and dreary. 10 When the ninth night darkened round him, And the eighth day had pa.s.sed over, Sudden anguish came upon him, And his pain grew ever greater.

From his toes his nails were dropping, And the joints from off his fingers.

Then the aged Vainamoinen Spoke in words like those which follow: "Woe to me, unhappy creature, Overburdened with misfortune! 20 I have wandered from my country, And my ancient home abandoned.

'Neath the open sky for ever, Driven along in sun and moonlight, Rocked about by winds for ever, Tossed about by every billow, On the wide expanse of water, Out upon the open ocean, Here I live a cold existence, And 'tis painful thus to wallow, 30 Always tossing on the billows, On the surface of the waters.