Kalevala, The Land Of The Heroes Volume I Part 12

_Argument_

Vainamoinen repeats to the old man the legend of the origin of iron (1-266). The old man reviles the iron and repeats spells for the stopping of blood, and the flow of blood is stayed (267-416). The old man directs his son to prepare a salve, and dresses and binds up the wound. Vainamoinen is cured, and thanks Jumala for his merciful a.s.sistance (417-586).

Then the aged Vainamoinen In the sledge at once stood upright, From the sledge he sprang unaided, And courageously stood upright.

To the room he hastened quickly, And beneath the roof he hurried.

There they brought a silver beaker, And a golden goblet likewise, But they proved by far too little, Holding but the smallest measure 10 Of the blood of aged Vaino, From the hero's foot that spouted.

From the stove the old man mumbled, Cried the greybeard when he saw him, "Who among mankind may'st thou be, Who among the roll of heroes?

Seven large boats with blood are br.i.m.m.i.n.g, Eight large tubs are overflowing From your knee, O most unhappy, On the floor in torrents gushing. 20 Other words I well remember, But the oldest I recall not, How the iron was first created, And the unworked ore was fashioned."

Then the aged Vainamoinen Answered in the words that follow: "Well I know the birth of Iron, And how steel was first created.

Air is the primeval mother, Water is the eldest brother, 30 Iron is the youngest brother, And the Fire in midst between them.

"Ukko, mightiest of Creators, He, the G.o.d above in heaven, From the Air the Water parted, And the continents from water, When unborn was evil Iron, Uncreated, undeveloped.

"Ukko, G.o.d of realms supernal, Rubbed his mighty hands together. 40 Both his hands he rubbed together, On his left knee then he pressed them, And three maidens were created, Three fair Daughters of Creation, Mothers of the rust of Iron, And of blue-mouthed steel the fosterers.

"Strolled the maids with faltering footsteps On the borders of the cloudlets, And their full b.r.e.a.s.t.s were o'erflowing, And their nipples pained them sorely. 50 Down on earth their milk ran over, From their b.r.e.a.s.t.s' overflowing fulness, Milk on land, and milk on marshes, Milk upon the peaceful waters.

"Black milk from the first was flowing, From the eldest of the maidens, White milk issued from another, From the second of the maidens, Red milk by the third was yielded, By the youngest of the maidens. 60

"Where the black milk had been dropping, There was found the softest Iron, Where the white milk had been flowing, There the hardest steel was fashioned, Where the red milk had been trickling, There was undeveloped Iron.

"But a short time had pa.s.sed over, When the Iron desired to visit Him, its dearest elder brother, And to make the Fire's acquaintance. 70

"But the Fire arose in fury, Blazing up in greatest anger, Seeking to consume its victim, E'en the wretched Iron, its brother.

"Then the Iron sought out a refuge, Sought for refuge and protection From the hands of furious Fire, From his mouth, all bright with anger.

"Then the Iron took refuge from him, Sought both refuge and protection 80 Down amid the quaking marshes, Where the springs have many sources, On the level mighty marshes, On the void and barren mountains, Where the swans their eggs deposit, And the goose her brood is rearing.

"In the swamps lay hid the Iron, Stretched beneath the marshy surface, Hid for one year and a second, For a third year likewise hidden, 90 Hidden there between two tree-stumps, 'Neath three roots of birch-trees hidden But it had not yet found safety From the fierce hands of the Fire, And a second time it wandered To the dwelling of the Fire, That it should be forged to weapons, And to sword-blades should be fashioned.

"On the marshes wolves were running, On the heath the bears came trooping. 100 'Neath the wolves' feet quaked the marshes, 'Neath the bears the heath was shaken, Thus was ore of iron uncovered, And the bars of steel were noticed, Where the claws of wolves had trodden, And the paws of bears had trampled.

"Then was born smith Ilmarinen, Thus was born, and thus was nurtured, Born upon a hill of charcoal, Reared upon a plain of charcoal, 110 In his hands a copper hammer, And his little pincers likewise.

"Ilmari was born at night-time, And at day he built his smithy, Sought a place to build his smithy, Where he could construct his bellows, In the swamp he found a land-ridge, And a small place in the marshes, So he went to gaze upon it, And examined the surroundings, 120 And erected there his bellows, And his anvil there constructed.

"Then he hastened to the wolf-tracks, And the bear-tracks also followed, And the ore of iron he saw there, And the lumps of steel he found there, In the wolves' enormous footprints; Where the bears' paws left their imprints.

Then he spoke the words which follow: "'O thou most unlucky Iron, 130 In an ill abode thou dwellest, In a very lowly station, 'Neath the wolf-prints in the marshes, And the imprints of the bear-paws.'

"Then he pondered and reflected, 'What would be the upshot of it, If I cast it in the fire, And I laid it on the anvil?'

"Sore alarmed was hapless Iron, Sore alarmed, and greatly startled, 140 When of Fire it heard him speaking, Speaking of the furious Fire.

"Said the smith, said Ilmarinen, 'But indeed it cannot happen; Fire his friends will never injure, Nor will harm his dear relations.

If you seek the Fire's red chamber, All illumined with its brightness, You will greatly gain in beauty, And your splendour greatly increase. 150 Fitted thus for men's keen sword-blades Or as clasps for women's girdles.'

"Therefore when the day was ended, Was the Iron from out the marshes, Delved from all the swampy places, Carried homeward to the smithy.

"Then he cast it in the furnace, And he laid it on the anvil, Blew a blast, and then a second, And he blew again a third time, 160 Till the Iron was fully softened, And the ore completely melted, Like to wheaten dough in softness, Soft as dough for ryebread kneaded, In the furnace of the smithy, By the bright flame's softening power.

"Then exclaimed the Iron unhappy, 'O thou smith, O Ilmarinen, Take me quickly from this furnace, From the red flames that torment me.' 170

"Said the smith, said Ilmarinen, 'If I take you from the furnace, Perhaps you might become outrageous, And commit some furious action.

Perhaps you might attack your brother, And your mother's child might injure.'

"Therefore swore the Iron unhappy, By the oaths of all most solemn, By the forge and by the anvil, By the hammer and the mallet, 180 And it said the words which follow, And expressed itself in this wise: 'Give me trees that I can bite them, Give me stones that I may break them, I will not a.s.sault my brother, Nor my mother's child will injure.

Better will be my existence, And my life will be more happy, If I dwell among companions, As the tools of handicraftsmen, 190 Than to wound my own relations, And disgrace my own connections.'

"Then the smith, e'en Ilmarinen, He, the great primeval craftsman, From the fire removed the Iron; Laid it down upon the anvil, Welded it till it was wearied, Shaped it into pointed weapons, Into spears, and into axes, Into tools of all descriptions. 200 Still there was a trifle wanting, And the soft Iron still defective, For the tongue of Iron had hissed not, And its mouth of steel was formed not, For the Iron was not yet hardened, Nor with water had been tempered.

"Then the smith, e'en Ilmarinen, Pondered over what was needed, Mixed a small supply of ashes, And some lye he added to it, 210 To the blue steel's smelting mixture, For the tempering of the Iron.

"With his tongue he tried the liquid, Tasted it if it would please him, And he spoke the words which follow: 'Even yet it does not please me For the blue steel's smelting mixture, And perfecting of the Iron.'

From without a bee came flying, Blue-winged from the gra.s.sy hillocks, 220 Hovering forwards, hovering backwards, Hovering all around the smithy.

"Then the smith spoke up as follows: 'O thou bee, my nimble comrade, Honey on thy wings convey me, On thy tongue from out the forest, From the summits of six flowerets, And from seven tall gra.s.s-stems bring it, For the blue steel's smelting mixture, And the tempering of the Iron.' 230

"But the hornet, Bird of Hiisi, Looked around him, and he listened, Gazing from beside the roof-tree, Looking from below the birchbark, At the tempering of the Iron, And the blue steel's smelting mixture.

"Thence he flew on whirring pinions, Scattering all of Hiisi's terrors, Brought the hissing of the serpents, And of snakes the dusky venom, 240 And of ants he brought the acid, And of toads the hidden poison, That the steel might thus be poisoned, In the tempering of the Iron.

"Then the smith, e'en Ilmarinen, He, the greatest of the craftsmen, Was deluded, and imagined That the bee returned already, And had brought the honey needed, Brought the honey that he wanted, 250 And he spoke the words which follow: 'Here at last is what will please me, For the blue steel's smelting mixture, And the tempering of the Iron,'

"Thereupon the steel he lifted, In he plunged the luckless Iron, As from out the fire he took it, And he took it from the anvil.

"Then indeed the steel was angry, And the Iron was seized with fury. 260 And its oath the wretch has broken, Like a dog has soiled its honour, Brutally its brother bitten, Striking at its own relations, Let the blood rush forth in torrents, From the wound in torrents gushing."

From the stove the old man mumbled, (Shook his beard, his head he nodded) "Now I know whence comes the Iron, And of steel the evil customs. 270

"O thou most unhappy Iron, Wretched Iron, slag most worthless, Steel thou art of evil witchcraft, Thou hast been for nought developed, But to turn to evil courses, In the greatness of thy power.

"Once thou wast devoid of greatness; Neither wast thou great nor little, Neither noted for thy beauty, Nor remarkable for evil, 280 When as milk thou wast created, When the sweet milk trickled over From the b.r.e.a.s.t.s of youthful maidens, From the maidens' swelling bosoms, On the borders of the cloudland, 'Neath the broad expanse of heaven.

"Thou wast then devoid of greatness, Thou wast neither great nor little, When thou in the mud wast resting, Sunk below the sparkling water, 290 Overspreading all the marshland, At the base of rocky mountains, And in loose earth thou wast altered, And to iron-ore converted.

"Thou wast still devoid of greatness, Thou wast neither great nor little, When the elks were trampling o'er thee, And the reindeer, in the marshes, When the wolves' claws trod upon thee, And the bears' paws pa.s.sed above thee. 300

"Thou wast still devoid of greatness, Thou wast neither great nor little, When thou from the marsh wast gathered, From the ground with care uplifted, Carried thence into the smithy, To the forge of Ilmarinen.

"Thou wast still devoid of greatness, Thou wast neither great nor little, When as ore thou there wast hissing, Plunged amid the boiling water, 310 Or amid the fiery furnace, When the mighty oath thou sworest, By the forge and by the anvil, By the hammer and the mallet, Where the smith himself was standing, On the flooring of the smithy.

"Now that thou hast grown to greatness, Thou hast wrought thyself to frenzy, And thy mighty oath hast broken, Like a dog hast soiled thy honour, 320 For thy kinsman thou hast wounded, Raised thy mouth against thy kinsman.

"Who hast led thee to this outrage, To this wickedness incited?