Kalevala, The Land Of The Heroes Volume I Part 22

Then did Lemminkainen's mother, Take from him the magic ointment, That she might anoint the patient, And she thus might cure his weakness, But from this there came no healing, And as yet the man was speechless. 420 Then she spoke the words which follow: "O thou bee, my own dear birdling, Fly thou in a new direction, Over nine lakes fly thou quickly Till thou reach a lovely island, Where the land abounds with honey, Where is Tuuri's new-built dwelling, Palvonen's own roofless dwelling.

There is honey in profusion, There is ointment in perfection, 430 Fit to bind the veins together, And to heal the joints completely.

From the meadow bring this ointment, And the salve from out the meadow, For upon the wounds I'll spread it, And anoint the bruises with it."

Then the bee, that active hero, Flew again on whirring pinions, And across nine lakes he travelled, Half across the tenth he travelled, 440 On he flew one day, a second, And at length upon the third day, Never on the reeds reposing, Nor upon a leaf reposing, Came he to the lovely island, Where the land abounds with honey, Till he reached a furious torrent, And a holy river's whirlpool.

In this spot was cooked the honey, And the ointment was made ready 450 In the little earthen vessels, In the pretty little kettles, Kettles of a thumb-size only, And a finger-tip would fill them.

Then the bee, that active hero, Gathered honey in the meadow, And a little time pa.s.sed over, Very little time pa.s.sed over, When he came on whirring pinions, Coming with his mission finished, 460 In his lap six cups he carried, Seven upon his back he carried, Br.i.m.m.i.n.g o'er with precious ointment, With the best of ointment br.i.m.m.i.n.g.

Then did Lemminkainen's mother Salve him with this precious ointment, With nine kinds of ointment salved him, And ten kinds of magic ointment; Even yet there came no healing, Still her toil was unavailing. 470

Then she spoke the words which follow, And expressed herself in thiswise: "O thou bee, thou bird aerial, Fly thou forth again the third time, Fly thou up aloft to heaven, And through nine heavens fly thou swiftly.

There is honey in abundance, In the wood as much as needed, Which was charmed by the Creator, By pure Jumala was breathed on, 480 When his children he anointed, Wounded by the powers of evil.

In the honey dip thy pinions, Soak thy plumage in the nectar, Bring me honey on thy pinions, In thy mantle from the forest, As an ointment for the patient, And anoint the bruises with it."

But the bee, the bird of wisdom.

Answered her in words that follow: 490 "How can I perform thy bidding, I a man so small and helpless?"

"Thou canst rise on high with swiftness, Fly aloft with easy effort, O'er the moon, below the daylight And amid the stars of heaven.

Flying windlike on the first day Past the borders of Orion, On the second day thou soarest Even to the Great Bear's shoulders, 500 On the third day soaring higher.

O'er the Seven Stars thou risest, Thence the journey is a short one, And the distance very trifling, Unto Jumala's bright dwelling, And the regions of the blessed."

From the earth the bee rose swiftly, On his honeyed wings rose whirring, And he soared on rapid pinions, On his little wings flew upward. 510 Swiftly past the moon he hurried, Past the borders of the sunlight, Rose upon the Great Bear's shoulders, O'er the Seven Stars' backs rose upward, Flew to the Creator's cellars, To the halls of the Almighty.

There the drugs were well concocted, And the ointment duly tempered In the pots composed of silver, Or within the golden kettles. 520 In the midst they boiled the honey, On the sides was sweetest ointment, To the southward there was nectar, To the northward there was ointment.

Then the bee, that bird aerial, Gathered honey in abundance, Honey to his heart's contentment.

And but little time pa.s.sed over, Ere the bee again came buzzing, Humming loudly on his journey, 530 In his lap of horns a hundred, And a thousand other vessels, Some of honey, some of liquid, And the best of all the ointment.

Then did Lemminkainen's mother Raise it to her mouth and taste it, With her tongue the ointment tasted, With the greatest care she proved it.

"'Tis the ointment that I needed, And the salve of the Almighty, 540 Used when Jumala the Highest, The Creator heals all suffering."

Then did she anoint the patient, That she thus might cure his weakness, Salved the bones along the fractures, And between the joints she salved him, Salved his head and lower portions, Rubbed him also in the middle, Then she spoke the words which follow, And expressed herself in thiswise: 550 "Rise, my son, from out thy slumber, From thy dreams do thou awaken, From this place so full of evil, And a resting-place unholy."

From his sleep arose the hero, And from out his dreams awakened, And at once his speech recovered.

With his tongue these words he uttered: "Woe's me, long have I been sleeping, Long have I in pain been lying, 560 And in peaceful sleep reposing, In the deepest slumber sunken."

Then said Lemminkainen's mother.

And expressed herself in thiswise: "Longer yet hadst thou been sleeping, Longer yet hadst thou been resting, But for thy unhappy mother, But for her in pain who bore thee.

"Tell me now, my son unhappy, Tell me that my ears may hear it, 570 Who to Ma.n.a.la has sent thee, There to drift in Tuoni's river?"

Said the lively Lemminkainen, And he answered thus his mother: "Markahattu, he the cowherd, Untamola's blind old rascal, Down to Ma.n.a.la has sent me, There to drift in Tuoni's river; And he raised a water-serpent, From the waves a serpent lifted, 580 Sent it forth to me unhappy, But I could not guard against it, Knowing nought of water-evil, Nor the evils of the reed-beds."

Then said Lemminkainen's mother, "Mighty man of little foresight.

Boasting to enchant the sorcerers, And to ban the sons of Lapland, Knowing nought of water-evil, Nor the evils of the reed-beds! 590

"Water-snakes are born in water, On the waves among the reed-beds, From the duck's brain springs the serpent, In the head of the sea-swallow.

Syojatar spat in the water, Cast upon the waves the spittle, And the water stretched it lengthwise.

And the sunlight warmed and softened.

And the wind arose and tossed it, And the water-breezes rocked it, 600 On the sh.o.r.e the waves they drove it, And amid the breakers urged it."

Thus did Lemminkainen's mother Cause her son with all her efforts, To resume his old appearance, And ensured that in the future He should even be superior, Yet more handsome than aforetime, And she asked her son thereafter Was there anything he needed? 610

Said the lively Lemminkainen, "There is something greatly needed, For my heart is fixed for ever, And my inclination leads me To the charming maids of Pohja, With their lovely locks unbraided, But the dirty-eared old woman Has refused to give her daughter, Till I shoot the duck she asks for, And the swan shall capture for her, 620 Here in Tuonela's dark river, In the holy river's whirlpool."

Then spoke Lemminkainen's mother, And she answered him in thiswise: "Leave the poor swans unmolested, Leave the ducks a peaceful dwelling, Here on Tuoni's murky river, Here amid the raging whirlpool!

Best it is to journey homeward With your most unhappy mother, 630 Praise thou now thy happy future, And to Jumala be praises, That he granted his a.s.sistance, And has thus to life awaked thee, And from Tuoni's paths hath led thee, And from Mana's realms hath brought thee!

I myself had never conquered, And alone had nought accomplished, But for Jumala's compa.s.sion, And the help of the Creator." 640

Then the lively Lemminkainen, Went at once his journey homeward, With his mother, she who loved him, Homeward with the aged woman.

Here I part awhile with Kauko, Leave the lively Lemminkainen, Long from out my song I leave him, While I quickly change my subject, Turn my song in new directions, And in other furrows labour. 650

RUNO XVI.--VaINaMoINEN IN TUONELA

_Argument_

Vainamoinen orders Sampsa Pellervoinen to seek for wood for boat-building. He makes a boat, but finds himself at a loss for want of three magic words (1-118). As he cannot otherwise obtain them, he goes to Tuonela hoping to procure them there (119-362). Vainamoinen finally escapes from Tuonela, and after his return warns others not to venture there, and describes what a terrible place it is and the horrible abodes in which men dwell there (363-412).

Vainamoinen, old and steadfast, He the great primeval sorcerer, Set to work a boat to build him, And upon a boat to labour, There upon the cloudy headland, On the shady island's summit.

But the workman found no timber, Boards to build the boat he found not.

Who shall seek for timber for him, And shall seek an oak-tree for him, 10 For the boat of Vainamoinen, And a keel to suit the minstrel?

Pellervoinen, earth-begotten, Sampsa, youth of smallest stature, He shall seek for timber for him, And shall seek an oak-tree for him.

For the boat of Vainamoinen, And a keel to suit the minstrel.

So upon his path he wandered Through the regions to the north-east, 20 Through one district, then another, Journeyed after through a third one, With his gold axe on his shoulder, With his axe, with copper handle, Till he found an aspen standing, Which in height three fathoms measured.

So he went to fell the aspen, With his axe the tree to sever, And the aspen spoke and asked him, With its tongue it spoke in thiswise: 30 "What, O man, desire you from me?

Tell your need, as far as may be."

Youthful Sampsa Pellervoinen, Answered in the words which follow: "This is what I wish for from thee, This I need, and this require I, 'Tis a boat for Vainamoinen; For the minstrel's boat the timber."

And the aspen said astounded, Answered with its hundred branches: 40 "As a boat I should be leaking, And would only sink beneath you, For my branches they are hollow.

Thrice already in this summer, Has a grub my heart devoured, In my roots a worm has nestled."

Youthful Sampsa Pellervoinen Wandered further on his journey, And he wandered, deeply pondering, In the region to the northward. 50

There he found a pine-tree standing, And its height was full six fathoms, And he struck it with his hatchet, On the trunk with axe-blade smote it, And he spoke the words which follow: "O thou pine-tree, shall I take thee, For the boat of Vainamoinen, And as boatwood for the minstrel?"

But the pine-tree answered quickly, And it cried in answer loudly, 60 "For a boat you cannot use me, Nor a six-ribbed boat can fashion, Full of knots you'll find the pine-tree.

Thrice already in this summer, In my summit croaked a raven, Croaked a crow among my branches."