Kalevala, The Land Of The Heroes Volume I Part 25

"Pine away, O hound of Hiisi, Dog of Ma.n.a.la the vilest, O thou demon, quit my body, Pest of earth, O quit my liver, Let my heart be undevoured, Leave thou, too, my spleen uninjured, 250 Make no stoppage in my belly, And my lungs forbear to traverse, Do not pierce me through the navel, And my loins forbear to injure, And my backbone do not shatter, Nor upon my sides torment me.

"If my strength as man should fail me, Then will I invoke a greater, Which shall rid me of the evil, And shall drive away the horror. 260

"From the earth I call the Earth-Queen, From the fields, the Lord primeval, From the earth I call all swordsmen, From the sands the hero-hors.e.m.e.n, Call them to my aid and succour, To my help and aid I call them, In the tortures that o'erwhelm me, And amid this dreadful torment.

"If you do not heed their presence, And you will not shrink before them, 270 Come, O forest, with thy people, Junipers, bring all your army.

Come, O pinewoods, with your household, And thou pond with all thy children, With their swords a hundred swordsmen, And a thousand mail-clad heroes, That they may a.s.sail this Hiisi, And may overwhelm this Juutas!

"If you do not heed their presence, And you will not shrink before them, 280 Rise thou up, O Water-Mother, Raise thy blue cap from the billows, And thy soft robe from the waters, From the ooze thy form of beauty, For a powerless hero's rescue, For a weakly man's protection, Lest I should be eaten guiltless, And without disease be slaughtered.

"If you will not heed their presence, And you will not shrink before them, 290 Ancient Daughter of Creation, Come in all thy golden beauty, Thou the oldest of all women, Thou the first of all the mothers, Come to see the pains that rack me, And the evil days drive from me, That thy strength may overcome them, And perchance may free me from them.

"But if this not yet should move you, And you will not yet draw backwards, 300 Ukko, in the vault of heaven, On the thundercloud's wide border, Come thou here, where thou art needed, Hasten here, where I implore thee, To dispel the works of evil, And destroy this vile enchantment, With thy sword of flame dispel it, With thy flashing sword-blade smite it.

"Go thou horror, forth to wander, Curse of earth depart thou quickly, 310 Here no more shall be thy dwelling, And if thou such dwelling needest, Elsewhere shalt thou seek thy dwellings, Far from here a home shalt find thee, In the household of thy master, In the footsteps of thy mistress.

"When you reach your destination, And your journey you have finished, In the realms of him who made you, In the country of your master, 320 Give a signal of your coming, Let a lightning flash announce it, Let them hear the roll of thunder, Let them see the lightning flashing, And the yard-gate kick to pieces, Pull a shutter from the window, Then the house thou soon canst enter, Rush into the room like whirlwind, Plant thy foot within it firmly, And thy heel where s.p.a.ce is narrow, 330 Push the men into the corner, And the women to the doorposts, Scratch the eyes from out the masters, Smash the heads of all the women, Curve thou then to hooks thy fingers, Twist thou then their heads all crooked.

"Or if this is not sufficient, Fly as c.o.c.k upon the pathway, Or as chicken in the farmyard, With thy breast upon the dunghill, 340 Drive the horses from the stable, From the stalls the horned cattle, Push their horns into the dungheap, On the ground their tails all scatter, Twist thou then their eyes all crooked, And their necks in haste then break thou.

"Art thou Sickness, tempest-carried, Tempest-carried, wind-conducted, And a gift from wind of springtime, By the frosty air led hither, 350 On the path of air conducted, On the sledgeway of the spring-wind, Then upon the trees repose not, Rest thou not upon the alders, Hasten to the copper mountain, Hasten to its copper summit, Let the wind convey thee thither, Guarded by the wind of springtide.

"But if thou from heaven descended, From the rainless clouds' broad margins, 360 Then again ascend to heaven, Once again in air arise thou, To the clouds where rain is falling, To the stars that ever twinkle, That thou there mayst burn like fire, And that thou mayst shine and sparkle On the sun's own path of splendour, And around the moon's bright circle.

"If thou art some pest of water, Hither drifted by the sea-waves, 370 Let the pest return to water, Journey back amid the sea-waves, To the walls of muddy castles, To the crests of waves like mountains, There amid the waves to welter, Rocking on the darkling billows.

"Cam'st thou from the heaths of Kalma, From the realms of the departed, To thy home return thou quickly, To the dark abodes of Kalma, 380 To the land upheaved in hillocks, To the land that quakes for ever, Where the people fall in battle, And a mighty host has perished.

"If thou foolishly hast wandered From the depths of Hiisi's forest, From the nest amid the pine-trees, From thy home among the fir-trees, Then I drive thee forth and ban thee, To the depths of Hiisi's forest, 390 To thy home among the fir-trees, To thy nest among the pine-trees.

There thou mayst remain for ever, Till the flooring-planks have rotted, And the wooden walls are mildewed, And the roof shall fall upon you.

"I will drive thee forth and ban thee, Drive thee forth, O evil creature, Forth unto the old bear's dwelling, To the lair of aged she-bear, 400 To the deep and swampy valleys, To the ever-frozen marshes, To the swamps for ever quaking, Quaking underneath the footsteps, To the ponds where sport no fishes, Where no perch are ever noticed.

"But if there thou find'st no refuge, Further yet will I then ban thee, To the furthest bounds of Pohja, To the distant plains of Lapland, 410 To the barren treeless tundras, To the country where they plough not, Where is neither moon nor sunlight, Where the sun is never shining.

There a charming life awaits thee, There to roam about at pleasure.

In the woods the elks are lurking.

In the woods men hunt the reindeer, That a man may still his hunger, And may satisfy his craving. 420

"Even further yet I ban thee, Banish thee, and drive thee onward, To the mighty falls of Rutja, To the fiercely raging whirlpool, Thither where the trees have fallen, And the fallen pines are rolling, Tossing trunks of mighty fir-trees, Wide-extended crowns of pine-trees.

Swim thou there, thou wicked heathen, In the cataract's foaming torrent, 430 Round to drive 'mid boundless waters, Resting in the narrow waters.

"But if there you find no refuge, Further yet will I then ban you, To the river black of Tuoni, To the eternal stream of Mana, Never in thy life escaping, Never while thy life endureth, Should I not consent to free thee, Nor to ransom thee be able, 440 Come with nine sheep thee to ransom, Which a single ewe has farrowed, And with bullocks, nine in number, From a single cow proceeding, And with stallions, nine in number, From a single mare proceeding.

"Need you horses for your journey, Or there's aught you need for driving, Horses I will give in plenty, Plenty I can give for riding. 450 Hiisi has a horse of beauty, With a red mane, on the mountain.

Fire is flashing from his muzzle, And his nostrils brightly shining, And his hoofs are all of iron, And of steel are they constructed.

He can climb upon a mountain, Climb the sloping sides of valleys, If his rider mounts him boldly, Urges him to show his mettle. 460

"But if this is not sufficient, Then may Hiisi make thee snowshoes.

Take the alder-shoes of Lempo, Where the thick smoke is the foulest, Skate thou to the land of Hiisi, Rushing through the woods of Lempo, Dashing through the land of Hiisi, Gliding through the evil country.

If a stone impedes thy pathway, Crash and scatter it asunder; 470 Lies a branch across thy pathway, Break the branch in twain when pa.s.sing; If a hero bar thy pa.s.sage, Drive him boldly from thy pathway.

Go thy way, thou lazy creature, Go thou forth, thou man of evil, Now, before the day is dawning, Or the morning twilight glimmer, Or as yet the sun has risen, Or thou yet hast heard the c.o.c.kcrow! 480 Thou delay'st too long to leave me, Take thy flight, O evil creature, Fare thee forth Into the moonlight, Wander forth amid its brightness.

"If thou wilt not leave me quickly, O thou dog without a mother, I will take the eagles' talons And the claws of the blood-suckers, And of birds of prey the talons, And of hawks the talons likewise, 490 That I thus may seize the demons, Utterly o'ercome these wretches, That my head may ache no longer, Nor my breathing more oppress me.

"Once did Lempo's self flee from me, When he wandered from his mother, When was aid from Jumala granted, Gave his aid, the Great Creator.

Wander forth without thy mother, O thou uncreated creature, 500 Wretched dog without a master, Forth, O whelp without a mother, Even while the time is pa.s.sing, Even while the moon is waning."

Vainamoinen, old and steadfast, Answered in the words which follow: "Here I find a pleasant dwelling, Here I dwell in much contentment, And for bread the liver serves me, And the fat with drink supplies me, 510 And the lungs are good for cooking, And the fat is best for eating.

"Therefore will I sink my smithy In thy heart for ever deeper, And will strike my hammer harder, Pounding on the tenderest places, That in all thy life thou never Freedom from the ill may'st hope for, If thy spells thou dost not teach me, All thy magic spells shalt teach me, 520 Till thy spells I learn in fulness, And a thousand spells have gathered; Till no spells are hidden from me, Nor the spells of magic hidden, That in caves their power is lost not, Even though the wizards perish."

Vipunen, in songs so famous, He the sage so old in wisdom, In whose mouth was mighty magic, Power unbounded in his bosom, 530 Opened then his mouth of wisdom, Of his spells the casket opened, Sang his mighty spells of magic, Chanted forth of all the greatest, Magic songs of the Creation, From the very earliest ages, Songs that all the children sing not, Even heroes understand not, In these dreary days of evil, In the days that now are pa.s.sing. 540

Words of origin he chanted, All his spells he sang in order, At the will of the Creator, At behest of the Almighty, How himself the air he fashioned, And from air the water parted, And the earth was formed from water, And from earth all herbage sprouted.

Then he sang the moon's creation, Likewise how the sun was fashioned, 550 How the air was raised on pillars, How the stars were placed in heaven.

Vipunen, in songs the wisest, Sang in part, and sang in fulness.

Never yet was heard or witnessed, Never while the world existed, One who was a better singer, One who was a wiser wizard.

From his mouth the words were flowing, And his tongue sent forth his sayings, 560 Quick as legs of foals are moving, Or the feet of rapid courser.

Through the days he sang unceasing, Through the nights without cessation.

To his songs the sun gave hearing, And the golden moon stayed listening, Waves stood still on ocean's surface, Billows sank upon its margin, Rivers halted in their courses, Rutja's furious cataract halted, 570 Vuoksi's cataract ceased its flowing, Likewise, too, the river Jordan.

When the aged Vainamoinen Unto all the spells had listened, And had learned the charms in fulness, All the magic spells creative, He prepared himself to travel From the widespread jaws of Vipunen; From the belly of the wise one, From within his monstrous body. 580

Said the aged Vainamoinen, "O thou Antero Vipunen hugest, Open thou thy mouth gigantic, And thy jaws extend more widely.

I would quit for earth thy body, And would take my journey homeward."

Vipunen then, in songs the wisest, Answered in the words which follow: "Much I've drunk, and much have eaten, And consumed a thousand dainties, 590 But before I never swallowed Aught like aged Vainamoinen.

Good indeed has been thy coming, Better 'tis when thou departest."

Then did Antero Vipunen open Wide expanding gums grimacing, Open wide his mouth gigantic, And his jaws extended widely, While the aged Vainamoinen To his mouth made lengthened journey, 600 From the belly of the wise one, From within his monstrous body.

From his mouth he glided swiftly, O'er the heath he bounded swiftly, Very like a golden squirrel, Or a golden-breasted marten.

Further on his path he journeyed, Till at length he reached the smithy.

Said the smith, e'en Ilmarinen, "Have you found the words you wanted, 610 Have you learned the spells creative, That the boat-sides you can fashion, Spells to fix the stern together, And the bows to deftly fashion?"

Vainamoinen, old and steadfast, Answered in the words which follow: "Spells a hundred have I gathered, And a thousand spells of magic, Secret spells were opened to me, Hidden charms were all laid open." 620

To his boat he hastened quickly, And he set to work most wisely, Set to work the boat to finish, And he fixed the sides together, And the stern he fixed together, And the bows he deftly fashioned, But the boat he built unhammered, Nor a chip he severed from it.

RUNO XVIII.--VaINaMoINEN AND ILMARINEN TRAVEL TO POHJOLA