Kalevala, The Land Of The Heroes Volume I Part 34

"All his people he exhorted, To increase his flocks in number, For indeed the bridegroom owneth Flocks that wander through the birchwoods, 510 Tramp their way among the sandhills, Seek for pasture in the valleys; Hundreds of the horned cattle, Thousands with their well-filled udders; On the plains are stacks in plenty, In the valley crops abundant, Alder-woods for cornland suited, Meadows where the barley's springing, Stony land for oats that's suited, Watered regions, fit for wheatfields. 520 All rich gifts in peace await thee, Pennies plentiful as pebbles."

RUNO XXIII.--THE INSTRUCTING OF THE BRIDE

_Argument_

The bride is instructed and directed how to conduct herself in her husband's house (1-478). An old vagrant woman relates the experiences of her life as a daughter, as a wife, and after her separation from her husband (479-850).

Now the girl must be instructed, And the bride be taught her duty, Who shall now instruct the maiden, And shall teach the girl her duty?

Osmotar, experienced woman, Kaleva's most beauteous maiden; She shall give the maid instruction, And shall teach the unprotected How to bear herself with prudence, And with wisdom to conduct her, 10 In her husband's house with prudence, To his mother most obedient.

So she spoke the words which follow, And in terms like these addressed her: "O thou bride, my dearest sister, Thou my darling, best-beloved, Listen now to what I tell thee, For a second time repeated.

Now thou goest, a flower transplanted, Like a strawberry forward creeping, 20 Whisked, like shred of cloth, to distance, Satin-robed, to distance hurried, From thy home, renowned so greatly, From thy dwelling-place so beauteous.

To another home thou comest, To a stranger household goest; In another house 'tis different; Otherwise in strangers' houses.

Walk thou there with circ.u.mspection, And prepare thy duties wisely 30 Not as on thy father's acres, Or the lands of thine own mother.

Where they sing among the valleys, And upon the pathways shouting.

"When from out this house thou goest, All thy doings must be different; Three things leave at home behind thee, Sleep indulged in in the daytime, Counsels of thy dearest mother, And fresh b.u.t.ter from the barrels. 40

"All thy thoughts must now be altered; Leave thy sleepiness behind thee, Leave it for the household maiden, By the stove so idly sitting.

To the bench-end cast thy singing, Joyous carols to the windows, Girlish ways unto the bath-whisks, And thy pranks to blanket-edges, Naughtinesses to the stove-bench, On the floor thy lazy habits, 50 Or renounce them to thy bridesmaid, And into her arms unload them, That she take them to the bushes, Out upon the heath convey them.

"Other habits wait thy learning, And the old must be forgotten.

Father's love you leave behind you; Learn to love thy husband's father; Deeper now must thou incline thee, Fitting language must thou utter. 60

"Other habits wait thy learning, And the old must be forgotten.

Mother's love thou leav'st behind thee; Learn to love thy husband's mother.

Deeper now must thou incline thee; Fitting language must thou utter.

"Other habits wait thy learning, And the old must be forgotten.

Brother's love thou leav'st behind thee; Learn to love thy husband's brother; 70 Deeper now must thou incline thee; Fitting language must thou utter.

"Other habits wait thy learning, And the old must be forgotten.

Sister's love thou leav'st behind thee, Learn to love thy husband's sister.

Deeper now must thou incline thee, Fitting language must thou utter.

"Never may'st thou in thy lifetime, While the golden moon is shining, 80 Seek a house of doubtful morals, With the worthless men consorting, For a house must needs be moral, And a house must needs be n.o.ble, And for sense a husband wishes, And desires the best behaviour.

Heedfulness will much be needed In a house of doubtful morals; Steadiness will much be wanting In a man's of doubtful morals. 90

"Is the old man a wolf in corner, By the hearth the crone a she-bear, Brother-in-law on step a viper, In the yard like nail the sister, Equal honour must thou give them, Deeper must thou then incline thee, Than thou bowed before thy mother, In the house of thine own father, Than thou bowed before thy father, Or before thy dearest mother. 100

"Thou wilt always need in future Ready wit and clear perception, And thy thoughts must all be prudent, Firmly fixed thy understanding, Eyes of keenness in the evening, That the fire is always brilliant, Ears of sharpness in the morning, Thus to listen for the c.o.c.kcrow.

If the c.o.c.kcrow once has sounded, Though the second has not sounded, 110 It becomes the young to rouse them, Though the old folk still are resting.

"If the c.o.c.k should not be crowing, Nor the master's bird be crowing, Let the moon for c.o.c.kcrow serve thee, Take the Great Bear for thy guidance.

Often thou should'st seek the open, Often go the moon to gaze on, From the Great Bear seek instruction, And the distant stars to gaze on. 120

"If you see the Great Bear clearly, With his front to south directed, And his tail extending northward, Then 'tis time for thee to rouse thee From the side of thy young husband, Leaving him asleep and ruddy, Fire to seek among the ashes Seeking for a spark in firebox, Blowing then the fire discreetly, That from carelessness it spread not. 130

"If no fire is in the ashes, And no spark is in the firebox, Coax thou then thy dearest husband, And cajole thy handsome husband: 'Light me now the fire, my dearest, Just a spark, my darling berry!'

"If you have a flint, a small one, And a little piece of tinder, Strike a light as quick as may be, Light the pine-chip in the holder, 140 Then go out to clear the cowshed, And the cattle do thou fodder, For the mother's cow is lowing, And the father's horse is neighing, And her chain the son's cow rattles, And the daughter's calf is lowing, That the soft hay should be thrown them, And the clover laid before them.

"Go thou stooping on the pathway, Bend thou down among the cattle, 150 Gently give the cows their fodder, Give the sheep their food in quiet, Spread it straight before the cattle, Drink unto the calves so helpless, To the foals give straw well-chosen, To the lambkins hay the softest, See that on the swine thou tread'st not, Nor the hogs with foot thou spurnest, Take thou to the swine the food-trough, Set before the hogs the food-tray. 160

"Do not rest thee in the cowshed, Do not loiter with the sheep-flock; When thou'st visited the cowshed, And hast looked to all the cattle, Do thou quickly hasten homeward, Home returning like a blizzard, For the baby there is crying, Crying underneath the blanket, And the poor child still is speechless, And its tongue no words can utter, 170 Whether it is cold or hungry, Or if something else annoys it, Ere its well-known friend is coming, And the mother's voice it heareth.

"When into the room thou comest, Come thou fourth into the chamber; In thy hand a water-bucket, Underneath thy arm a besom, And between thy teeth a pine-chip; Thou art then the fourth among them. 180

"Sweep thou then the floor to cleanness, Sweep thou carefully the planking, And upon the floor pour water, Not upon the heads of babies.

If you see a child there lying, Though thy sister-in-law's the infant, Up upon the bench then lift it, Wash its eyes, and smooth its hair down, Put some bread into its handies, And upon the bread spread b.u.t.ter, 190 But if bread perchance be wanting, Put a chip into its handies.

"Then the tables must be scoured, At the week-end at the latest; Wash them, and the sides remember, Let the legs be not forgotten; Then the benches wash with water, Sweep thou too the walls to cleanness, And the boards of all the benches, And the walls with all their corners. 200

"If there's dust upon the tables, Or there's dust upon the windows, Dust them carefully with feathers, Wipe them with a wetted duster, That the dust should not be scattered, Nor should settle on the ceiling.

"From the stove sc.r.a.pe all the rust off, From the ceiling wipe the soot off, And the ceiling-props remember, Nor should'st thou forget the rafters, 210 That the house be all in order, And a fitting place to live in.

"Hear, O maiden, what I tell thee, What I says and what I tell thee, Do not go without thy clothing, Nor without thy shift disport thee, Move about without thy linen, Or without thy shoes go shuffling: Greatly shocked would be thy bridegroom, And thy youthful husband grumble. 220

"In the yard there grows a rowan, Thou with reverent care should'st tend it, Holy is the tree there growing, Holy likewise are its branches, On its boughs the leaves are holy, And its berries yet more holy, For a damsel may discover, And an orphan thence learn teaching, How to please her youthful husband, To her bridegroom's heart draw nearer. 230

"Let thy ears be keen as mouse-ears, Let thy feet as hare's be rapid, And thy young neck proudly arching, And thy fair neck proudly bending, Like the juniper uprising, Or the cherry's verdant summit.

"Likewise hold thyself discreetly, Always ponder and consider; Never venture thou to rest thee On the bench at length extended, 240 Nor upon thy bed to rest thee, There to yield thee to thy slumbers.

"Comes the brother from his ploughing, Or the father from the storehouse, Or thy husband from his labour, He, thy fair one, from the clearing, Haste to fetch the water-basin, Hasten thou to bring a towel, Bowing with respect before them, Speaking words of fond affection. 250

"Comes the mother from the storehouse, In her arms the flour-filled basket, Run across the yard to meet her, Bowing with respect before her, Take thou from her hands the basket, Quickly to the house to bear it.

"If you do not know your duty, Do not comprehend it fully, What the work that waits the doing, Where you should begin your labours, 260 Ask the old crone then in thiswise: 'O my mother-in-law beloved, How is this work to be managed, And arranged these household matters?'

"And the old crone thus will answer, And your mother-in-law will tell you: 'Thus this work is to be managed, And arranged these household matters, Pounding thus, and grinding thiswise, And the handmill quickly turning. 270 Likewise do thou fetch the water, That the dough be fitly kneaded, Carry logs into the bakehouse, And the oven heat thou fully, Set thou then the loaves for baking, And the large cakes bake thou likewise, Wash thou then the plates and dishes, Likewise washing clean the meal-tubs.'

"When thy work she thus has told thee, And thy mother-in-law has taught thee, 280 From the stones the parched corn taking, Hasten to the room for grinding; But when you at length have reached it, And the room for grinding entered, Do not carol as thou goest, Do not shout thy very loudest, Leave it to the stones to carol, Talking through the handmill's opening, Neither do thou groan too loudly, Let the handmill groan unto thee; 290 Lest thy father-in-law should fancy Or thy mother-in-law imagine That with discontent thou groanest, And art sighing from vexation.

Lift the meal, and sift it quickly, To the room in dish convey it, Bake thou there the loaves with pleasure, After thou with care hast kneaded, That the flour becomes not lumpy, But throughout is mixed most smoothly. 300

"If you see the bucket leaning, Take the bucket on your shoulder, On your arm the water-bucket.

Go thou then to fetch the water.

Carry thou the bucket nicely, On the yoke-end do thou fix it, Like the wind returning quickly, Like the wind of springtime rushing, By the water do not linger, By the well forbear to rest thee, 310 Lest thy father-in-law should fancy, Or thy mother-in-law imagine That you wished to see your likeness, And your beauty to admire, Rosy cheeks in water painted, In the well your charms reflected.

"When you wander to the wood-pile, Wander there to fetch the f.a.ggots, Do not split them up at random, Take some f.a.ggots of the aspen, 320 Lift thou up the f.a.ggots gently, Make as little noise as may be, Lest thy father-in-law should fancy, Or thy mother-in-law imagine, That you pitch them down in crossness, And in temper make them clatter.

"When you wander to the storehouse, Thither go to fetch the flour, Do not linger in the storehouse, Do not long remain within it, 330 Lest thy father-in-law should fancy, Or thy mother-in-law imagine, You were doling out the flour, Sharing with the village women.

"When you go to wash the dishes, And the pots and pans to scour, Wash the jugs and wash the handles, And the rims of mugs for drinking, Sides of cups with circ.u.mspection, Handles of the spoons remembering, 340 Mind thou, too, the spoons and count them, Look thou to the dishes also, Lest the dogs should steal them from you, Or the cats should take them from you, Or the birds away should take them, Or the children should upset them: For the village swarms with children, Many little heads thou findest, Who might carry off the dishes, And the spoons about might scatter. 350