Kalevala, The Land Of The Heroes Volume Ii Part 2

From the bean, a bean all rotten.

Whence were then its eyes created?

From a seed of flax of Lempo. 740 Whence were the toad's ears created?

From the leaves of Lempo's birch-tree.

Whence was then its mouth constructed?

Syojatar's own mouth supplied it.

Whence the tongue in mouth so evil?

From the spear of Keitolainen.

Teeth for such an evil creature?

From the beard of Tuoni's barley.

Whence its filthy gums created?

From the gums of Kalma's maiden. 750 Whence was then its back constructed?

Of the coals of fire of Hiisi.

Whence its wriggling tail constructed?

From the plaits of Pahalainen.

Whence its entrails were constructed?

These were drawn from Death's own girdle.

"This thy origin, O serpent, This thy honour, as reported; Black snake from the world infernal, Serpent of the hue of Tuoni, 760 Hue of earth, and hue of heather, All the colours of the rainbow.

Go from out the wanderer's pathway, From before the travelling hero, Yield the pathway to the traveller, Make a way for Lemminkainen To the feast at Pohja holden, Where they hold the great carousal."

Then the snake obeyed his orders, And the hundred-eyed drew backward, 770 And the great snake twisted sideways, Turning in a new direction, Giving thus the traveller pathway, Making way for Lemminkainen To the feast at Pohja holden, And the secret-held carousal.

RUNO XXVII.--THE DUEL AT POHJOLA

_Argument_

Lemminkainen comes to Pohjola and behaves with the greatest insolence (1-204). The Lord of Pohjola grows angry, and as he can do nothing against Lemminkainen by magic, he challenges him to a duel (205-282). In the course of the duel Lemminkainen strikes off the head of the Lord of Pohjola, and to avenge this, the Mistress of Pohjola raises an army against him (283-420).

Now that I have brought my Kauko, Carried Ahto Saarelainen, Often past Death's jaw expanded, Past the very tongue of Kalma, To the banquet held at Pohja, And to the concealed carousal, Now must I relate in detail, And my tongue relate in fulness, How the lively Lemminkainen, He the handsome Kaukomieli, 10 To the homestead came of Pohja, Halls of Sariola the misty, Uninvited to the banquet, To the drinking-bout unbidden.

Thus the lively Lemminkainen, Ruddy youth, and arrant scoundrel, In the room at once came forward, Walking to the very middle; 'Neath him swayed the floor of linden, And the room of firwood rattled. 20

Spoke the lively Lemminkainen, And he said the words which follow: "Greetings to ye on my coming, Greetings also to the greeter!

Hearken, Pohjola's great Master, Have you here within this dwelling, Barley for the horse's fodder, Beer to offer to the hero?"

There sat Pohjola's great Master, At the end of the long table, 30 And from thence he made his answer, In the very words which follow: "Perhaps there is within this dwelling, Standing room for your fine courser, Nor would I indeed forbid you In the room a quiet corner, Or to stand within the doorway, In the doorway, 'neath the rafters, In the s.p.a.ce between two kettles, There where three large hoes are standing." 40

Then the lively Lemminkainen Tore his black beard in his anger, ('Twas the colour of a kettle), And he spoke the words which follow: "Lempo might perchance be willing, Thus to stand within the doorway, Where he might with soot be dirtied, While the soot falls all around him!

But at no time did my father, Never did my aged father 50 Ever stand in such a station, In the doorway, 'neath the rafters!

There was always room sufficient For his horse within the stable, And a clean room for the hero, And a place to put his gloves in, Pegs whereon to hang his mittens, Walls where swords may rest in order.

Why should I not also find it, As my father always found it?" 60

After this he strode on further, To the end of the long table, At the bench-end then he sat him, At the end of bench of firwood, And the bench it cracked beneath him, And the bench of firwood tottered.

Said the lively Lemminkainen, "Seems to me that I'm unwelcome, As no ale is offered to me, To the guest who just has entered." 70

Ilpotar, the n.o.ble Mistress, Answered in the words which follow: "O thou boy, O Lemminkainen, Not as guest thou com'st among us, But upon my head to trample, And to make it bow before you, For our ale is still in barley.

Still in malt the drink delicious, And the wheatbread still unbaken, And unboiled the meat remaineth. 80 Yesternight you should have entered, Or perchance have come to-morrow."

Then the lively Lemminkainen, Twisted mouth and turned his head round, Tore his black beard in his anger, And he spoke the words which follow: "Eaten is the feast already, Finished feast, and drunk the bride-ale, And the ale has been divided, To the men the mead been given, 90 And the cans away been carried, And the pint-pots laid in storage.

"Pohjola's ill.u.s.trious Mistress, Long-toothed Mistress of Pimentola, Thou hast held the wedding badly, And in doggish fashion held it, Baked the bread in loaves enormous, Thou hast brewed the beer of barley, Six times sent thy invitations, Nine times hast thou sent a summons, 100 Thou hast asked the poor, the spectres, Asked the sc.u.m, and asked the wastrels, Asked the leanest of the loafers, Labourers with one garment only; All folks else thou hast invited, Me rejected uninvited.

"Wherefore should I thus be treated, When I sent myself the barley?

Others brought it by the spoonful, Others poured it out by dishfuls, 110 But I poured it out in bushels, By the half-ton out I poured it, Of my own, the best of barley, Corn which I had sown aforetime.

"'Tis not now that Lemminkainen, Is a guest of great distinction, For no ale is offered to me, Nor the pot set on the fire.

In the pot is nothing cooking, Not a pound of pork you give me, 120 Neither food nor drink you give me, Now my weary journey's ended."

Ilpotar, the n.o.ble Mistress, Uttered then the words which follow: "O my little waiting-maiden, O my ever-ready servant, Put into the pot some dinner, Bring some ale to give the stranger."

Then the girl, the child so wretched, Washed the worst of all the dishes, 130 And the spoons she then was wiping, And the ladles she was scouring, Then into the pot put dinner, Bones of meat, and heads of fishes, Very ancient stalks of turnips, Crusts of bread of stony hardness, And a pint of ale she brought him, And a can of filthy victuals, Gave it lively Lemminkainen That he should drink out the refuse, 140 And she spoke the words which follow: "If you are indeed a hero, Can you drink the ale I bring you, Nor upset the can that holds it?"

Lemminkainen, youth so lively, Looked at once into the pint-pot, And below a worm was creeping, In the midst there crept a serpent, On the edge were serpents creeping, Lizards also there were gliding. 150

Said the lively Lemminkainen, Loudly grumbled Kaukomieli, "Off to Tuonela the bearer, Quick to Ma.n.a.la the handmaid, Ere the moon again has risen, Or this very day is ended!"

Afterwards these words he added, "O thou beer, thou drink so nasty, In an evil hour concocted, Evil only lurks within thee! 160 Notwithstanding I will drink it, On the ground will cast the refuse, With my nameless finger lift it, With my left thumb will I lift it."

Then he felt into his pocket, And within his pouch was searching, Took an angle from his pocket, Iron hooks from out his satchel, Dropped it down into the pint-pot, In the ale began to angle, 170 Hooked the snakes upon his fish-hooks, On his hooks the evil vipers, Up he drew of toads a hundred, And of dusky snakes a thousand.

Down upon the ground he threw them, Threw them all upon the planking, Thereupon a sharp knife taking, From the sheath he quickly drew it, Cut the heads from off the serpents, Broke the necks of all the serpents. 180 Then he drank the ale with gusto, Drank the black mead with enjoyment, And he spoke the words which follow: "As a guest I am not honoured, Since no ale was brought unto me Which was better worth my drinking, Offered me by hands more careful, In a larger vessel brought me; Since no sheep was slaughtered for me, No gigantic steer was slaughtered, 190 In the hall no ox they brought me, From the house of hoofed cattle."

Then did Pohjola's great Master, Answer in the words which follow: "Wherefore have you then come hither, Who invited you among us?"

Answered lively Lemminkainen, Said the handsome Kaukomieli: "Good is perhaps the guest invited, Better still if uninvited. 200 Hearken then, thou son of Pohja, Pohjola's ill.u.s.trious Master, Give me ale for cash directly, Reach me here some drink for money."

Then did Pohjola's great Master, Angry grow and greatly furious, Very furious and indignant, Sang a pond upon the flooring, In the front of Lemminkainen, And he said the words which follow: 210 "Here's a river you may drink of, Here's a pond that you may splash in."

Little troubled Lemminkainen, And he spoke the words which follow: "I'm no calf by women driven, Nor a bull with tail behind me, That I drink of river-water, Or from filthy ponds the water."

Then himself began to conjure, And, himself commenced his singing, 220 Sang upon the floor a bullock, Mighty ox with horns all golden, And he soon drank up the puddle, Drank the river up with pleasure.

But the mighty son of Pohja, By his spells a wolf created, And upon the floor he sang him, To devour the fleshy bullock.

Lemminkainen, youth so lively, Sang a white hare to his presence, 230 And upon the floor 'twas leaping, Near the wolf-jaws widely opened.

But the mighty son of Pohja, Sang a dog with pointed muzzle; And the dog the hare devoured, Rent the Squint-eye into fragments.

Lemminkainen, youth so lively, On the rafters sang a squirrel, And it frolicked on the rafters, And the dog was barking at it. 240

But the mighty son of Pohja, Sang a golden-breasted marten, And the marten seized the squirrel, On the rafter's end while sitting.

Lemminkainen, youth so lively, Sang a fox of ruddy colour, And it killed the gold-breast marten, And destroyed the handsome-haired one.

But the mighty son of Pohja By his spells a hen created, 250 And upon the ground 'twas walking, Just before the fox's muzzle.