Kalevala, The Land Of The Heroes Volume Ii Part 8

But no dark cloud there was rising, Nor was smoke ascending thickly, But 'twas Untamo's a.s.semblage Marching onward to the battle.

On came Untamo's a.s.semblage, In their belts their swords were hanging, Kalervo's folk overwhelming, And his mighty race they slaughtered, And they burned his house to ashes, Like a level field they made it. 70

Left of Kalervo's folk only But one girl, and she was pregnant; Then did Untamo's a.s.semblage Lead her homeward on their journey, That she there might sweep the chamber, And the floor might sweep from litter.

But a little time pa.s.sed over, When a little boy was born her, From a most unhappy mother, So by what name should they call him? 80 Kullervo his mother called him, Untamo, the Battle-hero.

Then the little boy they swaddled, And the orphan child they rested In the cradle made for rocking, That it might be rocked to lull him.

So they rocked the child in cradle, Rocked it till his hair was tossing, Rocked him for one day, a second, Rocked him on the third day likewise, 90 When the boy began his kicking, And he kicked and pushed about him, Tore his swaddling clothes to pieces, Freed himself from all his clothing, Then he broke the lime-wood cradle, All his rags he tore from off him.

And it seemed that he would prosper, And become a man of mettle.

Untamola thought already That when he was grown to manhood, 100 He would grow both wise and mighty, And become a famous hero, As a servant worth a hundred, Equal to a thousand servants.

Thus he grew for two and three months, But already in the third month, When a boy no more than knee-high, He began to speak in thiswise: "Presently when I am bigger, And my body shall be stronger, 110 I'll avenge my father's slaughter, And my mother's tears atone for."

This was heard by Untamoinen, And he spoke the words which follow: "He will bring my race to ruin, Kalervo reborn is in him."

Thereupon the heroes pondered And the old crones all considered How to bring the boy to ruin, So that death might come upon him. 120

Then they put him in a barrel, In a barrel did they thrust him, And they pushed it to the water, Pushed it out upon the billows.

Then they went to look about them, After two nights, after three nights, If the boy had sunk in water, Or had perished in the barrel.

In the waves he was not sunken, Nor had perished in the barrel, 130 He had 'scaped from out the barrel, And upon the waves was sitting, In his hand a rod of copper, At the end a line all silken, And for lake-fish he was fishing, As he floated on the water.

There was water in the lakelet, Which perchance might fill two ladles, Or if more exactly measured, Partly was a third filled also. 140

Untamo again reflected, "How can we o'ercome the infant, That destruction come upon him, And that death may overtake him?"

Then he bade his servants gather First a large supply of birch-trees, Pine-trees with their hundred needles, Trees from which the pitch was oozing, For the burning of the infant, And for Kullervo's destruction. 150

So they gathered and collected First a large supply of birch-trees, Pine-trees with their hundred needles, Trees from which the pitch was oozing, And of bark a thousand sledgefuls, Ash-trees, long a hundred fathoms.

Fire beneath the wood they kindled, And the pyre began to crackle, And the boy they cast upon it, 'Mid the glowing fire they cast him. 160 Burned the fire a day, a second, Burning likewise on the third day, When they went to look about them.

Knee-deep sat the boy in ashes, In the embers to his elbows.

In his hand he held the coal-rake, And was stirring up the fire, And he raked the coals together.

Not a hair was singed upon him, Not a lock was even tangled. 170

Then did Untamo grow angry.

"Where then can I place the infant, That we bring him to destruction, And that death may overtake him?"

So upon a tree they hanged him, Strung him up upon an oak-tree.

Two nights and a third pa.s.sed over, And upon the dawn thereafter, Untamo again reflected: "Time it is to look around us, 180 Whether Kullervo has fallen, Or is dead upon the gallows."

Then he sent a servant forward, Back he came, and thus reported: "Kullervo not yet has perished, Nor has died upon the gallows.

Pictures on the tree he's carving, In his hands he holds a graver.

All the tree is filled with pictures, All the oak-tree filled with carvings; 190 Here are men, and here are sword-blades, And the spears are leaning by them."

Where should Untamo seek aidance, 'Gainst this boy, the most unhappy?

Whatsoever deaths he planned him, Or he planned for his destruction, In the jaws of death he fell not, Nor could he be brought to ruin.

And at length he grew full weary Of his efforts to destroy him, 200 So he reared up Kullervoinen As a slave beneath his orders.

Thereupon said Untamoinen, And he spoke the words which follow: "If you live as it is fitting, Always acting as is proper, In my house I will retain you, And the work of servants give you.

I will pay you wages for it, As I think that you deserve it, 210 For your waist a pretty girdle, Or upon your ear a buffet."

So when Kullervo was taller, And had grown about a span-length, Then he found some work to give him, That he should prepare to labour.

'Twas to rock a little infant, Rock a child with little fingers.

"Watch with every care the infant, Give it food, and eat some also, 220 Wash his napkins in the river, Wash his little clothes and cleanse them."

So he watched one day, a second, Broke his hands, and gouged his eyes out, And at length upon the third day, Let the infant die of sickness, Cast the napkins in the river, And he burned the baby's cradle.

Untamo thereon reflected, "Such a one is quite unfitted 230 To attend to little children, Rock the babes with little fingers.

Now I know not where to send him, Nor what work I ought to give him.

Perhaps he ought to clear the forest?"

So he went to clear the forest.

Kullervo, Kalervo's offspring Answered in the words which follow: "Now I first a man can deem me, When my hands the axe are wielding. 240 I am handsomer to gaze on, Far more n.o.ble than aforetime, Five men's strength I feel within me And I equal six in valour."

Then he went into the smithy, And he spoke the words which follow: "O thou smith, my dearest brother, Forge me now a little hatchet, Such an axe as fits a hero, Iron tool for skilful workman, 250 For I go to clear the forest, And to fell the slender birch-trees."

So the smith forged what he needed, And an axe he forged him quickly; Such an axe as fits a hero, Iron tool for skilful workman.

Kullervo, Kalervo's offspring, Set to work the axe to sharpen, And he ground it in the daytime, And at evening made a handle. 260

Then he went into the forest, High upon the wooded mountains, There to seek the best of planking, And to seek the best of timber.

With his axe he smote the tree-trunks, With the blade of steel he felled them, At a stroke the best he severed, And the bad ones at a half-stroke.

Five large trees at length had fallen, Eight in all he felled before him, 270 And he spoke the words which follow, And in words like these expressed him: "Lempo may the work accomplish, Hiisi now may shape the timber!"

In a stump he struck his axe-blade, And began to shout full loudly, And he piped, and then he whistled, And he said the words which follow: "Let the wood be felled around me, Overthrown the slender birch-trees, 280 Far as sounds my voice resounding, Far as I can send my whistle.

"Let no sapling here be growing, Let no blade of gra.s.s be standing, Never while the earth endureth, Or the golden moon is shining, Here in Kalervo's son's forest, Here upon the good man's clearing.

"If the seed on earth has fallen, And the young corn should shoot upward, 290 If the sprout should be developed, And the stalk should form upon it, May it never come to earing, Or the stalk-end be developed."

Then the mighty Untamoinen, Wandered forth to gaze about him, Learn how Kalervo's son cleared it, And the new slave made a clearing.

But he found not any clearing, And the young man had not cleared it. 300

Untamo thereon reflected, "For such labour he's unsuited, He has spoiled the best of timber, And has felled the best for planking.

Now I know not where to send him, Nor what work I ought to give him.

Should I let him make a fencing?"

So he went to make a fencing.

Kullervo, Kalervo's offspring, Set himself to make a fencing, 310 And for this he took whole pine-trees, And he used them for the fence-stakes, Took whole fir-trees from the forest, Wattled them to make the fencing, Bound the branches fast together With the largest mountain-ashtrees; But he made the fence continuous, And he made no gateway through it, And he spoke the words which follow, And in words like these expressed him: 320 "He who cannot raise him birdlike, Nor upon two wings can hover, Never may he pa.s.s across it, Over Kalervo's son's fencing!"

Then did Untamo determine Forth to go and gaze around him, Viewing Kalervo's son's fencing By the slave of war constructed.

Stood the fence without an opening Neither gap nor crevice through it, 330 On the solid earth it rested, Up among the clouds it towered.

Then he spoke the words which follow: "For such labour he's unsuited.

Here's the fence without an opening, And without a gateway through it.