And the driving clouds impeded,
And it hid the shining sunlight,
And the gleaming of the moonlight.
Then the aged Vainamoinen,
Pondered deeply and reflected, go
" Is there none to fell the oak-tree,
And o'erthrow the tree majestic ?
Sad is now the life of mortals,
And for fish to swim is dismal,
Since the air is void of sunlight,
And the gleaming of the moonlight."
But they could not find a hero,
Nowhere find a man so mighty,
Who could fell the giant oak-tree,
With its hundred spreading branches. 100
Then the aged Vainamoinen,
Spoke the very words which follow :
Runoii] Vainamoinen's Sowing 13
" Noble mother, who hast borne me,
Luonnotar, who me hast nurtured ;
Send me powers from out the ocean :
(Numerous are the powers of ocean)
So that they may fell the oak-tree,
And destroy the tree so baneful,
That the sun may shine upon us,
And the pleasant moonlight glimmer." no
Then a man arose from ocean,
From the waves a hero started,
Not the hugest of the hugest,
Nor the smallest of the smallest.
As a man's thumb was his stature ;
Lofty as the span of woman.
Decked his head a helm of copper,
On his feet were boots of copper,
On his hands were copper gauntlets,
Gloves adorned with copper tracings ; 1 20
Round his waist his belt was copper ;
In his belt his axe was copper ;
And the haft thereof was thumb-long,
And the blade thereof was nail-long.
Vainamoinen, old and steadfast,
Deeply pondered and reflected :
" While he seems a man in semblance,
And a hero in appearance,
Yet his height is but a thumb-length,
Scarce as lofty as an ox-hoof." 130
Then he spoke the words which follow,
And expressed himself in this wise :
" Who are you, my little fellow,
Most contemptible of heroes,
Than a dead man scarcely stronger ;
And your beauty all has vanished."
Then the puny man from ocean,
Hero of the floods, made answer :
11 I'm a man as you behold me,
Small, but mighty water-hero, 14
I have come to fell the oak-tree,
And to splinter it to fragments."
14 Kalevala [Runo n
Vainamoinen, old and steadfast,
Answered in the words which follow :
" You have hardly been created,
Neither made, nor so proportioned,
As to fell this mighty oak-tree,
Overthrow the tree stupendous."
Scarcely had the words been spoken,
While his gaze was fixed upon him, 150
When the man transformed before him,
And became a mighty hero.
While his feet the earth were stamping,
To the clouds his head he lifted,
To his knees his beard was flowing,
To his spurs his locks descended.
Fathom-wide his eyes were parted,
Fathom-wide his trousers measured ;
Round his knee the girth was greater,
And around his hip 'twas doubled. 160
Then he sharpened keen the axe-blade,
Brought the polished blade to sharpness ;
Six the stones on which he ground it,
Seven the stones on which he whet it.
Then the man stepped forward lightly,
Hastened on to do his mission ;
Wide his trousers, and they fluttered
Round his legs as onward strode he,
And the first step taken, brought him
To the shore so soft and sandy ; 1 70
With the second stride he landed
On the dun ground further inland,
And the third step brought him quickly,
Where the oak itself was rooted.
With his axe he smote the oak-tree,
With his sharpened blade he hewed it ;
Once he smote it, twice he smote it,
And the third stroke wholly cleft it.
From the axe the flame was flashing,
Flame was bursting from the oak-tree, 180
As he strove to fell the oak-tree,
Overthrow the tree stupendous.
Runo ii] Vainamomen's Sowing 15
Thus the third blow was delivered,
And the oak-tree fell before him,
For the mighty tree was shattered,
And the hundred boughs had fallen,
And the trunk extended eastward,
And the summit to the north-west,
And the leaves were scattered southward,
And the branches to the northward. 190
He who took a branch from off it,
Took prosperity unceasing,
What was broken from the summit,
Gave unending skill in magic ;
He who broke a leafy branchlet,
Gathered with it love unending.
What remained of fragments scattered,
Chips of wood, and broken splinters,
On the bright expanse of ocean,
On the far-extending billows, 200
In the breeze were gently rocking,
On the waves were lightly drifted,
Like the boats on ocean's surface,
Like the ships amid the sea-waves.
Northward drove the wind the fragments,
Where the little maid of Pohja,
Stood on beach, and washed her head-dress,
And she washed her clothes and rinsed them,
On the shingle by the ocean,
On a tongue of land projecting. 210
On the waves she saw the fragments,
Put them in her birch-bark wallet,
In her wallet took them homeward ;
In the well-closed yard she stored them.
For the arrows of the sorcerer,
For the chase to furnish weapons.
When the oak at last had fallen,
And the evil tree was levelled,
Once again the sun shone brightly,
And the pleasant moonlight glimmered, 220
And the clouds extended widely,
And the rainbow spanned the heavens,
1 6 Kalevala [Runo n
O'er the cloud-encompassed headland,
And the island's misty summit.
Then the wastes were clothed with verdure,
And the woods grew up and flourished ;
Leaves on trees and grass in meadows.
In the trees the birds were singing,
Loudly sang the cheery throstle ;
In the tree-tops called the cuckoo. 230
Then the earth brought forth her berries ;
Shone the fields with golden blossoms ;
Herbs of every species flourished ;
Plants and trees of all descriptions ;
But the barley would not flourish,
Nor the precious seed would ripen.
Then the aged Vainamoinen,
Walked around, and deeply pondered,
By the blue waves' sandy margin,
On the mighty ocean's border, 240
And six grains of corn he found there,
Seven fine seeds of corn he found there,
On the borders of the ocean,
On the yielding sandy margin.
In a marten's skin he placed them,
From the leg of summer squirrel.
Then he went to sow the fallows ;
On the ground the seeds to scatter,
Near to Kaleva's own fountain,
And upon the field of Osmo. 250
From a tree there chirped the titmouse :
" Osmo's barley will not flourish,
Nor will Kaleva's oats prosper,
While untilled remains the country,
And uncleared remains the forest,
Nor the fire has burned it over."
Vainamoinen, old and steadfast,
Ground his axe-blade edge to sharpness
And began to fell the forest,
Toiling hard to clear the country. 260
All the lovely trees he levelled,
Sparing but a single birch-tree,
Runo II] Vainamoinen's Sowing 17
That the birds might rest upon it,
And from thence might call the cuckoo.
In the sky there soared an eagle,
Of the birds of air the greatest,
And he came and gazed around him.
" Wherefore is the work unfinished,
And the birch-tree still unfallen ?
Wherefore spare the beauteous birch-tree?" 270
Said the aged Vainamoinen,
" Therefore is the birch left standing,
That the birds may perch upon it ;
All the birds of air may rest there."
Said the bird of air, the eagle,
" Very wisely hast thou acted,
Thus to leave the birch-tree standing
And the lovely tree unfallen,
That the birds may perch upon it,
And that I myself may rest there." 280
Then the bird of air struck fire,
And the flames rose up in brightness,
While the north wind fanned the forest,
And the north-east wind blew fiercely.
All the trees were burned to ashes,
Till the sparks were quite extinguished.
Then the aged Vainamoinen,
Took the six seeds from his satchel,
And he took the seven small kernels,
From the marten's skin he took them, 290
From the leg of summer squirrel,
From the leg of summer ermine.
Then he went to sow the country,
And to scatter seeds around him,
And he spoke the words which follow :
" Now I stoop the seeds to scatter,
As from the Creator's fingers,
From the hand of Him Almighty,
That the country may be fertile,
And the corn may grow and flourish, 300
" Patroness of lowland country,
Old one of the plains ; Earth-Mother,
1 8 Kalevala [Runo n
Let the tender blade spring upward,
Let the earth support and cherish.
Might of earth will never fail us,
Never while the earth existeth,
When the Givers are propitious,
And Creation's daughters aid us.
" Rise, O earth, from out thy slumber,
Field of the Creator, rouse thee, 310
Make the blade arise and flourish,
Let the stalks grow up and lengthen,
That the ears may grow by thousands,
Yet a hundredfold increasing,
By my ploughing and my sowing,
In return for all my labour.
" Ukko, thou of Gods the highest,
Father, thou in heaven abiding,
Thou to whom the clouds are subject,
Of the scattered clouds the ruler, 320
All thy clouds do thou assemble,
In the light make clear thy counsel,
Send thou forth a cloud from eastward,
In the north-west let one gather,
Send thou others from the westward,
Let them drive along from southward,
Send the light rain forth from heaven,
Let the clouds distil with honey,
That the corn may sprout up strongly,
And the stalks may wave and rustle." 330
Ukko, then, of Gods the highest,
Father of the highest heaven,
Heard, and all the clouds assembled,
In the light made clear his counsel,
And he sent a cloud from eastward,
In the north-west let one gather,
Others, too, he sent from westward,
Let them drive along from southward,
Linked them edge to edge together,
And he closed the rifts between them. 340
Then he sent the rain from heaven,
And the clouds distilled sweet honey,
Runo II] Vainamoinen's Sowing 19
That the corn might sprout up stronger,
And the stalks might wave and rustle.
Thus the sprouting germ was nourished,
And the rustling stalks grew upward,
From the soft earth of the cornfield,
Through the toil of Vainamoinen.
After this, two days passed over,
After two nights, after three nights, 350
When the week was full completed,
Vainamoinen, old and steadfast,
Wandered forth to see the progress ;
How his ploughing and his sowing
And his labours had resulted.
There he found the barley growing,
And the ears were all six-cornered,
And the stalks were all three-knotted.
Then the aged Vainamoinen
Wandered on and gazed around him, 360
And the cuckoo, bird of springtime,
Came and saw the birch-tree growing.
" Wherefore is the birch left standing,
And unfelled the slender birch-tree ? "
Said the aged Vainamoinen,
" Therefore is the birch left standing,
And unfelled the slender birch-tree,
As a perch for thee, O Cuckoo ;
Whence the cuckoo's cry may echo.
From thy sand-hued throat cry sweetly, 370
With thy silver voice call loudly,
With thy tin-like voice cry clearly,
Call at morning, call at evening,
And at noontide call thou likewise,
To rejoice my plains surrounding,
That my woods may grow more cheerful,
That my coast may grow more wealthy,
And my region grow more fruitful."
2O Kalevala [Runo in
RUNO III. VAINAMOINEN AND JOUKAHAINEN
Argument
Vainamoinen increases in wisdom and composes songs (1-20).
Joukahainen sets out to contend with him in wisdom ; but as he
cannot overcome him, he challenges him to a duel, whereupon
Vainamoinen grows angry, and sinks him in a swamp by his magic
songs (21-330). Joukahainen, in great distress, finally offers his sister
Aino in marriage to Vainamoinen, who accepts the offer and releases
him (331-476). Joukahainen returns home discomfited, and relates his
misfortunes to his mother (477-524). The mother rejoices at the
prospect of such an alliance, but the daughter laments and weeps
(525-580).
VAINAMOINEN, old and steadfast
Passed the days of his existence
Where lie Vainola's sweet meadows,
Kalevala's extended heathlands :
There he sang his songs of sweetness
Sang his songs and proved his wisdom
Day by day he sang unwearied,
Night by night discoursed unceasing,
Sang the songs of by-gone ages,
Hidden words of ancient wisdom, 10
Songs which all the children sing not,
All beyond men's comprehension,
In these ages of misfortune,
When the race is near its ending.
Far away the news was carried,
Far abroad was spread the tidings
Of the songs of Vainamoinen,
Of the wisdom of the hero ;
In the south was spread the rumour j
Reached to Pohjola the tidings. 20
Here dwelt youthful Joukahainen,
He, the meagre youth of Lapland ;
And, when visiting the village,
Wondrous tales he heard related,
Runoin] Vainamoinen and Joukahainen 21
How there dwelt another minstrel,
And that better songs were carolled,
Far in Vainola's sweet meadows,
Kalevala's extended heathlands ;
Better songs than he could compass ;
Better than his father taught him. 30
This he heard with great displeasure,
And his heart was filled with envy
That the songs of Vainamoinen
Better than his own were reckoned.
Then he went to seek his mother ;
Sought her out, the aged woman,
And declared that he would journey,
And was eager to betake him,
Unto Vainola's far dwellings,
That he might contend with Vaino. 40
But his father straight forbade him,
Both his father and his mother,
Thence to Vainola to journey,
That he might contend with Vaino.
" He will surely sing against you,
Sing against you, and will ban you,
Sink your mouth and head in snow-drifts,
And your hands in bitter tempest :
Till your hands and feet are stiffened,
And incapable of motion." 50
Said the youthful Joukahainen,
" Good the counsel of my father,
And my mother's counsel better ;
Best of all my own opinion.
I will set myself against him,
And defy him to a contest,
I myself my songs will sing him,
I myself will speak my mantras ;
Sing until the best of minstrels
Shall become the worst of singers. 60
Shoes of stone will I provide him,
Wooden trousers on his haunches ;
On his breast a stony burden,
And a rock upon his shoulders ;
22 Kalevala [Runo III
Stony gloves his hands shall cover,
And his head a stony helmet."
Then he went his way unheeding,
Went his way, and fetched his gelding,
From whose mouth the fire was flashing,
'Neath whose legs the sparks were flying. 70
Then the fiery steed he harnessed,
To the golden sledge he yoked him,
In the sledge himself he mounted,
And upon the seat he sat him,
O'er the horse his whip he brandished,
With the beaded whip he smote him,
From the place the horse sprang quickly,
And he darted lightly forwards.
On he drove with thundering clatter,
As he drove a day, a second, 80
Driving also on the third day,
And at length upon the third day,
Came to Vainola's sweet meadows,
Kalevala's extended heathlands.
Vainamoinen, old and steadfast,
He, the oldest of magicians,
As it chanced was driving onward,
Peacefully his course pursuing
On through Vainola's sweet meadows,
Kalevala's extended heathlands. 90
Came the youthful Joukahainen
Driving on the road against him,
And the shafts were wedged together,
And the reins were all entangled,
And the collar jammed with collar,
And the runners dashed together.
Thus their progress was arrested,
Thus they halted and reflected ;
Sweat dropped down upon the runners ;
From the shafts the steam was rising. 100
Asked the aged Vainamoinen,
11 Who are you, and what your lineage,
You who drive so reckless onward,
Utterly without reflection ?
Runoinj Vainamoinen and Joukahainen 23
Broken are the horses' collars,
And the wooden runners likewise ;
You have smashed my sledge to pieces,
Broke the sledge in which I travelled."
Then the youthful Joukahainen
Answered in the words which follow: no
" I am youthful Joukahainen ;
But yourself should also tell me,
What your race, and what your nation,
And from what vile stock you issue."
Vainamoinen, old and steadfast,
Told his name without concealment,
And began to speak as follows :
" Youth, if you are Joukahainen,
You should move aside a little,
For remember, you are younger." 120
But the youthful Joukahainen
Answered in the words which follow :
" Here of youthfulness we reck not ;
Nought doth youth or age concern us,
He who highest stands in knowledge,
He whose wisdom is the greatest,
Let him keep the path before him,
And the other yield the passage.
If you are old Vainamoinen,
And the oldest of the minstrels, 130
Let us give ourselves to singing,
Let us now repeat our sayings,
That the one may teach the other,
And the one surpass the other."
Vainamoinen, old and steadfast,
Answered in the words which follow :
" What can I myself accomplish
As a wise man or a singer ?
I have passed my life in quiet,
Here among these very moorlands, 140
On the borders of my home-field
I have heard the cuckoo calling.
But apart from this at present,
I will ask you to inform me
24 Kalevala [Runo in
What may be your greatest wisdom ;
And the utmost of your knowledge? '
Said the youthful Joukahainen,
" Many things I know in fulness,
And I know with perfect clearness,
And my insight shows me plainly, 150
In the roof we find the smoke-hole,
And the fire is near the hearthstone.
" Joyful life the seal is leading,
In the waves there sports the sea-dog,
And he feeds upon the salmon,
And the powans round about him.
" Smooth the water loved by powann,
Smooth the surface, too, for salmon ;
And in frost the pike is spawning,
Slimy fish in wintry weather. 160
Sluggish is the perch, the humpback,
In the depths it swims in autumn,
But it spawns in drought of summer,
Swimming slowly to the margin.
" If this does not yet suffice you,
I am wise in other matters,
And of weighty things can tell you.
In the north they plough with reindeer,
In the south the mare is useful,
And the elk in furthest Lapland. 170
" Trees I know on Pisa mountain,
Firs upon the rocks of Horna,
Tall the trees on Pisa mountain,
And the firs on rocks of Horna.
" Three great waterfalls I know of,
And as many lakes extensive,
And as many lofty mountains,
Underneath the vault of heaven.
Hallapyora is in Hame,
Karjala has Kaatrakoski, 180
But they do not match the Vuoksi,
There where Imatra is rushing."
Said the aged Vainiimoinen,
" Childish tales, and woman's wisdorr^
Runo in] Vainamoinen and Joukahainen 25
But for bearded men unsuited,
And for married men unfitted.
Tell me words of deepest wisdom,
Tell me now of things eternal."
Then the youthful Joukahainen
Answered in the words which follow : 1 90
" Well I know whence comes the titmouse,
That the titmouse is a birdie,
And a snake the hissing viper,
And the ruffe a fish in water.
And I know that hard is iron,
And that mud when black is bitter.
Painful, too, is boiling water,
And the heat of fire is hurtful,
Water is the oldest medicine,
Cataract's foam a magic potion ; 200
The Creator's self a sorcerer,
Jumala the Great Magician.
" From the rock springs forth the water,
And the fire from heaven descendeth,
And from ore we get the iron,
And in hills we find the copper.
" Marshy country is the oldest,
And the first of trees the willow.
Pine-roots were the oldest houses,
And the earliest pots were stone ones." 210
Vainamoinen, old and steadfast,
Answered in the words which follow :
" Is there more that you can tell me,
Or is this the end of nonsense ? "
Said the youthful Joukahainen,
" Many little things I wot of,
And the time I well remember
When 'twas I who ploughed the ocean,
Hollowed out the depths of ocean,
And I dug the caves for fishes, 220
And I sunk the deep abysses,
When the lakes I first created,
And I heaped the hills together,
And the rocky mountains fashioned.
I
26 Kalevala [Runo in
" Then I stood with six great heroes,
I myself the seventh among them.
When the earth was first created,
And the air above expanded ;
For the sky I fixed the pillars,
And I reared the arch of heaven, 230
To the moon assigned his journey,
Helped the sun upon his pathway,
To the Bear his place appointed,
And the stars in heaven I scattered.**
Said the aged Vainamoinen,
" Ay, indeed, a shameless liar !
You at least were never present
When the ocean first was furrowed,
And the ocean depths were hollowed,
And the caves were dug for fishes, 240
And the deep abysses sunken,
And the lakes were first created,
When the hills were heaped together,
And the rocky mountains fashioned.
" No one ever yet had seen you,
None had seen you, none had heard you,
When the earth was first created,
And the air above expanded,
When the posts of heaven were planted,
And the arch of heaven exalted, 250
When the moon was shown his pathway,
And the sun was taught to journey,
When the Bear was fixed in heaven,
And the stars in heaven were scattered."
But the youthful Joukahainen
Answered in the words which follow :
" If I fail in understanding,
I will seek it at the sword-point.
O thou aged Vainamoinen,
O thou very broad-mouthed minstrel, 260
Let us measure swords together,
Let the blade decide between us."
Said the aged Vainamoinen,
11 1 have little cause to fiet me
Runoiii] Vainamoinen and Joukahainen 27
Either for your sword or wisdom,
For your sword-point or your judgment.
But, apart from this at present,
I will draw no sword upon you,
So contemptible a fellow,
And so pitiful a weakling." 270
Then the youthful Joukahainen
Shook his head, his mouth drawn crooked,
And he tossed his locks of blackness,
And he spake the words which follow :
" He who shuns the sword's decision,
Nor betakes him to his sword-blade,
To a swine I soon will sing him,
To a snouted swine transform him.
Heroes I have thus o'erpowered,
Hither will I drive and thither. 280
And will pitch them on the dunghill,
Grunting in the cowshed corner."
Angry then was Vainamoinen,
Filled with wrath and indignation,
And himself commenced his singing,
And to speak his words of wisdom.
But he sang no childish ditties,
Children's songs and women's jesting,
But a song for bearded heroes,
Such as all the children sing not, 290
Nor a half the boys can master,
Nor a third can lovers compass,
In the days of dark misfortune,
When our life is near its ending.
Sang the aged Vainamoinen ;
Lakes swelled up, and earth was shaken,
And the coppery mountains trembled,
And the mighty rocks resounded.
And the mountains clove asunder ;
On the shore the stones were shivered. 300
Then he sang of Joukahainen,
Changed his runners into saplings,
And to willows changed the collar,
And the reins he turned to alder,
28 Kalevala [Runo in
And he sang the sledge all gilded,
To the lake among the rushes,
And the whip, with beads embellished,
To a reed upon the \vater,
And the horse, with front white-spotted
To a stone beside the torrent. 310
Then he sang his sword, gold-hilted,
To a lightning-flash in heaven,
And his ornamented crossbow,
To a rainbow o'er the water,
And he sang his feathered arrows,
Into hawks that soar above him ;
And his dog, with upturned muzzle,
Stands a stone in earth embedded.
From his head, his cap, by singing,
Next became a cloud above him, 320
From his hands, his gloves, by singing,
Next were changed to water-lilies,
And the blue coat he was wearing,
Floats a fleecy cloud in heaven,
And the handsome belt that girt him,
In the sky as stars he scattered.
As he sang, sank Joukahainen
Waist-deep in the swamp beneath him,
Hip-deep in the marshy meadow,
To his arm-pits in a quicksand. 330
Then indeed young Joukahainen
Knew at last, and comprehended ;
And he knew his course was finished,
And his journey now was ended.
For in singing he was beaten,
By the aged Vainamoinen.
He would raise his foot to struggle
But he could no longer lift it ;
Then he tried to lift the other,
But as shod with stone he felt it. 340
Then the youthful Joukahainen
Felt the greatest pain and anguish,
And he fell in grievous trouble,
And he spoke the words which follow :
Runoiii] Vainamoinen and Joukahainen 29
" O thou wisest Vainamoinen,
thou oldest of magicians,
Speak thy words of magic backwards,
And reverse thy songs of magic.
Loose me from this place of terror,
And release me from my torment. 350
1 will pay the highest ransom,
And the fixed reward will give thee."
Said the aged Vainamoinen,
* 4 What do you propose to give me,
If I turn my words of magic,
And reverse my songs of magic,
Loose you from this place of terror,
And release you from your torment ? "
Said the youthful Joukahainen,
" I've two crossbows I could give you, 360
Ay, a pair of splendid crossbows,
One shoots forth with passing quickness,
Surely hits the mark the other.
If it please you, choose between them."
Said the aged Vainamoinen,
" No, your bows I do not covet,
For the wretched bows I care not ;
I myself have plenty of them.
All the walls are decked with crossbows,
All the pegs are hung with crossbows ; 370
In the woods they wander hunting,
Nor a hero needs to span them."
Then the youthful Joukahainen