Part 22

He set out to fetch words from Tuoni (Words of) power from Manala; Going he stepped firmly, Went a week through forests of young trees, A second week through bird cherries, 155 A third week through junipers: Already appeared the island of Manala, The hill of Tuoni loomed. The prudent old Wäinämöinen Now shouting cried loudly 160 In the river of Tuoni In the lowland of Manala. ‘Bring a boat, daughter of Tuoni, A ship, child of Manala, For my going over this creek, 165 For my crossing over the river.’ The dwarfish daughter of Tuoni, The stunted maiden of Manala, She was washing dirty linen, Beating clothes, 170 In the black river of Tuoni, In the marsh-water[19] of Manala; Spoke a word, thus uttered, Herself talked and conversed: ‘The boat will be brought 175 When the reason shall be told, What brought thee to Mana, Without slaying by disease Without taking by a natural death Without breaking by another death.’ 180 The prudent old Wäinämöinen, Spoke a word, thus uttered: ‘Tuoni brought me hither, Mana brought me from my lands.’ The dwarfish daughter of death, 185 The stunted maiden of Manala Spoke this in words: ‘Now I recognize the liar. Had Tuoni brought (thee) hither, Mana removed from the earth, 190 Tuoni would have brought (thee) in his coming, Manalainen in his journeying, The hat of death on (thy) head (lit. necks), The gloves of death on (thy) hand[20]; Speak the truth, Wäinämöinen: 195 What brought thee to Manala?’ The prudent old Wäinämöinen Hereupon spoke in words: ‘Iron brought me to Mana, Steel sped me to Tuonela.’ 200 The dwarfish daughter of Tuoni, The stunted child of Manala, Spoke a word, thus uttered: ‘From this I know the liar! If iron had sent (thee) to Mana 205 Steel brought (thee) to Tuonela: (Thy) clothes would drip with blood, Would trickle with gore. Speak the truth, Wäinämöinen, Speak the truth a second time.’ 210 The prudent old Wäinämöinen Himself spoke, thus uttered: ‘Water sent me to Mana, The wave brought (me) to Tuonela.’ The dwarfish daughter of Tuoni 215 The stunted maiden of Manala, Framed a word, thus uttered: ‘I detect the liar. If water had sent (thee) to Mana, The wave brought (thee) to Tuonela, 220 (Thy) clothes would drip with water Thy bosom would flow. Speak the exact truth: What brought thee to Mana?’ Hereupon the old Wäinämöinen 225 Lied again a time. ‘Fire brought me to Tuonela, Flame sent me to Mana.’ The dwarfish daughter of Tuoni, The stunted maiden of Manala, 230 She spoke this in words. ‘I detect the liar. If fire had brought thee to Mana, Flame to Tuonela, (Thy) ringlets would be singed, 235 And (thy) beard be badly burnt. O thou old Wäinämöinen, If thou desirest the boat from here, Speak the exact truth, Last lies, 240 Why thou hast come to Mana, Without slaying by disease, Without taking by natural death, Without destroying by another death.’ Said the old Wäinämöinen: 245 ‘If I lied a little, Told an untruth a second time, Yet (now) I speak the truth: I was making a boat with skill, Constructing a ship with singing: 250 I sang a day, I sang a second, Now on the third day The sledge broke from my verses, The foot-piece broke from my speech. I set forth to obtain an auger from Tuoni, 255 A gimlet from Manala, For my building the sledge, For my arranging the basket-sledge of song[21]. So bring the boat here, Prepare for me thy ship, 260 For my going over this creek, For my crossing over the river.’ Greatly Tuonetar was wroth The maiden of Mana was angry: ‘Alas, fool, for thy folly, 265 Man, for the smallness of thy sense. Thou comest without a cause to Tuonela, Without sickness to the dwellings of Mana: Better were it for thee To return to thy own lands. 270 Many are they who come hither, Not many they who return.’ Said the old Wäinämöinen— ‘Let an old woman turn from the path, Not even a worse man, 275 Not a duller hero. Bring the boat, daughter of Tuoni, The ship, child of Manala.’ The daughter of Tuoni brought the boat, With it the old Wäinämöinen 280 Across the creek she carried. Conveyed over the river. Herself she spoke this in words. ‘Woe to thee, Wäinämöinen, Thou hast come without death to Mana, 285 Without dying to Tuonela.’ Tuonetar, the good hostess, Manalatar the old woman[22] Brought beer in a cup, Bore (it) in a two-handled vessel. 290 Herself framed this in words: ‘Drink old Wäinämöinen.’ Prudent old Wäinämöinen Looked up and down over his cup. Frogs were wriggling in the inside, 295 Worms crawled at the edges. Then he framed this in words: ‘I came not here at all To drink the pots of Manala, To empty the cups of Tuoni. 300 The drinkers of beer get drunk, The drainers of the cup fall.’ The hostess of Tuonela said: ‘O old Wäinämöinen, Why hast thou come to Mana, 305 To the dwellings of Tuonela Before the bidding of Tuoni, The calling of Mana from the earth?’ Old Wäinämöinen said: ‘In my hewing a boat, 310 In fashioning a new ship, I lost three words, In finishing the end-piece, In building up a structure of wood. Since I have not found them, 315 Or met in the wide world, It was necessary to come to Tuonela, To set out for the habitations of Mana, In order to find those words, To learn dark sayings.’ 320 The hostess of Tuoni, Spoke a word, thus uttered: ‘Tuoni does not give words, (Nor) Mana distribute (words of) power, And thou wilt not get free from here 325 In all this life To go to thy home, To return to thy land.’ She made the man sink into slumber, Laid the traveller to sleep, 330 On to the skin rugs of Tuoni. Then the man slept, The hero took slumber, The man slept, the clothes watched. There was a hag in Tuonela, 335 An old hag with a sharp chin, A spinner of iron threads, A caster of brass threads. She spun a hundred fold net, Wrought one of a thousand fold 340 In one summer night On one water-stone. There was an old man in Tuonela. He is an old man with three fingers, A weaver of iron nets, 345 A preparer of brass nets. He wove a hundred-fold net, Forged one of a thousand-fold In the same summer night On the same water stone. 350 Tuoni’s son with crooked fingers, With crooked fingers, with iron nails, He spread the hundred fold net Across the river of Tuoni, Both across and along, 355 And also slantwise, That it might not let pass Wäinämöinen (Or) free Uvantolainen, In all this life, While the golden moon shines, 360 From there, from the homes of Tuoni, From the eternal dwellings of Mana. Prudent old Wäinämöinen Spoke a word, thus uttered: ‘Can my doom have already come, 365 The day of misfortune have lighted on my head, In these dwellings of Tuonela, In the abodes of Manala.’ Suddenly he changed himself to another shape, Swiftly he became other, 370 Went black into the water, As an otter into the reedy place, Crept like an iron worm, Moved like a viper snake Across the river of Tuonela, 375 Through the nets of Tuoni. Tuoni’s son with crooked fingers, With crooked fingers and iron nails, Went in the morning early. To look at his nets, 380 Catches a hundred small fish A thousand fry, Did not catch Wäinämöinen The old Uvantolainen.

KALEVALA XL. 113 ff.

[While Väinämöinen, Lemminkäinen, and Ilmarinen are sailing to Pohjola, the ship goes aground. Väinämöinen asks Lemminkäinen to find out what is the matter.]

Se on[72] lieto[313] Lemminkäinen[314] Pyörähtihe[315] katsomahan[193], Katsovi[193] venosen[155] alle[316], 115 Sanan virkkoi, noin nimesi: _v._ xvi. 182. ‘Ei ole veno[155] kivellä[261], Ei kivellä, ei haolla[317], Vene[25] on hauin[318] hartioilla[70], Ve’en[98] koiran[319] konkkaluilla[320].’ 120 Vaka vanha Väinämöinen {_v._ xvi. 151, Sanan virkkoi, noin nimesi: {182. ‘Jotaki[321] joessa[22] onpi[322], Hakojaki[323], haukiaki[318]; Kun[50] lie[285] hauin[318] hartioilla[79], 125 Ve’en koiran konkkaluilla, _v._ l. 120. Veä[324] miekalla[325] vetehen[98], Katkaise[326] kala[327] kaheksi[328]!’ Se on lieto Lemminkäinen, _v._ l. 113. Poika[271] veitikka[329] verevä[330] 130 Miekan[325] vyöltänsä[331] vetävi[324], Luunpurian[332] puoleltansa[333]; Veti[324] miekalla[325] meryttä[334], Alta[335] laian[198] laskettavi[336], Itse vierähti[337] vetehen[98], 135 Kourin[338] aaltohon[99] kohahti[339]. Siitä[340] seppo[341] Ilmarinen[342] Tarttui[343] tukkahan[344] urosta[345], Nostalti[346] merestä[295] miehen[164], Itse tuon sanoiksi virkki: _v._ xvi. 283. ‘Kaikki[347] on mieheksi[164] kyhätty[348], Pantu[245] parran[117] kantajaksi[191], Lisäksi[349] satalu’ulle[350], Tuhannelle[351] täytteheksi[352].’ Miekan vyöltänsä vetävi, _v._ line 131. Tupestansa[353] tuiman[354] rauan[85], Jolla[355] kalhaisi[356] kaloa[327], Alta[335] laian[198] läimähytti[357]; Miekka[325] murskaksi[358] mureni[359], Eipä hauki[318] tiennytkänä[360]. 150 Vaka vanha Väinämöinen {_v._ xvi. 197, Tuossa tuon sanoiksi virkki: { 198. ‘Ei ole teissä[361] puolta[362] miestä[164], Ei urosta[182] kolmannesta[363]; Kun[50] konsa[364] tulevi[120] tarve[365], 155 Miehen[164] mieltä[165] vaaitahan[366], Silloin[367] mieli[165] melkeässä[368], Kaikki[347] toimi[369] toisialla[370].’ Itse miekkansa[325] veälti[371], Tempasi terävän rauan, _v._ xxxvi. 326. Työnti[372] miekkansa[325] merehen[295], Alle[316] laian[198] langetteli[373] Kalahauin[374] hartioihin[79], Ve’en koiran konkkaluihin. _v._ line 120. Miekka[325] luottihe[375] lujahan[376], 165 Kitasihin[377] kiinnittihe[378]; Siitä[340] vanha Väinämöinen Nostalti[346] kaloa[327] tuota[67], Veti[324] haukia[318] ve’estä[98]: Hauki[31] katkesi[379] kaheksi[328], 170 Pursto[380] pohjahan[381] putosi[382], Pää[288] kavahti[383] karpahasen[384]. Jo[12] otti[385] venonen[155] juosta[386], Pääsi[235] pursi[136] puutoksesta[387]; Vaka vanha Väinämöinen 175 Luotti[388] purren[136] luotoselle[389], Ravahutti[390] rantasehen[391], Katselevi, kääntelevi _v._ xxxvi. 321. Tuota[67] hauin[318] pääpaloa[392], Itse tuon sanoiksi virkki: _v._ xvi. 283. ‘Ken[393] on vanhin[18] sulholoista[394], Sepä hauki halkomahan[395], Kala[327] viploin[396] viiltämähän[397], Pää[298] paloiksi[322] pahkomahan[398]!’ Miehet[164] purresta[136] puhuvat[399], 185 Vaimot[189] lausui[46] laitasilta[400]: ‘Saajanpa[401] käet[81] sulimmat[402], Sormet[263] pyytäjän[403] pyhimmät[404].’ Vaka vanha Väinämöinen Veti[324] veitsen[405] huotrastansa[406], 190 Kyleltänsä[407] kylmän[408] rauan[85], Jolla[355] hauin[318] halkaisevi[409], Pahkovi[410] kalan[327] paloiksi[392], Itse tuon sanoiksi virkki: _v._ xvi. 283. ‘Ken[393] on nuorin[411] neitosista[412], 195 Sepä hauki keittämähän Murkinaisiksi[414] muruiksi[415], Kalaisiksi[416] lounahiksi[417]!’ Kävi[7] neiet[38] keittämähän[413], Kävi[7] kilvan[418] kymmenenki[419]; 200 Siitä[340] hauki[318] keitetähän[420], Murkinoiahan[421] muruina[422], Jäipä[423] luita[424] luotoselle[389], Kalanluita[424] kalliolle[425]. Vaka vanha Väinämöinen 205 Noita[226] tuossa[84] katselevi, Katselevi, kääntelevi, _v._ xxxvi. 321. Sanan virkkoi, noin nimesi: _v._ xvi. 182. ‘Mikä tuostaki[426] tulisi[126], Noista[427] hauin[218] hampahista[428], 210 Leveästä[429] leukaluusta[430], Jos[102] oisi[114] sepon[341] pajassa[431], Luona[432] taitavan[433] takojan[434], Miehen,[164] mahtavan[435] käsissä[81]?’ Sanoi[128] seppo[134] Ilmarinen: 215 ‘Ei tule[126] tyhjästä[436] mitänä[437], Kalan[327] ruotasta[438] kalua[439], Ei seponkana[341] pajassa, Luona taitavan takojan, _v._ lines 213, 214. Miehen mahtavan käsissä.’ Vaka vanha Väinämöinen Itse tuon sanoiksi virkki: _v._ xvi. 283. ‘Näistäpä[130] toki tulisi[126] Kalanluinen[424] kanteloinen[440], Kun[50] oisi[114] osoajata[441], 225 Soiton[442] luisen[424] laatiata[443].’ Kun[50] ei toista[10] tullutkana[175], Ei ollut osoajata[441], Soiton luisen laatiata, _v._ line 226. Vaka vanha Väinämöinen 230 Itse loihe[444] laatiaksi[443], Tekiäksi[445] teentelihe[446]; Laati[153] soiton[442] hauinluisen[424], Suoritti[447] ilon[448] ikuisen[449]. Kust’[450] on koppa[451] kanteletta[452]? 235 Hauin[318] suuren[453] leukaluusta[430]; Kust’[450] on naulat[454] kanteletta[452]? Ne on hauin[318] hampahista[428]; Kusta[450] kielet[454] kanteletta[452]? Hivuksista[455] Hiien[456] ruunan[457]. 240 Jo oli soitto[442] suorittuna[458], Valmihina[459] kanteloinen[440], Soitto[442] suuri[453] hauinluinen[421], Kantelo[440] kalaneväinen[460].

THE INVENTION OF THE HARP.

The gay Lemminkäinen Turned himself to see, Looked under the boat, 115 Spoke a word, thus spoke: ‘The boat is not on a stone, Not on a stone, not on timber, The boat is on the neck of a pike, On the hip bones of a water dog.’ 120 The prudent old Väinämöinen, Spoke a word, thus said: ‘There are all sorts of things in a river, Timber, pikes: If it be on the neck of a pike, 125 On the hips of a water-dog, Smite with the sword into the water, Cut the fish in two.’ The gay Lemminkäinen, The bright lively youth, 130 Draws the sword from his girdle, The bone biter from his side; Struck the sea with the sword, Stirs under the side (of the ship). Himself rolled into the water, 135 Fell splash into the billow hands foremost. Then the smith Ilmarinen, Clung on to the hair of the hero, Raised the man from the sea. Himself spoke this in words: 140 ‘Every-one is formed to be a man, Made to be a bearer of a beard, To be a supplement to the number of a hundred, To complete a thousand[23].’ He draws the sword from his girdle, 145 The cruel iron from his sheath, With which he smote the fish, Struck below the side (of the ship). The sword broke into pieces, The pike did not even perceive. 150 Prudent old Väinämöinen On this spoke this in words: ‘There is not in you half a man, Not the third part of a hero, When need comes, 155 The mind of a man is wanted, Then (your) mind fails, All (your) sense is away.’ He himself drew his sword, Seized the sharp iron 160 Struck his sword into the sea, Smote below the side (of the ship) On-to the neck of the pike fish, On to the hip bones of the water dog. The sword was driven home into the firm (flesh), 165 Fixed in the gills; Then old Väinämöinen Brought up that fish, Drew the pike from the water; The pike fell in two; 170 The tail dropped to the bottom of the sea, The head rolled into the boat. Now the boat began to run, The vessel got free from the impediment. Prudent old Väinämöinen 175 Brought the vessel near to shore, Drove her on to the strand, Looked at and turned That head-piece of the pike. Himself spoke this in words: 180 ‘Who is the oldest of the youths, (Let him come) to cut up the pike, Divide the fish into pieces, Split the head into bits.’ The men speak from the ship, 185 The women cry from the shore: ‘The hands of the catcher are the purest, The fingers of the seeker are the holiest.’ The prudent old Väinämöinen Drew a knife from his sheath, 190 The cold iron from his side, With which he cuts up the pike, Splits the fish into pieces. Himself spoke this in words:— ‘Who is the youngest of the women, 195 (Let her come) to cook the pike, Into morsels for dinner, Into a fish midday meal.’ The women went to cook, Ten went in rivalry; 200 Then the pike is cooked, Pieces for dinner; The bones remained on the shore, The fish bones on the edge of the sea. The prudent old Väinämöinen 205 Looked at them there, Looked, turned, Spoke a word, thus uttered: ‘What might come from this, From these teeth of the pike, 210 From the broad jaw bone, If it were in the smithy of a smith, With a clever forger, In the hands of a cunning man?’ Said the smith Ilmarinen:— 215 ‘There comes not anything from nothingness, No instrument from the mouth of a fish, Not even in the smithy of a smith, With a clever forger, In the hands of a cunning man.’ 220 Prudent old Väinämöinen Himself spoke this in words: ‘Yet from these might come A fish-bone harp, Were there but an artist, 225 A maker of bone playing-instruments.’ When there came no other, (When there) was not any artist, (No) maker of bone playing-instruments, Prudent old Väinämöinen 230 Himself became a maker, Appeared as a fabricator: Made an instrument of pike-bone, Made ready an eternal joy. Of what is the body of the harp? 235 Of the jaw-bone of the great pike. Of what are the pegs of the harp? They are the teeth of the pike. Of what are the strings of the harp? Of the hairs of the courser of Hiisi. 240 Now the instrument was prepared, The harp made ready, A great instrument of pike-bone, A harp of fish-fins.

[Note 1: 3rd sing. imperf. of =lähteä= (rule 40); =lähti= is also found. The lit. meaning of this word is _to set out_, but it is used sometimes with an object to mean _to go after_, _to fetch_.]

[Note 2: Ablative sing. of =tuoni=, _death_. =Mana= is a synonym.]

[Note 3: Part. plur. of =sana=, _word_ (rule 7), obj. of =läksi=.]

[Note 4: Ablative sing. of =Manala=, _abode of death_ (_v._ p. 47 for the suffix).]

[Note 5: Part. plur. of =mahti=, _power_, obj. of =läksi=; for suffix =loi=, _v._ p. 225.]

[Note 6: For constr. _v._ p. 188; =astua=, 1st infin., _to step_; =taputtelevi=, 3rd pers. sing. pres. (p. 228) of =taputella=, _to tread heavily or firmly_.]

[Note 7: 3rd sing. imperf. of =käydä= (rule 5, p. 9), _to go_ or _traverse_.]

[Note 8: Accusative sing. of =wiikko=, _week_, denoting duration (_v._ p. 137).]

[Note 9: These three words are formed with the suffix =kko= (p. 47) from the words =witsa=, _small tree_ or _shoot_; =tuomi=, _bird-cherry_, Swedish =hägg=; and =kataja=, _juniper_.]

[Note 10: Accusative sing. of =toinen= (p. 35).]

[Note 11: Accusative sing. of =kolmas= (p. 35).]

[Note 12: Adv. _now_ or _already_.]

[Note 13: 3rd. sing. imperf. of =näkyä=, neut. form of =nähdä=, _to see_ (p. 109).]

[Note 14: Nominative sing. of stem =saari=, _an island_.]

[Note 15: Nominative sing. _a hill_.]

[Note 16: 3rd sing. pres. of =kuumottaa=, _to loom_ or _be seen indistinctly_.]

[Note 17: This is a constant epithet of =Wäinämöinen=, meaning literally _firm_, and then used to denote a kind of steady prudence, which is a natural characteristic of the Finns, and (like Scotch canniness) untranslatable, though more frivolous nations might render it by stolid.]