Chapter 10

As he came into the courtyard, On the ground he slashed his whiplash, 380 From the spot a cloud rose upward, In the cloud a dwarf was standing, And he quickly loosed the chest-bands, And the shafts he then let downward. Then the lively Lemminkainen Listened with his ears attentive But no person there observed him, So that no one present knew it. Out of doors he heard a singing, Through the moss he heard them speaking, 390 Through the walls heard music playing, Through the shutters heard a singing.

In the house he cast his glances, Gazed into the room in secret, And the house was full of wizards, And the benches full of singers, By the walls there sat musicians. Seers were sitting in the doorway, On the upper benches sorcerers, By the hearth were soothsayers seated, 400 There a Lapland bard was singing, Hoarsely singing songs of Hiisi.

Then the lively Lemminkainen Thought it wise to change his figure, To another shape transformed him, Left his hiding place, and entered, Thrust himself into the chamber, And he spoke the words which follow; "Fine a song may be when ended, Grandest are the shortest verses, 410 Wisdom better when unspoken, Than in midmost interrupted."

Then came Pohjola's old Mistress, On the floor advancing swiftly, Till she reached the chamber's middle, And she spoke these words in answer: "Once there was a dog among us, And a shaggy iron-haired puppy, Eating flesh, of bones a biter, One who licked the blood when freshest. 420 Who among mankind may you be, Who among the list of heroes, Boldly thus the house to enter, Pushing right into the chamber, Yet the dogs have never heard you, Nor have warned us with their barking?"

Said the lively Lemminkainen, "Surely I have not come hither, Void of art and void of knowledge, Void of strength and void of cunning, 430 Taught not magic by my father. And without my parents' counsel That the dogs should now devour me, And the barkers should attack me.

"But it was my mother washed me, When a boy both small and slender, Three times in the nights of summer. Nine times in the nights of autumn, And she taught me all the pathways, And the knowledge of all countries, 440 And at home sang songs of magic, Likewise too in foreign countries."

Then the lively Lemminkainen, He the handsome Kaukomieli, Soon began his songs of magics All at once began his singing, Fire flashed from his fur-cloak's borders, And his eyes with flame were shining, With the songs of Lemminkainen, As he sang his spells of magic. 450

Sang the very best of singers To the worst of all the singers, And he fed their mouths with pebbles. And he piled up rocks above them. On the best of all the singers, And most skilful of magicians.

Then he sang the men thereafter Both to one side and the other, To the plains, all bare and treeless. To the lands, unploughed for ever, 460 To the ponds, devoid of fishes, Where no perch has ever wandered, To the dreadful falls of Rutja, And amid the roaring whirlpools, Underneath the foaming river, To the rocks beneath the cataract, There to burn as if 'mid fire, And to scatter sparks around them.

Then the lively Lemminkainen Sang his songs against the swordsmen. 470 Sang the heroes with their weapons, Sang the young men, sang the old men, And the men of age between them, And his songs spared one man only, And he was a wicked cowherd. Old, with eyes both closed and sightless.

Markahattu then, the cowherd, Spoke the very words which follow: "O thou lively son of Lempi, Thou hast banned the young and old men, 480 Banned the men of age between them, Wherefore hast not banned me likewise?"

Said the lively Lemminkainen, "Therefore 'tis that I have spared thee, That thou dost appear so wretched, Pitiful without my magic. In the days when thou wast younger, Thou wast worst of all the cowherds, Hast destroyed thy mother's children, And disgraced thy very sister, 490 All the horses hast thou crippled, All the foals hast thou outwearied, In the swamps or stony places, Plashing through the muddy waters."

Markahattu then, the cowherd, Greatly vexed, and greatly angry, Through the open door went quickly, Through the yard to open country, Ran to Tuonela's deep river, To the dreadful river's whirlpool, 500 Waited there for Kaukomieli, Waited there for Lemminkainen, Till on his return from Pohja, He should make his journey homeward.

RUNO XIII.--HIISI'S ELK

_Argument_

Lemminkainen asks the old woman of Pohja for her daughter, but she demands that he should first capture the Elk of Hiisi on snowshoes (1-30). Lemminkainen starts off in high spirits to hunt the elk, but it escapes, and he breaks his snowshoes and spear (31-270).

Then the lively Lemminkainen Said to Pohjola's old Mistress, "Give me, old one, now your maiden, Bring me here your lovely daughter, She the best of all among them, She the tallest of the maidens."

Then did Pohjola's old Mistress Answer in the words which follow: "Nay, I will not give my maiden, And you shall not have my daughter, 10 Not the best or worst among them, Not the tallest, not the shortest, For you have a wife already, Long the mistress of your household."

Said the lively Lemminkainen, "Kylli in the town lies fettered, At the steps before the village, By the gate where strangers enter, So a better wife I wish for, Therefore give me now your daughter, 20 She the fairest of your daughters, Lovely with unbraided tresses."

Then said Pohjola's old Mistress, "Never will I give my daughter To a vain and worthless fellow, To a hero good for nothing. Therefore you may woo my daughter, Win the far-famed flower-crowned maiden, If you hunt the elk on snowshoes, In the distant field of Hiisi." 30

Then the lively Lemminkainen Fixed the point upon his javelin. And his bowstring made of sinew, And with bone he tipped his arrows, And he said the words which follow: "Now my javelin I have pointed, All my shafts with bone have pointed, And have strung my bow with sinew, Not the snowshoe left put forward, Nor the right one stamped behind it." 40

Then the lively Lemminkainen Pondered deeply and reflected How he should procure his snowshoes, How they best should be constructed. Then to Kauppi's house he hastened, And to Lyylikki's forge hurried. "O thou wisest Vuojalainen, Thou the handsome Lapland Kauppi, Make me snowshoes that will suit me, Fitted with the finest leather; 50 I must chase the elk of Hiisi, In the distant field of Hiisi."

Lyylikki then spoke as follows, Kauppi gave him ready answer: "Vainly goest thou, Lemminkainen, Forth to hunt the elk of Hiisi; For a piece of rotten timber, Only will reward your labour."

Little troubled Lemminkainen, And he spoke the words which follow: 60 "Make a snowshoe left to run with, And a right one to put forward! I must chase the elk on snowshoes, In the distant field of Hiisi."

Lyylikki, the smith of snowshoes, Kauppi, maker of the snowshoes, In the autumn shaped the left one, In the winter carved the right one, And he fixed the frames on one day, Fixed the rings upon another. 70

Now the left was fit to run with, And the right for wearing ready, And the frames were now completed, And the rings were also fitted. Frames he lined with skins of otter, And the rings with ruddy foxskin.

Then he smeared with grease the snowshoes, Smeared them with the fat of reindeer, And himself reflected deeply, And he spoke the words which follow: 80 "Can you, in this youthful frolic, You, a young and untried hero, Forward glide upon the left shoe, And push forward with the right one?"

Said the lively Lemminkainen, Answered him the ruddy rascal: "Yes, upon this youthful frolic Of a young and untried hero, I can glide upon the left shoe, And push forward with the right one." 90

On his back he bound his quiver. And his new bow on his shoulder, In his hands his pole grasped firmly, On the left shoe glided forward, And pushed onward with the right one, And he spoke the words which follow: "In God's world may there be nothing, Underneath the arch of heaven, In the forest to be hunted, Not a single four-foot runner, 100 Which may not be overtaken, And can easily be captured Thus by Kaleva's son with snowshoes, And with Lemminkainen's snowshoes."

But the boast was heard by Hiisi, And by Juutas comprehended; And an elk was formed by Hiisi, And a reindeer formed by Juutas, With a head of rotten timber, Horns composed of willow-branches, 110 Feet of ropes the swamps which border, Shins of sticks from out the marshes; And his back was formed of fence-stakes, Sinews formed of dryest grass-stalks, Eyes of water-lily flowers, Ears of leaves of water-lily, And his hide was formed of pine-bark, And his flesh of rotten timber.

Hiisi now the elk instructed, Thus he spoke unto the reindeer: 120 "Now rush forth thou elk of Hiisi, On thy legs, O noble creature, To the breeding-place of reindeer, Grassy plains of Lapland's children, Till the snowshoe-men are sweating; Most of all, this Lemminkainen!"

Then rushed forth the elk of Hiisi, Sped away the fleeing reindeer, Rushing past the barns of Pohja, To the plains of Lapland's children, 130 In the house the tubs kicked over, On the fire upset the kettles, Threw the meat among the ashes, Spilt the soup among the cinders.

Then arose a great commotion, On the plains of Lapland's children, For the Lapland dogs were barking, And the Lapland children crying, And the Lapland women laughing, And the other people grumbling. 140

He, the lively Lemminkainen, Chased the elk upon his snowshoes, Glided o'er the land and marshes, O'er the open wastes he glided. Fire was crackling from his snowshoes, From his staff's end smoke ascending, But as yet the elk he saw not; Could not see it; could not hear it.

O'er the hills and dales he glided, Through the lands beyond the ocean, 150 Over all the wastes of Hiisi, Over all the heaths of Kalma, And before the mouth of Surma, And behind the house of Kalma. Surma's mouth was quickly opened, Down was bowed the head of Kalma, That he thus might seize the hero, And might swallow Lemminkainen; But he tried, and failed to reach him, Failed completely in his effort. 160

O'er all lands he had not skated, Nor had reached the desert's borders, In the furthest bounds of Pohja, In the distant realms of Lapland, So he skated further onward, Till he reached the desert's borders.

When he reached this distant region, Then he heard a great commotion, In the furthest bounds of Pohja, On the plains of Lapland's children. 170 And he heard the dogs were barking, And the Lapland children crying, And the Lapland women laughing, And the other Lapps were grumbling.

Then the lively Lemminkainen Skated on in that direction, Where he heard the dogs were barking On the plains of Lapland's children; And he said on his arrival, And he asked them on his coming: 180 "Wherefore are the women laughing, Women laughing, children crying, And the older folks lamenting, And the grey dogs all are barking?"

"Therefore are the women laughing, Women laughing, children crying, And the older folks lamenting, And the grey dogs all are barking. Here has charged the elk of Hiisi, With its hoofs all cleft and polished, 190 In the house the tubs kicked over, On the fire upset the kettles, Shaken out the soup within them, Spilt it all among the ashes."

Thereupon the ruddy rascal, He the lively Lemminkainen, Struck his left shoe in the snowdrift, Like an adder in the meadow, Pushed his staff of pinewood forward, As it were a living serpent, 200 And he said as he was gliding, Grasping firm the pole he carried: "Let the men who live in Lapland, Help me all to bring the elk home; And let all the Lapland women Set to work to wash the kettles; And let all the Lapland children Hasten forth to gather splinters; And let all the Lapland kettles Help to cook the elk when captured." 210

Then he poised himself and balanced, Forward pushed, his strength exerting, And the first time he shot forward, From before their eyes he vanished. Once again he speeded onward, And they could no longer hear him, But the third time he rushed onward, Then he reached the elk of Hiisi. Then he took a pole of maple, And he made a birchen collar; 220 Hiisi's elk he tethered with it, In a pen of oak he placed it. "Stand thou there, O elk of Hiisi, Here remain, O nimble reindeer!"

Then upon the back he stroked it, Patted it upon the belly. "Would that I awhile might tarry, And might sleep awhile and rest me, Here beside a youthful maiden, With a dove of blooming beauty." 230

Then did Hiisi's elk grow furious, And the reindeer kicked out wildly, And it spoke the words which follow: "Lempo's self shall reckon with you, If you sleep beside a maiden, And beside a girl should tarry."

Then it gave a mighty struggle, And it snapped the birchen collar, And it broke the pole of maple, And the pen of oak burst open, 240 And began to hurry forwards, And the elk rushed wildly onwards, Over land and over marshes, Over slopes o'ergrown with bushes, Till the eyes no more could see it, And the ears no longer hear it.

Thereupon the ruddy rascal Grew both sorrowful and angry, Very vexed and very angry, And would chase the elk of Hiisi, 250 But as he was rushing forward, In a hole he broke his left shoe, And his snowshoe fell to pieces, On the ground he broke the right one, Broke the tips from off his snowshoes, And the frames across the joinings. While rushed on the elk of Hiisi, Till its head he saw no longer.

Then the lively Lemminkainen, Bowed his head in deep depression, 260 Gazed upon the broken snowshoes, And he spoke the words which follow: "Nevermore in all his lifetime May another hunter venture Confidently to the forest, Chasing Hiisi's elk on snowshoes! Since I went, O me unhappy, And have spoilt the best of snowshoes, And the splendid frames have shattered, And my spearpoint likewise broken." 270

RUNO XIV.--LEMMINKAINEN'S DEATH

_Argument_

Lemminkainen invokes the forest deities, and at length succeeds in capturing the elk, and brings it to Pohjola (1-270). Another task is given him, to bridle the fire-breathing steed of Hiisi. He bridles it and brings it to Pohjola (271-372). A third task is assigned him, to shoot a swan on the river of Tuonela, Lemminkainen comes to the river, but the despised cowherd, who is lying in wait for him, kills him, and casts his body into the cataract of Tuoni. The son of Tuoni then cuts his body to pieces (373-460).

Then the lively Lemminkainen Deeply pondered and reflected, On the path that he should follow, Whither he should turn his footsteps, Should he leave the elk of Hiisi, And direct his journey homewards, Should he make another effort. And pursue the chase on snowshoes, With the Forest-Queen's permission, And the favour of the wood-nymphs? 10

Then he spoke the words which follow, And in words like these expressed him: "Ukko, thou of Gods the highest, Gracious Father in the heavens, Make me now two better snowshoes, Leather snowshoes fit for sliding, That I glide upon them swiftly Over land and over marshes, Glide throughout the land of Hiisi, And across the heaths of Pohja, 20 There to chase the elk of Hiisi, And to catch the nimble reindeer.

"In the wood alone I wander, Toil without another hero, Through the pathways of Tapiola, And beside the home of Tapio. Welcome, wooded slopes and mountains, Welcome to the rustling pinewoods, Welcome to the grey head aspens, And to all who greet me, welcome! 30

"Be propitious wood and thicket, Gracious Tapio, do thou aid me, Bring the hero to the islands, To the hills in safety lead him, Where he can attain the quarry, Whence he may bring back the booty.

"Nyyrikki, O son of Tapio, Thou the mighty red-capped hero, Blaze the path across the country, And erect me wooden guide-posts, 40 That I trace this evil pathway, And pursue the rightful roadway, While I seek my destined quarry, And the booty I am seeking.

"Mielikki, the forest's mistress, Thou the mighty, fair-faced mother! Let thy gold now wander onward, And thy silver set in motion, Right before the man who seeks it, On the pathway of the seeker. 50

"Take the keys of gold, suspended By the ring that hangs beside thee, Open thou the stores of Tapio, And his castle in the forest, During this my hunting-season, While I hunt in distant regions.

"If thyself thou wilt not trouble, Strictly charge thy little maidens, Send thy serving maidens to me, Give thy orders to thy servants! 60 If thou canst not be my hostess, Do thou not forbid thy maidens, For thou hast a hundred maidens, And a thousand at thy orders, Those on all thy herds attending, Likewise all thy game protecting.

"Little maiden of the forest, Tapio's girl, with mouth of honey, Play upon thy flute of honey, Whistle through thy pipe of honey, 70 In thy noble mistress' hearing, Gracious queen of all the forest, That she soon may hear the music, And from her repose may rouse her, For she does not hear at present, And she but awakens rarely, Though I supplicate for ever, With my golden tongue imploring!"

Then the lively Lemminkainen Wandered on, but found no booty, 80 Glided through the plains and marshes, Glided through the trackless forests, Where has Jumala his soot-hills, To the charcoal heaths of Hiisi. Thus he skated one day, two days, And at length upon the third day, Came he to a lofty mountain, Where he climbed a rock stupendous, And he turned his eyes to north-west, To the north across the marshes, 90 And he saw the farms of Tapio, With the doors all golden shining, To the north, across the marshes, On the slope among the thickets.

Then the lively Lemminkainen Quickly to the spot approaching, Pushed his way through all obstructions, Under Tapio's very windows. And he looked while stooping forward, In the sixth among the windows. 100 There were resting game-dispensers, Matrons of the woods reposing, All were in their work-day garments, And with filthy rags were covered.

Said the lively Lemminkainen, "Wherefore, Mistress of the Forest, Dost thou wear thy work-day garments, Dirty ragged thresher's garments? You are very black to gaze on, And your whole appearance dreadful, 110 For your breast is most disgusting, And your form is very bloated.

"When before I tracked the forests, I beheld three castles standing. One was wooden, one a bone one, And the third of stone was builded. There were six bright golden windows On the sides of every castle, And if then I gazed within them, 'Neath the wall as I was standing, 120 Saw the lord of Tapio's household, And the mistress of his household; Tellervo, the maid of Tapio, And the rest of Tapio's household, All in rustling golden garments, And parading there in silver, She herself, the Forest-Mistress, Gracious Mistress of the Forest, On her wrists were golden bracelets, Golden rings upon her fingers, 130 On her head a golden head-dress, And her hair adorned with ducats; In her ears were golden earrings, Finest beads her neck encircling.

"Gracious Mistress of the Forest, Of sweet Metsola the matron! Cast away thy hay-shoes from thee, And discard thy shoes of birchbark, Cast thou off thy threshing garments, And thy wretched work-day garments, 140 Don thy garments of good fortune, And thy blouse for game-dispensing, In the days I track the forest, Seeking for a hunter's booty. Long and wearily I wander, Wearily I track my pathway, Yet I wander here for nothing, All the time without a quarry. If you do not grant me booty, Nor reward me for my labour, 150 Long and sad will be the evening, Long the day when game is wanting.

"Aged greybeard of the forest, With thy pine-leaf hat and moss-cloak, Dress thou now the woods in linen, And the wilds a cloth throw over. All the aspens robe in greyness, And the alders robe in beauty, Clothe the pine-trees all in silver, And with gold adorn the fir-trees. 160 Aged pine-trees belt with copper, Belt the fir-trees all with silver, Birch-trees with their golden blossoms, And their trunks with gold adornments. Make it as in former seasons Even when thy days were better, When the fir-shoots shone in moonlight, And the pine-boughs in the sunlight, When the wood was sweet with honey, And the blue wastes flowed with honey, 170 Smelt like malt the heathlands' borders, From the very swamps ran butter.

"Forest-maiden, gracious virgin, Tuulikki, O Tapio's daughter! Drive the game in this direction, Out into the open heathland. If it runs with heavy footsteps, Or is lazy in its running, Take a switch from out the bushes, Or a birch-twig from the valley, 180 Switch the game upon the haunches, And upon the flanks, O whip it, Drive it swiftly on before you, Make it hasten quickly onward, To the man who here awaits it, In the pathway of the hunter.

"If the game comes on the footpath, Drive it forward to the hero, Do thou put thy hands together, And on both sides do thou guide it, 190 That the game may not escape me, Rushing back in wrong direction. If the game should seek to fly me, Rushing in the wrong direction, Seize its ear, and drag it forward By the horns upon the pathway.