  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 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, 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! 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. Tapio's girl, with mouth 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, And with filthy rags were covered. Said the lively Lemminkainen, "Wherefore, Mistress of the Forest, 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, In the days I track the forest, Seeking for a hunter's booty. Long and wearily I wander, Wearily I track my pathway, 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. 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. "If there's brushwood on the pathway, Drive it to the pathway's edges; If a tree should block the pathway, Then the tree-trunk break asunder.200 "If a fence obstructs the pathway, Thrust the fence aside before you, Take five withes to hold it backward, And seven posts whereon to bind them. "If a river runs before thee, Or a brook should cross the pathway, Build thou then a bridge all silken, With a red cloth for a gateway; Drive the game by narrow pathways, And across the quaking marshes,210 Over Pohjola's wide rivers, O'er the waterfalls all foaming. "Master of the house of Tapio, Mistress of the house of Tapio; Aged greybeard of the forest, Mimerkki, the forest's mistress, Fair dispenser of its treasures, Blue-robed woman of the bushes, Mistress of the swamps, red-stockinged,220 Come, with me thy gold to barter, Come, with me to change thy silver. I have gold as old as moonlight, Silver old as is the sunlight, Which I won in battle-tumult, In the contest of the heroes, Where it jingled in the darkness; If thy gold thou wilt not barter, Perhaps thou wilt exchange thy silver."230 Thus the lively Lemminkainen For a week on snowshoes glided, Sang a song throughout the forest, There among the depths of jungle, And appeased the forest's mistress, And the forest's master likewise, And delighted all the maidens, Pleasing thus the girls of Tapio. Then they hunted and drove onward From its lair the elk of Hiisi,240 Past the wooded hills of Tapio, Past the bounds of Hiisi's mountain, To the man who waited for it, To the sorcerer in his ambush. Then the lively Lemminkainen Lifted his lasso, and threw it O'er the elk of Hiisi's shoulders, That it should not kick in fury, When upon its back he stroked it.250 Then the lively Lemminkainen Spoke aloud the words which follow: "Lord of woods, of earth the master, Fairest creature of the heathlands; Mielikki, the forest's mistress, Loveliest of the game-dispensers! Come to take the gold I promised, Come ye now to choose the silver, On the ground lay down your linen, Spreading out of flax the finest,260 Underneath the gold that glitters, Underneath the shining silver, That upon the ground it fall not, Nor among the dirt is scattered." Then to Pohjola he journeyed, And he said on his arrival: On the distant plains of Hiisi. Give me now, old dame, your daughter, Give the youthful bride I seek for."270 Louhi, Pohjola's old Mistress Heard his words, and then made answer: "I will only give my daughter, Give the youthful bride you seek for, If you rein the mighty gelding, He the chestnut steed of Hiisi, He the foaming foal of Hiisi, On the bounds of Hiisi's meadow." Then the lively Lemminkainen Took at once a golden bridle,280 Took a halter all of silver, And he went to seek the courser, Went to seek the yellow-maned one, On the bounds of Hiisi's meadow. Then he hastened on his journey, On his way went swiftly forward, Through the green and open meadows, To the sacred field beyond them, And he sought there for the courser, Seeking for the yellow-maned one.290 At his belt the bit he carried, And the harness on his shoulder. Thus he sought one day, a second, And at length upon the third day Came he to a lofty mountain, And upon a rock he clambered. And he turned his eyes to eastward, And he turned his head to sunwards. On the sand he saw the courser, 'Mid the firs the yellow-maned one.300 From his hair the flame was flashing, From his mane the smoke was rising. Thereupon prayed Lemminkainen: Of the scattered clouds conductor, And in all the sky thy windows, Let the iron hail fall downwards, Send thou down the frozen masses,310 On the mane of that good courser, On the back of Hiisi's courser." Ukko then, the great Creator, Jumala 'mid clouds exalted, Heard and rent the air asunder, Clove in twain the vault of heaven, Scattered ice, and scattered iceblocks, Scattered down the iron hailstones, Smaller than a horse's head is, Larger than a head of man is,320 On the mane of that good courser, On the back of Hiisi's courser. Then the lively Lemminkainen, Forward stepped to gaze about him, And advanced for observation, And he spoke the words which follow: "Hiitola's most mighty courser, Mountain foal, with mane all foam-flecked, Give me now thy golden muzzle, Stretch thou forth thy head of silver,330 Push it in the golden bridle, With the bit of shining silver. I will never treat you badly, And I will not drive you harshly, And our way is but a short one, And 'tis but a little journey, Unto Pohjola's bleak homestead, To my cruel foster-mother. With a rope I will not flog you, With a switch I will not drive you,340 But with silken cords will lead you, With a strip of cloth will drive you." Then the chestnut horse of Hiisi, Hiisi's horse, with mane all foam-flecked Forward stretched his golden muzzle, Forward reached his head of silver, With the bit of shining silver. Thus did lively Lemminkainen Bridle Hiisi's mighty courser,350 In his mouth the bit adjusted, On his silver head the bridle, On his broad back then he mounted, On the back of that good courser. O'er the horse his whip he brandished, With a willow switch he struck him, And a little way he journeyed Hasting onward through the mountains, Through the mountains to the northward. Over all the snow-clad mountains,360 Unto Pohjola's bleak homestead. From the yard the hall he entered, And he said on his arrival, Soon as Pohjola he entered: "I have reined the mighty courser, Brought the foal of Hiisi bridled, From the green and open meadows, And the sacred field beyond them, And I tracked the elk on snowshoes, On the distant plains of Hiisi.370 Give me now, old dame, your daughter, Give the youthful bride I seek for." Louhi, Pohjola's old Mistress, Answered in the words which follow: "I will only give my daughter, Give the youthful bride you seek for, If the river-swan you shoot me, Shoot the great bird on the river. There on Tuoni's murky river, In the sacred river's whirlpool,380 Only at a single trial, Using but a single arrow." Then the lively Lemminkainen He the handsome Kaukomieli, Went and took his twanging crossbow, Went away to seek the Long-neck, Down in Manala's abysses. On with rapid steps he hastened, And he went with trampling footsteps,390 Unto Tuonela's broad river, To the sacred river's whirlpool, 'Neath his arm a handsome crossbow, On his back his well-stored quiver. Markahattu then, the cowherd, Pohjola's old sightless greybeard, There by Tuonela's broad river, By the sacred river's whirlpool, Long had lurked, and long had waited, There for Lemminkainen's coming.400 And at length one day it happened, Came the lively Lemminkainen Hasting on, and swift approaching Unto Tuonela's deep river, To the cataract most terrific, To the sacred river's whirlpool. From the waves he sent a serpent, Like a reed from out the billows; Through the hero's heart he hurled it, And through Lemminkainen's liver.410 Through the arm-pit left it smote him, Through the shoulder right it struck him. Then the lively Lemminkainen Felt himself severely wounded, And he spoke the words which follow: "I have acted most unwisely, That I asked not information From my mother, she who bore me. Two words only were sufficient, Three at most might perhaps be needed,420 How to act, and live still longer, After this day's great misfortune. Charm I cannot water-serpents, Nor of reeds I know the magic. "O my mother who hast borne me, And hast nurtured me in sorrow, To thy son, who lies in anguish. Surely thou would'st hasten hither, To my aid thou then would'st hasten,430 To thy hapless son's assistance, At the point of death now lying, For indeed too young I slumber, And I die while still so cheerful." Then did Pohjola's blind greybeard, Markahattu, he the cowherd, Fling the lively Lemminkainen, Casting Kaleva's own offspring Into Tuoni's murky river, In the worst of all the whirlpools.440 Floated lively Lemminkainen, Down the thundering cataract floated, Down the rushing stream he floated, Unto Tuonela's dread dwelling. Then the bloodstained son of Tuoni Drew his sword, and smote the hero, With his gleaming blade he hewed him, While it shed a stream of flashes, And he hewed him in five fragments, And in pieces eight he hewed him,450 Then in Tuonela's stream cast them, Where are Manala's abysses. "Thou may'st toss about for ever, With thy crossbow and thy arrows, Shooting swans upon the river, Water-birds upon its borders!" Thus did Lemminkainen perish, Perished thus the dauntless suitor, Down in T uoni's murky river, Down in Manala's abysses.460 |
|
