 Chapter 1 of Finnish Legends. This is a LibriVox recording. All LibriVox recordings are in the public domain. For more information or to volunteer, please visit LibriVox.org. Recording by Sonja. Finnish Legends by R.Avind. Chapter 1. Father Miko. Far up in the icebound north, where the sun is almost invisible in winter, and where the summer nights are bright as day, there lies a land which we call Finland. But the people who live there call it Swarmanma now, and long, long ago they used to call it Kalevala, which means the land of heroes. And north of Finland lies Lapland, which the Finns now call Lappi, but in the olden days they called it Pojola, that is, Northland. There the night lasts for whole weeks and months about Christmas, and in the summer again they have no night at all for many weeks. For more than half the year their country is wrapped in snow and frost, and yet they are both of them a kind-hearted people, and among the most honest and truthful in the world. One dark winter's day an old man was striving in a sledge through the fur forest in the northern part of Finland. He was so well wrapped up in sheepskin robes that he looked more like a huge bundle of rugs with a cord round the middle than anything else. And the great white sheepskin cap which he wore hid all the upper part of his face, while the lower part was buried in the high collar of his coat. All one could see was a pair of bright blue eyes with frost-fringed eyelashes, blinking at the snow that was thrown up every now and then by his horse's feet. He was a travelling merchant, from a way up in the north-western part of Russia, and had been in southern Finland to sell his wares at the winterfares that are held every year in Finnish towns and villages. Now he was on his way home, and had come up through Kuopio, and had got on past Kayana already, but now it had just begun to snow, and as the storm grew worse he pressed on to reach the cabin of a friend who lived not far ahead, and he intended to stay there until the storm should subside and the weather be fit for travelling once more. It was not long before he reached the cabin, and getting out of his sledge slowly, being stiff from the cold and the cramped position, he knocked on the door with his whip-handle. It was opened at once, and he was invited in, without even waiting to see who it was, and was given the welcome that is always given in that country to a weary traveller. But when he had taken his wraps off there was a general cry of recognition, and the second even more hearty welcome. Welcome, Father Miko! What good fortune has brought you here? Come up to the fire, and a chorus of cries from two little children who greeted Papa Miko with delight as an old and welcome acquaintance. Then the father of the family went out and attended to Father Miko's horse and sledge, and in a few minutes was back again and joined the old man by the fire. Next his wife brought out the brandy bottle and two glasses, and after her husband had filled them he and Father Miko drank each other's health very formally, for that is the first thing one must do when a guest comes in that country. First touch your glass against your friends and say good health, and raising it to your lips drink it straight off, and all the time you must look each other straight in the eyes. When this important formality was finished the four members of the family and Father Miko made themselves comfortable around the fire, and they began to ask him how things had prospered with him since they had seen him last, and to tell him about themselves, how Eric the father of the family had been sick and the harvest had been extra good that year, and one of the cows had a calf and all the things that happened to people in the country. And then he told them of what was going on in the towns where he had been, and how everyone was beginning to get ready for Christmas, and he turned to the two little children and told them about the children in the towns, how they had had such a lovely time at little Christmas at the house he was staying in, how the little ones had a tiny little tree with wee wax candles on it exactly like the big tree they were to have at Christmas, and how when he left all the children had begun to be impatient for Christmas Eve with its presents and Christmas fish and porridge. After the old man had ended his account it was dinner time, and they all ate with splendid appetites, while Father Miko declared that the herring and potatoes and rye bread and beer made a far better dinner than any he had had in the big cities in the south, not even in Helsing force had he had a better. Then when dinner was over, and they had all gathered round the fire again, little Mimi climbed up into Papa Miko's lap and begged him to tell them all the stories he had ever heard from the very beginning of the world all the way down, and her father and mother joined with her in her request, for in their land even the grown up people have not become too grand to listen to stories. As for the little boy, Antero, he was too shy to say anything, but he was so much interested to hear Papa Miko that he actually forgot to nibble away at a piece of candy which Papa Miko had brought from Saint Michel. The old man smiled, for he was always asked for stories wherever he went, he was a famous storyteller, and stroking little Mimi's hair gently he looked at the group round the fire before replying. There was Eric, the father, a broad-shouldered man with a dark weather-beaten face, and rather a sad look, as so many of his countrymen have. His face showed that his struggle in the world had not been easy, for he had to be working from the time he got up until he went to bed. And then, when the harvest had been bad, and the winter much longer than usual, and everything seemed to go wrong, ah, it was so hard then to see the mother and the little ones have only barkbred to eat, and not always enough of that, and one winter they had had nothing else for months. Eric wouldn't have minded for himself, but for them. Ah, well, that was all over now. He had been able at last to save up a little sum of money, and the harvests were extra good this year, and he had bought Mother Stina a cloak for Christmas. Just think of it, a fine cloak, all the way from the fair at Kuopio. And next to Eric sat his wife Stina, a short, fat little woman, with such a merry face and happy-looking eyes, that you could hardly believe that she had lived on anything but the best herring and potatoes and dry bread all her life. Close by her side was her little boy, Anteo, who was only seven years old, and in his eagerness for the stories to commence, he still held his piece of candy in his hand, without tasting it. Then there was little Mimi in Father Miku's lap. She was nearly ten years old, and was not a pretty little girl, but she had very lovely soft brown eyes, and curly, flexing hair, and a quiet, demure manner of her own, and her mother declared that when she grew up she would be able to spin and weave and cook better than any other girl in the parish, and that the young man that should get her Mimi for a wife would get a real treasure. And lastly there was Father Miku himself, an old man over sixty, yet strong and hearty, with a long grey beard and grey hair, and eyes that fairly twinkled with good humour. He could hardly see his mouth for his beard and moustache, and certainly his nose was a little too small and turned up at the end to be exactly handsome, and his cheekbones did stand out a little too high, but yet everybody, young and old, liked him, and his famous stories made him a welcome guest wherever he came. So Father Miku lit his queer little pipe, and settled down comfortably with Mimi in his lap, and a glass of beer at his side, to refresh him with when he grew weary of talking. There was only the firelight in the room, and as the flames throared up the chimney they cast a warm, cosy light over the whole room, and made them all feel so comfortable that they thanked God in their hearts in their simple way, because they had so many blessings and comforts when such a storm was raging outside that it shook the house and drifted the snow up higher than the doors and windows. Then Father Miku began, and this is the first story that he told them. Long, long ago, before this world was made, there lived a lovely maiden called Ilmatar, the daughter of the aether. She lived in the air. There were only air and water then, but at length she grew tired of always being in the air, and came down and floated on the surface of the water. Suddenly, as she lay there, there came a mighty storm wind, and poor Ilmatar was tossed about helplessly on the waves. Until at length the wind died down, and the waves became still, and Ilmatar, worn out by the violence of the tempest, sank beneath the waters. Then a magic spell overpowered her, and she swam on and on, vainly seeking to rise above the waters, but always unable to do so. Seven hundred long, weary years she swam thus, until one day she could not bear it any longer, and cried out, Woe is me that I have fallen from my happy home in the air, and cannot now rise above the surface of the waters! Oh great Uko, ruler of the skies, come and aid me in my sorrow! No sooner had she ended her appeal to Uko than a lovely duck flew down out of the sky, and hovered over the waters looking for a place to alight, but it found none. Then Ilmatar raised her knees above the water so that the duck might rest upon them, and no sooner did the ducks by them than it flew towards them and, without even stopping to rest, began to build a nest upon them. When the nest was finished, the duck laid in it six golden eggs in a seventh of iron, and sat upon them to hatch them. Three days the duck sat on the eggs, and all the while the water around Ilmatar's knees grew hotter and hotter, and her knees began to burn as if they were on fire. The pain was so great that it caused her to tremble all over, and her quivering shook the nest off her knees, and the eggs all fell to the bottom of the ocean in broken pieces. But these pieces came together into two parts and grew to a huge size, and the upper one became the arched heavens above us, and the lower one our world itself. From the white part of the egg came the moonbeams, and from the yolk the bright sunshine. At last the unfortunate Ilmatar was able to raise her head out of the waters, and she then began to create the land. Wherever she put her hand there arose a lovely hill, and where she stepped she made a lake. Where she dived below the surface are the deep places of the ocean. Where she turned her head towards the land there grew deep bays and inlets. And where she floated on her back she made the hidden rocks and reefs, where so many ships and lives had been lost. Thus the islands and the rocks and the firm land were created. After the land was made, Vainamoinen was born, but he was not born a child, but a full grown man, full of wisdom and magic power. For seven whole years he swam about in the ocean, and in the eighth he left the water and stepped upon dry land. Thus was the birth of Vainamoinen, the wonderful magician. Ah! said Little Mini, with a sigh of relief. I was afraid you weren't going to tell us about Vainamoinen at all. And then Father Miko went on again. End of Chapter 2 Chapter 3 of Finnish Legends This is a LibriVox recording. All LibriVox recordings are in the public domain. For more information or to volunteer, please visit LibriVox.org. Recording by Fatima Ansari from the beautiful land of Kashmir. Finnish Legends by R.Avend. Chapter 3 The Planting of the Trees Vainamoinen lived for many years upon the island on which he had first landed from the sea, pondering how he should plant the trees and make the mighty forests grow. At length he thought of Samsa, the first born son of the plains, and he sent for him to do the sowing. So Samsa came and scattered abroad the seeds of all the trees and plants that are now on the earth. Furs and pine trees on the hills, alders, lindens and willows in the lowlands, and bushes and hawthorn in the secluded nooks. Soon all the trees had grown up and become great forests, and the hawthorns were covered with berries. Only the acorn lay quiet in the ground and refused to sprout. Vainamoinen watched seven days and nights to see if it would begin to grow, but it lay perfectly still. Just then he saw ocean maidens on the shore, cutting grass and raking it into heaps. And as he watched them, there came a great giant out of the sea, and pressed the heaps into such tight bundles that the grass caught fire and burnt to ashes. Then the giant took an acorn and planted it in the ashes, and almost instantly it began to sprout. And a tree shot up and grew and grew until it became a mighty oak, whose top was far above the clouds, and whose branches shut out the light of the sun and the moon and the stars. When Vainamoinen saw how the oak had shut off all the light from the earth, he was as deeply perplexed how to get rid of it as he had been before to make it grow. So he prayed to his mother, Ilmatar, to grant him power to overthrow this mighty tree, so that the sun might shine once more on the plains of Kalevala. No sooner had he asked Ilmatar for help than there stepped out of the sea a tiny man no bigger than one's finger, dressed in cap, gloves, and clothes of copper, and carrying a small copper hatchet in his belt. Vainamoinen asked him who he was, and the tiny man replied, I am a mighty ocean hero, and I'm come to cut down the oak tree. But Vainamoinen began to laugh at the idea of so little a man being able to cut down so huge a tree. But even while Vainamoinen was laughing, the dwarf grew all at once into a great giant whose head was higher than the clouds and whose long beard fell down to his knees. The giant began to wet his axe on a huge piece of rock, and before he had finished, he had worn out six blocks of the hardest rock and seven of the softest sandstone. Then he strode up to the tree and began to cut it down. When the third blow had fallen, the fire flew from his axe and from the tree, and before he had time to strike a fourth blow, the tree tottered and fell, covering the whole earth, north, south, east, and west with broken fragments. And those who picked up pieces of the branches received good fortune. Those who found pieces of the top became mighty magicians. And those who found the leaves gained lasting happiness. And then the sunlight came once more to Kalevala, and all things grew and flourished. Only the barley had not yet been planted. Now Vainamoinen had found seven magic barley grains as he was wandering on the seashore one day, and he took these and was about to plant them. But the titmouse stopped him, saying, The magic barley will not grow unless thou first cut down and burn the forest, and then plant the seeds in the wood ashes. So Vainamoinen cut down the trees as the titmouse had said. Only he left the birch tree standing. After all the rest were cut down, an eagle flew down, and, alighting on a birch tree, asked why all the others had been destroyed, but the birches left. And Vainamoinen answered that he had left them for the birds to build their nests on, and for the eagle to rest on, and for the sacred cuckoo to sit in and sing. The eagle was so pleased at this that he kindled a fire amongst the other trees for Vainamoinen, and they were all burnt except the birches. Vainamoinen then brought forth the seven magic barley seeds from his skin pouch and sewed them in the ashes. And as he sewed he prayed to great Uko to send warm rains from the south to make the seeds sprout. And the rain came, and the barley grew so fast that in seven days the crop was almost ripe. Please visit Libervox.org. Recording by Fatima Ansari, from the beautiful land of Kashmir. Finnish Legends by R. Avent. Chapter 4. Vainamoinen and Jokahainen. Thus Vainamoinen finished his laborers and began to lead a happy life on the plains of Kalevala. He passed his evening singing of the deeds of days gone by and stories of the creation until his fame as a great singer spread far and wide in all directions. At this time, far off in the dismal Northland, there lived a young and famous singer and magician named Jokahainen. He was sitting one day at a feast with his friends when someone came and told about the famous singer Vainamoinen and how he was a sweeter singer and a more powerful magician than anyone else in the world. This filled Jokahainen's heart with envy and he vowed to hasten off to the south and to enter into a contest with Vainamoinen to see if he could not beat him. His mother tried to persuade him not to go but in vain and he made ready for the journey declaring that he would sing such magic songs as would turn old Vainamoinen into stone. Then he brought out his noble steed and harnessed him to a golden sledge and then jumping in he gave the steed a cut with his pearl handled whip and dashed off towards Kalevala. On the evening of the third day he drew near to Vainamoinen's home. In there he met Vainamoinen himself driving along the highway. Now Jokahainen was too proud to turn out of the road for anyone and so their sledges bashed together and were smashed to pieces and the harnesses became all twisted up together. Then Vainamoinen said, Who art thou, O foolish youth, that thou driveest so badly that thou hast run into my sledge and broken it to pieces? And Jokahainen answered proudly, I am Jokahainen and have come hither to beat the old magician Vainamoinen in singing and in magic. Vainamoinen then told him who he was and accepted the challenge and so the contest began. Jokahainen soon found that he was no match for his opponent and at length he cried out in anger, if I cannot beat thee at singing and in magic at least I can conquer thee with my bright sword. Vainamoinen answered that he would not fight so weak an opponent and then Jokahainen declared that he was a coward and afraid to fight. At last these taunts made Vainamoinen so angry that he could not restrain himself any longer and he began to sing. He sang such wondrous spells that the mountains and the rocks began to tremble and the sea was up heaved as if by a great storm. Jokahainen stood transfixed and as Vainamoinen went on singing his sledge was changed to brushwood and the reins to willow branches. The pearl-handled whip became a reed and his steed was transformed into a rock in the water and all the harness into seaweed. And still the old magician sang his magic spells and Jokahainen's gaily painted bow became a rainbow in the sky. His feathered arrows flew away as hawks and eagles and his dog was turned to a stone at his feet. His cap turned into a curling mist. His clothing into white clouds and his jewel set girdle into stars. And at length the spell began to take effect on Jokahainen himself. Slowly, slowly he felt himself sinking into a quicksand and all his struggles to escape were in vain. When he had sunk up to his waist he began to beg for mercy and cried out, Great Vainamoinen, thou art the greatest of all magicians. Release me I beg from this quicksand and I will give thee two magic bows. One is so strong that only the very strongest men can draw it and the other a child can shoot. But Vainamoinen refused the bows and sank Jokahainen still deeper. And as he sank Jokahainen kept begging for mercy and offering first two magic boats and then two magic steeds that could carry any burden. And finally all his gold and silver and his harvests but Vainamoinen would not even listen to him. At length Jokahainen had sunk so far that his mouth had begun to be filled with water and mud and he cried out as a last hope, Oh mighty Vainamoinen, if thou wilt release me I will give thee my sister Aino as thy bride. This was the ransom that Vainamoinen had been waiting for for Aino was famous for her beauty and her loveliness of character. And so he released poor Jokahainen and gave him back his sledge and everything just as it had been before. And when it was all ready Jokahainen jumped into it and drove off home without saying a word. When he reached home he drove so carelessly that his sledge was broken to pieces against the gateposts and he left the broken sledge there and walked straight into the house with hanging head and at first would not answer any of his family's questions. At length he said, Dearest mother, there is cause enough for my grief for I have had to promise the age at Vainamoinen my dear sister Aino as his bride. But his mother arose joyfully and clapped her hands and said, That is no reason to be sad my dear son for I have longed for many years that this very thing should happen that Aino should have so brave and wise a husband as Vainamoinen. So the mother told the news to Aino but when she heard it she wept for three whole days and nights and refused to be comforted saying to her mother why should this great sorrow come to me dear mother? For now I shall no longer be able to adorn my golden hair with jewels but must hide it all beneath the ugly cap that wives have to wear. All the golden sunshine in the silver moonlight will go from my life. But her mother tried to comfort her by telling her that the sun and moon would shine even more brightly in her new home than in her old and that Kalevala was a land of flowers. I think Aino was very stupid not to want to leave that horrid lapland said Mimi. But then I suppose she didn't know what a beautiful country ours is, she added thoughtfully. Here, on Tero, who only cared for the stories mustered up enough courage to ask Papa Miko to go on which the old man did at once. End of Chapter 4 Chapter 5 of Finnish Legends This is a LibriVox recording. All LibriVox recordings are in the public domain. For more information or to volunteer, please visit LibriVox.org Recording by Fatima Ansari from the beautiful land of Kashmir. Finnish Legends by Ar Eivend Chapter 5 Aino's Fate The next morning the lovely Aino went early to the forest to gather birch shoots and tassels. After she had finished gathering them, she hastened off towards home. But as she was going along the path near the border of the woods, she met Wainamoinen, who began thus. Aino, fairest maid of the north, wear thy golden pearls for others, but only for me. Wear for me alone thy golden tresses. Not for thee, Aino replied, nor for others either will I wear my jewels. I need them no longer. I would rather wear the plainest clothing and live upon a crust of bread, if only I might live forever with my mother. And as she said this, she tore off her jewels and the ribbons from her hair and threw them from her into the bushes. And then she hurried home, weeping. At the door to the dairy sat her mother, skimming milk. When she saw Aino weeping, she asked her what it was that troubled her. Aino, in reply, told her all that had happened in the forest and how she had thrown away from her all her ornaments. Her mother, to comfort her, told her to go to a hill-top nearby and open the storehouse there. And there, in the largest room, in the largest box in that room, she would find six golden girdles and seven rainbow-tinted dresses made by the daughters of the moon and of the sun. When I was young, her mother said, I was out upon the hills one day seeking berries, and by chance I overheard the daughters of the sun and moon as they were weaving and spinning upon the borders of the clouds above the fir forest. I went nearer to them and crept up on a hill within speaking distance of them. Then I began to beseech them, saying, Give some of your silver, lovely daughters of the moon to a poor but worthy maid. And I beg you, daughters of the sun, give me some of your gold. And then the moon's daughters gave me silver from their treasure and the sun's daughters gave me gold that I might adorn my hair and my forehead. I hastened joyfully home with my treasures to my mother's house and for three days I wore them. Then I took them off and laid them in boxes and I have never seen them since. But now my daughter go and adorn thyself with gold and silk ribbons, put a necklace of pearls around thy neck and a golden cross upon thy bosom, dress thyself in pure white linen, put on the richest frock that is there and tie it with a belt of gold, put silk stockings on thy feet and the finest of shoes. Then come back to us that we may admire thee, for thou wilt be more beautiful than the sunlight, more lovely than the moonbeams. But I know would not be consoled and kept on weeping. How happy I was in my childhood, she sang, when I used to roam the fields and gather flowers. But now my heart is full of grief and all my life is filled with darkness. It would have been better for me if I had died a child. Then my mother would have wept a little and my father and sisters and brothers mourned a little while and then all their sorrows would have been ended. I know wept for three days more and then her mother once more asked her why she wept so and I know replied, I weep, O mother, because thou hast promised me to the aged wine and moinen to be his comforter and caretaker in his old age. Far better if thou hadest sent me to the bottom of the sea to live with the fishes to ride and ride on the waves. This had been far better than to be an old man's slave and darling. When she had said this she left her mother and hastened to the storehouse on the hill. There she opened the largest box and took off six lids and at the bottom found six golden belts and seven silk dresses. She chose the best of all the treasures there and adorned herself like a queen with rings and jewels and gold ornaments of every sort. When she was fully arrayed she left the storehouse and wandered over fields and meadows and on through the dim and gloomy fur forest singing as she went. Woe is me, poor broken-hearted I know, my grief is so heavy that I can no longer live. I must leave this earth and go to Manala, the country of departed spirits. Father, mother, brothers, sisters weep for me no longer for I am going to live beneath the sea in the lovely grottoes on a couch of sea moss. For three long weary days I no wandered and as the cold night came on she at last reached the seashore. There she sank down weary on a rock and sat there alone in the black night listening to the solemn music of the wind and the waves as they sang her funeral melody. When at last the day dawned I no beheld three water maidens sitting on a rock by the sea. She hastened to them weeping and then began to take off all her ornaments and lay them carefully away. When at length she had laid all her gold and silver decorations on the ground, she took the ribbons from her hair and hung them in a tree and then laid her silk and dress over one of the branches and plunged into the sea. At a distance she saw a lovely rock of all the colors of the rainbow shining in the golden sunlight. She swam up and climbed upon it to rest and suddenly the rock began to sway and with a loud crash it fell to the bottom of the sea carrying with it the unhappy I know. And as she sank down she sang a last sad farewell to all her dear ones at home. A song that was so sweet and mournful that the wild beasts heard it and were so touched by it that they resolved to send a messenger to tell her parents what had happened. The animals held a council and first the bear was proposed as messenger but they were afraid he would eat the cattle. Next came the wolf but they feared he might eat the sheep. Then the fox was proposed but then he might eat the chickens so at length the hare was chosen to bear the sad tidings and he promised to perform his office faithfully. He ran like the wind and soon reached I know's home. There he found no one in the house but on going to the door of the bath cabin he found some servants there making birch brooms. They had no sooner caught sight of him than they threatened to roast him and eat him but he replied, Do not think I have come hither to let you roast me for I come with sad tidings to tell you of the flight of I know and how she died. The rainbow-colored stone sank with her to the bottom of the sea and she perished singing like a lovely songbird. There she sleeps in the caverns at the bottom of the sea and on the shore she has left her silken dress in all her golden jewels. When these tidings came to her mother the bitter tears poured from her eyes and she sang, All other mothers listen never try to force your daughters from the house they long to stay in and the husbands whom they love not. Thus I drove away my daughter I know fairest in the Northland. Singing thus she sat and wept and the tears trickled down until they reached her shoes and began to flow out over the ground. Here they formed three little streams which flowed on and grew larger and larger until they became roaring torrents and in each torrent was a great waterfall and in the midst of the waterfalls rose three huge rocky pillars and on the rocks were three green hills and on each of the hills was a birch tree and on each tree sat a cuckoo and all three sang together and the first one sang love, oh love for three whole moons mourning for the dead maiden and the second sang suitor, suitor wailing six long moons for the unhappy suitor and the third sang sadly consolation, consolation never ending all his long life for the comfort of the brokenhearted mother. Mother Stina looked at little Mimi very solemnly when this story was ended as if she wondered whether she herself would ever need to take to heart the warning of I know's mother. But no one said anything and Father Miko continued on with the next story. For more information or to volunteer please visit LiberVox.org Recording by Fatima Ansari from the beautiful land of Kashmir Finished Legends by R.Avend Chapter 6 Wina Moynen's Search for I Know When the news reached Wina Moynen he began to weep most bitterly and the tears fell all that day and night but the next day he hastened to the water's edge and prayed to the god of dreams to tell him where the water gods dwelt and the dream god answered him lazily and told him where the island was around which the sea gods and the mermaids lived. Then Wina Moynen hastened to his boat house and chose a copper boat and in it placed fishing lines and hooks and nets and when all was ready he rode off swiftly towards the forest-covered island which the dream god had told him of. No sooner had he arrived there than he began to fish using a line of silver and a hook of gold but for many days he fished in vain yet still he persevered. At last one day a wondrous fish was caught and it played about and struggled a long time until at length it was exhausted and the hero landed it in the boat. When Wina Moynen saw it he was astonished at its beauty but after gazing at it for some time he drew out his knife and was about to cut it up ready for eating but no sooner had he touched the fish with his knife than it leapt from the bottom of the boat and dived under the water. Then it rose again out of his reach and said to him, Oh ancient minstrel, I did not come hither to be eaten by thee merely to give thee food for a day. Why didest thou come then? asked Wina Moynen. I came, oh minstrel, to rest in thine arms and to be thy companion and wife forever. The fish replied to keep thy home in order and to do whatever thou pleased for I am no salmon of the northern seas but Yokohainen's youngest sister. I am the one thou wert fishing for. I know whom thou lovest. Once thou wert wise but now art foolish, cruel. Thou didst not know enough to keep me but whatest eat me for thy dinner. Then Wina Moynen begged her to return to him but the fish replied never more will I know spirit come to thee to be so treated and as it spoke the fish dived out of sight. Still Wina Moynen did not give up but took out his nets and began dragging the waters and he dragged all the waters in the lands of Lapland and of Kalevala and caught fish of every sort. Only I know now the water maiden never came into his net. Fool that I am he said at length. Surely I was once wise had at least a bit of wisdom but now all my power has left me for I have had I know in my boat but did not know until too late that I had even caught her and with these words he gave up his search and set off to his home in Kalevala and on his way he mourned that the joyous song of the sacred cuckoo had ceased and he sang I shall never learn the secret how to live and prosper if only my ancient mother were still living she could give me good advice that this sorrow might leave me. Then his mother awoke from her tomb in the depth since spoke to him. Thy mother was but sleeping and I'll now advise thee how this sorrow may pass over go at once to the Northland where dwell wise and lovely maidens far lovelier than I know take one of them for thy wife she will make thee happy and be an honor to thy home. I don't think he had much of a heart if he could be consoled so easily as all that said Mother Stina a little indignantly wait and you shall see said Old Father Miko with a smile and he continued End of Chapter 6 Chapter 7 of Finnish Legends This is a LibriVox recording. All LibriVox recordings are in the public domain. For more information or to volunteer please visit LibriVox.org Recording by Fatima Ansari from the beautiful land of Kashmir Finnish Legends by Ar Eivind Chapter 7 Weina Moinen's Unlucky Journey Weina Moinen made ready for a journey to the Northland to the land of cold winters and of little sunshine where he was to seek a wife He saddled his swift steed and mounting started towards the North On and on he went upon his magic steed galloping over the plains of Kallivala and when he came to the shores of the wide sea he did not halt but galloped on over the water without even so much as wetting a hoof of his magic coarser But wicked Yoko Heinen hated Weina Moinen for what he had done when he defeated him in magic and so he made ready a bow of steel He painted it with many bright colors and trimmed it with gold and silver and copper Then he chose the strongest sinews from the stag and at length the great bow was ready On the back was painted a coarser at each end a colt near the bend the sleeping maiden near the notch a running hare and after that he cut some arrows out of oak put tips of sharpened copper on them and five feathers on the end Then he hardened the arrows and steeped them in the blood of snakes and the poison of the adder to give them magic power When all was ready Yoko Heinen went out to wait for his enemy For many days and nights he watched in vain But still he did not weary And at last one day at dawn he saw what seemed to be a black cloud on the waters But by his magic art he knew that it was Weina Moinen on his magic steed Then he went after his bow but his mother stopped him and asked him whom he meant to shoot with his bow in poisoned arrows Yoko Heinen replied I have made this mighty bow and these poisoned arrows are for the old magician Weina Moinen that I may destroy my rival His mother reproved him saying If thou slayest Weina Moinen all our joy will vanish all the singing and music will die with him It is better that we have his magic music in this world than to have it all go to the underground world Manala where the spirits of the dead dwell Yoko Heinen hesitated for a moment Envy and hatred filled his heart and he replied Even though all joy and pleasure vanish from the world yet will I shoot this rival singer let the end be what it will With these words he hastened out and took his stand in a thicket near the shore He chose the three strongest arrows from his quiver and selecting the best among these three He laid it against the string and aimed at Weina Moinen's heart and as he still waited for him to come nearer he sang this incantation Be elastic, bowstring of mine Swiftly fly, oh Okan arrow Swift as light, oh poisoned arrow to the heart of Weina Moinen If my hand too low shall aim thee may the gods directly hire If mine eye too high shall aim thee may the gods directly lower Again he let the arrow fly but it flew over Weina Moinen's head and pierced and scattered the clouds above Again he shot a second but it flew too low and penetrated to the depths of the sea Then he aimed the third and it flew from his bow swift as lightning Straightforward it flew and struck the magic steed full in the shoulder Weina Moinen was plunged headlong into the waves and then arose a mighty storm wind and the old magician was carried far out into the wide open sea but Yokohainen believed that he had killed his rival and so went home rejoicing and singing as he went and his mother asked him Has thou slain the great Weina Moinen? and he replied I have slain Old Weina Moinen Into the salt sea he plunged headlong and the old magician is now at the bottom of the deep but his mother replied Woe to the earth for what thou hast done Joy and singing are gone forever for thou hast slain the great wise singer thou hast slain the joy of Kalevala All his listeners seemed very much dissatisfied at the turn the story had taken So Father Miko hastened to assure them that Weina Moinen was not really dead and then he began the next story Recording by Sonja Finnish Legends by R. Avin Chapter 8 Weina Moinen's Rescue But Weina Moinen was not dead but swam on for eight days and seven nights trying to reach land and when the evening of the eighth day came and still no land was in sight he began to grow tired and to despair of ever getting out alive but just then he spied an eagle of wonderful size flying towards him from the west and the eagle flew up to him and asked who he was and how he had come there in the ocean and Weina Moinen replied I am Weina Moinen, the great singer and magician I had left my home for the distant Northland and as I galloped over the ocean and near the shore the wicked Jukahainen killed my steed with his magic arrows and I was cast headlong into the waters and then a mighty wind arose and drove me farther and ever farther out to sea and now I have been struggling with the winds and waves for eight long weary days and I fear that I shall perish of cold and hunger before I reach any land The eagle replied Do not be discouraged but seat thyself upon my back and I will carry thee to land for I have not forgotten the day when the country is standing for the birds to sing in and the eagle to rest on So Weina Moinen climbed upon the eagle's broad back and seated himself securely there and off the eagle flew straight to the nearest land There on the shore of the dismal Northland the eagle left him and flew off to join his mate Weina Moinen found himself upon a bare rocky point of land without the trace of human life about it the path through the woods by which it was surrounded and he wept bitterly for he was far from home covered with wounds from his battle with the winds and waters and faint with hunger Three days and three nights he wept without seizing Now the fair and lovely daughter of old Lohi had laid a wager with the sun that she would rise before him the next morning and so she did and had time to shear six lambs the sun had left his couch beneath the ocean and after this she swept up the floor of the stable with a birch broom and collecting the sweepings on a copper shovel she carried them to the meadow near the seashore There she heard the sound of someone weeping and hastening back she told her mother of it Then Lohi, ancient mistress of the Northland hurried out from her house and down to the seashore There she heard the sound of weeping and quickly pushed off from the shore in a boat and rode to where the weeping Vynamoinen said When she came to him she said to him What folly has thou done to be in so sad a state? Vynamoinen replied It is indeed folly that has brought me into this trouble I was happy enough at home before I went on this expedition Then Lohi asked him to tell her who he was of all the great heroes Vynamoinen replied Formally I was honoured as a great singer and magician I was called the singer of Kalevala the wise Vynamoinen Then Lohi said Rise, O hero, from thy lowly couch among the willows Come with me to my home and there tell me the story of thy adventures So she took the starving hero into her boat and rode him to the shore and took him to her house There she gave him food and the warmth and rest and shelter soon restored to him all his strength Then Lohi asked him to relate his adventures and he told her all that had happened to him When he had finished Lohi said to him Weep no more, Vynamoinen For thou shalt be welcome in our homes thou shalt live with us and eat our salmon and other fish Vynamoinen thanked her for her kindness but added Once own country and table and home are the best and dearest May the great god Ukko the creator grant that I may once more reach my dear home and country It is better to drink clear water from a birch and cup in one's own home than in foreign lands to drink the richest liquors from the golden beakers of strangers Then Lohi asked him What reward wilt thou give me if I carry thee back to thy beloved home to the plains of Kalevala Vynamoinen asked her What reward she would consider sufficient, whether gold or silver treasures But Lohi answered I ask not for gold or silver, O wise Vynamoinen But canst thou forge for me the magic sample with its lid of many colors The magic mill that grinds out flour on one side and salt from another side and turns out money from the third I will give thee, too, my daughter as a reward to be thy wife and to care for thy home But Vynamoinen answered sadly I cannot forge for thee the magic sample but take me to my country and I will send thee Ilmarinen who will make it for thee and wed thy lovely daughter Ilmarinen is a wondrous myth He it was who forged the heavens and so perfectly did he do it that we cannot see a single mark of the hammer on them Lohi replied Only to him who can forge the magic sample for me will I give my daughter Then she harnessed up her sledge and put Vynamoinen in it and made him all ready for his journey home and as he started off she spoke these words to him Do not raise thy eyes to the heavens Do not look upward while the day lasts before the evening star has risen or a terrible misfortune will happen to you Then Vynamoinen drove off and his heart grew light as he left the dismal Northland behind him on his way to Kalevala End of Chapter 8 Chapter 9 of Finnish Legends This is a LibriVox recording All LibriVox recordings are in the public domain For more information or to volunteer please visit LibriVox.org Recording by Sonja Finnish Legends by R. Avin Chapter 9 The Rainbow Maiden The fair rainbow maiden Lohi's daughter set upon a rainbow in the heavens and was clad in the most splendid dress of golden silver She was busy weaving golden webs of wonderful beauty using a shuttle of gold and a silver weaving comb As Vynamoinen came swiftly along the way which led from the dark and dismal Northland In the plains of Kalevala before he had gone far on his way he heard in the sky above him the humming of the rainbow maiden's loom Without thinking of old Lohi's warning he looked up and beheld the maiden seated on the gorgeous rainbow weaving beauty's cloth No sooner had he seen the lovely maiden than he stopped and calling to her asked her to come to his sledge The rainbow maiden replied Tell me what thou wishest of me Thou shalt come with me, Vynamoinen replied to bake me honey-biscuit to fill my cup with foaming beer to sing beside my table to be a queen within my home in the land of Kalevala But the maiden replied Yesterday I went that twilight to the flowery meadows There I heard a thrush singing and I asked him Tell me, pretty songbird how shall I live most happily as a maiden in my father's home or as a wife by my husband's side And the birds sang in reply The summer days are bright and warm and so is a maiden's freedom The winter is cold and dark and so are the lives of married women They are like dogs chained in a kennel No favours are given to wives But Vynamoinen answered the maiden The thrush sings only nonsense Maidens are treated like little children but wives are like queens Come to my sledge, oh maiden for I am not the least among heroes nor am I ignorant of magic Come, and I will make thee my wife and queen in Kalevala Then the rainbow maiden promised to be his wife if he would split a golden hair with a knife that had no edge and take a bird's egg from the nest with a snare that no one could see Vynamoinen did both these things and then begged her to come to his sledge for he had done what she asked But she set another task for him telling him she would marry him if he could peel a block of sandstone and cut a whip handle from ice without making a single splinter And Vynamoinen did both these things but still the maiden refused to go until he had performed a third task This was to make from the splinters of her distaff a little ship and to launch it into the water without touching it Then Vynamoinen took the pieces of her distaff and set to work He took them to a mountain where she got the iron for his work and for three days he labored with hatchet and hammer But on the evening of the third day a wicked spirit, Lempow caught his hatchet as he raised it up and turned it as it fell so that it hit a rock and broke in fragments and one of the pieces flew into the magician's knee and cut it so that the blood poured out Then Vynamoinen began to sing a magic incantation to stop the blood from flowing His magic was powerless against the evil Lempow and he could not stop the blood Then he gathered certain herbs with wonderful powers and put them on the wound but still he could not heal it up For Lempow's spell was too powerful for his magic So he got into his sledge again and drove off at a gallop to seek for help Soon he came to a place where the road branched off in three directions He chose the left-hand one and galloped on till he reached the house When he went to the door he found only a boy and a baby inside and when he had told him what he wanted the boy said There is no one here that can help thee but take the middle road and perhaps thou wilt find help So off he galloped to where the roads branched off and then along the middle one to another house There he found an old witch lying on the floor but she gave him the same answer that the boy had done and sent him to the right-hand road On this road he came to another cottage where an old man with a long grey beard was sitting by the fire and when Weinarmoynen told him of his trouble the old man replied Greater things have been done by but three of the magic words Water has been turned to land and land to water On hearing this answer Weinarmoynen rose from his sledge and went into the cottage and seated himself there All this time his knee was bleeding so that the blood was enough to fill seven huge burgeon pots Then the old man asked him who he was and bait him sink to him the origin of the iron that had wounded him so and Weinarmoynen related the following story of how iron was first made Long ago after there were air and water fire was born and after the fire came iron Bukko the creator rubbed his hands upon his left knee and there arose thence three lovely maidens who were the mothers of iron and steel These three maidens walked forth on the clouds and from their bosoms ran the milk of iron down into the clouds and thence down upon the earth Bukko's eldest daughter cast black milk over the riverbeds and the second cast white milk over the hills and mountains and the third red milk over the lakes and oceans and from the black milk grew the soft black iron ore from the white milk the lighter colored ore and from the red milk the brittle red iron ore After the iron had lain in peace for a while fire came to visit his brother iron and try to eat him up then iron ran from him and took refuge in the swamps and marshes and that is how we now find iron ore hidden in the marshes Then was born the great smith Ilmarinen and the next morning after he was born he built his smithy on a hill near the marshland there he found the hidden iron ore and carried it to his smithy and put it in the furnace to be smelted and Ilmarinen had not blown more than three strokes of the bellows before the iron began to grow soft as though but then iron cried out to him take me from this furnace Ilmarinen save me from this cruel torture for the heat of the fire had grown unbearable thou art not hurt but only a little frightened Ilmarinen replied but I will take thee out and thou shall be a great warrior and slay many heroes but iron swore by the hammer and anvil I will injure trees and mountains but I'll never kill the heroes I will be men's servant and their tool but will not serve for weapons so Ilmarinen put the iron on his anvil and made from it many fine things and tools of every kind but he could not harden the iron into steel though he pondered over it for a long time he made a lie from birch ashes and water to harden the iron in but it was all in vain just then a little bee came flying up and Ilmarinen begged him to bring honey from all the flowers in the meadows that he might put it in the water and so hardened the iron to steel but the hornet, one of the servants of the evil spirit lampeau was sitting on the roof and overheard Ilmarinen's words and the hornet flew off and collected all the evil charms he could find the hissing of serpents the venom of adders the poison of spiders the stings of every insect and brought them to Ilmarinen he thought that the bee had come and brought him honey from the meadows and so mixed all these poisons with the water in which he was to plunge the iron and when he thrust the iron into the poisoned water it was turned to hard steel but the poisons made it forget its oath and grow hard-hearted and it began to wound men and cause their blood to flow in streams this was the origin of steel and iron when Weinermoinen had finished the old man rose from the hearth and began an incantation to make the wound close up first he cursed iron that it had become so wicked and then he bathed the blood ceased to flow by the power of his magic and as he went on he prayed to great Uku that if this magic incantation should not prove sufficient Uku himself would come and stop the wound by the time he had finished his words of magic the blood ceased flowing from the wound then the old man sent his son to make a healing self out of herbs to take away the soreness from Weinermoinen's knee first the youth made the self from oak bark and young shoots and many sorts of healing grasses three days and three nights he steeped them in a copper kettle but when he had finished the self would not do then he added still other healing herbs and steeped it for three days more and at last it was ready first he tried it on a birch tree that had been broken down by wicked lampeau he rubbed the self on the broken branches and said with this self I anoint thee recover o birch tree and grow more beautiful than ever and the tree grew together and became more beautiful and strong than ever before then he tried the self on broken granite boulders and on fissures in the mountains and it was so powerful that it closed them all together as if they had never existed after this he hurried home and gave the magic self to his father and told him what he had done with it the old man anointed Weinermoinen's knee with it saying do not rely on thine own virtue or power but in thy creator's strength do not speak with thine own wisdom but with great ukos whatever in thee is good comes from ukko no sooner had the old man put on the self and said these words then Weinermoinen was seized with a terrible pain and lay rolling and writhing on the floor in agony but the old man bandaged up his knee with a silken bandage and prayed to ukko to come to his assistance and suddenly the pain left Weinermoinen and his knee became as strong and well as ever then he raised his eyes in gratitude to heaven and prayed thus to ukko praise to thee, my creator for the aid that thou hast given me for thou hast banished all my pain and trouble O all ye people of Kalevala both those now living and those to come both not of the work that ye have done but give to God the praise for the great ukko alone can make all things perfect ukko is the one master there was a moment's pause and then Lidder and Mimi said that she was so glad Weinermoinen was well again and asked Father Miko to tell them what happened to him next but the old man answered that he must have a little time to breathe at least so he filled his pipe again and lighted it and Eric brought up some more beer and they sat and smoked and drank beer and chatted for a while then when he felt rested once more Father Miko obeyed Mimi's urgent request and began again to tell them how Weinermoinen got home and what happened afterwards All LibriVox recordings are in the public domain For more information or to volunteer please visit LibriVox.org Recording by Sonya Finnish Legends by R. Avin Chapter 10 No sooner was Weinermoinen cured of his wound than he put his sledge in order and drove off at lightning speed towards Kalevala For three days he journeyed over hills and valleys hills and valleys, over marshes and meadows, and on the evening of the third day he reached the land of Kalevala once again. There, on the borderline he halted, and began a magic song. And as he sang, a fir tree began to grow from the earth, and kept on growing until its top had grown up above the clouds and reached to the stars. When the tree had finished growing, Vyna Moynen sang another magic song, so that the moon was caught fast in the tree's branches, and obliged to shine there until Vyna Moynen should reverse his spell. And then by another spell he made the stars of the great bear fast in the treetop, and then jumped into his sledge, and drove on again to his home, with his cap-seadow rye on his head, mourning because he had promised to send Ilmarinen back to the Northland to forge the magic sample as his ransom. As he drove on he came to Ilmarinen's smithy, and he stopped and went into him. Ilmarinen welcomed him, and asked where he had been so long, and what had happened to him. Then Vyna Moynen told him of his journey to the Northland, and all the dangers he had gone through, and he added, In a village there I saw a maiden who is the fairest in all the Northland. All there sing her praises, for her forehead shines like the rainbow, and her face is fair as the golden moonlight. She is more beautiful than the sun and all the stars together, but she will not marry any suitor. But do thou go, dear Ilmarinen, and see her wondrous beauty, forge the magic sample for her mother, and then thou shalt win this lovely maiden to be thy wife. But Ilmarinen replied, O cunning Vyna Moynen, I know that thou hast promised me as a ransom for thyself, but I will never go to that gloomy country, nor do I care for thy beautiful maiden, I will not go for all the mates in Pohiola. Vyna Moynen answered, but I can tell thee of still greater wonders, for I have seen a giant fir tree growing on the border of our own country, its top is higher than the clouds, and in its branches shine the moon and the great bear. I will not believe thy wonderful story, replied Ilmarinen, until I see the tree with my own eyes, and the moon and stars shining in it. Come with me, said Vyna Moynen, and I will show thee that I speak the truth. So oft they said to see the wondrous tree, when they had come to it, Vyna Moynen asked Ilmarinen to climb the tree and to bring down the moon and stars, and he at once began to climb up towards them. But while he was climbing, the fir tree spoke to him, saying, Foolish hero, why hast thou so little knowledge as to try to steal the moon from my branches? No sooner had the tree said these words to Ilmarinen, than Vyna Moynen sang a magic spell, calling up a great stormwind and saying to it, O stormwind, take Ilmarinen and carry him in thy airy vessel to the dark and dismal Northland. And the stormwind came and heaped up the clouds so that they formed the boat, and seizing Ilmarinen from the tree, it placed him in the clouds and rushed off to the North, carrying clouds and all with it. On and on he sailed, rising higher than the moon, tossed about by the wind, until at last he came to the Northland, and the stormwind set him down in Lowy's courtyard. Old toothless Lowy saw him as he alighted, and asked him, Who art thou that comes to the air riding on the stormwind? Hast thou ever met the great Smith Ilmarinen? For I have long been waiting for him to come and forge the magic sample for me. I do indeed know him well, he replied, for I myself am Ilmarinen. At these words Lowy hurried into the house, and told her youngest daughter to dress herself in all her most splendid clothes and ornaments, for Ilmarinen was come to make the sample for them. So the maiden chose her loveliest silken dresses, and placed a circuit of copper round her brow, a golden girdle round her waist, and pearls about her neck, and in her hair she twisted threads of gold and silver. When she was stressed she looked with her rosy red cheeks and bright sparkling eyes, more lovely than any other maiden in all the Northland, and then she hurried to the hall to meet Ilmarinen. Lowy went to Ilmarinen and led him into the house, where there was a feast spread ready for him. She gave him the best seat at the table, and the choicest vines to eat, and gave him everything he wished for. Then she asked him if he would forge the sample for her, and promised him, if he would, her fairest daughter as his wife. Ilmarinen was charmed with her daughter's beauty, and he promised to do what she asked. But when he went to look for a place to work in, he could find no place, and not even so much as a pair of bellows to blow his fire with. Still he was not discouraged, but for three days he wondered about, looking for a place to build a workshop. On the evening of the third day he saw a huge rock that was suited for his purpose, and there he began to build. The first day he built the chimney, and started a fire. The second day he made his bellows, and put them in place. The third day he finished his furnace, and had all ready to begin his work. Then Ilmarinen made a magic mixture of certain metals, and put them in the bottom of the furnace, and he hired some of Loewe's men to work the bellows and keep putting fuel on the fire. Three long summer days the workmen blew the bellows, until at length the base rock began to blossom in flames from the magic heat. On the evening of the first day Ilmarinen bent over the furnace, and took out a magic bow. It gleamed like the moon, had a shaft of copper, and tips of silver, and was the most wonderful bow that had ever been made. But it would not rest satisfied unless it killed a warrior every day, and two on feast days. So Ilmarinen broke it into pieces, and threw them back into the furnace, and tried again to forge the sample. On the evening of the second day he looked into the furnace, and drew forth a magic vessel. It was all purple save the ribs that were of gold, and the vase of copper, and it was the most beautiful vessel that ever had been made. But wherever it went it always led men into quarrels and fights, so Ilmarinen broke it into pieces, and threw it back into the furnace. On the evening of the third day he took out of the furnace a magic heifer, with horns of gold, and the most beautiful shaped head. But she was ill-tempered and would not stay at home, but rushed through the forest and swamps, and wasted all her milk on the ground. So Ilmarinen cut the magic heifer in pieces, and threw them back into the furnace. And on the fourth evening he took out a wonderful plow, the plowshare of gold and the handles of silver, and the beam of copper. But he plowed up fields of barley and the richest meadows, so Ilmarinen threw it back into the furnace. Then he drove away all his workmen, and by his magic called up the storm-winds to blow his bellows. They came from the north and south and east and west, and they blew one day, and then another, and then a third, until the fire leapt out through the windows. The sparks flew from the door, and the smoke rose up and mingled with the clouds. And on the third evening Ilmarinen looked into the furnace and beheld the magic sample growing there. Quickly he took it out, and placed it on his anvil, and taking a huge hammer the wonderful smith forged the luck-bringing sample. From one side it grinds out flour, and from the other salt, and from the third it coins out money. And the lid is all the colors of the rainbow, and as it rocks back and forth it grinds one measure for the day, and one for the market, and one for the storehouse. Then old Lohi joyfully took the luck-bringing sample, and hid it in the hills of Lepland. She bound it with nine great locks, and by her witchcraft made three roots grow all around it, two deep beneath the mountains, and one beneath the seashore. And when he had finished the sample, Ilmarinen came to the lovely daughter of Lohi, and asked her if she were ready now to be his wife. But she replied, if I should go with thee and leave the Northland, all the birds would cease to sing. No, never while I live will I give up my maiden freedom, lest all the birds should leave the forest and the mermaids leave the waters. So Ilmarinen had made the sample all in vain, and he was now far from home, and had no way of returning. But Lohi came to him, and asked him why he was grieving, and when she learnt his trouble, and that he now wished to return to his own home, she provided him with a boat of copper. And when he had set sail, she sent the Northwind to carry him on his way, and on the evening of the third day he reached his home. There Vynamoinen met him, and asked if he had forged a magic sample. Yes, replied Ilmarinen, I have forged a sample, with its lid of many colours. Lohi has the wondrous sample, but I have lost the beauty as maiden. Ah! said little Mimi, O Lohi's daughter was just as mean as could be, and of course she didn't keep her promise, because laps never can be good people. Don't be too hard on the poor laps, my dear, said Father Miko, for you see this happened a great many hundreds of years ago, and the whole world has grown better since then. But now we will leave Ilmarinen and Vynamoinen for a while, and I will tell you about the reckless Lemminkainen and his adventures. So the old man began as follows. Finish Legends by R. Ivan Lemminkainen and Kiliky Long, long ago a son was born to Lempo, and he was named Lemminkainen, but some called him Ati. He grew up amongst the islands and fed upon salmon until he became a mighty man, handsome to look at, and skilled in magic. But he was not as good as he was handsome. He had a wicked heart, and was more famous for his dancing than for great deeds. Now, at the time my story begins, there lived in the Northland a beautiful maiden named Kiliky. She was so lovely that the son had begged her to marry his son and come and live with them, but she refused, and when the moon came and besought her to marry her son, and the evening star sought her for his son, she refused them both. And after that came suitors from all the countries round about, but the lovely Kiliky would not marry one of them. When Lemminkainen heard of this, he resolved that he would win her for himself. But his aged mother tried to dissuade him, telling him that the maiden was of a higher family than his own, that all the Northland women would laugh at him, and then if he should try to punish them for their laughter, that the warriors of the Northland would fall on him and kill him. But all this did not make him change his mind, and he started off for the distant Northland. When he came near to Kiliky's home, all the women and maidens that saw him began to laugh at him, because he looked so poor, and yet dared to try to win fair Kiliky's hand. When he heard them laughing, it made him so angry that he drove on without paying any attention to how he was driving, and when he came to the courtyard his sledge hit against the gatepost and broke to pieces, and threw him out into the snow. He rose up angrier than ever, but all those around only laughed the harder at him, and made all manner of fun of him. Then they offered him a place as a shepherd on the mountains. So Auti became a shepherd, and spent all the days on the hills, but in the evenings he went to their dances, and when he had shown them what a skillful dancer he was, he soon became a great favorite with all the women, and they began to praise him instead of laughing at him. But fair Kiliky alone would have nothing to do with him, would not even look at him in spite of all his endeavors to win her. At last she was tired out with his attentions, and told him that he had better return home, for she did not like him, and that so long as he stayed there she would not even look at him. Still he did not go away, but waited until a chance came to carry out his new plan. About a month after this all the maidens were met together for a dance in a glen among the hills, and among them was Kiliky. Suddenly Lemmy came and came galloping up in his sledge, and seized the fair Kiliky as she was dancing with the rest, placed her in his sledge, and drove off like the whirlwind, and as he flew by the frightened maidens he cried out to them, never tell that I have taken Kiliky, or I will cast a magic spell over your lovers, so that they will all leave you, and go off to the wars, and will never come back to dance and make merry with you. But Kiliky wept, and begged Lemmy Canaan to give her back her freedom, saying, oh, give me back my freedom accrual, Lemmy Canaan, let me return on foot to my grieving father and mother. If thou will not let me go, oh, Auti, I will curse thee, and will call upon my seven valiant brothers to pursue and kill thee. Once I was happy among my people, but now all my joy has gone since thou has come to torment me, oh, cruel-hearted Auti. But all her words could not move Lemmy Canaan to release her. Then he said to her, dearest maiden, fair Kiliky, cease thy weeping and be joyful. I will never harm thee nor deceive thee. Why shouldst thou be sorrowful, for I have a lovely home, and friends and riches, and thou shalt never need to labor? Do not despise me, because my family is not mighty, for I have a good spear and a sharp sword, and with these I will gain greatness and power for thy sake. Then Kiliky asked him, oh, Auti, son of Lempo, will thou then be to me a faithful husband? Will thou swear to me never to go to battle, nor to strife of any sort? I swear upon my honor, Lemmy Canaan replied, that I will never go to battle, if thou wilt promise in return never to go to dance in the village, however much thou mayest long for it. So the two swore before great Uko, Lemmy Canaan promising never to go to battle, and Kiliky that she would never go to the village dances, and then Lemmy Canaan rejoicing cracked his whip and they galloped on like the wind over hills and valleys towards the planes of Calavala. As they came near to Lemmy Canaan's home, Kiliky saw that it looked dreary and poor, and began to weep again. But Lemmy Canaan comforted her, telling her that now he would build a splendid mansion for her, and so she grew cheerful once more. They drove up to his mother's cottage, and as they entered his mother asked him how he had fared. Auti answered, I have well repaid the scorn of the Northland of Maidens, for I have brought the fairest of them with me in my sledge. I brought her well wrapped in bare skins hither, to be my loving bride forever. Beloved mother, make ready for us the best room, and prepare a rich feast that my bride may be content. His mother answered, Praise be gracious Uko that hath given me a daughter. Praise Uko, my son, that thou hast won this lovely maiden, the pride of the Northland, who is purer than snow, more graceful than the swan, and more beautiful than the stars. Let us make our dwelling larger, and decorate the walls most beautifully, in honor of thy lovely bride, the fairest maid of all creation. R. Eithent Lemmy Canaan and Kiliky lived together happily for many years, keeping the promises they had made to each other. But one day Lemmy Canaan had not come home from fishing by sunset, and then the longing to dance was more than Kiliky could withstand, and she went into the village and joined the Maidens in their dance. As soon as Lemmy Canaan came home, his sister, Einike, came to him and told him how Kiliky had broken her promise, and had joined the dance. Then Lemmy Canaan grew angry and sad at the same time, and he went to his mother and asked her to steep his clothing in the blood of serpents, for he was going off to battle, since Kiliky could not keep her vow. Kiliky tried to persuade him not to leave her, telling him that she had dreamt a dream, in which she saw their home in flames, and the fire bursting out through the doors and windows and roof. But Lemmy Canaan replied, I have no faith in women's dreams or maidens' vows. Bring me my copper armor, mother, for I long to get to the wars, to go to Dismalpohiola, there to win great stores of gold and silver. Stay home, my dear son, as aged mother said, and drink the beer in our cellars, sitting peaceably by thine own hearth, for we have more than enough gold and silver. Only the other day, as our servants were plowing the fields, they came upon a chest of gold and silver buried in the ground. Take this, and be content. When all this had no effect upon Lemmy Canaan, his mother began to tell him of the magic of the Northland people, and that they would sing him into the fire, so that he would be burnt to death. But he replied, long ago three lapland wizards tried to bewitch me, and employed their strongest spells against me, but I stood unmoved. Then I began my own magic songs, and before long I overcame them, and sank them to the bottom of the sea, where they are still sleeping, and the seaweed is growing through their hair and beards. Still his mother tried to stop him, and his wife, Keleki, begged his forgiveness in tears. He stood listening to them, and brushing out his long black hair. But at last he became impatient, and threw the brush from him, and cried out, I will not stay, but keep that brush, and when ye see blood oozing from its bristles, then ye may know that some terrible misfortune has overtaken me. Saying this, he left them, and put on his armor, and harnessed his steed into his sledge. Then he sang a song, calling on all the spirits of the woods, and the mountains, and the waters, and on great Uko himself, to help him against the Northland wizards. And when his song was ended, he drove off, like the wind. In the evening of the third day he reached a little village in the Northland. Here he drove into a courtyard, and called out, Is there any one strong enough to attend to my horse, and take care of my sledge? There was a child playing on the floor of the house, and it replied that there was no one there to do it. Then Lemmy Canaan rode on to another house, and asked the same question. And a man standing in the doorway replied, There are plenty here that are mighty enough, not only to unharness thy steed, but to conquer thee and drive thee to thy home, ere the sun has set. Then Lemmy Canaan told him that he would return and slay him, and so drove off to the highest house in the village. Here he cast a spell over the watchdog, so that he should not bark and drove in. Then he struck the ground with his whip, and from the ground there a rose of vapor that concealed the sledge, and in the vapor was a dwarf that took his steed and unharnessed it, and gave it food. But Lemmy Canaan went on into the house, having first made himself invisible. There he found a great many people, singing and making merry, and by the fires the Northland wizards were seated. He made his way on, and then took on his own shape again, and entered into the main hall, and cried out to those that were singing to be silent. As soon as she saw him, the mistress of the house ran up to him, and asked him who he was, and how he had passed the watchdog unnoticed. Then Lemmy Canaan told her who he was, and instantly began to weave his magic spells, while the lightning shot from his fur mantle and flames from his eyes. He sang them all under the power of his magic, some beneath the waters, some into the burning fire, some beneath the heaped up mountains. Only one poor old man who was blind and lame did he leave untouched. And when the old man asked him why it was that he had alone been left, cruel Lemmy Canaan began to abuse him, and to torment him with words, until the old man, Nassut, grew almost wild with anger, and hobbled away, swearing to have vengeance. Nassut had journeyed on and on, and at last arrived at the River Twoni, which separates the land of the dead from the land of the living. There he waited until Lemmy Canaan should come, for he knew by his wizard skill that he would come thither soon. After this Lemmy Canaan traveled on through Dismalpoyola until he came to the home of aged Lohi. He went in to Lohi and begged her to give him one of her daughters in marriage, but Lohi refused, saying, Thou hast already taken one wife from Lapland, the fair Kiliky, and I will give thee neither the loveliest nor yet the ugliest of my daughters. Still Lemmy Canaan kept urging her, and at last, to get rid of him, she said, I will never give one of my daughters to a worthless man, Thou mayst not ask me again, and tell thou brings me the Hissa reindeer. Then Lemmy Canaan set to work to make his arrows and his darts. When these were done, he went to Liliky, the great snowshoe maker, and bade him make him a huge pair of snowshoes, as he was going to hunt the Hissa reindeer. At first Liliky tried to dissuade him, telling him he could never succeed, but perhaps would die in the forest. But Lemmy Canaan ordered him again to make the snowshoes, and Liliky set to work. He made them of wood only a few inches wide, but longer than Lemmy Canaan was tall, and with straps in the middle to fasten them on to the feet. He also made a staff for Lemmy Canaan to push himself along with, or to keep his balance with, when he slid down the hills. At length they were finished, and Lemmy Canaan put them on, and his quiver on his back, and took his snowshaft in his hand. And as he set off, he cried out, There is no living thing in all the forest that can escape me now, when I take my mighty strides and Liliky's snowshoes. But the evil spirit Hissa overheard him as he boasted thus, and Hissa set to work to make an enchanted reindeer that Lemmy Canaan would never be able to catch. So he took bare willow branches to make the horns, and wood for the head, the feet and legs were made of reeds, and the veins from withered grass, the eyes were made from daisies, the ears from flowers, and the skin of the rough fur bark, and the muscles from strong, sappy wood. When this magic reindeer was completed, it was the swiftest and finest looking of all reindeer, and Hissa sent it off to Pohiola, telling it to lure Lemmy Canaan into the snow-covered mountains, and there to wear him out with the cold and the fatigue of the chase. So the reindeer went forth to Dismal Pohiola, and there it ran through the tortyards and the outhouses, overturning tubs of water, throwing the cattle from their hooks, and upsetting the dishes that were cooking before the fires. There was a frightful noise there, for all the dogs began to bark, and the children to cry, and the women to laugh, and the men to shout. And then the magic reindeer went on its way. Now Lemmy Canaan had set out as soon as his snowshoes were ready, and he had hunted the whole world over for a trace of the Hissa reindeer, rushing like the wind over the mountains and valleys, until fire shot from his snowshoes, and his snow staff smoked. But after he had wandered over the whole world, and still found no trace of the Hissa reindeer, he came at last to the corner of Northland, where the magic animal had just run through the courts, upsetting everything, and the children were still crying, and the women laughing when he arrived. Lemmy Canaan asked them what the cause was of their uproar, and they told him how the reindeer had been there. No sooner had he heard this than off he flew over the snow, and as he went he sang a spell, calling on the powers of Pohiola to enable him to catch the Hissa beast. After he had sung, he gave three huge strides with his snowshoes, and at the end of the third he caught up with the Hissa reindeer, and in another moment had it bound fast. Then he spoke to the reindeer, and patted it on the head, and baited come with him to Lohi, but suddenly the animal maid of mighty rush snapped his bonds in two, and sprang away over the hills and valleys out of sight. Lemmy Canaan started off after it, but at the first step his snowshoes broke right in two and threw him down, breaking his arrows and his snow staff in his fall. Then he arose and looked sadly at his broken shoes and arrows and stick, and said to himself, How shall I ever succeed in my hunt, now that my shoes are broken, and the reindeer is once more free? End of Lemmy Canaan's Second Wooing Chapter 14 of Finnish Legends This is a LibriVox recording. All LibriVox recordings are in the public domain. For more information or to volunteer, please visit LibriVox.org. Recording by Phil Schempf. Finnish Legends by R. Ivan Lemmy Canaan's Death For a long time Lemmy Canaan sat, considering whether he should give up the chase and return to Kalavala or still keep on after the Hissa reindeer. At length he regained his open courage, and having sung an incantation that made his snowshoes and arrows and staff whole again, he started off once more. This time he turned his steps to the home of Tapio, the god of the forest, and as he went he began to sing wondrous songs to Tapio and his wife, Mialiki, begging them to help him and promising them great stores of gold and silver if they would do so. At last he arrived at Tapio's palace which had window frames of gold and the palace itself was a vivory, and within it Mialiki and her daughters were dressed in golden garments and wore golden gems in their hair and pearls around their necks, and they all promised to help Lemmy Canaan and went off to drive the reindeer up to the palace so he might catch it, nor had he longed to wait and before whole troops of reindeer came flocking into the palace courtyard and Lemmy Canaan saw among them the Hissa deer and caught it. Then Lemmy Canaan sang a song of triumph and having paid to Tapio's wife Mialiki the gold and silver he had promised, he hastened off with the reindeer to Lohi's home, but when he gave the Hissa deer to her she said, I will give thee my fairest daughter, if thou wilt catch and bridle for me the fiery Hissa horse that breathes smoke and fire from his mouth and nostrils. So Lemmy Canaan went off, taking with him a golden bridle to put on the horse. For three days he wandered without catching sight of the Hissa horse, but on the third day he climbed to the top of a very high mountain and from thence he spied the steed on the plain amongst the fir trees, breathing smoke and flames from his mouth and nostrils and eyes. When Lemmy Canaan saw him he prayed to great Ukul to send a shower of icy hail upon the fiery Hissa steed and presently a great shower of hail rained down and every hail stone was larger than a man's head. After the hail was over Lemmy Canaan came up to the fiery horse and coaxed him to let the golden bridle be slipped over his head. Then off they went like the wind, the horse obeying Lemmy Canaan perfectly and in a very short time they arrived at Lohi's house. When he had given the Hissa horse to Lohi Lemmy Canaan asked again for the hand of her fairest daughter, but Lohi told him she would not give him her daughter until he had killed the swan that swam on Tuwani's river which flows between the land of the living and the dead. Then Lemmy Canaan started off fearlessly to seek the graceful swan of Tuwani and journeyed on and on until at length he came to the cold black river. There the old shepherd of Puyola Nosfoot was waiting for him and though blind he heard Lemmy Canaan's footsteps and sent a serpent from the Death River to meet him. The serpent stung Lemmy Canaan just over the heart so that he fell down dead almost instantly only having time to call upon his ancient mother to help him. Nesfoot cast his body into the dismal river Tuwani where it was washed down through the rapids to the Death Land, Tuonella. There the son of the ruler of the Death Land took the body and cutting it into five portions cast them back into the stream saying, swim there now old Lemmy Canaan float forever in this river so that thou mayest hunt the wild swan at thy leisure and thus the handsome Lemmy Canaan died and was cast into the river Tuwani that flows along the Death Land. End of Lemmy Canaan's Death Chapter 15 of Finnish Legends. This is a LibriVox recording. All LibriVox recordings are in the public domain. For more information or to volunteer please visit LibriVox.org. Recording by Phil Shempf. Finnish Legends by R. Ivan. Lemmy Canaan's restoration. Lemmy Canaan's mother began to grow uneasy at his long absence and to fear that some trouble had befallen him. At last one day, as his wife, the fair Kiliki, was in her room, she noticed that drops of blood had begun to flow from the bristles of Lemmy Canaan's hairbrush. Then she began to weep and mourn and ran and told his mother, who came and saw the blood oozing from the brush and cried out, Woe is me for my son, my hero is in some terrible distress, some awful misfortune has happened to him. Saying this she hurried off and went straight to Lohi's house. There she asked what had become of her son, but Lohi only replied that she did not know that he had driven off long ago in a sled she had given him and perhaps the wolves or bears had eaten him. Thou art only telling falsehoods, replied Lemmy Canaan's mother, for no bears or wolves can devour him. He would put them to sleep with his magic singing. Now, tell me truly, O Lohi, whither thou hast sent my son, where I will destroy all thy storehouses and even thy magic sample. And then, Lohi said, that she had given him a copper boat, and he had floated off on the river. Perhaps he had perished in the rapids below. But Lemmy Canaan's mother answered, Thou art still speaking falsely. Tell me the truth this time, or I will send plague and death upon thee. Then Lohi answered the third time. I will tell thee the truth. I sent him to fetch me the Hissa reindeer, and then, after the fire-breathing horse, and last of all, after the swan that swims the death stream, to Oni, that he might gain the hand of my Farrah's daughter. He may have perished there, for he has not come back since to ask for my daughter's hand. No sooner had Lohi said this than the anxious mother hurried off to hunt for her son. Over hills and valleys, through marsh and forest, and over the wide water she went, but looked for him in vain. Then she asked the trees if they had seen him, but they answered, We have more than enough to think of with our own griefs. We are cut down with cruel axes, and burned to death, and no one pities us. So she wandered on and on, and finally asked the paths if they had seen her son pass by. But the paths replied, Our own lives are too wretched to think of other people's sorrows. We are trod and underfooted by beasts and men, and the heavy carts cut us in pieces. Next she asked the moon, but the moon replied, I have trouble enough of my own. I have to wander all alone, in both summer and winter nights, and have no rest. Next she questioned the son, and he was kinder than the rest, and told her how her son had died in the gloomy river to Oni. Then she hastened to Ilmaraden, the wondrous smith, and made him make a huge rake for her, out of copper, with teeth a hundred fathoms long, and the handle five hundred fathoms. Ilmaraden quickly forged a magic rake, and she hurried off with it to the gloomy river to Oni, praying as she went, O son, whom Ukoheth created, shine for me now with magic power, into the kingdom of death, into dark manala, and lull all the evil spirits there to sleep. The sun came and sat upon a birch tree near the river of Tuoni, and shone upon the deathland of Tuonella, until all the spirits fell asleep. Then he rose, and hovering over them, warmed them into yet deeper slumber, and then hurried back to his place in the sky. Meanwhile Lemmy Canaan's mother had raked a long time in the cold black river, but could find nothing. Then she waited in deeper and deeper, until she could reach into the deepest caverns with her rake. First she found his jacket, and then the rest of his clothing, and finally the third time she swept her rake along it brought up Lemmy Canaan's body, but the hands and arms and head were still missing. Still she went on with her search, and at length all the pieces were gathered together. When she had laid them beside each other in their proper positions, she began to pray to the goddess of the veins, Suonatar, and the maiden of the Aether, to come and join the different parts together, and to sew up the wounds and make him whole. And then she prayed to mighty Uko to help them, and to heal every part that was wounded or bruised, to touch them with his magic touch, and restore Lemmy Canaan to life. And Uko did so, and Lemmy Canaan lived once more, but he was still blind and deaf and dumb. But his mother considered deeply how she might restore these senses to him, and at length she called the little bee to her, and bid it go out and collect honey from the healing plants in the meadows. So the bee flew away and returned very soon laden with honey from all the healing plants, and she anointed her son with this, but it only gave him his sight and still left him deaf and dumb. Again the mother sent off the bee, telling it to go across the seven oceans, and to a light on an enchanted aisle in the eighth. There it would find magic honey to bring back. The bee did as it was told, and found the magic honey-balm in tiny earthen vessels, and flew back with seven vessels in its arms, and seven on each shoulder, all filled with magic honey-balm. Lemmy Canaan's mother anointed him with this, and he could hear, but still remained speechless. Then the mother baited the bee, fly up to the seventh heaven, and to bring down from thence the honey of Ukko's wisdom, which was so abundant there. When the bee declared it could not fly so high, she told it the way and sent it off. So the bee flew up and up, and at the end of the first day it rested on the moon. At the end of the second day it reached the shoulders of the great bear, and on the third day it flew over the great bear's head and reached the seventh heaven of Ukko. There it found three golden kettles, and in the first was a balm that gave ease to the heart, and the balm in the second gave happiness, but the balm of the third kettle gave life. So bee took some of the life-giving balm, and hastened back to earth. Then Lemmy Canaan's mother anointed him with this magic balm, speaking a magic spell as she rubbed him with it, and immediately he awoke, and his first words were, Truly I have been sleeping long, but yet my sleep was a sweet one, for I knew neither joy nor sorrow. When his mother asked how he had gone thither, and who it was that had harmed him, he told her all. How low he had sent him for the swan, and how old Nashut, the blind Northland shepherd, had sent the serpent against him and killed him, for he did not know the charm to cure the sting of serpents. Then his mother upbraided him for his ignorance, and told him how the serpent was born from the marrow of the duck and the brain of swallows, mixed with Suohatar's saliva, and she told him too what the spell was to use against them. Thus his mother brought him back to life and health, and he was wiser and handsomer than ever, but still he was downhearted. His mother asked him the reason of this, and he replied that he was still thinking of Lohi's daughter and longing for her as his bride, but that first he must shoot the wild swan. But his mother answered, Do not think of the wild swan, nor yet of Lohi's daughters. Return with me to Kalavala, to thy home and thank and praise the maker, Uko, that he hath saved thee, for I alone could never have saved thee from dismal manala. So Lemmy Canaan hastened home with his mother, back again to his pleasant home in Kalavala. Everyone expressed satisfaction that Lemmy Canaan had been restored to life. For, you see, said Mimi, though he was really a bad man, he did so many wonderful things that you just can't help wishing for him not to be killed. But now it had grown quite late, nearly nine o'clock, and so they all ate their supper, and then Eric and Father Miko sat smoking and talking, while Mother Stina and the little ones went into the other room to bed. For Eric had actually two rooms in this house, and it isn't every finished country cabin that has that, you know. They talked of their country, for that was the dearest subject to both of them. They were intelligent men for their class, and when Father Miko told how the Russians are was taking their liberties away from them and was beginning to break all his oaths and promises, and would no doubt end up by making them as badly off as the people on the south side of the Finnish Gulf. When Father Miko related all this, Eric's eyes flashed, and he longed to be able to draw the sword to defend his beloved country's liberty. But at last they had gone over all these things and were sleepy themselves, so they made up their beds on some sheepskin rugs on the floor, and soon fell into a sound sleep. The next day it was still storming, and so Father Miko gave up all idea of leaving that day. About three o'clock in the afternoon, it was dark as night then. They all finished dinner and settled down around the fire, as on the day before, and Father Miko was easily persuaded to go on with his stories. Eric was at work on a pair of snowshoes, just like those that Lemmy Kanan wore in the story of the hunt after the Hissadir. They were nearly finished, about six feet long and five inches wide in the broadest part, with a place in the middle to fasten them on to the feet, and the front ends were turned up. All that now remained to be done was to polish them off, and Eric worked at this while Father Miko told his stories. The children had enough to do to watch Papa Miko's face and listen to the wonderful tales, and Mother Stina was busy with some sowing. She couldn't spin because the noise of the wheel would have drowned Father Miko's voice. Now that we have brought Lemmy Kanan back from the Death River, the old man said, we will see what Wainamonan was doing all this while, so he began as follows. End of Lemmy Kanan's Restoration