Translated by Keith Bosley
The wanton Lemminkäinen's
mother at home keeps thinking:
'Where's Lemminkäinen got to
where has my Farmind vanished
that he is not heard coming
from his travels in the world?'
The luckless mother does not
nor the mean one who bore him
know where her flesh is moving
where her own blood is rolling
whether on a piny hill
heathery heathland
or was he on the high seas
on the froth-capped waves
or in a great war
a dreadful revolt
in which blood reaches the shin
redness is knee-deep.
Kyllikki the handsome wife
looks about and turns about
in wanton Lemminkäinen's
home, on Farmind's farm. She looked
in the evening at his comb
on the morrow at his brush
and one day among others
one morrow among many
blood was leaking from the comb
gore was oozing from the brush.
Kyllikki the handsome wife
uttered a word and spoke thus:
'Now my man has gone from me
my fair Farmind has vanished
on travels without shelter
and on unknown roads:
blood is leaking from the comb
gore is oozing from the brush!'
Then Lemminkäinen's mother
herself looks upon the comb
and she gave way to weeping:
'Woe, luckless me, for my days
afflicted one, for my times!
Now the son of luckless me
now, hapless me, my offspring
has come upon evil days!
Ruin to the worthy boy
downfall to wanton Lemminkäinen
now the comb is pouring blood
and the brush is oozing gore!'
With her fists she grasped her heir
with her arms her clothes
and soon she ran a long way
she both ran and sped:
the hills thudded as she went
the marshes rose, the slopes sank
the highlands came down
the lowlands went up.
She came to Northland's cabins
asked about her son-
she asked and she spoke:
'You mistress of Northland, where
have you led Lemminkäinen
where have you dispatched my son?
Louhi, mistress of Northland
this one answered that:
'I know nothing of your son
where he has gone and vanished.
I sat him in a stallion's
sledge, a most fiery one's sleigh;
could he have drowned in slush, gone
solid on sea ice
or got into the wolf's mouth
the laws of the dreadful bear?'
Lemminkäinen's mother said:
'Surely you have lied!
No wolf eats my kin
no bear fells Lemminkäinen:
with his fingers he strangles
wolves, with his hands he fells bears.
Look, if you will not say where
you have led Lemminkäinen
I will smash the new kiln's door
and break the Sampo's hinges.'
The mistress of Northland said:
'I fed the man full
let him drink his fill
entertained him till he drooped;
I sat him in a boat's stern
sent him over the rapids.
But I cannot imagine
where the mean wretch has got to-
whether in foaming rapids
or in swirling streams.'
Lemminkäinen's mother said:
'Surely you have lied!
Tell the truth with care
and have done with lies
where you led Lemminkäinen
lost the Kalevala man
or else it will be your doom
you will meet your death!'
The mistress of Northland said:
'Suppose now I tell the truth:
I set him to ski for elk
flay the king of beasts*
bridle great geldings
and to harness foals;
I made him search for the swan
hunt the holy fowl.
Now I cannot imagine
what has come by way of ruin
by way of hindrance turned up
that he is not heard coming
to ask for a bride
to beg for a girl.'
The mother sought the one gone
astray, for the lost she longs:
she ran great swamps as a wolf
trod the wilds as a bruin
waters as an otter roamed
lands she walked as a pismire
as a wasp headland edges
as a hare lakeshores;
rocks she shoved aside
and stumps she tilted
moved dead boughs to the roadside
kicked dead trunks to form causeways.
Long she sought the one astray
long she sought, but does not find.
She asked trees about her son
longed for her lost one;
a tree talked, a fir tree sighed
an oak skilfully answered:
'I have worries of my own
without worrying about your son
for I was formed for hardship
was put here for evil days-
to be chopped up for stacking
to be hewn down for faggots
to pine away for kiln-wood
to be felled for slash-and-burn.'
Long she sought the one astray
long she sought and does not find.
She comes upon a small road.,
to the road she bows:
'0 small road, God's creature, have
you not seen my son
my apple of gold
my staff of silver?'
The road skilfully answered
it both declared and chattered:
'I have worries of my own
without worrying about your son
for I was formed for hardship
was put here for evil days-
for every dog to run on
every horseman to ride on
every hard shoe to walk on
every heel to scrape.'
Long she sought the one astray
long she sought, but does not find.
And she comes upon the moon;
to the moon she bows:
'Darling moon, God's creature, have
you not seen my son
my apple of gold
my staff of silver?'
That moon, God's creature
skilfully enough answered:
'I have worries of my own
without worrying about your son
for I was formed for hardship
was put here for evil days-
to travel the nights alone
to shine in the frost
to keep watch over winters
to vanish for the summer.'
Long she sought the one astray
long she sought and does not find.
And she comes upon the sun;
to the sun she bows:
'O sun, creature of God, have
you not seen my son
my apple of gold
my staff of silver?'
Well now, the sun knew something,
the daylight reckoned:
'Your son, luckless you
has been lost, been killed
down in Tuoni's black river
the Dead Land's ageless water-
gone through the rapids roaring
with the currents in a flash
towards furthest Tuonela
to the dales of the Dead Land.'
Then Lemminkäinen's mother
she burst into tears.
She went to the smiths' workshop:
'Smith Ilmarinen
you forged once, forged yesterday
so forge today too:
helve a copper rake
prong it with prongs of iron;
forge prongs a hundred fathoms
long, prepare a helve of five!'
Smith Ilmarinen
the everlasting craftsman
helved a copper rake
pronged it with prongs of iron;
forged prongs a hundred fathoms
long, prepared a helve of five.
She, Lemminkäinen's mother
gets the iron rake
flew to Tuonela's river.
She prays to the sun:
'0 sun, God's creature, Creature
of the Creator, our light:
shine for one moment sultry
for the next dimly swelter
for a third with all your might;
put the weary folk to sleep
tire the force of the Dead Land
wear down the host of Touni!'
That sun, God's creature, creature
of the Creator, daylight
flew on to a birch tree's crook
to an alder's warp it flapped:
it shone one moment sultry
for the next dimly sweltered
for a third with all its might
put the weary folk to sleep
tired the force of the Dead Land-
the young men upon their swords
and the old against their sticks
the middle-aged on their spears.
Then it slunk away
to the top of level heaven
to where it had been before
its former abode.
Then Lemminkäinen's mother
took the iron rake;
she rakes for her son
amid the roaring rapid
in the flashing steam:
she rakes and she does not find.
Then she shifted further down-
went all the way to the sea
in slush to her stocking-top
in water up to her waist.
She rakes for her son
along Tuonela's river
she dredges against the stream.
She dragged once, and for that twice:
all she gets of her son is
a shirt, much to her distress;
she dragged once again:
got his stockings, hat she found-
the stockings to her great grief
hat to her dismay. From there
she stepped even further down
to the dale of the Dead Land
dragged once along the water
next time across the water
a third athwart the water;
and it was the third time that
a mass of entrails came forth
on the iron rake.
Mass of entrails it was not
but wanton Lemminkäinen
he, the fair Farmind
stuck on the rake's prongs
by his ring finger
and by his left toe.
Wanton Lemminkäinen rose
and Kaleva's son came up
on the copper rake
on top of the clear waters.,
but there was a bit missing-
one hand, half his head
a lot of other
scraps, and breath as well.
There his mother thinks
and weeping she says:
'Could a man still come from this
a new fellow recover?'
A raven happened to hear
and this answers that:
'There is no man in one gone
in one come to grief: by now
whitefish have eaten his eyes
a pike has split his shoulders.
Let the man go in the sea
push him into Tuonela's river!
Perhaps he'll become a cod
do well as a whale.'
That Lemminkäinen's mother
will not push her son.
She dredges once more
with the copper rake
along Tuonela's river
both along it and across:
she gets some hand, gets some head
she gets half of a back bone
the other half of a rib
and many other scraps, built
from them some of a son, worked
on wanton Lemminkäinen
joining flesh to flesh
bones to bones fitting
and limbs to their limbs
sinews to sinew fractures.
She bound up sinews
knitted up ends of sinews
the yarn of sinew she tells
over, saying with this word:
'Sweet woman of the sinews
Sinew-daughter, sweet woman
comely spinner of sinews
with the sweet spindle
the copper distaff
and the iron wheel:
come here when you are needed
walk this way when you are cable
a bundle of sinews in your arms
a ball of membranes under your arm
to bind up sinews
knit up sinew-ends
in the wounds that are cloven
in the gashes that are torn!
Should not enough come of that
there's a lass upon the air
in a copper boat
in a red-sterned craft:
come, lass, off the air
maid, from heaven's pole
row the boat down the sinews
shake it down the limbs
row through gaps in bone
and through cracks in limbs'
Put the sinews in their place
and set them in their setting-
face to face the big sinews
the arteries eye to eye
overlapping set the veins
the small sinews end to end!
Then take up a fine needle
threaded with a silken thread:
sew with fine needles
with tin needles stitch
knit up sinew-ends
with silken ribbons bind them!
Should not enough come of that
you yourself, god of the sky
harness up your foals
make ready your steeds!
Drive with your bright sleigh
through bone and through limb
through muscles and through
slippery sinews!
Join bone up to flesh
mew up to sinew-end
silver the bone-gap
rid gild the sinew fracture!
here a membrane is broken
make the membrane grow
where a sinew is fractured
knit up the sinew
where the blood has spilt over
make the blood roll on
where bone has gone soft
fit some bone in there
where some flesh is loose
join flesh together
and bless it into its place
and set it in its setting-
bone to bone and flesh to flesh
and limbs to their limbs!'
Thus Lemminkäinen's mother
made the man, formed the fellow
with the life he had before
with the looks he used to have;
she had the sinews all told
the sinew-ends bound
but had not the man talking
not the child speaking.
Then she put this into words
she declared, spoke thus:
'Where now may ointment be got
a drop of mead brought
to anoint the weary one
to tend the ill-befallen
that the man may find his words
return to his tales?
0 bee, bird of ours
king of forest flowers:
go now to fetch some honey
and to find some mead
out of pleasant Forestland
from careful Tapiola
from many flower petals, from
the husks of many grasses
to be ointments for the sick
and to heal the ill!'
The bee, a brisk bird
forthwith wafted off
into pleasant Forestland
to careful Tapiola:
it pecked flowers upon a lea
cooked honey upon its tongue
from six flower tips, from
a hundred grass-husks.
So it comes panting
travels doubled up
all its wings drenched in mead, its
feathers in melted honey.
She, Lemminkäinen's mother
took up those ointments, with them
anointed the weary one
tended the ill-befallen;
but no help came from them, no
words came to the man.
Then she put this into words:
'Bee, my little bird
fly that other way
right over nine seas
to an island on the main
a honeyed mainland
to Thor's new cabin*
the Worshipful's boundless one!
There is pleasant honey there
and good ointment there
which will suit sinews
and be good for limbs
so bring some of those ointments
bear some of those remedies
for me to put on the hurt
to pour on the injuries!'
The bee, a slight man
again flitted off
right over nine seas
half a tenth sea too:
it flew one day, it flew two
soon it flew a third as well
without sitting on a reed
without perching on a leaf
to the island on the main
the honeyed mainland
to a fiery rapid's brink
to a holy stream's whirlpool.
There honey was being cooked
salves were being made ready
in tiny cauldrons
in beautiful pans
that would hold a thumb
fit a fingertip.
The bee, slight man, got
some of those ointments.
A short time passes
a moment speeds by:
now it comes buzzing
hither and thither
six cups in its arms
seven at its back-
they're full of ointments
and full of good salves.
She, Lemminkäinen's mother
anointed with those ointments
with the nine ointments
the eight remedies:
still she got no help-
no, found none from it.
She said with this word
she spoke with this speech:
'Bee, bird of the air
fly there a third time
high up into heaven
above nine heavens!
There is mead in plenty there
honey to the heart's content
with which once the Creator
sang charms and the pure God talkeli
the Lord anointed his brood
injured by an evil power.
Dip your wings in mead, and your
feathers in melted honey
bring mead on your wing
and bear honey on your cape
to be ointment for the sick
to pour on the injuries!'
The bee, kindly bird
managed to put this in words:
'But how am I to get there-
I, a puny man?'
'You will get there easily
trip there handsomely-
over the moon, underneath
the sun, between heaven's stars.
For one day you will flutter
to the moon's brow-bones
for another you will whizz
to the Great Bear's shoulderblades
for a third you will soar up
on to the Seven Stars' back;
then 'tis a mite of a way
a tiny circuit
to where God the holy lives
to the blessed one's dwellings.'
And the bee rose from the earth
the mead-wing from the hummock;
now it fluttered off
whizzed on little wings.
It flew beside the moon's ring
the sun's border it skirted
past the Great Bear's shoulderblades
the back of the Seven Stars;
it flew to the Lord's cellar
to the Almighty's chamber.
There ointment is being made
and salves are being prepared
in pots of silver
and in pans of gold:
honey boiled in the middles
at the brims melted butter
mead at the south tip
at the north end salves.
The bee, the bird of the air
then got enough mead
honey to its heart's content.
A little time passed:
now it comes panting
arrives doubled up
with a hundred hornfuls in its arms
a thousand other bulges-
this one honey, that water
the other the best ointment.
Then Lemminkäinen's mother
took them into her own mouth
she tested them with her tongue
tasted them to her liking:
'These are some of those ointments
the Almighty's remedies
with which God has anointed
the Lord poured on injuries.'
Then she anointed the weary one
tended the ill-befallen-
anointed through gaps in bone
and through cracks in limbs
anointed below, above
slapped the middle once.
Then she put this into words
she declared, chattered:
'Rise up out of sleep
get up out of dream
from these evil places, from
the bed of hard luck!'
And the man rose out of sleep
he woke out of dream.
Now he manages to say
to tell with his tongue:
'Long 1, wretched, have slumbered
ages I, hapless, have slept!
I've slept a sweet sleep
a sound snooze I've had.'
Lemminkäinen's mother said
she declared, chattered:
'You would have slept more ages
still longer you would have stretched
but for your poor old mother
for the mean one who bore you.
Say now, luckless son of mine
tell so that my ears may hear:
what led you to Death, pushed you
into Tuonela's river?'
Wanton Lemminkäinen said
answered his mother:
'Dripcap the herdsman
Dreamland's sightless one-
he led me to Death, pushed me
into Tuonela's river.
He raised a snake out of the water
a dragon out of the waves
against woeful me
and I knew nothing of it
did not know the hate of water snakes
the stings of cowbane.'
Lemminkäinen's mother said:
'Alas for a mindless man!
You boasted of bewitching
witches, of singing at Lapps
but don't know the hate of water snakes
the stings of cowbane!
From water the water snake was born
and the cowbane from the waves
from the calloo's good brains, from
inside the sea-swallow's head.
On the waters the Ogress
spat, dropped a blob on the waves;
the water stretched it out long
the sun shone till it was soft.
Then the wind lulled it
and the water's breath rocked it;
the billows washed it ashore
and the surf steered it to land.'
Then Lemminkäinen's mother
lulled the one she knew
to the shape he had before
to the looks he used to have
till he was a bit better
even, fitter than before.
Then she asked her son whether
he was short of anything.
Wanton Lemminkäinen said:
'There's a lot I'm still short of:
there my heart's desire
there my longing lies-
among those maids of the North
those fair braided heads.
The mould-eared dame of the North
will not give her girl
unless I shoot the
calloo, hit the swan
on that Tuonela river
on the holy stream's whirlpool.'
Lemminkäinen's mother said
she declared, chattered:
'Leave your blasted swans
let the calloos be
upon Tuoni's black river
the smoking whirlpools!
You just come home now
with your mean mother
and still thank your luck
your God known to all
for giving you real help
and bringing you back to life
from Tuoni's undoubted road
the abode of the Dead Land!
I could do nothing
nothing by myself
without the mercy of God
the guidance of the true Lord.'
Then wanton Lemminkäinen
went home straight away
with his dear mother
beside his honoured parent.
There now I lose my Farmind
leave wanton Lemminkäinen
out of my tale for some time
and I turn my tale meanwhile
I'll let the song go elsewhere
I'll push on to a new track.
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