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Ilmatar
Rohan
Jun 19 2015, 8:43am
Post #1 of 24
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The Kalevala, Finnish mythology, and Tolkien references (Part 4)
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This is about Finland's ancient national epic, Kalevala, and related topics.
Most of the (silent, secretive  ) people who read these threads probably missed the last post(s) in the previous thread, because it had moved to page 6. Links below. I'm also wondering if I should drop "Tolkien references" from the subject line, because I have not been aware of any references lately, and have no time to try and seek them out. If anyone should spot something that Tolkien may have used as a reference material in his works, you are most welcome to point it out!
As usual, any and all comments and questions would be welcome!
After the following "interlude" post I will get back to the regular tales.
Part 1
Introduction
Tolkien and Finnish Influences
Creation Myth: World Born out of Eggshell Shards
Väinämöinen - Birth of Humanity & Pellervo - God of Fertility and Plants
The World-Tree, Sea Monster, and a Surprise Giant Clad in Copper
Barley Sowing, Slash-and-Burn, and the Gratitude of Eagle & Cuckoo
Part 2
Väinämöinen vs. Joukahainen: the Magical Battle of the Bards - War of Wizard Sayings
The Fate of Aino, Pohjola's Fair Maiden
Väinämöinen's Lamentation and the Spirit Salmon
Unhorsed by an Adversary, Saved by the Eagle, Trading with the Mistress of the Northland
Part 3
Challenges by Maiden on the Rainbow - and an Axe Accident
Origin of Iron - and the Blacksmith Ilmarinen
Healing of Väinämöinen
How the Blacksmith Ilmarinen was Tricked and Flown by a Giant Fir Tree
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Ilmatar
Rohan
Jun 19 2015, 10:20am
Post #2 of 24
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Interlude: "Midsummer Night's Dream" - magic and pagan traditions in the light of the midnight sun
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Since some readers of the Kalevala threads have been interested in mythology and folklore in general, I thought I'd share some of the old traditions concerning the Finnish midsummer celebration, juhannus, that is now upon us. 
***
As a great contrast to the darkness and "endless night" of midwinter, the Sun never sets in the Northern midsummer close to the Arctic Circle, and if the weather is clear there is light through the night, enough to read outside without additional light sources - supposing there were no other things to do in Midsummer Eve, such as magical spells and enchantments (more below). In midsummer some birds sing through the night, and some daytime birds begin before most Finns have gone to sleep. "The most peculiar thing about juhannus is that hundreds of thousands of people come together on high hilltops to admire the Midnight Sun. But this is useless folly, for those who wait until morning will see the same Sun with much less trouble." (freely translated from a book called "Juhannus ajallaan.")
In the pagan times - possibly already in the ancient past of the Iron Age, when the stories of Kalevala first began to take form - our ancestors celebrated the supreme god Ukko at the time of the summer solstice, in order to ensure fertility and good harvest, because Ukko controlled the rains and weather. As the sun never set, it's also possible that the celebrations were connected to sun worship. Food and drink was sacrificed to Ukko and consumed in large quantities; the more you drank (especially if you were the master of a house), the better the coming harvest. Alcohol was offered to those in the afterlife by dipping three fingers of the left hand and then sprinkling it behind your back over your left shoulder. People could pray for rain by wading into water and throwing water into the air. Originally this was called vakkajuhla or Ukon juhla, "Ukko's celebration." In the Middle Ages when Christianity took over the pagan practices, the date was set as the 24th of June and the holiday was given the name juhannus, after John the Baptist (Johannes Kastaja in Finnish). Many pagan practices still survived through the centuries, and some of them can be experienced today. Since 1955, juhannus has been celebrated on the Saturday that takes place between June 20 and June 26, but many old people still remember June 24th as being the "real" Midsummer Eve (exactly six months apart from Christmas Eve at the 24th of December). Most Finns start their summer holidays on Midsummer Eve and escape the cities to spend it at their summer cottages by the sea or lake, or in the countryside.
"Traditionally, Finns have talked about three ‘nest days’, which refer to the longest days of the midsummer (Juhannus) week, around the summer solstice. During this time the sun reaches its "nest", or highest annual point, after which the days will begin to shorten towards the winter. It was said that after the days the sun turns to the farm hand's (renki) side until Joulu, and then again back to the master’s side. The days when the sun was "standing still" had an impact on people’s lives, as one was not supposed to begin any new long-term work during these days. --- The sun goddess of the ethnic Finnish religion, ‘Päivätär’, was a positive character that brought warmth and fertility. Nevertheless, there are only a handful of folk prayers and poems that mention Päivätär. This is because she was replaced by the Virgin Mary in the folk religion in the Middle Ages. ‘Maaria’ enjoyed great popularity among the common people as a healer, helper and protector of motherhood for centuries." (from a Facebook page, translation by Anssi A.)
In some regions the preparations for juhannus were started a week before, with people busy baking and brewing beer. The whole house was scrubbed clean (similarly to Christmas preparations), any broken handles, stairs etc. were repaired, and finally rooms and doors were decorated (see below). Everyone went to bed early the evening before Midsummer Eve, so they could stay up the following night. "If you sleep in juhannus night, you will be sleepy the whole summer."
One of the surviving traditions is the burning of bonfires ("kokko" in Finnish) *). In Karelia, many bonfires were burned side by side, and the largest of them was dedicated to Ukko (the so-called "Ukko-kokko"). Some researchers maintain that the bonfires were already burned at these celebrations in the Iron Age. The oldest known description of Midsummer Eve's bonfires is from the old city of Turku and dates to the year 1645. From the 1800s onwards the tradition spread to the rest of the country. Twigs, branches, old boats, empty tar barrels and worn-out wooden tools were burned, and people of all ages would put on their best clothes and gather around the bonfires to sing and dance while musicians played. The honor of lighting the bonfire was usually given to the oldest man in the village, or a guest of honor. Nowadays many cities, village organizations, and private people all over Finland ceremoniously light bonfires in the evening of Midsummer Eve on hilltops, at lakesides and by the sea. Children are allowed to participate and stay up late.
 
In addition to ensuring good harvest and driving away evil spirits, bonfires were also used to foresee the future. Some people tried to predict the new harvest from the way
the sparkles flew, or how the smoke rose to the sky. The ashes were then scattered over the fields to bring luck as well as nourishment to the soil. The number of embers
at the bottom of the bonfire would indicate the number of unmarried village maidens for the year, and if a burning branch would fall into a certain direction, it was assumed
that a suitor might arrive from that direction...
In the past, houses as well as cattle were adorned with meadow flowers to bring fertility, productivity and renewal. Fresh leaves or juniper twigs were scattered on swept floors.
Keeping with the old traditions, many buildings and homes are still decorated in the outside as well as inside with the fresh new green of summer (flowering branches of rowan,
bird cherry and lilac, lily-of-the-valley etc.). From the Western parts (esp. Ostrobothnia - Pohjanmaa in Finnish) a tradition has spread to flank the porch or front door with
a "Juhannus birch" on either side to welcome visitors, with either branches or whole young trees, as can be seen in this 100-yr-old photo below. Sometimes the tops of the birches
were tied together to form an arch, and several birches could be lined to make a tunnel. In the bygone days people would also cut down young birches to build "leaf tents" in their
yards; afterwards the branches could be fed to farm animals. Nowadays also cars, boats and even trains can be decorated with birch branches to bring good luck.
  
A few generations back, young people would gather and swing in large "aisakeinu" swings (pictures here) that would go around full circle when given enough speed. Some claim
that the most reckless young men could go around with the swing hundreds of times...
Since cows had been led to the pasture on the 1st of May for the first time since winter and therefore produced more milk than they had in winter months, it's natural that many
juhannus festive dishes would include milk as an ingredient. Depending on the old regions with their own food traditions, wives made dishes such as red "midsummer cheese",
milk porridge, buttermilk, "Finnish crêpes" (lettu) and pancakes, and Karelian pastries with "egg-butter", to be eaten together with fish or meat. Getting properly drunk in Midsummer
Eve's night would help to ensure good harvest... The simplest of the modern juhannus dishes often include fish (salmon or herring, or fish gotten from a lake if staying at a summer
cottage) with new harvest's potatoes, fresh dill and butter; barbecue dishes, and desserts made of strawberries and cream etc.
  
One essential part of the most important annual celebrations - Christmas as well as Midsummer Eve - is sauna. Traditionally the "juhannussauna" was also decorated with flowers
and leaves. People bathe in the sauna with family or friends - if it's a traditional sauna that is heated by wood instead of electricity, or even a "smoke sauna", then all the better - and
whisk themselves or each other on the back with the "vihta" made from thin, soft birch twigs that have been soaked in water, bringing a lovely birch scent to the experience. In the past,
the vihta was ideally made from nine different trees, bushes and herbs, and after the sauna was over, unmarried women would throw the vihta onto the sauna's roof. Where the end pointed
was the direction of the future suitor. After sauna it's traditional to take a swim in a lake and then sit outside in the light summer night, possibly with a "sauna beer" or other beverage.
(Mosquitoes may be a problem, so precautions are recommendable.)
  
Beliefs, spirits and magic
The nightless night ("yötön yö" in Finnish) of midsummer, as the beginning of the "real" warm summer, has always been a time of activity for ancient spirits and pagan deities, and therefore
a potent time for folk magic. Hunters, fishermen, peasants etc. all had their specific magic charms, but many of them have been forgotten - still this is only a sample of the spells and tricks
that have been saved in writing, although not practiced anymore.
Someone who owned cattle could ensure the health and well-being of his animals by putting tufts of cow hair under the cowshed's girders, and an owner of horses might spill quicksilver into
a small hole he had carved in the stables' threshold for the same purpose. In some places people gathered their cows into the cowshed for the Midsummer Eve's night and locked the door,
and then hit the outside wall next to the door with an axe so that the axe was stuck in the wall; this protected the cattle from evil spirits and witches that were on the move.
One ancient tradition involved the sacrificial stones, large boulders or rocks where shallow holes had been carved. In juhannus night, when all cows had been milked, some of the milk was taken
to the local stone and spilled into the holes, to ensure good "cattle luck."
The dew that formed in the meadows and grass in Midsummer Eve's night was regarded as having purifying and healing qualities, and someone who had chronic pain in his foot found relief by walking
barefooted on the dewy ground. If someone was too sick to go out walking, a towel was used to gather some dew and the sore spot was then covered with the damp towel. Weak eyesight could be
improved by washing the eyes with dew. "Juhannus dew" was sometimes collected in this manner and then pressed into a small vial that was saved for a year and used when something needed healing,
for animals as well as people. It was also preferable to plant turnips and rutabagas "in the juhannus dew" to ensure good harvest. It was possible to steal a neighbor's "harvest luck" by drawing a sheet in
his field to collect the dew and then twist the sheet on one's own field so that the dew drops fell out.
According to one belief, water in natural springs - or possibly all water everywhere - would turn to wine for a while at midnight, but people were often too scared of such spiritual event to try and taste it
to find out if it was true... 
Most of the "spells", tricks or rites centered around ensuring fertility and good harvest, predicting the future, and - for the maidens - finding a suitor. One of the most well-known charms - and still in use,
slightly less seriously  - is to collect seven (or nine) different kinds of wild flowers, preferably from as many different meadows or fields, and place them under your pillow; the future suitor should appear
in a dream that night. Another, "backwards magic" trick, is to wear a woollen sock, turned inside out, in your left foot when going to sleep. A maiden who would roll around naked at night in a cornfield
that was moist with dew was sure to find a husband within a year - if there was already someone on her mind, then it was best to roll around on that specific house's fields. And if you went to take a peek
down a well at midnight (naked of course), your true love should be reflected on the water.
  
If a maiden found a four-leafed clover in Midsummer Eve and hid it under her blouse, and then at midnight let her hair loose from the braid and started running (still wearing the clover underneath) until
she reached a third crossing of roads, her sweetheart should be there walking towards her. But this was an apparition of the actual person, and not to be spoken to, unless the maiden took the risk of
becoming crippled.
One way to make sure you saw your intended (or a vision of) in Midsummer Eve's night was to wear a shirt - when going to see the bonfire - that had been buried in an anthill for three previous nights.
Those who had already married could try to beget a beautiful baby. This was best achieved by doing it under a sunny sky, with a smile on your face and thinking beautiful thoughts.
The number three was often connected to prediction magic. Those who went to a crossing of three roads or on top of a building that had been moved three times, and waited there at midnight in complete
silence, might hear mysterious sounds or see visions of future (often quite symbolical or even frightening). If music was heard it meant a wedding in the future, but the sound of a hammer hitting nails meant
a funeral for the listener.
A white flower called the lesser butterfly-orchid (valkolehdokki) is often in bloom during midsummer nights and would intensify its lovely scent as midnight approached, leading into many folk beliefs about it
being a sacred plant. When Christianity took over pagan practices, this orchid was known as "flower of Christ" - it was believed that the first one had grown to the place where the blood of Christ dropped when
he was hanging on the cross.
It was believed that a fern would bloom, but only in Midsummer Eve's night, and if you happened to see one you should quickly collect the bloom. "Will-o'-the-wisps (virvatulet in Finnish) were believed to appear
at midsummer night, particularly to finders of the mythical "fern in bloom" and possessors of the "fern seed", marking a treasure." (source) One likely reason for wills o' the wisp was that the sprite or gnome
who owned the treasure was underground cleaning it by burning the mould or rust off the coins - thus, flames without visible source of the fire.
If you want to become omniscient, take three times three raven's eggs and drink one of them every Friday so that the last one is drunk in Midsummer's Eve.
(There are also magic charms enabling someone to become a sage or a witch, but they are quite complicated, requiring a lot of explaining and translating...)
Modern aspects of juhannus
Juhannus is a national flag day, and the only time in Finland when the flag is allowed to be flown through the night. Flags are raised at 6 PM in Midsummer Eve and
lowered at 9 PM in Midsummer's Day. Offices, stores and most public services are closed.
It has been found that in the "nightless night" of the North, wild berries and herbs form more beneficial substances than in the darker summer nights of the Central
or Southern Europe, for example.
  (source)
"The colder the country the more passionately they celebrate their summer. So it is with the Finns who revel in the months of sunshine and cider on the terraces as they shrug off winter’s
grey blanket to catch a Nordic tan. The signs are small at first – the marketplaces feature strawberries or peas eaten fresh from the pod – but by Juhannus (midsummer) the nation has definitely defrosted." (source)
"Saunas are warmed up, fresh birch whisks are prepared, traditional Finnish songs are heard playing on the radio, sausages are grilled and drinks aplenty are enjoyed. --- Unfortunately the Midsummer
in Finland also has a sad side. Every year statistics indicate that many people drown during this particular period, as many “Juhannus” celebrations are held close to water. Under the influence of alcohol
common sense is forgotten resulting in unnecessary accidents." (source)
"Some choose to spend Midsummer in the city. Young people have revived the Midsummer dance tradition, and while it is customary to have them out in the open air, they might take place in trendy clubs
these days. Dressing up in a retro manner will score you a few extra points. Another reason for spending Midsummer in the city is the eerie atmosphere: cities are virtually empty, and roaming the streets
all alone is an exceptional feeling – a must for zombie film enthusiasts. --- Today, countless events and festivals are held all over the country, with parties often lasting beyond the wee hours, simply because
it’s hard to tell when the night ends and a new day starts! ...But sometimes all you really need is a little night swim in the warm water." (source)
Nocturne
There is a poem depicting the mystery of midsummer's night that is a favorite among many Finns. It was written by the Finnish poet and author Eino Leino (1878-1926) and is here translated in English
by Keith Bosley. It has also been set into a wistful, contemplative song (in Finnish).
The corncrake's song rings in my ears,
above the rye a full moon sails;
this summer night all sorrow clears
and woodsmoke drifts along the dales,
I do not laugh or grieve, or sigh;
the forest's darkness breathes nearby,
the red of clouds where day sinks deep,
the blue of windy hills asleep,
the twinflower's scent, the water's shade--
of these my heart's own song is made.
You, girl as sweet as summer hay,
my heart's great peace, I sing to you,
O my devotion, tune and play
a wreath of oak twigs, green and new.
I have stopped chasing Jack-o'-Lantern,
I hold gold from the Demon's mountain;
around me life tightens its ring,
time stops, the vane has ceased to swing;
the road before me through the gloom
is leading to the unknown room.
- Eino Leino (at 24 years, 1903)
***
Some personal reflections from an ordinary Finn: From my childhood, I remember the bonfires, the "juhannus birch" trees by the door (at home and grandparents'), late night cookouts by the fire, light
and warm nights with the nightingale singing, the sauna and swimming in a lake in the evening, and collecting wild flowers late in the evening (although I didn't make magic with them  ). The night
would take on a beautiful light of orange and peach tones, but it would never get dark (unless it's very cloudy).
...However, this year the weather looks almost like this where I am:
Either not enough large bonfires have been prepared, or not enough people are under the influence yet  but it seems like Ukko is not favoring us this juhannus. Then again, the rain IS good for the crops... 
*) A silly tidbit about the Finnish language: In Finnish, bonfire is kokko and to collect/gather something together is koota. Therefore it's possible - in a spoken dialect, not grammatically perfect but fully
understandable - to have the following inane "discussion" in Finnish, about gathering together the parts to be burned in a bonfire:
- Kokoo kokoon koko kokko!
- Koko kokkoko..?
- Koko kokko!
Which translates as:
- Gather the whole bonfire together!
- The whole bonfire...?
- The whole bonfire!
Have a happy midsummer (where it is summer)!
(This post was edited by Ilmatar on Jun 19 2015, 10:23am)
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Annael
Immortal
Jun 19 2015, 4:10pm
Post #3 of 24
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thank you again for posting all this.
I have a doctorate in Mythology but our coursework ignored Finnish mythology almost entirely, so this is wonderful. I am wondering if I might have your permission to share it with other graduates of/students in the program on our Facebook page? With due credit given of course!
I am a dreamer of words, of written words. I think I am reading; a word stops me. I leave the page. The syllables of the words begin to move around … The words take on other meanings as if they had the right to be young.
-- Gaston Bachelard
* * * * * * * * * *
NARF and member of Deplorable Cultus since 1967
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SirDennisC
Half-elven
Jun 19 2015, 10:58pm
Post #4 of 24
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A little late to the party I'm afraid
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I just picked up an Oxford World's Classics Edition of 'The Kalevala' translated by Kieth Bosley. It's on my 'to read' pile just below the Didot Perceval (a slim volume), so I'll be returning to these threads soon enough.
Thanks for posting these.
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Brethil
Half-elven
Jun 20 2015, 2:10am
Post #5 of 24
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Wonderful! That image of the birches...goes right to my heart it does! 
I have to work tomorrow but I will post a detailed reply Sunday, when I can really take this all in. Thank you so much for continuing these postings!
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Avandel
Half-elven
Jun 20 2015, 9:15pm
Post #6 of 24
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Ilmatar - just thank you for sharing the traditions and mythology and the amazing write-up - I don't really have anything to add, except I had NO CLUE to the richness of the traditions of Finland.
OMG - it's like being IN as song, just reading what you write. Now I'll see bonfires flaring to the sky in my mind, tonight *wistful* of course the U.S. does lots of things, all summer long, but there is such a magic to what you describe. And this is a lot of work! but I personally am saving everything. Now birch trees - which I always loved - have more meaning for me. I love summer and it sounds as tho I would very much enjoy the way Finland celebrates this season.
And, well, yes, in the U.S. we lose people every year, including on 4th of July boat parties and so on, re folks celebrating TOO much. Although here I don't think that kind of thing has anything to do with the harvest, here.
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Ilmatar
Rohan
Jun 20 2015, 10:47pm
Post #7 of 24
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Certainly you can share anything presented/described here, it would be an honor. Going through the Kalevala in this form will take me well into the next year, I think, but if that doesn't matter - while of course the epic itself is there for everyone, all the time - and I'm planning to make a few more "interlude" posts as well, about different aspects of the Finnish mythology (and folklore, traditions etc.). You're welcome to anything that seems suitable. :)
(This post was edited by Ilmatar on Jun 20 2015, 10:51pm)
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Ilmatar
Rohan
Jun 20 2015, 10:59pm
Post #8 of 24
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Welcome, SirDennisC!
In "Part 2" of these threads there was a brief discussion about different translations of Kalevala into English. The one I have used is by John Martin Crawford. There seems to be a clear difference in style, rhythm and "loyalty" to the original text's details, between the two translations. Of course it's a matter of taste which one is better - unfortunately I don't have the one by Bosley and can't make further comparisons.
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Ilmatar
Rohan
Jun 20 2015, 11:03pm
Post #9 of 24
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So great to see you here again, Brethil!
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Thank you!
Birch trees seem to figure quite prominently in both Kalevala and the folk traditions. Some juhannus photos from yesterday - possibly also featuring birches in supporting roles - are likely to jump into this thread in a few days.
I'm looking forward to your comments when you have the time!
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Ilmatar
Rohan
Jun 20 2015, 11:20pm
Post #10 of 24
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...To the write-up as well as visiting Finland during midsummer, of course - there's always next year. Really, it's my pleasure again, to share - and I'm happy that you like the way I have presented things! I will try to make a new one soon because we are getting to some magical stuff with the forging of the Sampo, but first I'm thinking of posting a few photos re: the juhannus "interlude", from yesterday's bonfires and the nightless night. I wish I could post the birdsong and scents here as well. (As it actually feels magical somehow, even for a native - I never get used to it so much I'd take it for granted. I think it's mostly due to the combination of nature's nighttime sounds and scents, and the soft light.)
Thank you for the art nouveau (my personal favorite style ) - that seems to me to be Päivätär, our ancient goddess of the Sun, light and daytime.
(This post was edited by Ilmatar on Jun 20 2015, 11:25pm)
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Kim
Valinor
Jun 21 2015, 3:16am
Post #11 of 24
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I didn't realize what a big deal midsummer was in Finland and other countries like Estonia. Hope you all have a great celebration! I myself am loving our long days and short nights - not quite like yours, but it doesn't get dark til 10pm and the birds are up a 5am with the sun. Happy Solstice!
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Annael
Immortal
Jun 21 2015, 2:26pm
Post #12 of 24
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do you have a blog, by any chance?
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I'd love to direct people to your stuff.
I am a dreamer of words, of written words. I think I am reading; a word stops me. I leave the page. The syllables of the words begin to move around … The words take on other meanings as if they had the right to be young.
-- Gaston Bachelard
* * * * * * * * * *
NARF and member of Deplorable Cultus since 1967
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Ilmatar
Rohan
Jun 21 2015, 9:59pm
Post #13 of 24
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Yes, Midsummer Eve is the second biggest annual celebration here, right after Christmas. It's a nice coincidence that they are half a year apart. We had a very peaceful midsummer this year, but who knows, maybe it's time to get a little wilder next year. (And by then we should have the full advantage of our old, traditional wood-burning sauna that needs some little patching - it might be nice to decorate the sauna with flowers and birch branches...) Thanks - I'm late but I hope you had a happy Solstice too!
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Ilmatar
Rohan
Jun 21 2015, 10:12pm
Post #14 of 24
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Thank you for the compliment! I don't have a blog, but maybe I can start one at some point - and since it would be Kalevala/mythology/folklore/tradition centered, I could just copy my posts from these threads there for starters. I suppose it would not matter that the content I made here would be identical to the one in a blog, if the idea would be to reach a bigger, potentially interested audience. I don't have the time yet - me moved last winter but STILL have a lot of things unfinished in both the house and the yard  because this is very different from our previous place - so while I can't make any promises or a schedule, if/when I get a blog started, I will link to it here.
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Ilmatar
Rohan
Jun 21 2015, 11:26pm
Post #15 of 24
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Here are some photos from Midsummer Eve (Juhannusaatto). We went to see two bonfires set alight at different times, with about 15 minutes' drive between them.
07 PM. The first, smaller bonfire by a river.
  
09 PM. The second bonfire by a different river, getting started. People had brought their kids, babies and dogs to see the fire.
09:30 PM. By now, numerous large bonfires had been lighted around the country, because Ukko had been appeased enough to make him relent with the dark clouds, and he let Päivätär shine light upon us again...
 
10 PM. This was the most magnificent bonfire I have seen so far. It was the size of a small house. The heat from the fire was almost unbearable about 30+ feet away.
It made me a little wistful to think that while our ancestors played music, sang and danced around the bonfire, now we just look at it (and yes, enjoy some unspoken feeling of togetherness, "being of the same" in an obscure way) but then again, with worse luck the whole tradition could have been lost, so I guess I can't complain. (And maybe there is dancing and merrymaking at some other bonfires we just haven't discovered yet!) It might also be that since fire is not a part of everyday life for most people the same way it was for our ancestors - seeing, hearing and feeling such a powerful fire can be a little startling and possibly even spiritual experience.
  
The sun behind the clouds at about 10:30 PM.
11 PM. Accidental overexposure seems to have burned the sky to white, sorry about that...
11 PM - peony & rose at natural light. I realized that actually the best time to take "plant pictures" outside is between 10 PM and 02 AM, if the sky is clear. The light is soft and there are no sharp shadows.
Midnight. (Unfortunately, not by a lakeside...)
 
 
Between 02 - 03 AM. Mist started to rise from the meadows and fields.
  
Bonus: Proper fog enveloped us the following night, "Midsummer Day's night" (sounds funny). The photos don't really show it that well, but it was like a white wall. About 01 AM.
(I should have gone and lied down in the Midsummer Eve's dew at night, to see how it might have improved me. Must try that next year!)
(This post was edited by Ilmatar on Jun 21 2015, 11:27pm)
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Kim
Valinor
Jun 22 2015, 2:53am
Post #16 of 24
(8481 views)
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Thanks for sharing all the photos, and including the times - so cool to see the light and the sky all through the night.
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Ilmatar
Rohan
Jun 22 2015, 6:44am
Post #17 of 24
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I'm glad to hear you like them. I always take a lot of photos (leading to some fierce pruning later on), but this time I had this thread in mind and took a peek at my phone from time to time, to see the time. I wish I had some lakeside photos too because they have their own special charms, but maybe next year.
Since this is the Southern part of Finland, the sun takes a quick "dip" behind the horizon - so there is a sunset and a sunrise, in a way - but it never really goes down properly, so there is light even through the time the sun itself is in hiding, like it was just behind the treeline waiting to come up again. In Lapland, by the Arctic Circle, the sun stays up and visible through the night for two months...
I also forgot to mention the birds that kept singing nonstop around midnight. I heard three different birdsongs but only recognized the cuckoo. Around 3 AM, when the sun is coming up from its brief visit behind the treeline and it gets even lighter, birds go crazy and many different species can be heard at the same time.
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Ilmatar
Rohan
Jun 23 2015, 7:20am
Post #19 of 24
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LOL, I didn't even realize:
The gardener manages to sneak in a reference to pruning even when talking about photos LOL.
Completely unintentional, I swear. Umm, deleting? Eliminating?
The birds that sing around here at night are mostly small species like nightingale, warblers, spotted crake and corncrake. Only the nightingale gets really loud, but inside the house it's quite possible to sleep in peace. If outside camping overnight, I would recommend earplugs. But yes, the choir at sunrise can be vocally impressive (and after staying up late, most folks prefer not to get up at sunrise - especially when in Midsummer, the "sunrise" is at 3 AM). Now I remember one time when I was a kid and had slept in the summer with my window open, and in the morning complained to my mother that "I can't sleep with all the birds shouting all the time!" I think I got laughed about for that, and that's why I remember it - as the little songbirds were not exactly "shouting", they were just very loud when the sun came up. (Those are different from the species that sing around 10 PM - 02 AM, in the summer night. The "nightsingers" are overrun by "daysingers" long before people start waking up.)
(This post was edited by Ilmatar on Jun 23 2015, 7:21am)
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Ilmatar
Rohan
Jul 4 2015, 12:24am
Post #20 of 24
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Forging of the Sampo, the Magical Mill - Horn of Plenty
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Forging of the Sampo by Akseli Gallen-Kallela (1893)
The blacksmith Ilmarinen set forth to make the wondrous mill of cornucopia, Sampo, as he had promised to Louhi, Mistress of the Northland. He found no smithy, bellows, anvil nor tools, but was not disheartened,
and built all he needed. On the third day the forge was finished.
The eternal magic artist,
Ancient blacksmith, Ilmarinen,
First of all the iron-workers,
Mixed together certain metals,
Put the mixture in the caldron,
Laid it deep within the furnace,
Called the hirelings to the forging.
Skilfully they work the bellows,
Tend the fire and add the fuel,
Three most lovely days of summer,
Three short nights of bright midsummer,
Till the rocks begin to blossom,
In the foot-prints of the workmen,
From the magic heat and furnace.
 
1) Blacksmith Ilmarinen by the Finnish artist B.A. Godenhjelm (1799-1881) 2) Art by Nicolai Kochberg
Ilmarinen came to inspect the bottom of the furnace and see what was emerging there. It was not the Sampo, but a beautiful weapon that had a mind of its own:
From the fire arose a cross-bow,
With the brightness of the moonbeams,
Golden bow with tips of silver;
On the shaft was shining copper,
And the bow was strong and wondrous,
But alas! it was ill-natured,
Asking for a hero daily,
Two the heads it asked on feast-days.
Ilmarinen, skilful artist,
Was not pleased with this creation,
Broke the bow in many pieces,
Threw them back within the furnace,
Kept the workmen at the bellows,
Tried to forge the magic Sampo.
Part of the poem in Finnish, printed in old Fraktur script
 
Art by Akseli Gallen-Kallela, painted in the arched roof inside the National Museum of Finland
On the second day Ilmarinen saw that a boat had been created; a red boat decorated with gold and copper. Despite its beauty, the boat was a thing of evil that wanted to sail into every skirmish and
war without provocation. Ilmarinen was not happy with the boat's nature, and so crushed it into fragments to be melted and re-formed.
On the third day, a magical heifer emerged from the furnace - one with golden horns, the pattern of Ursa Major on her brow and the disk of the Sun on her head. But while the heifer was not intent on
violence, she was ill-mannered, lying in the woods all day and spilling her milk to the ground. Ilmarinen was not impressed, and thus he cut the magic cow to pieces and threw them back to the furnace.
 
1) Art by Mauri Kunnas, from one of the children's editions of Kalevala 2) Wood relief by Niilo Lehikoinen
On the fourth day, a magical plow rose from the fires of the forge. A thing of beauty, crafted from precious metals, the plow would cut through growing fields of corn and barley, leaving deep furrows on
the richest meadows. Ilmarinen promptly split the plow in two and continued his efforts in creating the Sampo.
  
1) The Forging of the Sampo by miryah in DeviantArt
The blacksmith stirred up the four winds to aid him. East, West, South and North winds blew with full force, chasing sparks from the smithy's door and rising smoke clouds to the sky. After three days,
Ilmarinen once more bent down to see the furnace:
On the third night Ilmarinen,
Bending low to view his metals,
On the bottom of the furnace,
Sees the magic Sampo rising,
Sees the lid in many colors.
Quick the artist of Wainola
Forges with the tongs and anvil,
Knocking with a heavy hammer,
Forges skilfully the Sampo;
On one side the flour is grinding,
On another salt is making,
On a third is money forging,
And the lid is many-colored.
Well the Sampo grinds when finished,
To and fro the lid in rocking,
Grinds one measure at the day-break,
Grinds a measure fit for eating,
Grinds a second for the market,
Grinds a third one for the store-house.
 
1) Art by Joseph Alanen (1885-1920) 2) Sampo by the Russian artist Igor Baranov; see larger picture here
Thus was created the wondrous horn of plenty called Sampo, a three-sided mill that would produce endless amounts of flour, salt and money. Louhi was overjoyed. Swiftly she took the Sampo away to the
copper mountains of Northland, hiding it inside a mountain and sealing it with nine bolts. She used her magic skills to grow three strong roots around the wondrous mill; one root anchored the Sampo into
the roots of the mountain itself, another root went to the deep sea-bed, and the third beneath the dwelling of the Northland.
Ilmarinen modestly and politely asked if, now that the task of forging the Sampo had been accomplished, he could have the maiden as his wife. Louhi's daughter told him that she was needed in the Northland
to make birds sing and the cuckoo call, and that without her presence all birds would leave the forests and fields. She claimed that she was too busy to leave:
"Never shall I, in my life-time,
Say farewell to maiden freedom,
Nor to summer cares and labors,
Lest the harvest be ungarnered,
Lest the berries be ungathered,
Lest the song-birds leave the forest,
Lest the mermaids leave the waters,
Lest I sing with them no longer."
  
1) Sampo in the cover of the Kalevala 2) Louhi and Sampo by "Levis"
Ilmarinen, having neglected to ask the maiden's opinion beforehand, was disappointed and empty-handed. With a heavy heart he started to wonder how he could leave the Northland behind and reach his
beloved home. Louhi then addressed him:
"O thou blacksmith, Ilmarinen,
Why art thou so heavy-hearted,
Why thy visage so dejected?
Hast thou in thy mind to journey
From the vales and hills of Pohya,
To the meadows of Wainola,
To thy home in Kalevala?"
This is Ilmarinen's answer:
"Thitherward my mind is tending,
To my home-land let me journey,
With my kindred let me linger,
Be at rest in mine own country."
Straightway Louhi offered him food and drink, placed him in a boat, and called for the Northern wind to assist his journery homewards. Louhi had managed to gain a magical device of great power while
still keeping her daughter at home. Ilmarinen sailed for three days over the blue sea, until he arrived at his homestead. The old sage Väinämöinen asked him if he had made a new Sampo, to which Ilmarinen replied:
"Yea, I forged the magic Sampo,
Forged the lid in many colors;
To and fro the lid in rocking
Grinds one measure at the day-dawn,
Grinds a measure fit for eating,
Grinds a second for the market,
Grinds a third one for the store-house.
Louhi has the wondrous Sampo,
I have not the Bride of Beauty."
(This post was edited by Ilmatar on Jul 4 2015, 12:33am)
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Ilmatar
Rohan
Aug 8 2015, 9:45pm
Post #21 of 24
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Notes: The meaning and symbolism of Sampo - possible theories and connections
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The Mistress of Northland, Louhi, was aware that only the heroes of Kalevala - Väinämöinen and Ilmarinen - held such wealth of divine knowledge and superhuman skills that one of them might be able to make the magical device, Sampo. From the list of "ingredients" that Louhi spoke to the blacksmith Ilmarinen we can already hear that this is not a mundane tool but a magical device in the making:
"...Hammer me the lid in colors,
From the tips of white-swan feathers,
From the milk of greatest virtue,
From a single grain of barley,
From the finest wool of lambkins?"
In ancient allegories, birds are often a symbol of the spirit descending into previously lifeless matter (compare with the dove in biblical imagery). In the ancient Finnish religion, pochard and swan were among birds seen as sacred - in the creation myth, the pochard symbolizes a spirit flying over the primordial sea (compare with the Genesis and "Spirit of God moving over the surface of the waters"). It takes the tips of the sacred swan's feathers to create the Sampo.
The second ingredient, "the milk of greatest virtue", is said more clearly in the original text - it is "milk of an uncalved heifer", a cow that had not been visited by a bull and was therefore producing "virginal" milk, free of any carnal urges.
According to some scholars, the third ingredient - a grain of barley - symbolizes the ethereal form of solid matter... In a similar manner, the forth ingredient - finest wool of lambkins - is a reference to lambkin and deer being allegories for solid matter... (I have no knowledge of this: source [in Finnish...])
When Ilmarinen tried to find a smithy in Pohjola, not even one could be found and eventually he had to build a forge. This has lead to a theory that the mighty people of Pohjola were not familiar with the use of metals, while the people of Kalevala had been skilled metal workers since the time immemorial.
The blacksmith Ilmarinen finally succeeds in forging the Sampo when he receives help from the four winds of all cardinal directions. This magic mill would then produce all the salt, flour and money its owner could wish for. Some researchers see a deeper symbolical meaning also in these three treasures. Flour is seen in connection to "the bread of spirit", salt is seen as the symbol for a spiritual mentor, and money as an allegory for earthly matter - there must be some corporeal basis before psychical culture can come to being.
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Ilmatar
Rohan
Sep 14 2015, 10:32pm
Post #22 of 24
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The handsome Lemminkäinen and the beautiful Kyllikki
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On the sea shores there lived a young man, Lemminkäinen (also called Ahti), son of Lempo. He grew up to be a mighty hero, clever and handsome, but his temper left something to be desired when it came to temptations:
But alas! he had his failings,
Bad indeed his heart and morals,
Roaming in unworthy places,
Staying days and nights in sequences
At the homes of merry maidens,
At the dances of the virgins,
With the maids of braided tresses.
Lemminkäinen in the cover of a Russian translation
(Wood relief by Niilo Lehikoinen: "Naisissa eläjä" - Lemminkäinen enjoying female company
and "By maiden's cottage at night")
In another village of Saari ('Island'), a beautiful maiden called Kyllikki came of age. Such was her charm that suitors arrived from as far as Estonia and Ingria to seek her hand - as well as from the
heavenly spheres of day, moon and stars - but she refused them all:
From afar men came to woo her,
To the birthplace of the virgin,
To the household of her mother.
For his son the Day-star wooes her,
But she will not go to Sun-land,
Will not shine beside the Day-star,
In his haste to bring the summer.
For her son, the bright Moon wooes her,
But she will not go to Moon-land,
By the bright Moon will not glimmer,
Will not run through boundless ether.
For his son the Night-star wooes her,
But she will not go to Star-land,
Will not twinkle in the starlight,
Through the dreary nights in winter.
Lovers come from distant Ehstlaud,
Others come from far-off Ingern,
But they cannot win the maiden...
The handsome hero, Lemminkäinen, undertook to win the fair maiden and woo her for his bride. His old mother warned him not to think too highly of himself - surely he would not be welcome to the prestigious
family of Saari; far more likely he would become a laughing-stock of the maidens. Lemminkäinen was determined that despite his lower station he would surely win the maiden by his other comely traits, and
was ready to use forcible ways should the maidens laugh at him. His poor mother warned him again, for surely he would be slain in a battle that would ensue should he taunt the Saari women.
In a manner traditional to heroes of old, Lemminkäinen heeded not his mother's warnings, but took his stallion and drove to the village of Saari, where the first part of his mother's apprehension soon was fulfilled:
All the aged Sahri-women,
All the young and lovely maidens
Laughed to scorn the coming stranger
Driving careless through the alleys,
Wildly driving through the court-yard,
Now upsetting in the gate-way,
Breaking shaft, and hame, and runner.
Then the fearless Lemminkainen,
Mouth awry and visage wrinkled,
Shook his sable locks and answered:
"Never in my recollection
Have I heard or seen such treatment,
Never have I been derided,
Never suffered sneers of women,
Never suffered scorn of virgins,
Not in my immortal life-time.
Is there any place befitting
On the Sahri-plains and pastures,
Where to join in songs and dances?
Is there here a hall for pleasure,
Where the Sahri-maidens linger,
Merry maids with braided tresses?"
Lemminkäinen and the maidens of Saari
The maidens assured him that in Saari there was indeed a place suitable for dancing, and thus Lemminkäinen entered service as a shepherd, spending his evenings making merry with the maids.
The women laughed at him no longer but lingered at his side. But Saari's fairest flower, Kyllikki, would not favor any man, and Lemminkäinen wore out a hundred pairs of boots and rowed through
a hundred pairs of oars in his effort to woo her.
(Wood relief by Niilo Lehikoinen: "Lemminkäinen and Kyllikki"
and "Maidens on the shore")
Finally Kyllikki proudly addressed him:
"Why dost linger here, thou weak one,
Why dost murmur on these borders,
Why come wooing at my fireside,
Wooing me in belt of copper?
Have no time to waste upon thee,
Rather give this stone its polish,
Rather would I turn the pestle
In the heavy sandstone mortar;
Rather sit beside my mother
In the dwellings of my father.
Never shall I heed thy wooing,
Neither wights nor whisks I care for,
Sooner have a slender husband
Since I have a slender body;
Wish to have him fine of figure,
Since perchance I am well-shapen;
Wish to have him tall and stately,
Since my form perchance is queenly;
Never waste thy time in wooing
Sahri's maid and favored flower."
Scarcely had half a month passed since the rejection when one evening maidens were dancing on a glen, Kyllikki the fairest among them. Quickly arrived Lemminkäinen, snatched her up from the ground
and settled her in his sleigh, and fleetly drove away calling out to other maidens in warning: Should they tell anyone of his act, he would sing spells to send all their fiancés to war, never to return. By his side,
Kyllikki began to wail and plead. "Give, O give me back my freedom, Free me from the throes of thralldom, Let this maiden wander homeward, By some foot-path let me wander To my father who is grieving,
To my mother who is weeping..." She threatened Lemminkäinen with a terrible revenge to be executed by her five brothers and seven cousins unless she could go free. When he remained unmoved, she began to cry:
"...But alas! all joy has vanished, All my happiness departed, All my maiden beauty waneth Since I met thine evil spirit, Shameless hero of dishonor, Cruel fighter of the islands, Merciless in civil combat."
 
1) "Lemminkäinen abducts Kyllikki" by Sigfrid August Keinänen (1841–1914) 2) by unknown artist, with water maidens looking on
(Wood relief by Niilo Lehikoinen: "Abduction of a bride")
Finally Lemminkäinen replied, trying to soothe Kyllikki and ease her worries, calling her his dear sweet berry whom he would never mistreat. He asked if she was lamenting a poor and uncertain future,
and ensured her that he had many cows and lacked nothing; should Kyllikki be worried over the low lineage of his family, it mattered not, for he had a mighty sword that would make any family powerful
(but the translation has added a great spear as well):
"Thinkest thou my race is lowly,
Dost thou think me born ignoble,
Does my lineage agrieve thee?
Was not born in lofty station,
From a tribe of noble heroes,
From a worthy race descended;
But I have a sword of fervor,
And a spear yet filled with courage,
Surely these are well descended,
These were born from hero-races,
Sharpened by the mighty Hisi,
By the gods were forged and burnished;
Therefore will I give thee greatness,
Greatness of my race and nation,
With my broadsword filled with fervor,
With my spear still filled with courage."
Kyllikki, still anxious, told Lemminkäinen that should he want to take her as his life-companion under his protection, he was to make an oath of honor that he would never go to battle, not even when riches
of gold and silver would call for him. Lemminkäinen made an oath but wanted one in return; Kyllikki had to promise she would never again join village maidens in their flighty dances and merrymaking.
Thus the two made oath together,
Registered their vows in heaven,
Vowed before omniscient Ukko,
Ne'er to go to war vowed Ahti,
Never to the dance, Kyllikki.
Lemminkainen, full of joyance,
Snapped his whip above his courser,
Whipped his racer to a gallop,
And these words the hero uttered:
"Fare ye well, ye Sahri-meadows,
Roots of firs, and stumps of birch-trees.
That I wandered through in summer,
That I travelled o'er in winter,
Where ofttimes in rainy seasons,
At the evening hour I lingered,
When I sought to win the virgin,
Sought to win the Maid of Beauty,
Fairest of the Sahri-flowers.
Fare ye well, ye Sahri-woodlands,
Seas and oceans, lakes and rivers,
Vales and mountains, isles and inlets,
Once the home of fair Kyllikki!"
After a time they arrived at the Ahti-dwellings, the home of Lemminkäinen, and Kyllikki enquired what was that sad and decrepit dwelling, and who the worthless resident. Lemminkäinen assured her that
much better chambers would be built of best girders. Upon arrival, he was greeted by his mother who asked why he had been absent so long. Lemminkäinen answered her that all the scornful maiden of
Saari had paid for their derision, for he had won the fairest maiden whom he had set out to woo, and then asked his mother to ready the finest linens and softest pillows for the young couple to rest after
their journey.
Lemminkäinen's mother praised the mighty Ukko, creator, for giving her a precious daughter-in-law, and then addressed her son:
"Son beloved, praise thy Maker,
For the winning of this virgin,
Pride and joy of distant Sahri
Kind indeed is thy Creator,
Wise the ever-knowing Ukko!
Pure the snow upon the mountains,
Purer still thy Bride of Beauty;
White the foam upon the ocean,
Whiter still her virgin-spirit;
Graceful on the lakes, the white-swan,
Still more graceful, thy companion:
Beautiful the stars in heaven,
Still more beautiful, Kyllikki.
Larger make our humble cottage,
Wider build the doors and windows,
Fashion thou the ceilings higher,
Decorate the walls in beauty,
Now that thou a bride hast taken
From a tribe of higher station,
Purest maiden of creation,
From the meadow-lands of Sahri,
From the upper shores of Northland."
--------
This poem is one of the most mundane and least mythical in Kalevala, basically a depiction of one classical theme: an abduction of a bride. In the next poems Lemminkäinen is met with more mythical elements.
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Greenwood Hobbit
Valinor
Jun 24 2019, 9:22am
Post #23 of 24
(3876 views)
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You have put such a lot of work into them! They are fascinating. Thank you.
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Ilmatar
Rohan
Jun 24 2019, 4:47pm
Post #24 of 24
(3851 views)
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I cannot deny that it's a lot of work, but I really enjoy making these posts and sharing the myths & traditions - I just wish I had more time...!
Getting feedback and hearing that someone enjoys reading the posts is always motivating. Thank you!
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Oh, this is a summer feast!
[