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The Kalevala, Finnish mythology and folklore, and Tolkien references (Part 9)
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Ilmatar
Rohan


Jun 24 2016, 8:07pm

Post #1 of 28 (5655 views)
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The Kalevala, Finnish mythology and folklore, and Tolkien references (Part 9) Can't Post

This is about Finland's ancient national epic, Kalevala, and related topics. For anyone new to the threads - and those who may have missed the previous thread's last post(s) - it is highly recommended that you take a look at the links below.

Everything in italics is taken straight from the Kalevala translation by Crawford, as well as everything in quotes in the middle of a non-rhyming body of text (i.e. parts of the poems I have "opened" to be read as normal text).

Any comments and questions are very welcome, as always!

In some previous threads I have called those posts "Interludes" that do not describe the actual tales and poems of the Kalevala, but some Finnish myths, folklore and related topics. Similar posts are now marked with three stars *** for conciseness' sake.

Some "ruminations": When I noticed that it's been over a year since any of the actual Kalevala "poem posts" inspired anyone to write a comment, I became self-conscious Blush and asked myself if it makes sense to keep writing them, or if it makes me a fool. But in the end I decided to keep going, for two reasons. One: I'll be d*mned if I'm the one Finn who starts a series of posts about our national epic in an international forum and then gives up in the middle. I'm too stubborn to stop now that "we" are halfway through the Kalevala (whether it's sisu or obstinacy is open to interpretation). Two: There has been interest towards the epic, as well as Finnish language and mythology and culture/folklore, from many TORn members since I wrote the first post. Who knows what might be of interest to someone, or who might join TORn later on and get something from these posts, and it has been pointed out to me that some of the topics (possibly even things that have come up in the Kalevala posts' notes, not just "interludes") have apparently never been covered elsewhere in English, or are just hard to find (or to stumble upon by accident, as the case may be).... So I went to a library some time back, found a pile of books about our ancient deities and the old faith and mythic folk and creatures, and found much of it new to me, and some of it quite fascinating. And I thought I would keep sharing it here too, for anyone who takes a passing interest, because I love history and traditions and myths and know that some others do too - likewise with the poems and tales of the Kalevala.

Onwards. After all, bullheadedness persistency is a very Finnish feature to have... Tongue

- but then again - Angelic Cool

Part 1
Introduction - Kalevala, the heart of Finnish mythology
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

Part 4
Interlude: "Midsummer Night's Dream" - magic and pagan traditions in the light of the Midnight sun
(Midsummer Eve photos)
Forging of the Sampo, the Magical Mill - Horn of Plenty
Notes: The meaning and symbolism of Sampo - possible theories and connections
The handsome Lemminkäinen and the beautiful Kyllikki

Part 5
Interlude: Kekri - the ancient harvest festival and time of spirits that was almost forgotten in time
Broken Vows, Evil Portents, and an Ostentation of Wizardly Powers
Interlude: Ghost stories, the restless dead, and witches
Skiing After the Magically Made Moose of Hiisi
A Hero's Ordeal: From Moose Quest to Hunt for a Flaming Horse to Trying to Shoot a Swan of Tuoni

Part 6
Interlude: Winter Solstice and the Old Yule
(Some traditions of Dec 26)
Reclaiming a Hero from the Kingdom of Death

Part 7
*** Traditions for Easter (and the vernal equinox)
Voluntarily Visiting the Underworld Is Not Wise, Even for Mighty Heroes
In the Innards of Talkative Stone Giant - Mighty Mage of MANY Words
Opinion/recommendation for a translation

Part 8
*** Vappu - May Day (Eve) traditions
Kalevala - What's in a name: If you mix up the vocals..
The Rival Suitors, Northward Bound: One by Boat, Another by Sledge
The Final Heroic Deeds of Ilmarinen: Vanquishing Snakes, Beasts of the Underworld, and the Giant Pike of Tuoni
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Ilmatar
Rohan


Jun 24 2016, 8:37pm

Post #2 of 28 (5622 views)
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Wedding Preparations in the Northland, and the Origin of Beer [In reply to] Can't Post

The old sage Väinämöinen departed Northland (Pohjola) a rejected suitor, lamenting that he should have wooed and married while still a young hero with a winsome face.
But in Pohjola's mansion and the whole of Northland, wedding preparations were started the moment that Louhi, ancient hostess of the Northland, granted the blacksmith
Ilmarinen her fair daughter's hand in marriage.

Now we sing the wondrous legends,
Songs of wedding-feasts and dances,
Sing the melodies of wedlock,
Sing the songs of old tradition;
Sing of Ilmarinen's marriage
To the Maiden of the Rainbow,
Fairest daughter of the Northland,
Sing the drinking-songs of Pohya.


Everyone was invited to take part in the celebrations, from the richest and mightiest to the poorest and weakest. To properly feed the large number of guests, a giant ox was
brought to the Northland from Karelia - so big was he that it took a whole day for a swallow to fly from one horn-tip to the other. "This young ox of huge dimensions, This great
calf of distant Suomi, Was conducted from Karjala To the meadows of Pohyola; At each horn a hundred heroes, At his head and neck a thousand." While the monster ox
peacefully ate the pastures of Northland, the search was started to find someone who could bring down such a magnificent beast. One confident man tried to hit the ox's skull
with his mallet, but the ox threw him to the nearest thicket with one sweep of its head. A more capable hero could not be found in Karelia or Lapland, the neighboring countries,
or even the Underworld of Tuonela. Finally the search was extended to the wide waves of the sea:



"The Ox of Suomi" and "The Ox of Karelen" by DustyCandy in DeviantArt

There arose from out the sea-waves,
Rose a hero from the waters,
On the white-capped, roaring breakers,
From the water's broad expanses;
Nor belonged he to the largest,
Nor belonged he to the smallest;
Made his bed within a sea-shell,
Stood erect beneath a flour-sieve,
Hero old, with hands of iron,
And his face was copper-colored;
Quick the hero full unfolded,
Like the full corn from the kernel.
On his head a hat of flint-stone,
On his feet were sandstone-sandals,
In his hand a golden cleaver,
And the blade was copper-handled.

Thus at last they found a butcher,
Found the magic ox a slayer.
Nothing has been found so mighty
That it has not found a master.
As the sea-god saw his booty,
Quickly rushed he on his victim,
Hurled him to his knees before him,
Quickly felled the calf of Suomi,
Felled the young ox of Karelen.

The giant ox was well sufficient to provide for the wedding feast: a hundred barrels of meat, a hundred fathoms of sausage, seven boatfuls of blood, and six tubs of tallow.
A new hall had to be built to fit in all the guests and offer them the feast; it was so high that when a rooster crowed upon its roof, no one below could hear him; when a dog
barked at one entrance, none could hear him at the other.

Louhi, hostess of the Northland, wanted to make sure that there would be enough beer in the wedding, but she did not know how it was made. And old man in his corner
told her the origin of beer: Hop was planted next to the well of Kaleva and the field of Osmo, where it grew happily. Barley was sown in the field. After a while the hop, the
barley and the water in the well started calling to each other: "Let us join our triple forces, Join to each the other's powers; Sad alone to live and struggle, Little use in working
singly, Better we should toil together." Then Osmotar (also called Kapo), the beer-preparer, took six kernels of barley and seven tips of hop, and put them in water, steeping
and boiling and brewing them into a delicious beer - but the beer did not ferment. While Osmotar wondered what she could no next, the lovely maiden Kalevatar found a splinter
on the floor and brought it to her, curious to see what Osmotar could make of it. In a moment the splinter was turned into a white squirrel and given a task to carry out:



"Osmotar the Brewer" by Tamara Yufa (1937)

...by unknown force and insight
Rubbed her hands and knees together,
And produced a snow-white squirrel;
Thus instructed she her creature,
Gave the squirrel these directions:
'Snow-white squirrel, mountain-jewel,
Flower of the field and forest,
Haste thee whither I would send thee,
Into Metsola's wide limits,
Into Tapio's seat of wisdom;
Hasten through the heavy tree-tops,
Wisely through the thickest branches,
That the eagle may not seize thee,
Thus escape the bird of heaven.
Bring me ripe cones from the fir-tree,
From the pine-tree bring me seedlings,
Bring them to the hands of Kapo,
For the beer of Osmo's daughter.'

The squirrel swiftly hopped from one thicket to another, grabbed the fir cones and carried them to Osmotar who added them into the beer, "But it brought no effervescence,
And the beer was cold and lifeless." When she considered what to try next, the maiden Kalevatar found a wood chip on the floor and gave it to her. Osmotar magically
brought forth a marten to be given a new task:

'Thou, my golden-breasted marten,
Thou my son of golden color,
Haste thou whither I may send thee,
To the bear-dens of the mountain,
To the grottoes of the growler,
Gather yeast upon thy fingers,
Gather foam from lips of anger,
From the lips of bears in battle,
Bring it to the hands of Kapo,
To the hands of Osmo's daughter.'

The marten ran away and arrived at the caves where bears were fighting. It collected some of the froth and foam that was dripping from their maws and brought it to Osmotar,
who added it to the beer. But still the drink would not ferment and sparkle. For a third time, Kalevatar found something on the floor and gave the pod to the beer-maker.
Osmotar rubbed the pod upon her thighs and turned it into a bee.

"Little bee with honeyed winglets,
King of all the fragrant flowers,
Fly thou whither I direct thee,
To the islands in the ocean,
To the water-cliffs and grottoes,
Where asleep a maid has fallen,
Girdled with a belt of copper.
By her side are honey-grasses,
By her lips are fragrant flowers,
Herbs and flowers honey-laden;
Gather there the sweetened juices,
Gather honey on thy winglets...'

The bee did as he was told, bringing sweet mead and nectar of flowers to Osmotar who mixed it in the beer waiting in birch vessels. Finally the wedding beer fermented:

Rose the live beer upward, upward,
From the bottom of the vessels,
Upward in the tubs of birch-wood,
Foaming higher, higher, higher,
Till it touched the oaken handles,
Overflowing all the caldrons;
To the ground it foamed and sparkled,
Sank away in sand and gravel.




Hardly a few moments had passed when all the heroes came in numbers to enjoy the foaming beer of the Northland, and soon they grew intoxicated. Osmotar worried that
she had made a bad liquor that would not stay still in its vessels but overflowed to the floor. Robin in a nearby tree calmed her and told that the drink was worthy, but it must
be contained in oaken barrels bound with copper hoops. "Great indeed the reputation Of the ancient beer of Kalew -- Famed to dry the tears of women -- Make the brave men
ever braver -- Fill the mind with wisdom-sayings -- Only makes the fool more foolish." (Some additions made by Crawford omitted here.)

Now Louhi had learned the origin of beer, and swiftly fetched a large barrel of water, barley and hops, starting to make the festive drink. Much water was carried from wells, many
trees burned and stones heated in preparation of the wedding beer. Black smoke rose to the air, filled half of the sky over the Northland, and was seen far and wide. People would
ask themselves what was happening in the north, for the fires were too large to be mere shepherd's camp-fires.

One of those who wondered about the smoke was the ancient mother of Lemminkäinen. He was the unlucky hero who had been betrayed by his wife and then - like Ilmarinen after him -
tried to win the maiden of Northland for himself by carrying out a set of tasks set for him by Louhi, but had perished from the water-snake thrust through his heart by the bitter shepherd
and was saved from the Underworld by his faithful mother. Lemminkäinen also saw the smoke, thought awhile and asked himself if it was the smoke from the heat of battle. To be sure,
he went closer to see better and found that it was not the smoke of battle, but that of beer-brewing. Long did the forsaken hero look at the fires, deep in thought and filled with envy, and
then muttered:

"O beloved, second mother,
Northland's well-intentioned hostess,
Brew thy beer of honey-flavor,
Make thy liquors foam and sparkle,
For thy many friends invited,
Brew it well for Lemminkainen,
For his marriage in Pohyola
With the Maiden of the Rainbow."


Lemminkäinen was determined to try one more time for the hand of Pohjola's fair maiden.



Art by Nicolai Kochberg

Beer, the beverage of noble heroes, was stored away in caskets and barrels in the cellars of Northland, and Louhi "Skilfully prepared the dishes, Laid them all with careful fingers In the
boiling-pans and kettles, Ordered countless loaves of barley, Ordered many liquid dishes, All the delicacies of Northland, For the feasting of her people..." But after a while the beer grew
restless and called out:

"Come, ye heroes, come and take me,
Come and let me cheer your spirits,
Make you sing the songs of wisdom,
That with honor ye may praise me,
Sing the songs of beer immortal!"
Straightway Louhi sought a minstrel,
Magic bard and artist-singer,
That the beer might well be lauded,
Might be praised in song and honor.

Many singers were tried, from salmon to children, but no one could sing proper praise. The beer grew stronger and made a threat:

Boiled, and foamed, and sang, and murmured:
"If ye do not bring a singer,
That will sing my worth immortal,
That will sing my praise deserving,
I will burst these bands of copper,
Burst the heads of all these barrels;
Will not serve the best of heroes
Till he sings my many virtues."


Louhi called a trusted maid-servant and told her to invite people who would drink the beer as well as those who could sing its praise.

"...Call together all my people,
Call the heroes to my banquet,
Ask the rich, and ask the needy,
Ask the blind and deaf, and crippled,
Ask the young, and ask the aged;
...
Bring the blind, and sorely troubled,
In my boats upon the waters,
In my sledges bring the halting,
With the old, and sick, and needy;
Ask the whole of Sariola,
Ask the people of Karelen,
Ask the ancient Wainamoinen,
Famous bard and wisdom-singer.
But I give command explicit
Not to ask wild Lemminkainen,
Not the island-dweller, Ahti!"

The maiden wanted to know why Lemminkäinen was to be left out, and Louhi told her that the wizard was a quarrelsome troublemaker who had already ruined some weddings before.
The maiden then asked how to tell Lemminkäinen apart from the others, and Louhi told her that he lived on the point of yonder island, near the water. The trusted maiden then went and
asked everyone to come to the wedding, but not the reckless Lemminkäinen.


***

Notes

Those who read these threads last year may recall that there already was an earlier case of a seemingly tiny "superhuman" hero rising from the waves to save the day; the copper-clad dwarf-turned-giant fell the mighty oak, the World-Tree that had darkened the world by covering up the sun and the moon with its branches.

In an article called Sacred Ale there is a Kalevala quote that has, interestingly, mixed up some details. I don't know which translation has been used here, but it mentions a marten that is a bird, not a little carnivore of the genus Martes as in the original poem. It also describes the marten gathering the slobber of wild boars, not bears. I wonder if these (and other) little mistakes have ended up in some actual book translations of the Kalevala as well. If anyone has a copy that has a bird collecting the saliva of boars, you may want to be a little sceptical about other details in the translation as well. Tongue


Quote

The tale has also been interpreted by scholars in another way. The word Osmotar can be derived to a word meaning the sediments of a plant juice which is used as a source for the yeast.

The use of saliva when brewing ale is a well-known and wide-spread habit. For instance the Indians of South-America use human saliva to make ale. Also the natives of Siberia use the same method to start the fermentation in the ale.

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Avandel
Half-elven


Jun 24 2016, 8:51pm

Post #3 of 28 (5615 views)
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This was gorgeous! [In reply to] Can't Post

Thank you very much! As always, the mythology of your country, and the way it is written, is wondrous. It's like a summer daySmile. Everything you done really needs to be collated and brought back to a Finnish website, I think!

And being from the U.S. - it has all really opened my eyes - just beautiful!HeartHeartHeartHeartHeart

Try this art link - as the artist doesn't want any reproduction without permission, but:
http://www.deviantart.com/art/Kalevala-179784692


Ilmatar
Rohan


Jun 24 2016, 8:56pm

Post #4 of 28 (5613 views)
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How to Properly Greet, Feast and Sing in Honor of a Notable Wedding, and Sadden and Advice the Bride (Iron Age Style) [In reply to] Can't Post



Artist unknown


Louhi was working outside when she "Heard the whips crack on the fenlands, Heard the rattle of the sledges." When seeing that it was not a hostile army that was
approaching, but his future sun-in-law Ilmarinen with his entourage, she was pleased and stated how the groom stood out "'As the hazel-bush in copses, As the oak-tree
in the forest, As the Moon among the planets."

When Ilmarinen's racer brought him to the yard, Louhi told her servant to take good care of the horse: it was to be released from its harness, taken to roll and rest in softest
grass and whitest snow, given drink from a sweet spring and fed with mellow corn and barley on a gilded manger, and finally "Curry well the suitor's courser With the curry-comb
of fish-bone, Brush his hair with silken brushes, Put his mane and tail in order, Cover well with flannel blankets, Blankets wrought in gold and silver, Buckles forged from shining
copper." Then Louhi welcomed Ilmarinen himself to the manor and went to see if everything was in order now that the chambers had been rebuilt in a larger scale. The manor of
Pohjola had undergone a transformation:

All the halls were newly burnished,
Hedge-hog bones were used for ceilings,
Bones of reindeer for foundations,
Bones of wolverine for door-sills,
For the cross-bars bones of roebuck,
Apple-wood were all the rafters,
Alder-wood, the window-casings,
Scales of trout adorned the windows,
And the fires were set in flowers.
All the seats were made of silver,
All the floors of copper-tiling,
Gold-adorned were all the tables,
On the floor were silken mattings,
Every fire-place set in copper,
Every hearth-stone cut from marble,
On each shelf were colored sea-shells,
Kalew's tree was their protection.

Ilmarinen greeted her and the people of Pohjola who were present, and Louhi proceeded to serve her guests a festive dinner: "On his platters, honeyed biscuit, And the sweetest
river salmon, Seasoned butter, roasted bacon, All the dainties of Pohyola." When she offered pints of beer, it was time for the ancient singer Väinämöinen to step forward, and all
assembled were stilled in wonder of his magic singing. Väinämöinen was a gracious guest, well-mannered despite having lost in his wooing. At the end he spoke at length, belittling
himself as a singer and stating that the magic of greatest songs came from Ukko, the supreme god:

"...He could touch the springs of magic,
He could turn the keys of nature,
And produce within thy pastures,
Hurdles filled with sheep and reindeer,
Stables filled with fleet-foot stallions,
Kine in every field and fallow;
Sing a fur-robe for the bridegroom,
For the bride a coat of ermine,
For the hostess, shoes of silver,
For the hero, mail of copper."

"Grant O Ukko, my Creator,
God of love, and truth, and justice,
Grant thy blessing on our feasting,
Bless this company assembled,
For the good of Sariola,
For the happiness of Northland!
May this bread and beer bring joyance,
May they come in rich abundance,
May they carry full contentment
To the people of Pohyola,
To the cabin and the mansion;
May the hours we spend in singing,
In the morning, in the evening,
Fill our hearts with joy and gladness!"



Art by Nicolai Kochberg

(Crawford has considerably embellished and prolonged Väinämöinen's speech, with great eloquence and supreme skill; but as the quoted part above is, in my opinion, both long
enough and corresponding to the actual contents of the poem, I have left Crawford's inspired verses out. He has also added redundant definitions for Ukko: he was not a "God of love,
and truth, and justice".)

After the guests and dwellers of Northland had enjoyed the feast for some time, Louhi spoke to her son-in-law and guessed that he was waiting to see his bride - but told him to be
patient, for the maiden was still getting ready and being prepared. When the maiden finally arrived, Louhi addressed her daughter and reminded her how drastically and permanently
her life was about to change. Never had she known grief or trouble, growing up like a flower on her dear parents' manor. But the ways and whereabouts, manners and practices of the
groom's home were unknown to the bride, and careless days of childhood and youth were past. Nor would she be leaving her father's court for a day or two; she would be leaving for good,
and many things she remembered would be changed once she could once again visit the manor of Pohjola.

The maiden grew wistful and melancholic, tearfully reflecting on her lifelong wishes for a good marriage and how their fulfillment now brought her no such joy as she had anticipated:

"...Cannot understand the reason
That has changed my former feelings,
Cannot leave thee now with gladness,
Cannot go with great rejoicing
From my dear, old home and kindred,
Where as maiden I have lingered,
From the courts where I was nurtured,
From my father's band and guidance,
From my faithful mother's counsel.
Now I go, a maid of sorrow,
Heavy-hearted to the bridegroom,
Like the bride of Night in winter,
Like the ice upon the rivers."

An old woman by the hearth joined in (the ritual of?) dispiriting the young bride, reminding her how many times she had been warned against falling for the charms and promises of heroes,
but now it was too late. Surely she could look forward to ill treatment from people who were not her kin:

"Thou hast left thy mother's dwelling,
To the schooling of the master;
Hard indeed the master's teachings,
Little else than constant torture;
Ready for thee are his bridles,
Ready for thy bands the shackles,
Were not forged for any other;
Soon, indeed, thou'lt feel the hardness,
Feel the weight of thy misfortune,
Feel thy second father's censure,
And his wife's inhuman treatment."

After lengthy descriptions of all the work and trouble that the bride should now prepare herself for, the old woman encouraged her to cry - even frightening her with visions of how she might find
her beloved family members dead upon her far-off return to her childhood home.

"...Weep, O weep, my pretty young bride.
When thou weepest, weep sincerely,
Weep great rivers from thine eyelids,
Floods of tears in field and fallow,
Lakelets in thy father's dwelling;
Weep thy rooms to overflowing,
Shed thy tears in great abundance,
Lest thou weepest on returning
To thy native hills and valleys,
When thou visitest thy father
In the smoke of waning glory,
On his arm a withered tassel..."

When the maiden had let her tears flow in anguish and lamented on her grief and worry, a child on the floor started to sing, comforting her and telling her that she was only
leaving this manor to be taken to one even grander.

"At thy shoulder waits thy husband,
On thy right side, Ilmarinen,
Constant friend and life-protector,
He will guard thee from all evil;
Husband ready, steed in waiting,
---
Be no longer full of sorrow,
Dry thy tears, thou bride of beauty,
Thou hast found a noble husband,
Better wilt thou fare than ever,
By the side of Ilmarinen,
Artist husband, metal-master,
Bread-provider of thy table,
On the arm of the fish-catcher,
On the breast of the elk-hunter,
By the side of the bear-killer.
Thou hast won the best of suitors,
Hast obtained a mighty hero;
Never idle is his cross-bow,
On the nails his quivers hang not,
---
Hasten homeward with thy husband,
Where thy hero's friends await thee,
Where his forests sing thy welcome."



Art by Nicolai Kochberg

Kalevatar, lovely maiden, now offered her counsel to the bride. It was time to relinquish foolishness and freedom of youth, and take on the responsibilities and chores of a hostess
- as well as learning to love her parents-in-law as well as her own, and to look to the heavens to tell the time:

"Open bright thine eyes at morning
To behold the silver sunrise,
Sharpen well thine ears at evening,
Thus to hear the rooster crowing;
When he makes his second calling,
Straightway thou must rise from slumber,
Let the aged sleep in quiet;
Should the rooster fail to call thee,
Let the moonbeams touch thine eyelids,
Let the Great Bear be thy keeper
Often go thou and consult them,
---
"...Hasten, stooping through the hurdles,
Hasten through the yards and stables,
Feed thy husband's cows with pleasure,
Feed with care the gentle lambkins,
Give the cows the best of clover,
Hay, and barley, to the horses,
Feed the calves of lowing mothers,
Feed the fowl that fly to meet thee.
---
"Hasten thence, my pretty matron,
Like the snow-flakes to thy dwelling,
There a crying babe awaits thee,
Weeping in his couch neglected,
Cannot speak and tell his troubles,
Speechless babe, and weeping infant,
Cannot say that he is hungry,
Whether pain or cold distresses,
Greets with joy his mother's footsteps.
---
"Sweep thou then thy hero's dwelling,
Dust his benches and his tables,
Wash the flooring well with water..."

Many, many more verses of detailed and disciplined advice were given, from how to be ever ready to politely greet and help her in-laws and guard their good reputation, to how
numerous household tasks were to be managed. Among other things, one must not forget to treat the sacred rowan trees with respect: "Tend thou well the sacred sorb-tree, Guard the
mountain-ashes planted In the court-yard, widely branching; Beautiful the mountain-ashes, Beautiful their leaves and flowers, Still more beautiful the berries." (While the translated poem
emphasizes the rowans' beauty, the original gives main focus to their sanctity.)

"...Thou must not forget thy mother,
Her that gave thee life and beauty,
Her that nurtured thee in childhood,
Many sleepless nights she nursed thee;
Often were her wants neglected,
Numberless the times she rocked thee;
Tender, true, and ever faithful,
Is the mother to her daughter..."


Finally the groom was made aware of his great luck, and also given marital counsel:

"...Brilliant near thee stands the maiden,
At thy shoulder thy companion,
Happy under thy protection,
Beautiful as golden moonlight,
Beautiful upon thy bosom,
Strong to do thy kindly bidding,
Labor with thee as thou wishest,
Rake the hay upon thy meadows,
Keep thy home in full perfection,
Spin for thee the finest linen,
Weave for thee the richest fabrics,
---
"Forge thyself a scythe for mowing,
Furnish it with oaken handle,
Carve it in thine ancient smithy,
Hammer it upon thine anvil,
Have it ready for the summer,
For the merry days of sunshine;
Take thy bride then to the lowlands,
Mow the grass upon thy meadows,
Rake the hay when it is ready,
Make the reeds and grasses rustle,
---
"When the time has come for weaving,
To the loom attract the weaver,
Give to her the spools and shuttles,
Let the willing loom be worthy,
Beautiful the frame and settle;
Give to her what may be needed,
That the weaver's song may echo,
---
" Never let thy young wife suffer,
Never let her be neglected,
Never let her sit in darkness,
Never leave her unattended.
---
"Hero-bridegroom of Wainola,
Never cause thy Bride of Beauty
To regret her day of marriage;
Never make her shed a tear-drop,
Never fill her cup with sorrow.
Should there ever come an evening
When thy wife shall feel unhappy,
Put the harness on thy racer,
Hitch the fleet-foot to the snow-sled;
Take her to her father's dwelling,
To the household of her mother;
Never in thy hero-lifetime,
Never while the moonbeams glimmer,
Give thy fair spouse evil treatment,
Never treat her as thy servant;
Do not bar her from the cellar,
Do not lock thy best provisions
Never in her father's mansion,
Never by her faithful mother
Was she treated as a hireling.

After many an advice for tender treatment and considerate behavior, it was also made clear that a husband had final authority over his wife:

"Counsel with the bride of heaven,
To thy young wife give instruction,
Kindly teach thy bride in secret,
In the long and dreary evenings,
When thou sittest at the fireside;
Teach one year, in words of kindness,
Teach with eyes of love a second,
In the third year teach with firmness.
If she should not heed thy teaching,
Should not hear thy kindly counsel
After three long years of effort,
Cut a reed upon the lowlands,
Cut a nettle from the border,
Teach thy wife with harder measures..."



"The bride of Pohjola" by Tamara Grigorievna Yufa (1963)

Pohjola's fair maiden now gave her own speech, first thanking her parents and family members:

"...Gratitude to thee, dear father,
For my former-life and blessings,
For the comforts of thy table,
For the pleasures of my childhood!
Gratitude to thee, dear mother,
For thy tender care and guidance,
For my birth and for my culture,
Nurtured by thy purest life-blood!
Gratitude to thee, dear brother,
Gratitude to thee, sweet sister,
To the servants of my childhood,
To my many friends and playmates!"

The bride said farewell to her old playgrounds, yards and forests, swamps and beaches of her childhood. She assumed that when she once again would visit the Northland's
halls, the only ones to remember her might be her mother's cow that she had tended as a calf, and her father's horse that she had fed as a foal. "Fare thou well, my dear old
homestead, Fare ye well, my native bowers; It would give me joy unceasing Could I linger here forever..."

Ilmarinen and his new wife started their long journey to the blacksmith's house while Northland's children stood singing their farewells. He rode the courser ever southward,
with one hand holding its reins and another holding her wife by her arm.

Merrily the steed flew homeward,
Quickly did the highways shorten,
Till at last upon the third day,
As the sun was fast declining,
There appeared the blacksmith's furnace,
Nearer, Ilmarinen's dwelling,
Smoke arising high in ether,
Clouds of smoke to lofty heaven,
From the village of Wainola,
From the suitor's forge and smithy.

At Ilmarinen's home, Lokka *), the hostess of Väinölä, and other people had eagerly awaited his return. The newlyweds were greeted with long speeches of welcome and Ilmarinen
was congratulated for his success. "Thou hast brought the sweet-voiced cuckoo, Thou hast found the swan of beauty, Plucked the sweetest flower of Northland, Culled the fairest of
the jewels, Gathered Pohya's sweetest berry!" Then everyone was again feasted with all possible delicacies. Väinämöinen sang once more for the honor of the wedded couple and in
thanks for the feast offered, and then returned to his home in the meadows of Kalevala.


*) In the translation by Crawford, the hostess' name is constantly written as "Lakko". This switch of vowels is somewhat amusing for a Finn, because while "lokka" means nothing and is therefore suitable for a name in this context, "lakko" means a strike, or walkout from a working place. But maybe "Lokka" would sound too much like the Spanish word "loca" for an English-speaking person? (Both K's of the name "Lokka" are pronounced.)
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Ilmatar
Rohan


Jun 24 2016, 9:25pm

Post #5 of 28 (5610 views)
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Thank you :) [In reply to] Can't Post

...For your interest in these poems & myths! Smile

And I can promise that now that the Maiden of the Rainbow is FINALLY married off to the most favored suitor Tongue the poems can move on to other themes, although also returning to some events described in older threads and continuing from those.

As for "interludes", I'm getting impatient myself, because there are many IMO fascinating things I would like to share here, but feel like I must present some "general basics" first (the world view, features of the ancient faith, etc.) that it would have made a lot of sense to post already last year...

Thank you for the art link Smile - I will go and see, but first there is a little midsummer post coming up next.


Ilmatar
Rohan


Jun 24 2016, 10:13pm

Post #6 of 28 (5605 views)
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*** Another Midsummer's Eve :) [In reply to] Can't Post



In May Day (vappu) we passed through the "Gate of Summer" (above Tongue), and now it's once again Midsummer's Eve, or juhannus - the time of bonfires, folklore magic, and nightless
nights in the North. Last year I made this long post about the celebration and traditions, so now I will just add a few random "things" that are in some way associated with juhannus.



It's not just a bunch of flowers, it's a way to see your future spouse in your dreams...

"Midsummer things":
* Juhannusruusu, Rosa spinosissima plena, literally "Midsummer's Eve rose", is usually in bloom by the time of celebration it has been named after. Outside Finland it is commonly
known as the "White Rose of Finland" (trivia: there is also the Order of the White Rose of Finland). Blooms are usually of semi-double or double type, and they have a lovely scent.
This is one of the traditional Finnish rose varieties - in this case, cultivated from wild, single type bloom roses in the early decades of the 1800s - and one of the most loved by many
garden-minded Finns. It used to be that nearly every garden and farmhouse yard throughout the country had this rose growing somewhere, and it is still very popular.



The deep pink variation of the same (the first photo below) is called "Tove Jansson" after the Swedish-speaking Finnish author and creator of the moomins.
Another rose variety is called "Midsummer's Eve Bride" (juhannusmorsian). Its petals are yellow at the base, pale pink in the middle and almost white at the tip.



(For anyone interested in roses, see new Finnish rose varieties here and here - text is in Finnish, but at least there are photos... Evil There is also a rose called "Kesäyö", meaning "Summer Night", on the second page.)

* While Midsummer's Eve weddings (juhannushäät) used to popular, nowadays most people prefer to celebrate midsummer and their wedding day separately, so there are no longer
that many actual "Midsummer's Eve brides".

* In the region around Kalajoki in Northern Ostrobothnia, it is an old tradition to make "midsummer cheese" from unpasteurized organic whey. It is made on the previous night (similarly to
how the kekri lamb was, and the Christmas ham still is, cooked on the night preceding the celebration) and eaten as a cold dessert on Midsummer's Eve. The cheese gets a reddish color from
the lactose that caramelizes when the cheese is cooking. This "midsummer cheese" was one of many regional dairy dishes made around Midsummer's Eve, when the cows had fairly recently
been let to pasture and there was milk in abundance, after the more meagre winter. In the old times young maidens used to playfully compete in making the sweetest midsummer cheese,
and young men walked around tasting the cheeses so they would know who would make for a skillful wife.

* "An American recounts his many colourful memories of Midsummer in Finland, from heavy metal bands to seaside bonfires, and from barbecues to mosquito bites."

* "Short but intense, the bright, warm, lush Finnish summer arrives every year like a miracle after the long period of darkness and cold."




*Finally, some of the midsummer traditions (as described in my last year's midsummer post) presented in a visual form: By chance I found a video, narrated in English, that consciously artistically
and dramatically Angelic makes use of Finnish nature and three young women to depict the atmosphere of Midsummer's Eve. With an emphasis on mystery and magic, but the traditions shown are
genuine and not made up just to lure more tourists... Tongue

"White Night Magic" video



Happy Midsummer's Eve, everyone! Smile


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zarabia
Tol Eressea


Jun 25 2016, 2:15am

Post #7 of 28 (5582 views)
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oh, dear Ilmatar! [In reply to] Can't Post

Your posts are wonderful! Please don't take a lack of response as a sign of lack of interest. I always enjoy your posts. I admit, though, that I don't always read through them carefully, but that's because RL has left me (hopefully temporarily) with a woefully short attention span. I love the illustrations, but I'm embarrassed to comment once again that "I like the pretty pictures". Crazy But I do! They are really gorgeous and I often wish I could see the original artwork.

In large part because of your posts, I have put Finland way up on the list of places I want to visit someday. Smile Thank you for sharing your country's beauty and culture with us!

And Happy Midsummer's Eve to you, too! Smile

You realize that life goes fast
It's hard to make the good things last
You realize the sun doesn't go down
It's just an illusion caused by the world spinning 'round

~Do You Realize?, The Flaming Lips


(This post was edited by zarabia on Jun 25 2016, 2:18am)


Annael
Immortal


Jun 25 2016, 2:28pm

Post #8 of 28 (5565 views)
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I love these! [In reply to] Can't Post

Finnish myths were completely ignored in my mythology program, so not only am I enjoying your posts, I'm sending many of your links to people who went through the program with me.

This could easily be a book you know. Are you thinking that way?

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


Ilmatar
Rohan


Jun 27 2016, 9:50pm

Post #9 of 28 (5517 views)
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P.S. [In reply to] Can't Post

I looked at the art behind the link you sent - amazingHeart - too bad that I can't post any of it in these threads.

It's a very good idea to put all of this in some Finnish website as well, because it's a collection of bits and pieces from dozens of websites and books (especially the forthcoming "interlude" posts) - I have not found a single place anywhere that had a really comprehensive "database", so Finns interested in their country's mythology & ancestors' faith must read a whole pile of books and pages, as I have been doing. Hmm. No need for rewriting because it's already there somewhere in Finnish, but all those author permissions to ask for... Maybe some day I'll just put up a web page full of links and a bibliography instead. Tongue

And thank you for alleviating my self-doubt about writing the "poem posts". It helped Smile and motivates me to keep going!




Ilmatar
Rohan


Jun 27 2016, 9:57pm

Post #10 of 28 (5521 views)
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Thank you so much [In reply to] Can't Post

...For your kind words of encouragement! Smile I was momentarily unsure whether the "poem posts" were worth writing, but am glad to hear you think they are. And whatever anyone gets from them - whether it's the tales, or the particular metre and verse, or the art, or something else - I'm just happy if they are well-received and give readers something.

And I'm not at all expecting anyone to read everything all that carefully - there is a lot of repetition, and some of the themes are more mundane than mythical. The reason why I included as much of the "marital advice" in the latest post, for example, is not because I thought it was all that interesting in itself, but because I was surprised of how many things people considered important to know before marriage all that time ago, and how it reflected on the chores and responsibilities of husband and wife in those bygone days - i.e. from a cultural history POV, instead of a mythical POV. The Kalevala reads as a collection of "hero tales" but also as a description of everyday life in these parts centuries or even a few thousands of years ago. Who knows, maybe there are other lovers of (cultural) history on these boards in addition to myself - I try to keep a balance, poem by poem, and not just concentrate on the most "dramatic" events.

As for the art, I try to include links to any works so they could be viewed in more detail than what the TORn picture attachment size allows - or at least the artist so anyone interested can look up their works in the 'net - but sometimes I forget Blush or have lost the link. (In some cases I pick up something from an online article that has not put down the source in the first place.)

Welcome to Finland Smile - may I suggest visiting in summer, unless you enjoy darkness and snow and silence (and the company of solemn and grumpy people... Tongue).



My namesake, Ilmatar - also called "Luonnotar" (luonto = nature).


(This post was edited by Ilmatar on Jun 27 2016, 10:07pm)


Ilmatar
Rohan


Jun 27 2016, 10:05pm

Post #11 of 28 (5517 views)
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Thank you - I'm honored [In reply to] Can't Post

...That you think some of what I have posted here worthy of distributing to a wider audience of people with specific interest in mythology! Smile I will do my best - and I apologize for having "climbed the tree with my tail first" as the saying here goes, meaning that I got to things "backwards" Crazy in a less than ideal order. I should have posted something about the basics of the ancient faith already last year, before posts about celebrations and traditions that have been based on that faith and carry echoes of it to this day. But I have a plan now - a "table of contents" of sorts - and will get to them as soon as I have a little more time. I hope they will be of interest to you and those you have sent some links before!

A BOOK Blush - wow, no, that has not really occurred to me. Maybe because most of this already comes from books - about 20-30 books (apart from the Kalevala of course), and various web sites. But as it seems that there are not many books about Finnish mythology available in English (I just checked Amazon and there is hardly anything except for the Kalevala), it's an interesting thought to edit such a book at some later date. I suppose I would need to contact the authors (or their estates) of the books I have used, as well as the owners of 'net sites, and then it could be made available as an e-book. But what a project - I must consider this again after I have gone through the Kalevala and see what I have managed to include here. The idea is intriguing but a little intimidating too (I have never thought about publishing anything)!




Ilmatar
Rohan


Jun 27 2016, 11:04pm

Post #12 of 28 (5510 views)
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The Kalevala translator Crawford's views and opinions about Finns, Finnish, and the Kalevala (1887) [In reply to] Can't Post

John Martin Crawford, translator of the first English edition of the Kalevala, described the epic - as well as the nation and language that gave birth to it - in the Preface of his translation. While reading the epic I have become very conscious of its repetitive elements, prosaic "marriage themes" and lack of wonderful cities or magnificent dragons etc., but Crawford and some people he cites seem to have been very impressed and thought highly of the Kalevala. As an additional "introductory post" and a further peek on the cultural-historical background from an outsider's viewpoint, here is a sample - or a synopsis, if you will - of his thoughts about the Kalevala and this "peculiar people" Tongue from well over a century ago.


Quote
The following translation was undertaken from a desire to lay before the English-speaking people the full treasury of epical beauty, folklore, and mythology comprised in The Kalevala, the national epic of the Finns. A brief description of this peculiar people, and of their ethical, linguistic, social, and religious life, seems to be called for here in order that the following poem may be the better understood.





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The Finlanders live in a land of marshes and mountains, lakes and rivers, seas, gulfs, islands, and inlets, and they call themselves Suomilainen [suomalainen], Fen-dwellers. The climate is more severe than that of Sweden. The mean yearly temperature in the north is about 27°F., and about 38°F., at Helsingfors, the capital of Finland. In the southern districts the winter is seven months long, and in the northern provinces the sun disappears entirely during the months of December and January.

The inhabitants are strong and hardy, with bright, intelligent faces, high cheek-bones, yellow hair in early life, and with brown hair in mature age. With regard to their social habits, morals, and manners, all travellers are unanimous in speaking well of them. Their temper is universally mild; they are slow to anger, and when angry they keep silence. They are happy-hearted, affectionate to one another, and honorable and honest in their dealings with strangers. They are a cleanly people, being much given to the use of vapor-baths. This trait is a conspicuous note of their character from their earliest history to the present day. Often in the runes of The Kalevala reference is made to the "cleansing and healing virtues of the vapors of the heated bathroom."





Quote

His color is swarthy, and his eyes are gray. He is not inhospitable, but not over-easy of access; nor is he a friend of new fashions. Steady, careful, laborious, he is valuable in the mine, valuable in the field, valuable oil shipboard, and, withal, a brave soldier on land.

The Finns are a very ancient people. It is claimed, too, that they began earlier than any other European nation to collect and preserve their ancient folk-lore. Tacitus, writing in the very beginning of the second century of the Christian era, mentions the Fenni, as he calls them, in the 46th chapter of his De Moribus Germanoram. He says of them: "The Finns are extremely wild, and live in abject poverty. They have no arms, no horses, no dwellings; they live on herbs, they clothe themselves in skins, and they sleep on the ground. Their only resources are their arrows, which for the lack of iron are tipped with bone." Strabo and the great geographer, Ptolemy, also mention this curious people. There is evidence that at one time they were spread over large portions of Europe and western Asia.

Perhaps it should be stated here that the copper, so often mentioned in The Kalevala, when taken literally, was probably bronze, or "hardened copper," the amount and quality of the alloy used being not now known. The prehistoric races of Europe were acquainted with bronze implements.






Quote
The Finnish nation has one of the most sonorous and flexible of languages. Of the cultivated tongues of Europe, the Magyar, or Hungarian, bears the most positive signs of a deep-rooted similarity to the Finnish. Both belong to the Ugrian stock of agglutinative languages, i.e., those which preserve the root most carefully, and effect all changes of grammar by suffixes attached to the original stein. Grimin has shown that both Gothic and Icelandic present traces of Finnish influence. The musical element of a language, the vowels, are well developed in Finnish, and their due sequence is subject to strict rules of euphony.
---
One of the characteristic features of this language, and one that is likewise characteristic of the Magyar, Turkish, Mordvin, and other kindred tongues, consists in the frequent use of endearing diminutives. By a series of suffixes to the names of human beings, birds, fishes, trees, plants, stones, metals, and even actions, events, and feelings, diminutives are obtained, which by their form, present the names so made in different colors; they become more naive, more childlike, eventually more roguish, or humorous, or pungent. These traits can scarcely be rendered in English; for, as Robert Ferguson remarks: "The English language is not strong in diminutives, and therefore it lacks some of the most effective means for the expression of affectionate, tender, and familiar relations." In this respect all translations from the Finnish into English necessarily must fall short of the original. The same might be said of the many emotional interjections in which the Finnish, in common with all Ugrian dialects, abounds. With the exception of these two characteristics of the Ugrian languages, the chief beauties of the Finnish verse admit of an apt rendering into English. The structure of the sentences is very simple indeed, and adverbs and adjectives are used sparingly.

Finnish is the language of a people who live pre-eminently close to nature, and are at home amongst the animals of the wilderness, beasts and birds, winds, and woods, and waters, falling snows, and flying sands, and rolling rocks, and these are carefully distinguished by corresponding verbs of ever-changing acoustic import. Conscious of the fact that, in a people like the Finns where nature and nature-worship form the centre of all their life, every word connected with the powers and elements of nature must be given its fall value, great care has been taken in rendering these finely shaded verbs. A glance at the mythology of this interesting people will place the import of this remark in better view.





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The poetry of a people with such an elaborate mythology and with such a keen and appreciative sense of nature and of her various phenomena, was certain, sooner or later, to attract the attention of scholars. And, in fact, as early as the seventeenth century, we meet men of literary tastes who tried to collect and interpret the various national songs of the Finns. Among these were Palmskold and Peter Bang.
---
The Kalevala proper was collected by two great Finnish scholars, Zacharias Topelius and Elias Lonnrot. Both were practicing physicians, and in this capacity came into frequent contact with the people of Finland.




photos by B. Schenk and K. Liimatainen




Quote
The Kalevala was no sooner published than it attracted the attention of the leading scholars of Europe. Men of such world-wide fame as Jacob Grimm, Steinthal, Uhland, Carrière and Max Müller hastened to acknowledge its surpassing value and intrinsic beauty. Jacob Grimm, in a separate treatise, published in his Kleinere Schriften, said that the genuineness and extraordinary value of the Kalevala is easily proved by the fact that from its mythological ideas we can frequently interpret the mythological conceptions of the ancient Germans, whereas the poems of Ossian manifest their modern origin by their inability to clear up questions of old Saxon or German mythology. Grimm, furthermore, shows that both the Gothic and Icelandic literatures display unmistakable features of Finnish influence.

Max Müller places the Kalevala on a level with the greatest epics of the world. These are his words: "From the mouths of the aged an epic poem has been collected equalling the Iliad in length and completeness; nay, if we can forget for a moment, all that we in our youth learned to call beautiful, not less beautiful. A Finn is not a Greek, and Wainamoinen was not a Homer [Achilles?]; but if the poet may take his colors from that nature by which he is surrounded, if he may depict the men with whom he lives, the Kalevala possesses merits not dissimilar from those of the Illiad, and will claim its place as the fifth national epic of the world, side by side with the Ionian Songs, with the Mahabharata, the Shalinameth, and the Nibelunge."

Steinthal recognizes but four great national epics, viz., the Iliad, Kalevala, Nibelunge and the Roland Songs.

The Kalevala describes Finnish nature very minutely and very beautifully. Grimm says that no poem is to be compared with it in this respect, unless it be some of the epics of India.




(first photo by K. Hagelin)



Quote
The Kalevala (the Land of Heroes) relates the ever-varying contests between the Finns and the "darksome Laplanders", just as the Iliad relates the contests between the Greeks and the Trojans. Castren is of the opinion that the enmity between the Finns and the Lapps was sung long before the Finns had left their Asiatic birth-place.

A deeper and more esoteric meaning of the Kalevala, however, points to a contest between Light and Darkness, Good and Evil; the Finns representing the Light and the Good, and the Lapps, the Darkness and the Evil. Like the Niebelungs, the heroes of the Finns woo for brides the beauteous maidens of the North; and the similarity is rendered still more striking by their frequent inroads into the country of the Lapps, in order to possess themselves of the envied treasure of Lapland, the mysterious Sampo, evidently the Golden Fleece of the Argonautic expedition. Curiously enough public opinion is often expressed in the runes, in the words of an infant; often too the unexpected is introduced after the manner of the Greek dramas, by a young child, or an old man.

The whole poem is replete with the most fascinating folk-lore about the mysteries of nature, the origin of things, the enigmas of human tears, and, true to the character of a national epic, it represents not only the poetry, but the entire wisdom and accumulated experience of a nation. Among others, there is a profoundly philosophical trait in the poem, indicative of a deep insight into the workings of the human mind, and into the forces of nature. Whenever one of the heroes of the Kalevala wishes to overcome the aggressive power of an evil force, as a wound, a disease, a ferocious beast, or a venomous serpent, he achieves his purpose by chanting the origin of the inimical force. The thought underlying this idea evidently is that all evil could be obviated had we but the knowledge of whence and how it came.

The numerous myths of the poem are likewise full of significance and beauty, and the Kalevala should be read between the lines, in order that the fall meaning of this great epic may be comprehended. Even such a hideous impersonation as that of Kullerwoinen, is rich with pointed meaning, showing as it does, the incorrigibility of ingrained evil. This legend, like all others of the poem, has its deep-running stream of esoteric interpretation. The Kalevala, perhaps, more than any other, uses its lines on the surface in symbolism to point the human mind to the brighter gems of truth beneath.





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The Kalevala dates back to an enormous antiquity. One reason for believing this, lies in the silence of the Kalevala about Russians, Germans, or Swedes, their neighbors. This evidently shows that the poem must have been composed at a time when these nations had but very little or no intercourse with the Finns. The coincidence between the incantations adduced above, proves that these witch-songs date from a time when the Hungarians and the Finns were still united as one people; in other words, to a time at least 3000 years ago. The whole poem betrays no important signs of foreign influence, and in its entire tenor is a thoroughly pagan epic. There are excellent reasons for believing that the story of Mariatta, recited in the 50th Rune, is an ante-Christian legend.

An additional proof of the originality and independent rise of the Kalevala is to be found in its metre. All genuine poetry must have its peculiar verse, just as snow-flakes cannot exist without their peculiar crystalizations. It is thus that the Iliad is inseparably united, and, as it were, immersed in the stately hexametre, and the French epics, in the graceful Alexandrine verse. The metre of the Kalevala is the "eight-syllabled trochaic, with the part-line echo," and is the characteristic verse of the Finns. The natural speech of this people is poetry. The young men and maidens, the old men and matrons, in their interchange of ideas, unwittingly fall into verse. The genius of their language aids to this end, inasmuch as their words are strongly trochaic.

This wonderfully versatile metre admits of keeping the right medium between the dignified, almost prancing hexameter, and the shorter metres of the lyrics. Its feet are nimble and fleet, but yet full of vigor and expressiveness. In addition, the Kalevala uses alliteration, and thus varies the rhythm of time with the rhythm of sound. This metre is especially fit for the numerous expressions of endearment in which the Finnish epic abounds. It is more especially the love of the mother for her children, and the love of the children for their mother, that find frequent and ever-tender expression in the sonorous lines of the Kalevala. The Swedish translation by Castren, the German, by Schiefner, and the Hungarian, by Barna, as well as the following English translation, are in the original metre of the Kalevala.




(photos by K. Liimatainen and M. Puranen)



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As to the architecture of the Kalevala, it stands midway between the epical ballads of the Servians and the purely epical structure of the Iliad. Though a continuous whole, it contains several almost independent parts, as the contest of Youkahainen, the Kullervo episode, and the legend of Mariatta.

By language-masters this epic of Suomi, descending unwritten from the mythical age to the present day, kept alive from generation to generation by minstrels, or song-men, is regarded as one of the most precious contributions to the literature of the world, made since the time of Milton and the German classics.




For the full text, see "Preface" before the translated poems here.
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Avandel
Half-elven


Jun 27 2016, 11:06pm

Post #13 of 28 (5511 views)
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Perhaps it doesn't need to be a book, per se... [In reply to] Can't Post

I mean, this stuff IMO is all too good, and you've said that even in Finland some things (festivals) have been forgotten...I am wondering if the collated collection of all these posts shouldn't just be placed on Amazon, a mythology site, or a a blog - or even Facebook.

Anything that would widen access - just the links back to TORn, if nothing else. Even Deviant Art, because artists there flat-out say they are drawing inspiration from the Kalavela, and/or at least some links provided to sites like the Tolkien Gateway
(http://tolkiengateway.net/wiki/Kalevala)

Because I don't know, right now, if I just Googled "Finnish mythology/traditions/folklore" if your work in TORn would come up.

I'm just thinking of things like this as a librarian was explaining that for a given researcher they DO "catalogue" and archive what they call "collections" - a collection of unpublished papers and materials that a researcher may have used, but never was able to assemble into a final work and formally publish.

So what you have done on TORn IS a collection of sorts. It would make a great book, e-book, or other.



Louhi - the first snow

http://www.deviantart.com/art/Louhi-The-first-snow-593004620


ElanorTX
Tol Eressea


Jun 28 2016, 6:32am

Post #14 of 28 (5495 views)
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I remember with pleasure [In reply to] Can't Post

my visit to Finland over 15 years ago, from Helsinki to Rovamienon (sp?) and back south through Sweden. It was early June and the sun just skirted the horizon around midnight. I had particularly wanted to learn more about the Lapps or Saami but did not find the museums as helpful as hoped; doubtless they are much improved now.

Thanks for your diligence on sharing your great heritage with us. I second the suggestion that you publish them in some kind of format that will let others find your work.

"I shall not wholly fail if anything can still grow fair in days to come."



Ilmatar
Rohan


Jun 28 2016, 12:00pm

Post #15 of 28 (5489 views)
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You are right [In reply to] Can't Post

Much of what is in these threads (in addition to the festivals like kekri) has been completely forgotten in Finland, because we have officially been a "Christian country" since the Middle Ages, and the church effectively rooted out pagan practices. Of course the neo-pagans following this particular religion are very knowledgeable of the old faith and adhere to it, but the large majority is not even aware of the very basics, nor the myths and customs that were still practiced in their great-grandparents' time. Some traditions continue (often in a diluted form) but the folks carrying them out are not always aware of their pagan origins, let alone of any deeper meaning behind them.

Yes, I suppose this is a collection Smile and if "published" elsewhere it might work best as a blog (?). I could present things in a more logical order than what I have done here, but also enable readers to easily jump to those things that interest them, and I could use tags for easy cross-referencing. In the end I could make a PDF of the articles so that anyone could print it out.

Thank you for the ideas (and the new art), I will have to keep this in mind as I go about the threads.


Ilmatar
Rohan


Jun 28 2016, 12:06pm

Post #16 of 28 (5487 views)
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Glad to hear you liked it :) [In reply to] Can't Post

I think you mean Rovaniemi. Unfortunately that is 200 miles too far south, in case you wanted to learn more about the Saami people. It's a shame if the museum people in Rovaniemi failed to mention it to you Unsure - the Sámi Museum and information center Siida is in Inari, in the arctic Northern Lapland.


Quote
The Sámi Museum Siida is the national museum of the Sámi and a national special museum in Finland. The Sámi Museum stores the spiritual and material culture of the Finnish Sámi in its collections and presents it to the public through its exhibitions and publications. Its main purpose is to support the identity and the cultural self-esteem of the Sámi.


Thank you for your interest, and welcome back to visit (I must admit I have not yet been to Lapland myself Blush). I'm thinking about ways to publish the contents of these threads later on, and have received some great suggestions already. Smile


(This post was edited by Ilmatar on Jun 28 2016, 12:09pm)


EomundDaughter
Lorien

Jun 28 2016, 8:01pm

Post #17 of 28 (5475 views)
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This is fabulous.....many thanks!! [In reply to] Can't Post

 


Annael
Immortal


Jun 29 2016, 3:33pm

Post #18 of 28 (5439 views)
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a blog or a website might work [In reply to] Can't Post

because if you are not going to profit from it, you can quote from other works more freely than you could in a book without getting permission. Although I think the people you're citing might be very happy to give you permission as it would mean more people would know about their work, I did have one estate of a poet refuse to let me quote three lines of a poem without paying for it (I found a quote from Emily Dickinson to replace it, but did write back "you know this quote is ALL OVER the Internet, don't you?"), but everyone else I asked for permission to quote over 300 words in my book was delighted, because it's free publicity. When I quote people in my own blog I always give the reference, and sometimes I just link directly to their stuff if it's online.

It would be a great resource. And you never know: make the website and a publisher just might contact you . . .

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


Ilmatar
Rohan


Jul 5 2016, 12:31pm

Post #19 of 28 (5363 views)
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Thank you! // [In reply to] Can't Post

 


Ilmatar
Rohan


Jul 5 2016, 12:34pm

Post #20 of 28 (5365 views)
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Not going to profit - I'm just a messenger [In reply to] Can't Post

I think that a blog is starting to sound better and better, eventually. Smile And it's good to hear that authors in general are happy to have their work presented elsewhere (in this case it would be in another medium as well as another language: from books in Finnish to a blog in English).

I always give references and/or links too (except for some works of art when I have not had it at all - maybe it's too early to think if the blog would have pictures, and if yes, from where...). But apart from the Kalevala itself, I rarely quote or cite or translate anything word-for-word when writing these posts. I read about any given topic, then combine & re-organize it in my head, and spout it out in English. So the "interludes" are basically my own writing, but the facts/information/contents are from books or net sites. In either case I must, and will, provide sources for the possible future blog; in these threads I have not thought it necessary to include a long list of books in Finnish.

(If I ever get to writing posts about Finnish mythical peoples and beings, it might be interesting to try and come up with translations for their names. The same way that translators everywhere need to do when working with fantasy literature, like translating Tolkien or Rowling... Tongue But then I have already gotten to that with some concepts and names in the interludes.)


Ilmatar
Rohan


Jul 5 2016, 1:54pm

Post #21 of 28 (5360 views)
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An Unwelcome Guest Meets the Fiery Eagle and the Monstrous Snake of a Hundred Eyes [In reply to] Can't Post

Lemminkäinen, Ahti the island-dweller, was plowing his field when he heard noises of the village in commotion and the sound of a sleigh's rattle. He realized that it was the sounds of a wedding
in progress that he was hearing, and was overwhelmed by jealousy and anger. He abandoned his plowing, mounted his steed and galloped back home to give his old mother directions to bring him
a meal and heat up the sauna for him. After he had eaten and bathed, Lemminkäinen asked his mother to bring his best clothes from the store-house. His mother wanted to know where he was
going, and the son replied that he intended to join the people celebrating the marriage of Pohjola's fair maiden. She advised him not to go, for he had not been invited, but Lemminkäinen told her
that his shining sword provided all the invitation he needed.

She was alarmed and warned him again, for there would be three frightful obstacles on his path, promising certain death. The first of those was a stream of fire, where there was a mighty fire-spout,
where there was a flaming eagle sharpening his beak and talons for the stranger. Lemminkäinen replied that the eagle might bring death to women, but surely not for mighty heroes, and he would
come up with a solution once it was needed. He wanted to know the second obstacle; That would be a fiery pit in the middle of the road, cutting it and stretching endlessly in both directions, filled
with burning coals and pebbles. But Lemminkäinen was certain that his magic could be used to overcome the pit, and wanted to hear about the third obstacle. His mother told him that once he had
arrived at the portals and gateways of Northland's great mansion, a bear and a wolf would attack him as one. The beasts had already devoured many heroes - how could Lemminkäinen survive them?
He had the answer ready: the would use his magic singing against them.

Lemminkäinen's mother knew of one more danger that awaited his son, should he ever make it that far: On the court of Pohjola there was a corral of iron, filled with poisonous snakes, and one of them
was more fearsome than anything known before:

"One more horrid than the others,
Lies before the fatal gate-way,
Longer than the longest rafters,
Larger than the largest portals;
Hisses with the tongue of anger,
Lifts his head in awful menace,
Raises it to strike none other
Than the hero of the islands."


But like the blackmith-hero Ilmarinen, Lemminkäinen was no stranger to snakes - he had plowed serpent-pastures and killed many a snake with his bare hands. Finally his desperate mother warned him
against the armed and armored warriors of the Northland, intoxicated by beer and all the more eager to sing their magic songs to impale poor Lemminkäinen with their sharp swords, like so many before
him. But no, he was already familiar with the men and wizards of the North, for he had visited there and was ready to sing any hero asunder who dared to face him. His mother reminded him of how that
particular visit had turned out:

"Foolish son, ungrateful wizard,
Boasting of thy former visit,
Boasting of thy fatal journey!
---
Thou hast seen Tuoni's river,
Thou hast measured Mana's waters,
There to-day thou wouldst be sleeping,
Had it not been for thy mother!
What I tell thee well remember,
Shouldst thou gain Pohyola's chambers,
Filled with stakes thou'lt find the court-yard,
These to hold the heads of heroes;
There thy head will rest forever,
Shouldst thou go to Sariola."


But once again Lemminkäinen was both reckless and stubborn, fetching his armor and his father's old sword, grabbing his bow and arrows, and told his servant to bring his fire-red war-horse. Then he
departed, hardly hearing his mother's final advice: He should only drink half a pint of what was offered to him, for the latter half would have worms and serpents in it.

When he had traveled but a little distance, a flock of black grouses arose and took flight to avoid his running horse, and some feathers were left on the ground. He gathered the feathers and put them
in his pouch. Who knew what might happen later - anything could be found useful in time.

After a while, the horse grew agitated and neighed, and Lemminkäinen saw that his old mother's warning was true:



1) "Lemminkäinen and the fiery eagle" by R.W. Ekman 2) "Lemminkäinen by the river of fire" and detail

Found a stream of fire opposing;
Ran the fire-stream like a river,
Ran across the hero's pathway.
In the river was a fire-fall,
In the cataract a fire-rock,
On the rock a fiery hillock,
On its summit perched an eagle,
From his throat the fire was streaming
To the crater far below him,
Fire out-shooting from his feathers,
Glowing with a fiery splendor.


1) "Kokkolintu" by Bonfire1969 in DeviantArt 2) "Koivussa tulinen kokko" by nightmarehound in DeviantArt



3) unknown 4) "Tulikokko" by Raatotaiteilija in DeviantArt

The fiery eagle saw Lemminkäinen from afar and asked where he was going. When he replied that he was on his way to the feastings and beer-drinking of Pohjola, and asked the eagle to give way,
the raptor replied that he would indeed let Lemminkäinen pass - pass through the eagle's mouth and throat, and arrive at an eternal banquet of the afterlife! But Lemminkäinen was not discourages.
He took the grouse feathers from his pouch and rubbed them between his palms, and the feathers turned into a covey of black grouses. Quickly he drove the flying birds to the eagle's throat, quenching
his fire and thus escaping from danger.



1) unknown 2) art by Nicolai Kochberg 3) art by Joseph Alanen 4) art by Pirkko-Liisa Surojegin


On the second day of his journey, Lemminkäinen arrived at the fiery pit on the road, as long as the eye can see and filled with stones hotter than the stove of a sauna. Again he had a way to solve the problem,
praying for mighty Ukko, the god of weather, to send clouds from all directions and let them snow on the pit. Ukko helped him and sent snow-clouds to cool the stones:

From the snow-fall in the fire-pond,
Grows a lake with rolling billows.
Quick the hero, Lemminkainen,
Conjures there of ice a passage
From one border to the other,
Thus escapes his second danger,
Thus his second trouble passes.


On the third day Lemminkäinen arrived at Northland's gates, and when his horse again refused to continue he saw the bear and the wolf guarding the alleyway. Now he reached for his pouch again,
pulling out a lock of ewe-wool; this he rubbed between his palms and spoke a magic word. At once a flock of sheep arose, running away - luring the beasts to run after them, the bear and the wolf both
pouncing for the slaughter.

Soon the hero was on the yard of the Northland's manor, and there was the gate of iron, wall of steel, reaching from the earth to the skies, coiling and twisting with adders and lizzards. But Lemminkäinen
was not disheartened, nor did he need any magic to solve this problem. Drawing his broadsword from its scabbard he hewed the palisade to pieces, chopped the serpent-wall to fragments. Passing through
the portals, he met the monstrous snake:

In the way, a serpent lying,
Lying crosswise in the entry,
Longer than the longest rafters,
Larger than the posts of oak-wood;
Hundred-eyed, the heinous serpent,
And a thousand tongues, the monster,
Eyes as large as sifting vessels,
Tongues as long as shafts of javelins,
Teeth as large as hatchet-handles,
Back as broad as skiffs of ocean.



1-2) art by Nicolai Kochberg 3) "Lemminkäinen and the great serpent" by Joseph Alanen (1919-1920) 3) art by A. Fantalov (1999)

Lemminkäinen did not venture further, but addressed the snake, asking who had awakened the serpent of Tuoni to crawl on the ground, and asking it to give way. The serpent did not heed him, instead rising up
and hissing in anger, striking at Lemminkäinen with its head. But Lemminkäinen boldly told the snake: "Since thou wilt not heed mine order, Since thou wilt not leave the highway, Puffed with pride of thine own
greatness, Thou shall burst in triple pieces." He then spoke the ancient master-words of knowledge, those of the origin of snakes, giving him power over it. Like his faithful mother had taught him, after having
saved him from the Underworld, he recited the origin of all snakes: They were formed from the saliva of Syöjätär that drifted on the waves. While water-snakes had come to being that easily, this monstrous
snake of dry ground was given life by the evil Hiisi, after the Creator had declined to do so - knowing that only evil things could come from the spit of other evil things.

"Whence the life that gave her action? *)
From the carbon-pile of Hisi.
Whence then was her heart created?
From the heart-throbs of her mother.
Whence arose her brain of evil?
From the foam of rolling waters.
Whence was consciousness awakened?
From the waterfall's commotion.
Whence arose her head of venom?
From the seed-germs of the ivy.
Whence then came her eyes of fury?
From the flaxen seeds of Lempo.
Whence the evil ears for hearing?
From the foliage of Hisi.
Whence then was her mouth created?
This from Suoyatar's foam-currents
Whence arose thy tongue of anger?
From the spear of Keitolainen.
Whence arose thy fangs of poison?
From the teeth of Mana's daughter.
Whence then was thy back created?
From the carbon-posts of Piru.
How then was thy tail created?
From the brain of the hobgoblin.
Whence arose thy writhing entrails?
From the death-belt of Tuoni."


Hearing the words of its own origin spoken aloud, the serpent relented and uncoiled, crawling away and leaving Lemminkäinen free to enter the halls of Northland.

*******

*) A minor detail: I the original poem the giant snake has no gender, but for some reason Crawford has decided to call the serpent "her" in his translation.

I think it's a missed opportunity - and a little surprising too - than when an ancient poem describes a monstrous snake "with a hundred eyes and tongues", most artists have been content to just paint a serpent that looks more or less ordinary, apart from its size. A hundred eyes may be a bit much, but more than two would surely add to the snake's otherworldliness in visual arts.

This is not an actual Tolkien reference, but the combination of a mythical eagle and a "river of fire" reminded me of this scene in ROTK (original screenshot here).


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Eowyn of Penns Woods
Valinor


Jul 5 2016, 11:13pm

Post #22 of 28 (5347 views)
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You might be getting another reader here, because my mother is interested now, too. [In reply to] Can't Post

She recently got her DNA test results, and we were shocked to find out...that she's more Finnish than Irish! Did not see that one coming! =)

That might help explain why I once refused to leave to a big outdoor community sale without a bracelet that had come from Finland.
;)

**********************************

NABOUF
Not a TORns*b!
Certified Curmudgeon
Knitting Knerd
NARF: NWtS Chapter Member since June 17,2011


Ilmatar
Rohan


Jul 10 2016, 9:18am

Post #23 of 28 (5303 views)
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She is very welcome! [In reply to] Can't Post

DNA testing is fascinating and I plan to have a test done too at some point (or rather get my brother tested to get the patrilineal ancestry results as well).


Quote
That might help explain why I once refused to leave to a big outdoor community sale without a bracelet that had come from Finland. ;)

Certainly! That was your Finnish blood instinctively calling to you... Tongue

If your mother reads these these threads (or even if not) and takes an interest in anything to do with Finland or Finnish, I would be happy to provide links to further reading.


(This post was edited by Ilmatar on Jul 10 2016, 9:19am)


Annael
Immortal


Jul 10 2016, 3:34pm

Post #24 of 28 (5296 views)
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I've said it before [In reply to] Can't Post

I have a friggin' PhD in Mythology but we got nothing about Finnish mythology in our classes - except a passing mention of the Kalevala. I would send the url for such a blog to all my professors and other students I know.

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


zarabia
Tol Eressea


Jul 12 2016, 12:58am

Post #25 of 28 (5261 views)
Shortcut
The image [In reply to] Can't Post

that you posted in your response, along with the name, dramatically illustrate Finland's influence on Tolkien. They both seem like something stright out of The Silmarillion! Smile

Yes, Finland in summer sounds lovely! But I suspect it's pretty awesome in late spring and early autumn as well. And though I don't think I would like to spend too long there in the dead of winter, it would probably be interesting for a short visit. Smile

You realize that life goes fast
It's hard to make the good things last
You realize the sun doesn't go down
It's just an illusion caused by the world spinning 'round

~Do You Realize?, The Flaming Lips

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