RUNE XXVI
ORIGIN OF THE SERPENT

 
  Ahti, living on the island,
  Near the Kauko-point and harbor,
  Plowed his fields for rye and barley,
  Furrowed his extensive pastures,
  Heard with quickened ears an uproar,
  Heard the village in commotion,
  Heard a noise along the sea-shore,
  Heard the foot-steps on the ice-plain,
  Heard the rattle of the sledges;
  Quick his mind divined the reason,
  Knew it was Pohyola's wedding,
  Wedding of the Rainbow-virgin.
  Quick he stopped in disappointment,
  Shook his sable locks in envy,
  Turned his hero-head in anger,
  While the scarlet blood ceased flowing
  Through his pallid face and temples;
  Ceased his plowing and his sowing,
  On the field he left the furrows,
  On his steed he lightly mounted,
  Straightway galloped fleetly homeward
  To his well-beloved mother,
  To his mother old and golden,
  Gave his mother these directions,
  These the words of Lemminkainen:
  "My beloved, faithful mother,
  Quickly bring me beer and viands,
  Bring me food for I am hungry,
  Food and drink for me abundant,
  Have my bath-room quickly heated,
  Quickly set the room in order,
  That I may refresh my body,
  Dress myself in hero-raiment."
  Lemminkainen's aged mother
  Brings her hero food in plenty,
  Beer and viands for the hungry,
  For her thirsting son and hero;
  Quick she heats the ancient bath-room,
  Quickly sets his bath in order.
  Then the reckless Lemminkainen
  Ate his meat with beer inspiring,
  Hastened to his bath awaiting;
  Only was the bullfinch bathing,
  With the many-colored bunting;
  Quick the hero laved his temples,
  Laved himself to flaxen whiteness,
  Quick returning to his mother,
  Spake in haste the words that follow:
  "My beloved, helpful mother,
  Go at once to yonder mountain,
  To the store-house on the hill-top,
  Bring my vest of finest texture,
  Bring my hero-coat of purple,
  Bring my suit of magic colors,
  Thus to make me look attractive,
  Thus to robe myself in beauty."
  First the ancient mother asked him,
  Asked her son this simple question:
  "Whither dost thou go, my hero?
  Dost thou go to hunt the roebuck,
  Chase the lynx upon the mountains,
  Shoot the squirrel in the woodlands?"
  Spake the reckless Lemminkainen,
  Also known as Kaukomieli:
  "Worthy mother of my being,
  Go I not to hunt the roebuck,
  Chase the lynx upon the mountains,
  Shoot the squirrel on the tree-tops;
  I am going to Pohyola,
  To the feasting of her people.
  Bring at once my purple vestments,
  Straightway bring my nuptial outfit,
  Let me don it for the marriage
  Of the maiden of the Northland."
  But the ancient dame dissented,
  And the wife forebade the husband;
  Two of all the best of heroes,
  Three of nature's fairest daughters,
  Strongly urged wild Lemminkainen
  Not to go to Sariola,
  To Pohyola's great carousal,
  To the marriage-feast of Northland,
  "Since thou hast not been invited,
  Since they do not wish thy presence."
  Spake the reckless Lemminkainen.
  These the words of Kaukomieli:
  "Where the wicked are invited,
  There the good are always welcome,
  Herein lies my invitation;
  I am constantly reminded
  By this sword of sharpened edges,
  By this magic blade and scabbard,
  That Pohyola needs my presence."
  Lemminkainen's aged mother
  Sought again to stay her hero:
  "Do not go, my son beloved,
  To the feasting in Pohyola;
  Full of horrors are the highways,
  On the road are many wonders,
  Three times Death appears to frighten,
  Thrice destruction hovers over!"
  Spake the reckless Lemminkainen,
  These the words of Kaukomieli:
  "Death is seen by aged people,
  Everywhere they see perdition,
  Death can never frighten heroes,
  Heroes do not fear the spectre;
  Be that as it may, dear mother,
  Tell that I may understand thee,
  Name the first of all destructions,
  Name the first and last destroyers!"
  Lemminkainen's mother answered:
  "I will tell thee, son and hero,
  Not because I wish to speak it,
  But because the truth is worthy;
  I will name the chief destruction,
  Name the first of the destroyers.
  When thou hast a distance journeyed,
  Only one day hast thou travelled,
  Comes a stream along the highway,
  Stream of fire of wondrous beauty,
  In the stream a mighty fire-spout,
  In the spout a rock uprising,
  On the rock a fiery hillock,
  On the top a flaming eagle,
  And his crooked beak he sharpens,
  Sharpens too his bloody talons,
  For the coming of the stranger,
  For the people that approach him."
  Spake the reckless Lemminkainen,
  Handsome hero, Kaukomieli:
  "Women die beneath the eagle,
  Such is not the death of heroes;
  Know I well a magic lotion,
  That will heal the wounds of eagles;
  Make myself a steed of alders,
  That will walk as my companion,
  That will stride ahead majestic;
  As a duck I'll drive behind him,
  Drive him o'er the fatal waters,
  Underneath the flaming eagle,
  With his bloody beak and talons.
  Worthy mother of my being,
  Name the second of destroyers."
  Lemminkainen's mother answered:
  "This the second of destroyers:
  When thou hast a distance wandered,
  Only two clays hast thou travelled,
  Comes a pit of fire to meet thee,
  In the centre of the highway,
  Eastward far the pit extending,
  Stretches endless to the westward,
  Filled with burning coals and pebbles,
  Glowing with the heat of ages;
  Hundreds has this monster swallowed,
  In his jaws have thousands perished,
  Hundreds with their trusty broadswords,
  Thousands on their fiery chargers."
  Spake the reckless Lemminkainen,
  Handsome hero, Kaukomieli:
  "Never will the hero perish
  In the jaws of such a monster;
  Know I well the means of safety,
  Know a remedy efficient:
  I will make of snow a master,
  On the snow-clad fields, a hero,
  Drive the snow-man on before me,
  Drive him through the flaming vortex,
  Drive him through the fiery furnace,
  With my magic broom of copper;
  I will follow in his shadow,
  Follow close the magic image,
  Thus escape the frightful monster,
  With my golden locks uninjured,
  With my flowing beard untangled.
  Ancient mother of my being,
  Name the last of the destructions,
  Name the third of the destroyers."
  Lemminkainen's mother answered:
  "This the third of fatal dangers:
  Hast thou gone a greater distance,
  Hast thou travelled one day longer,
  To the portals of Pohyola,
  To the narrowest of gate-ways,
  There a wolf will rise to meet thee,
  There the black-bear sneak upon thee-,
  In Pohyola's darksome portals,
  Hundreds in their jaws have perished,
  Have devoured a thousand heroes;
  Wherefore will they not destroy thee,
  Since thy form is unprotected?"
  Spake the reckless Lemminkainen,
  Handsome hero, Kaukomieli:
  "Let them eat the gentle lambkins,
  Feed upon their tender tissues,
  They cannot devour this hero;
  I am girded with my buckler,
  Girded with my belt of copper,
  Armlets wear I of the master,
  From the wolf and bear protected,
  Will not hasten to Untamo.
  I can meet the wolf of Lempo,
  For the bear I have a balsam,
  For his mouth I conjure bridles,
  For the wolf, forge chains of iron;
  I will smite them as the willow,
  Chop them into little fragments,
  Thus I'll gain the open court-yard,
  Thus triumphant end my journey."
  Lemminkainen's mother answered:
  "Then thy journey is not ended,
  Greater dangers still await thee,
  Great the wonders yet before thee,
  Horrors three within thy pathway;
  Three great dangers of the hero
  Still await thy reckless footsteps,
  These the worst of all thy dangers:
  When thou hast still farther wandered,
  Thou wilt reach the Court of Pohya,
  Where the walls are forged from iron,
  And from steel the outer bulwark;
  Rises from the earth to heaven,
  Back again to earth returning;
  Double spears are used for railings,
  On each spear are serpents winding,
  On each rail are stinging adders;
  Lizards too adorn the bulwarks,
  Play their long tails in the sunlight,
  Hissing lizards, venomed serpents,
  Jump and writhe upon the rampart,
  Turn their horrid heads to meet thee;
  On the greensward lie the monsters,
  On the ground the things of evil,
  With their pliant tongues of venom,
  Hissing, striking, crawling, writhing;
  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."
  Spake the warlike Lemminkainen,
  Handsome hero, Kaukomieli:
  "By such things the children perish,
  Such is not the death of heroes;
  Know I well the fire to manage,
  I can quench the flames of passion,
  I can meet the prowling wild-beasts,
  Can appease the wrath of serpents,
  I can heal the sting of adders,
  I have plowed the serpent-pastures,
  Plowed the adder-fields of Northland;
  While my hands were unprotected,
  Held the serpents in my fingers,
  Drove the adders to Manala,
  On my hands the blood of serpents,
  On my feet the fat of adders.
  Never will thy hero stumble
  On the serpents of the Northland;
  With my heel I'll crush the monsters,
  Stamp the horrid things to atoms;
  I will banish them from Pohya,
  Drive them to Manala's kingdom,
  Step within Pohyola's mansion,
  Walk the halls of Sariola!"
  Lemminkainen's mother answered:
  "Do not go, my son beloved,
  To the firesides of Pohyola,
  Through the Northland fields and fallows;
  There are warriors with broadswords,
  Heroes clad in mail of copper,
  Are on beer intoxicated,
  By the beer are much embittered;
  They will charm thee, hapless creature,
  On the tips of swords of magic;
  Greater heroes have been conjured,
  Stronger ones have been outwitted."
  Spake the reckless Lemminkainen:
  "Formerly thy son resided
  In the hamlets of Pohyola;
  Laplanders cannot enchant me,
  Nor the Turyalanders harm me
  I the Laplander will conjure,
  Charm him with my magic powers,
  Sing his shoulders wide asunder,
  In his chin I'll sing a fissure,
  Sing his collar-bone to pieces,
  Sing his breast to thousand fragments."
  Lemminkainen's mother answered:
  "Foolish son, ungrateful wizard,
  Boasting of thy former visit,
  Boasting of thy fatal journey!
  Once in Northland thou wert living,
  In the homesteads of Pohyola;
  There thou tried to swim the whirlpool,
  Tasted there the dog-tongue waters,
  Floated down the fatal current,
  Sank beneath its angry billows;
  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."
  Spake the warlike Lemminkainen:
  "Fools indeed may heed thy counsel,
  Cowards too may give attention;
  Those of seven conquest-summers
  Cannot heed such weak advising.
  Bring to me my battle-armor.
  Bring my magic mail of copper,
  Bring me too my father's broadsword,
  Keep the old man's blade from rusting;
  Long it has been cold and idle,
  Long has lain in secret places,
  Long and constantly been weeping,
  Long been asking for a bearer."
  Then he took his mail of copper,
  Took his ancient battle-armor,
  Took his father's sword of magic,
  Tried its point against the oak-wood,
  Tried its edge upon the sorb-tree;
  In his hand the blade was bended,
  Like the limber boughs of willow,
  Like the juniper in summer.
  Spake the hero, Lemminkainen:
  "There is none in Pohya's hamlets,
  In the courts of Sariola,
  That with me can measure broadswords,
  That can meet this blade ancestral."
  From the nail he took a cross-bow,
  Took the strongest from the rafters,
  Spake these words in meditation:
  "I shall recognize as worthy,
  Recognize that one a hero
  That can bend this mighty cross-bow,
  That can break its magic sinews,
  In the hamlets of Pohyola."
  Lemminkainen, filled with courage,
  Girds himself in suit of battle,
  Dons his mighty mail of copper,
  To his servant speaks as follows:
  "Trusty slave, and whom I purchased,
  Whom I bought with gold and silver,
  Quick prepare my fiery charger,
  Harness well my steed of battle;
  I am going to the feasting,
  To the banquet-fields of Lempo."
  Quick obeys the faithful servant,
  Hitches well the noble war-horse,
  Quick prepares the fire-red stallion,
  Speaks these words when all is I ready:
  "I have done what thou hast hidden,
  Ready harnessed is the charger,
  Waiting to obey his master."
  Comes the hour of the departing
  Of the hero, Lemminkainen,
  Right hand ready, left unwilling,
  All his anxious fingers pain him,
  Till at last in full obedience,
  All his members give permission;
  Starts the hero on his journey,
  While the mother gives him counsel,
  At the threshold of the dwelling,
  At the highway of the court-yard:
  "Child of courage, my beloved,
  Son of strength, my wisdom-hero,
  If thou goest to the feasting,
  Shouldst thou reach the great carousal,
  Drink thou only a half a cupful,
  Drink the goblet to the middle,