Classic Audiobook Collection - Finnish Legends by R. Eivind ~ Full Audiobook [folklore]

Episode Date: February 7, 2024

Finnish Legends by R. Eivind audiobook. Genre: folklore On a dark winter day in northern Finland, a wandering merchant named Father Mikko finds shelter with an isolated family as a storm gathers outside. When the evening meal is finished and the fire is burning low, the family's daughter asks for the oldest tales he knows - stories from the very beginning of the world. What follows is a vivid journey through Finnish myth and legend, where the boundaries between nature and magic blur and the past feels alive in every tree, wind, and song. Through Father Mikko's storytelling, listeners meet figures drawn from the Kalevala tradition: the wise and world-shaping Vainamoinen, powerful spirits and gods such as Ukko, and a cast of challengers, helpers, and mysterious beings who test courage, craft, and character. Each tale carries the rhythm of oral folklore, mixing wonder with earthy humor and hard-earned wisdom, while quietly revealing what a people values: resilience, honor, ingenuity, and respect for the forces that cannot be tamed. Finnish Legends is both an inviting doorway into a lesser-known mythic world and a cozy fireside frame story that makes ancient epics feel personal and immediate. For ad-free listening try our premium subscription Chapters (Approximate) (00:00:00) Chapter 01 (00:09:22) Chapter 02 (00:13:44) Chapter 03 (00:19:26) Chapter 04 (00:27:17) Chapter 05 (00:38:00) Chapter 06 (00:42:49) Chapter 07 (00:48:24) Chapter 08 (00:54:59) Chapter 09 (01:06:56) Chapter 10 (01:17:39) Chapter 11 (01:24:25) Chapter 12 (01:30:23) Chapter 13 (01:35:23) Chapter 14 (01:39:41) Chapter 15 (01:51:11) Chapter 16 (02:02:14) Chapter 17 (02:11:43) Chapter 18 (02:20:14) Chapter 19 (02:27:14) Chapter 20 (02:36:20) Chapter 21 (02:42:51) Chapter 22 (02:50:34) Chapter 23 (02:55:53) Chapter 24 (03:04:17) Chapter 25 (03:11:56) Chapter 26 (03:18:38) Chapter 27 (03:23:43) Chapter 28 (03:31:01) Chapter 29 (03:35:25) Chapter 30 (03:39:20) Chapter 31 (03:49:36) Chapter 32 (03:56:22) Chapter 33 (04:01:51) Chapter 34 (04:06:47) Chapter 35 (04:13:47) Chapter 36 (04:21:29) Chapter 37 (04:28:02) Chapter 38 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Finnish Legends by R. A. Vind Chapter 1. Father Miko Far up in the ice-bound north, where the sun is almost invisible in winter, and where the summer nights are bright as day, there lies a land which we call Finland. But the people who live there call it Swarmen Ma now, and long ago they used to call it Caliwala, which means the land of heroes. And north of Finland, like to be a swamah. And north of Finland, Lapland, which the Finns now call Lappi, but in the olden days they called it Poyola, that is Northland. There the night lasts for whole weeks and month about Christmas, and in the summer

again they have no night at all for many weeks. For more than half the year, their country is wrapped in snow and frost, and yet they are both of them a kind-hearted people, and among the most honest and truthful in the world. One dark winter's day An old man was driving in a sledge Through the fur forest in the northern part of Finland He was so well wrapped up in sheepskin robes That he looked more like a huge bundle of rugs

With a cord round the middle than anything else And the great white sheepskin cap which he wore hid all the upper part of his face While the lower part was buried in the high collar of his coat All one could see was a pair of fere bright blue eyes with frost-fringed eyelashes, blinking at the snow that was thrown up every now and then by his horses' feet. He was a traveling merchant, from a way up in the northwestern part of Russia, and had been in southern Finland to sell his wares at the winter fairs that are held every

year in Finnish towns and villages. Now he was on his way home, and had come up through Kuopio, and had got on past Kayana already, but now it had been to. just began to snow, and as the storm grew worse, he pressed on to reach the cabin of a friend who lived not far ahead, and he intended to stay there until the storm should subside, and the weather be fit for travelling once more. It was not long before he reached the cabin, and getting out of his sledge slowly, being stiff from the cold and the cramped position, he knocked on the door with his whip-handle. It was opened at once, and he was invited in, without even waiting to see who it was, and was given the welcome that is always given in that country to a weary traveller.

But when he had taken his wraps off, there was a general cry of recognition, and the second, even more hearty welcome. Welcome, Father Miko! What good fortune has brought you hither! Come up to the fire! And a chorus of cries from two little children who go, greeted Papa Miko with delight as an old and welcome acquaintance. Then the father of the family went out and attended to Father Miko's horse and sledge, and in a few minutes was back again and joined the old man by the fire. Next his wife brought out the brandy bottle and two glasses, and after her husband had filled them, he and Father Miko drank each other's health very formally, for that is the first thing one must do when a guest comes in that country.

You must touch your glass against your friends and say good health, and raising it to your lips, drink it straight off, and all the time you must look each other straight in the eyes. When this important formality was finished, the four members of the family and Father Miko made themselves comfortable around the fire, and they began to ask him how things had prospered with him since they had seen him last, and to tell him about themselves, how Eric the father of the family had been sick, and the harvest had been extra good that year, and one of the cows had a calf, and all the things that happened to people in the country. And then he told them of what was going on in the towns where he had been, and how everyone was beginning to get ready for Christmas.

And he turned to the two little children and told them about the children in the towns, how they had had such a lovely time at little Christmas at the house he was staying in, how the little ones had a tiny little tree with wee wax candles on it, exactly like the big tree they were to have at Christmas, and how, when he left, all the children had begun to be impatient for Christmas Eve with its presents and Christmas fish and porridge. After the old man had ended his account, it was dinner time, and they all ate with splendid appetites,

while Father Miko declared that the herring and potatoes and rye bread and beer made a far better dinner than any he had had in the big cities in the south. Not even in Helsing force had he had a better. Then, when dinner was over, and they had all gathered round the fire again, little Mimi climbed up into Papa Miko's lap, and begged him to tell them all the stories he had ever heard from the very beginning of the world all the way down, and her father and mother joined with her in her request,

for in their land even the grown-up people have not become too grand to listen to stories. As for the little boy, Antero, he was too shy to say anything, but he was so much interested to hear Papa Miko, that he actually forgot to nibble away at a piece of candy which Papa Miko had brought from St. Michel. The old man smiled, for he was always asked for stories wherever he went. He was a famous storyteller, and stroking little Mimi's hair gently, he looked at the group around the fire, replying there was eric the father a broad-shouldered man with a dark weather-beaten face and rather a sad look as so many of his countrymen have his face showed that his struggle in the world had not been easy for he had to be working from the time he got up until he went to bed and then when the harvest had been bad and the winter much longer than usual and everything seemed to go wrong ah it was so hard then to see the mother and the little

ones have only bark bread to eat, and not always enough of debt, and one winter they had had nothing else for months. Eric wouldn't have minded for himself, but for them. Ah well, that was all over now. He had been able at last to save up a little sum of money, and the harvests were extra good this year, and he had bought Mother Steina a cloak for Christmas. Just think of it, a fine cloak, all the way from the fair at Kuopio. And next to you. And next to you. And next to you know, and next to you know, to Eric said his wife Steena, a short, fat little woman, with such a merry face and happy-looking eyes that you could hardly believe that she had lived on anything but the best herring and potatoes and rye bread all her life. Close by her sight was her little boy, Anteol, who was only

seven years old, and in his eagerness for the stories to commence, he still held his piece of candy in his hand without tasting it. Then there was little Mimi in Father Mikus' lap. nearly ten years old and was not a pretty little girl, but she had very lovely soft brown eyes and curly flexen hair, and a quiet, demure manner of her own, and her mother declared that when she grew up she would be able to spin and weave and cook better than any other girl in the parish, and that the young man that should get her Mimi for a wife would get a real treasure. And lastly, there was Father Miko himself, an old man over sixty, yet strong and hearty, with a long gray beard and gray hair, and eyes that fairly twinkled with good humor.

He could hardly see his mouth for his beard and mustache, and certainly his nose was a little too small and turned up at the end to be exactly handsome, and his cheekbones did stand out a little too high, but yet everybody, young and old, liked him, and his famous stories made him a welcome guest wherever he came. So father, Miko, lit his queer little pipe, and said, down comfortably with Mimi in his lap and a glass of beer at his side to refresh him with when he grew weary of talking There was only the firelight in the room and as the flames wrought up the chimney They cast a warm cozy light over the whole room and made them all feel so comfortable that they thank God in their hearts in their simple way Because they had so many blessings and comforts when such a storm was raging outside that it shook the house and drifted

did the snow up higher than the doors and windows. Then Father Miko began, and this is the first story that he told them. End of Chapter 1 Chapter 2 of Finnish Legends. This is a Libervox recording. All Libravox recordings are in the public domain. For more information or to volunteer, please visitlibrovox.org. Recording by Fatima Ansari, from the

beautiful land of Kashmir. Finish Legends by Ar Eaven, The World's Creation and the Birth of the Vina Moinen. Long, long ago, before this world was made, there lived a lovely maiden called Ilmatar, the daughter of the ether. She lived in the air. There were only air and water then, but at length she grew tired of always being in the air

and came down and floated on the surface of the water. Suddenly, as she lay there, there came a mighty storm wind, and poor Ilmatar was tossed about helplessly on the waves, until at length the wind died down and the waves became still, and Ilmatar, worn out by the violence of the tempest, sank beneath the waters. Then a magic spell overpowered her, and she swam on and on vener,

seeking to rise above the waters, but always unable to do so. Seven hundred long, weary years she swam thus, until one day she could not bear it any longer, and cried out. Woe was me that I have fallen from my happy home in the air, and cannot now rise above the surface of the waters. Oh, great Uco, ruler of the skies, come and aid me in my sorrow. No sooner had she ended her appeal to Uco, than a love-o. duck flew down out of the sky and hovered over the waters looking for a place to alight,

but it found none. Then Il-Matar raised her knees above the water so that the duck might rest upon them. And no sooner did the duck spy them, then it flew towards them and, without even stopping to rest, began to build a nest upon them. When the nest was finished, the duck laid in it six golden eggs, in a seventh of iron, and and sat upon them to hatch them. Three days the duck sat on the eggs, and all the while the water around Ilmatar's knees grew hotter and hotter, and her knees began to burn as if they were on fire.

The pain was so great that it caused her to tremble all over, and her quivering shook the nest off her knees, and the eggs all fell to the bottom of the ocean and broken pieces. These pieces came together into two parts and grew to a huge size, and the upper one became the arched heavens above us, and the lower one our world itself. From the white part of the egg came the moonbeams, and from the yoke the bright sunshine. At last the unfortunate Ilmatar was able to raise her head out of the waters, and she then began to create the land. Wherever she put her hand there arose a lovely hill, And where she stepped, she made a lake.

Where she dived below the surface are the deep places of the ocean. Where she turned her head towards the land, there grew deep bays and inlets. And where she floated on her back, she made the hidden rocks and reefs, Where so many ships and lives have been lost. Thus, the islands and the rocks and the firm land were crue. created. After the land was made, Vina Moinen was born, but he was not born a child, but a full-grown man, full of wisdom and magic power. For seven whole years he swam about in the ocean, and in the eighth he left the water and stepped upon dry land. Thus was the birth of Vina Moinen,

the wonderful magician. Ah, said little Mimi, with a sigh of relief, I was afraid you were afraid you were weren't going to tell us about Vynumo at all. And then, Father Miko went on again. End of Chapter 2. Chapter 3 of Finnish Legends. This is a Libervox recording. All Libervax recordings are in the public domain.

For more information or to volunteer, please visitliborvox.org. Recording by Fatima Ansari, from the beautiful land of Kashmir. Finish Legends by Ar Avend Chapter 3 The Planting of the Trees Wainamoynan lived for many years upon the island on which he had first landed from the sea, pondering how he should plant the trees

and make the mighty forests grow. At length he thought of Sampsa, the first-born son of the plains, and he sent for him to do the sewing. So Samsa came and scattered abroad the seeds of all the trees and plants that are now on the earth, firs and pine trees on the hills, alders, lindens, and willows in the lowlands, and bushes and hawthorn in the secluded nooks. Soon, all the trees had grown up and become great forests, and the hawthorns were covered with berries.

Only the acorn lay quiet in the ground and refused to sprout. Wynumoinen watched seven days and nights to see if it would begin to grow, but it lay perfectly still. Just then he saw ocean maidens on the shore, cutting grass and raking it into heaps. And as he watched them, there came a great giant out of the sea, and pressed the heaps into such tight bundles that the grass caught fire and burnt to ashes. Then, the giant took an acorn and planted it in the ashes, and almost instantly it began to sprout, and a tree shot up and grew and grew until it became a mighty oak, whose top was far above the clouds, and whose branches shut out the light of the sun and the moon

and the stars. When Wynumorin's saw how the oak had shut off all the light from the earth, he was as deeply perplexed how to get rid of it, as he had been before to make it grow. So he prayed to his mother, Ilmatar, to grant him power to overthrow this mighty tree, so that the sun might shine once more on the plains of Kalevala. No sooner had he asked Ilmatar for help, then there stepped out of the sea a tiny man no bigger than one's finger, dressed in cap, gloves, and clothes of copper, and carrying a small copper hatchet in his belt.

Wynamoinen asked him who he was, and the tiny man replied, I am a mighty ocean hero, and am come to cut down the oak tree. But Wynumoinan began to laugh at the idea of so little a man being able to cut down so huge a tree. But even while Wynumoinan was laughing, the dwarf grew all at once into a great giant, whose head was higher than the clouds and whose long beard fell down to his head. knees. The giant began to wet his axe on a huge piece of rock, and before he had finished, he had worn out six blocks of the hardest rock and seven of the softest sandstone. Then, he strode up to the tree and began to cut it down. When the third blow had fallen, the fire flew

from his axe and from the tree, and before he had time to strike a fourth blow, the tree tottered and fell, covering the whole earth, north, south, east, and west with broken fragments. And those who picked up pieces of the branches received good fortune. Those who found pieces of the top became mighty magicians. And those who found the leaves gained lasting happiness. And then the sunlight came once more to Kalevala and all things grew and flourished. Only the barley had not yet been planted. Now, Wynumoinen had found seven magic barley grains as he was wandering on the seashore one day.

And he took these and was about to plant them. But the titmouse stopped him, saying, The magic barley will not grow unless thou first cut down and burn the forest, and then plant the seeds in the wood ashes. So Wynumoinen cut down the trees as the titmouse had said. only he left the birch-trees standing after all the rest were cut down an eagle flew down and alighting on a birch-tree asked why all the others had been destroyed but the birches left and why namoinen answered that he had left them for the birds to build their nests on and for the eagle to rest on and for the sacred cuckoo to sit in and sing the eagle was so pleased at this that he kindled a fire amongst the other trees for one Weinamoyan, and they were all burnt except the birches.

Weinamoyan then brought forth the seven magic barley seeds from his skin pouch, and sewed them in the ashes. And as he sowed, he prayed to great Uco to send warm rains from the south to make the seeds sprout. And the rain came, and the barley grew so fast that in seven days the crop was almost ripe. End of Chapter 3 Chapter 4 of Finnish Legends This is a Libervox recording All Libervox recordings are in the public domain For more information or to volunteer

Please visit Libravox.org Recording by Fatima Ansari From the beautiful land of Kashmir Finnish Legends by R. Avand Chapter 4 Weinamoynen and Yo Kaainen. Thus, Weinamoinen finished his labors and began to lead a happy life on the plains of Kalevala. He passed his evening singing of the deeds of days gone by, in stories of the creation,

until his fame as a great singer spread far and wide in all directions. At this time, far off in the dismal Northland, there lived a young and famous singer and magician, named Yocha He was sitting one day at a feast with his friends, when someone came and told about the famous singer Weinamoyan, and how he was a sweeter singer and a more powerful magician than anyone else in the world. This filled Yochahainen's heart with envy, and he vowed to hasten off to the south and to enter into a contest with Weinamoyan to see if he could not beat him. him. His mother tried to persuade him not to go, but in vain, and he made ready for the journey, declaring that he would sing such magic songs as would turn old Wynumoinen into stone. Then he brought out his noble steed and harnessed him to a golden sledge, and then, jumping in, he gave the steed a cut with his pearl-handled whip and dashed off towards Kalevala.

On the evening of the third day, he drew near to Wynamoyan's home, and there he met Wynumoinen himself driving along the highway. Now, Yaukahainen was too proud to turn out of the road for anyone, and so their sledges dashed together and were smashed to pieces, and the harnesses became all twisted up together. Then Weinamorinen said, Who art thou, O foolish youth, That thou drivest so badly That thou hast run into my sledge

And broken at the pieces. And Yo-Kahainen answered proudly, I am Yo-Kahainen, And have come hither to beat the old magician Wynam-Moyan In singing and in magic. Wynumorin then told him who he was And accepted the challenge, And so the contest began.

But Yoko Hinen soon found that he was no match for his opponent, and at length he cried out in anger, If I cannot beat thee at singing and in magic, at least I can conquer thee with my bright sword. Wynumorinen answered that he would not fight so weak an opponent, and then Yoko Hinen declared that he was a coward and afraid to fight. At last these taunts made Wynumoinin so angry that he could not restrain himself, any longer, and he began to sing. He sang such wondrous spells that the mountains and the

rocks began to tremble, and the sea was upheaved as if by a great storm. Yochahainen stood transfixed, and his Weinamoyan went on singing. His sledge was changed to brushwood, and the reins to willow branches. The pearl-handled whip became a reed, and his steed was transformed into a rock in the water. and all the harness into seaweed. And still, the old magician sang his magic spells, and Yoko Hinen's gaily painted bow became a rainbow in the sky. His feathered arrows flew away as hawks and eagles, and his dog was turned to a stone at his feet.

His cap turned into a curling mist, his clothing into white clouds, and his jewel set girdle into stars. And, at length, The spell began to take effect on Yokoha Hinen himself. Slowly, slowly he felt himself sinking into a quicksand, and all his struggles to escape were in vain. When he had sunk up to his waist, he began to beg for mercy, and cried out,

O great Weinamorinen, thou art the greatest of all magicians. Release me, I beg from this quicksand, and I will give thee two magic bows. One is so strong that only the very strongest men can draw it, and the other a child can shoot. But Wynamorinen refused the bows and sank Yokoaiyan still deeper. And as he sank, Yoko Hinen kept begging for mercy in offering first two magic boats,

and then two magic steed that could carry any burden, and finally all his golden silver and his harvests. but Wynumoinen would not even listen to him. At length, Yoko Hinen had sunk so far that his mouth had begun to be filled with water and mud, and he cried out as a last hope. Oh mighty Wynumoen, if thou wilt release me,

I will give thee my sister Aino as thy bride. This was the ransom that Wynomoyan had been waiting for, for I know was famous for her beauty and her loveliness of character. And so he released poor Yoko Hinen and gave him back his sledge and everything just as it had been before. And, when it was all ready,

Yokoha Hinen jumped into it and drove off home without saying a word. When he reached home, he drove so carelessly that his sledge was broken to pieces against the gateposts, and he left the broken sledge there and walked straight into the house

with hanging head, and at first would not answer any of his family's questions. At length he said, Dearest mother, there is cause enough for my grief, for I have had to promise the aged Wynna Moinen, my dear sister I know as his bride. But his mother arose joyfully and clapped her hands and said, That is no reason to be sad, my dear son, for I have longed for many years that this very thing should happen,

that Eino should have so brave and wise a husband is Wyna Moinen. So the mother told the news to Eno, but when she heard it she wept for three whole days and nights and refused to be comforted saying to her mother, Why should this great sorrow come to me, dear mother? For now I shall no longer be able to adorn my golden hair with jewels, but must hide it all beneath the ugly cap that wives have to wear. all the golden sunshine and the silver moonlight will go from my life but her mother tried to comfort her by telling her that the sun and moon would shine even more brightly in her new home than in her old and that cali vala was a land of flowers

i think i know was very stupid not to want to leave that horrid lapland said mimi but then i suppose she didn't know what a beautiful country ours is she added the thoughtfully. Here, Antero, who only cared for the stories, mustered up enough courage to ask Papa Miko to go on, which the old man did at once. End of Chapter 4. Chapter 5 of Finnish Legends. This is a Libervox recording. All Libervox recordings are in the public domain. For more information or to volunteer, please visit Libervox.org. Recording by Fatima Ansari from the beautiful land of Kashmir. Finish Legends by Ar Avand.

Chapter 5. I know's fate. The next morning, the lovely I know went early to the forest to gather birchutes and tassels. After she had finished gathering them, she hastened off towards home. But, as she was going along the path, near the border of the woods, she met Wynumoinen, who began thus. I know, fairest made of the north, do not wear thy golden pearls for others, but only for me. Wear for me alone thy golden tresses.

Not for thee, I know replied, nor for others either will I wear my jewels. I need them no longer. I would rather wear the plainest clothing and live upon a crust of bread If only I might live forever with my mother And as she said this She tore off her jewels and the ribbons from her hair And threw them from her into the bushes And then she hurried home weeping

At the door to the dairy sat her mother skimming milk When she saw Aina weeping She asked her what it was that troubled her I know in reply told her all that had happened in the forest and how she had thrown away from her all her ornaments. Her mother, to comfort her, told her to go to a hilltop nearby and open the storehouse there. And there, in the largest room, in the largest box in that room, she would find six golden girdles and seven rainbow-tinted dresses, made by the daughters of the moon and of the sun. When I was young, her mother said,

I was out upon the hills one day seeking berries, and by chance I overheard the daughters of the sun and moon as they were weaving and spinning upon the borders of the clouds above the fir forest. I went nearer to them and crept up on a hill within speaking distance of them. Then I began to beseech them, saying, give some of your silver, lovely daughters of the moon, to a poor but worthy maid. And I beg you, daughters of the sun, give me some of your gold. And then the moon's daughters gave me silver from their treasure,

and the sun's daughters gave me gold that I might adorn my hair and my forehead. I hastened joyfully home with my treasures to my mother's house, and for three days I wore them. Then I took them off and laid them in boxes, and I have never seen them since. But now, my daughter, go and adorn thyself with gold and silk ribbons. Put a necklace of pearls around thy neck and a golden cross upon thy bosom. Dress thyself in pure white linen. Put on the richest frock that is there and tie it with a belt of gold.

Put silk stockings on thy feet in the finest of shoes. then come back to us that we may admire thee for thou wilt be more beautiful than the sunlight more lovely than the moonbeams but eina would not be consoled and kept on weeping how happy i was in my childhood she sang when i used to roam the fields and gather flowers but now my heart is full of grief and all my life is filled with darkness it would have been better for me if i had died a child child. Then my mother would have wept a little, and my father and sisters and brothers mourned a little while, and then all their sorrows would have been ended. Ina wept for three days more, and then her mother once more asked her why she wept so, and Ino replied, I weep, O mother, because thou hast promised me to the aged Wynumoinin to be his comforter and caretaker in his old age. Far better if thou hadst sent me to the bottom of the sea,

to live with the fishes and to become a mermaid, and ride on the waves. This had been far better than to be an old man's slave and darling. When she had said this, she left her mother and hastened to the storehouse on the hill. There, she opened the largest box and took off six lids, and at the bottom found six golden belts and seven silk dresses. She chose the best of all the treasures there

And adorned herself like a queen With rings and jewels and gold ornaments of every sort When she was fully arrayed She left the storehouse and wandered over fields and meadows And on through the dim and gloomy fir forest Singing as she went Woe is me, poor broken-hearted I know My grief is so heavy that I can no longer live

I must leave this earth and go to Manala, the country of departed spirits. Father, mother, brothers, sisters, weep for me no longer, for I am going to live beneath the sea in the lovely grottoes on a couch of sea moss. For three long, weary days Ina wandered, and as the cold night came on, she at last reached the seashore. There she sank down, weary on a rock, and sat there alone in the black night, listening to the solemn music of the wind and the waves as they sang her funeral melody. When at last the day dawned, I know beheld three water-maidens sitting on a rock by the sea. She hastened to them weeping, and then began to take off all her ornaments and lay them carefully away.

when at length she had laid all her gold and silver decorations on the ground she took the ribbons from her hair and hung them in a tree and then laid her silken dress over one of the branches and plunged into the sea at a distance she saw a lovely rock of all the colors of the rainbow shining in the golden sunlight she swam up and climbed upon it to rest But suddenly the rock began to sway, and with a loud crash it fell to the bottom of the sea, carrying with it the unhappy I know. And as she sank down, she sang a last sad farewell to all her dear ones at home, a song that was so sweet and mournful that the wild beasts heard it, and were so touched by it that they resolved to send a messenger to tell her parents what had happened.

So the animals held a council And first the bear was proposed as messenger But they were afraid he would eat the cattle Next came the wolf But they feared he might eat the sheep Then the fox was proposed But then he might eat the chickens So at length the hair was chosen to bear the sad tidings

And he promised to perform his office faithfully He ran like the wind and soon reached I-No's home. There he found no one in the house, but on going to the door of the bath cabin, he found some servants there making birch brooms. They had no sooner caught sight of him than they threatened to roast him and eat him, but he replied, Do not think I have come hither to let you roast me, for I come with sad tidings to tell you of the flight of Ino

and how she died. The rainbow-colored stone sank with her to the bottom of the sea, and she perished, singing like a lovely songbird. There she sleeps in the caverns at the bottom of the sea, and on the shore she has left her silken dress in all her golden jewels. When these tidings came to her mother, the bitter tears poured from her eyes and she sang, oh, all other mothers, listen.

Never try to force your daughters from the house they longed to stay in, unto husbands whom they loved not. Thus I drove away my daughter, I know, fairest in the Northland. Singing thus, she sat and wept, and the tears trickled down until they reached her shoes and began to flow out over the ground. Here, they formed three ladies. little streams, which flowed on and grew larger and larger until they became roaring torrents.

And in each torrent was a great waterfall. And in the midst of the waterfalls rose three huge rocky pillars. And on the rocks were three green hills. And on each of the hills was a birch tree. And on each tree sat a cuckoo. And all three sang together. And the first one sang, Love, oh love!

For three whole moons, mourning for the dead maiden. And the second sang, Souter, Souter, wailing six long moons for the unhappy Souter. And the third sang sadly, consolation, consolation, Never ending all his long life for the comfort of the broken-hearted mother. Mother Steena looked at little Mimi very solemnly when this story was ended, as if she wondered whether she herself would ever need to take to heart the warning of Ino's mother. But no one said anything, and Father Miko continued on with the next story. End of Chapter 5.

Chapter 6 of Finnish Legends. This is a Libervox recording. All Libervox recordings are in the public domain. For more information or to volunteer, please visit Libravox.org. Recording by Fatima Ansari from the beautiful land of Kashmir. Finish Legends by Ar Avand. Chapter 6, Wynamoinan's Search for I Know. When the news reached Wynomorinen, he began to weep most bitterly,

and the tears fell all that day and night. But the next day he hastened to the water's edge and prayed to the god of dreams to tell him where the water gods dwelt. And the dream god answered him lazily and told him where the island was, around which the sea gods and the mermaids lived. Then, Wynamornan hastened to his boathouse

and chose a copper boat, and in it placed fishing lines and hooks and nets, And when all was ready, he rode off swiftly towards the forest-covered island, which the dream-god had told him of. No sooner had he arrived there than he began to fish, using a line of silver and a hook of gold. But for many days he fished in vain, yet still he persevered. At last one day a wondrous fish was caught, and it played about and struggled a long time, until at length it was exhausted, and the hero landed it in the boat. When Wynumoinan saw it, he was astonished at its beauty,

but after gazing at it for some time, he drew out his knife and was about to cut it up ready for eating. But no sooner had he touched the fish with his knife, then it leapt from the bottom of the boat and dived under the water. Then it rose again out of his reach and said to him, O ancient minstrel, I did not come hither to be eaten by thee, merely to give thee food for a day. Why didst thou come, then? asked Wynam-oinen. I came, O minstrel, to rest in thine arms and to be thy companion and wife forever, the fish replied.

To keep thy home in order, and to do whatever thou pleased, for I am no salmon of the northern seas, but Yochahainen's youngest sister. I am the one thou wert fishing for. I know whom thou lovest. Once thou wert wise, but now art foolish, cruel. Thou didst not know enough to keep me, but wouldest eat me for thy dinner. Then Wynamoynan begged her to return to him,

but the fish replied, Never more will Ino's spirit come to thee to be so treated. And as it spoke, the fish dived out of sight. Still, Wynamoina did not give up, but took out his nets and began dragging the waters,

and he dragged all the waters in the lands of Lapland and of Caliwala and caught fish of every sort. Only I know, now the water maiden, never came into his net. Fool that I am, he said at length. Surely I was once wise,

had at least a bit of wisdom, But now all my power has left me, for I have had I know in my boat, but did not know until too late that I had even caught her. And with these words he gave up his search and set off to his home in Kalevala. And on his way he mourned that the joyous song of the sacred Kakoo had ceased, and he sang, I shall never learn the secret how to live and prosper. If only my ancient mother were still living, she could give me good advice that this sorrow might leave me. Then his mother awoke from her tomb in the depths and spoke to him.

Thy mother was but sleeping, and I'll now advise thee how this sorrow may pass over. Go at once to the Northland, where dwell wise and lovely maidens, far lovelier than I know. Take one of them for thy wife. she will make thee happy and be an honor to thy home i don't think he had much of a heart if he could be consoled so easily as all that said mother stina a little indignantly wait and you shall see said old father miko with a smile and he continued end of chapter six chapter seven of finished legends this is a livervox recording all liverbox recordings are in the public domain. For more information or to volunteer,

please visit liverfax.org. Recording by Fatima Ansari from the beautiful land of Kashmir. Finish Legends by Arr Avand. Chapter 7. Weina Moinen's unlucky journey. Wynamornan made ready for a journey to the northland, to the land of cold winters and of little sunshine,

where he was to seek a wife. He saddled his swift steed, and mounting started towards the north. On and on he went upon his magic steed, galloping over the plains of Kalivala. And when he came to the shores of the wide sea, he did not halt, but galloped on over the water, without even so much as wetting a hoof of his magic courser. But wicked Yokoainen hated Wynomoyan for what he had done when he defeated him in magic. and so he made ready a bow of steel he painted it with many bright colors and trimmed it with gold and silver and copper then he chose the strongest sinews from the stag and at length the great bow was ready on the back was painted a courser at each end a colt near the bend a sleeping maiden near the notch a running hair and after that he cut some arrows out of oak put tips of sharpened copper

on them, and five feathers on the end. Then he hardened the arrows and steeped them in the blood of snakes and the poison of the adder to give them magic power. When all was ready, Yoko Hinen went out to wait for his enemy. For many days and nights he watched in vain, but still he did not weary. And at last one day at dawn, he saw what seemed to be a black cloud on the waters. But by his magic art, he knew. He knew that it was Weinamoynin on his magic steed.

Then he went after his bow, but his mother stopped him and asked him whom he meant to shoot with his bow and poisoned arrows. Yokoainen replied, I have made this mighty bow and these poisoned arrows for the old magician, Wynamoyan, that I may destroy my rival. His mother reproved him, saying, If thou slayest Wynamoyan, all our joy will vamp. all the singing and music will die with him. It is better that we have his magic music in this world than to have it all go to the underground world Manala, where the spirits of the dead dwell.

Yoko Hinen hesitated for a moment, but then envy and hatred filled his heart, and he replied, Even though all joy and pleasure vanish from the world, yet will I shoot this rival singer, Let the end be what it will. With these words he hastened out and took his stand in a thicket near the shore. He chose the three strongest arrows from his quiver, and selecting the best among these three, he laid it against the string and aimed at Weinamoinan's heart, and as he still waited for him to come nearer,

he sang this incantation. Be elastic bowstring of mine. Swiftly fly, O Oaken, arrow. Swift is light, O poisoned arrow, to the heart of Wynumoinen. If my hand too low shall aim thee, may the gods direct thee higher. If mine eye too high shall aim thee, may the gods direct thee lower. Then he let the arrow fly, but it flew over Wynumoinin's head and pierced and scattered the clouds above. Again he shot a second, but it flew too low. and penetrated to the depths of the sea.

Then he aimed the third, and it flew from his bow swift as lightning. Straightforward it flew and struck the magic steed full in the shoulder, so that Wynamoinen was plunged headlong into the waves. And then arose a mighty storm wind, and the old magician was carried far out into the wide open sea. But Yoko Heinen believed that he had killed. his rival, and so went home, rejoicing and singing as he went. And his mother asked him, Hast thou slain the great Weinamoyan? And he replied, I have slain old Weinamoyan.

Into the salt sea he plunged headlong, and the old magician is now at the bottom of the deep. But his mother replied, Woe to the earth for what thou hast done. Joy and singing are gone forever. for thou hast slain the great wise singer, thou hast slain the joy of Kalevala. All his listeners seemed very much dissatisfied that the turn the story had taken, so Father Miko hastened to assure them that Wynamorinen was not really dead,

and then he began the next story. End of Chapter 7. Chapter 8 of Finnish Legends. This is a Librivox recording. All LibriVox recordings are in the public domain. For more information or to volunteer, please visit LibriVox.org. Recording by Sonia Finnish Legends by R. Avin

Chapter 8 Vainamoynen's rescue But Vainamoynen was not dead, but swam on for eight days and seven nights trying to reach land. And when the evening of the eighth day came and still not, no land was in sight, he began to grow tired and to despair of ever getting out alive. But just then he spied an eagle of wonderful size, flying towards him from the west, and the eagle flew up to him and asked who he was and how he had come there in the ocean. And Vainamoynen replied, I am Vainamoyen, the great singer and magician.

I had left my home for the distant northland, and as I galloped over the ocean and near the shore, wicked Yucahainen killed my steed with his magic arrows, and I was cast headlong into the waters. And then a mighty wind arose, and drove me farther and ever farther out to sea, and now I have been struggling with the winds and waves for eight long, weary days, and I fear that I shall perish of cold and hunger before I reach any land. The eagle replied, Do not be discouraged, but seat thyself upon my back, and I will carry thee to land, for I have not forgotten a day when thou left the birch-trees standing

for the birds to sing in and the eagle to rest on. So Vainamoynen climbed upon the eagles brought back and seated himself securely there and off the eagle flew, straight to the nearest land. There on the shore of the dismal northland the eagle left him and flew off to join his mate.

Vina-Moyen found himself upon a bare rocky point of land without the trace of human life about it, nor any path through the woods by which it was surrounded. And he wept bitterly, for he was far from home, covered with wounds from his battle with the winds and waters, and faint with hunger. Three days and three nights he wept without seizing. Now the fair and lovely daughter of Olohi had laid a wager with the sun that she would rise before him the next morning. and so she did, and had time to shear six lambs before the sun had left his couch beneath the ocean. And after this, she swept up the floor of the stable with a birch-broom,

and collecting the sweepings on a copper shovel, she carried them to the meadow near the seashore. There she heard the sound of someone weeping, and hastening back, she told her mother of it. Then Lohie, ancient mistress of the Northland, hurried out from her house and down to the seashore. There she heard the sound of weeping, and quickly pushed off from the shore in a boat, and rode to where the weeping Vynamin said. When she came to him, she said to him, What folly hast thou done to be in so sad a state? Vina Moinen replied, It is indeed folly that has brought me into this trouble. I was happy enough at home before I went on this expedition. Then Lohie asked him to tell her who he was of all the great

great heroes. Vainamoinen replied, Formerly I was honored as a great singer and magician. I was called the singer of Kalevala, the wise Vainamoyen. Then Lohi said, Rise, O hero, from thy lowly couch among the willows. Come with me to my home, and there tell me the story of thy adventures. So she took the starving hero into her boat and rode him to the shore and took him to her house. There she gave him food, and the warmth and rest and shelter soon restored to him all his

strength. Then Lohy asked him to relate his adventures, and he told her all that had happened to him. When he had finished, Lowy said to him, Weep no more, Vainamoyen, for thou shalt be welcome in our homes, thou shalt live with us and eat our salmon and other fish. Vynamoyen thanked her for her kindness, but at it, one's own country and table and home are the best and dearest. May the great God, Uco, the Creator, grant that I may once more reach my dear home and country. It is better to drink clear water from a birchion cup in one's own home than in foreign lands to drink the richest liquors from the golden beakers of strangers. Then Lohie asked him,

What reward wilt thou give me if I carry thee back to thy beloved home, to the plains of Calaverala. Vainamoynen asked her what reward she would consider sufficient, whether gold or silver treasures. But Lowy answered, I ask not for gold or silver, O wise Vainer,

but canst thou forge for me the magic sample, with its lid of many colours, the magic mill that grinds out flour on one side and salt from another side, and turns out money from the third. I will give thee, too, my daughter as a reward, to be thy wife, and to care for thy home.

But Vainamorinen answered sadly, I cannot forge for thee the magic sample, but take me to my country, and I will send thee Illmarinen, who will make it for thee, and wed thy lovely daughter. Illmarinen is a wondrous smith. He it was who forged the heavens, and so perfectly did he do it, that we cannot see a single mark of the hammer on them. Loe replied,

Only to him who can forge the magic Sampo for me will I give my daughter. Then she harnessed up her sledge and put Vynamoynen in it and made him all ready for his journey home. And as he started off, she spoke these words to him. Do not raise thy eyes to the heavens. Do not look upward while the day lasts before the evening star has risen, or a terrible misfortune will happen to you. Then Vynamoyen drove off, and his heart. grew light as he left the dismal Northland behind him on his way to Calaverara.

End of Chapter 8. Chapter 9 of Finnish Legends. This is a Librivox recording. All Librevox recordings are in the public domain. For more information or to volunteer, please visit Librivox.org. Recording by Sonia Finnish Legends by R. Avon. Chapter 9 The Rainbow Maiden The fair rainbow maiden, Lohie's daughter, set upon a rainbow in the heavens, and was clad in the most splendid dress of gold and silver. She was busy weaving golden webs of wonderful beauty,

using a shuttle of gold and a silver weaving comb. As Vina Moinen came swiftly along the way, which led from the dark and dismal northland to the plains of Kalevala, before he had gone far on his way, he heard in the sky above him the humming of the rainbow maiden's loam. Without thinking of old Lohy's warning, he looked up and beheld the maiden seated on the gorgeous rainbow, weaving beauteous cloth. No sooner had he seen the lovely maiden, then he stopped, and calling to her, asked her to come to his sledge. The rainbow maiden replied, Tell me what thou wishest of me.

Thou shalt come with me, Viannamoyen replied, to bake me honey-biscuit. to fill my cup with foaming beer, to sing beside my table, to be a queen within my home in the land of Calavala. But the maiden replied, yesterday I went at twilight to the flowery meadows. There I heard a thrush singing, and I asked him, tell me, pretty songbird, how shall I live most happily, as a maiden in my father's home, or as a wife by my husband's side? And the bird sang in reply, the summer days are bright and warm, and so is a maiden's freedom. The winter is cold and dark, and so are the lives of married women. They are like dogs chained in a kennel. No favors are given to wives. But Vynamorin answered the maiden. The thrush sings only nonsense. Maidens are

treated like little children, but wives are like queens. Come to my sledge, oh maiden, for I am not the least among heroes, nor am I ignorant of magic. Come, and I will make thee my wife and queen in Kalawala. Then the rainbow maiden promised to be his wife if he would split a golden hair with a knife that had no edge, and take a bird's egg from the nest with a snare that no one could see. Vainamoynen did both these things, and then begged her to come to his sledge, for he had done what she asked.

But she set another task for him, telling him she would marry him if he could peel a block of sandstone and cut a whip-handle from ice without making a single splinter. And Vynar-Moynen did both these things, but still the maiden refused to go, until he had performed a third task. This was to make from the splinters of her distaff a little ship, and to launch it into the water without touching it.

Then Viner-Moynen took the pieces of her distaff and set to work. He took them to a mountain from which he got the iron for his work, and for three days he laboured with hatchet and hands. hammer. But on the evening of the third day, a wicked spirit, Lempo, caught his hatchet as he raised it up, and turned it as it fell, so that it hit a rock and broken fragments, and one of the pieces flew into the magician's knee and cut it so that the blood poured out. Then Vainamoynen began to sing a magic incantation to stop the blood from flowing, but his magic was powerless against the evil Lempo, and he could not stop the blood. Then he gathered certain herbs with

wonderful powers and put them on the wound, but still he could not heal it up, for Lampo's bell was too powerful for his magic. So he got into his sledge again, and drove off at a gallop to seek for help. Soon he came to a place where the road branched off in three directions. He chose the left-hand one, and galloped on till he reached the house. When he went to the door, he found only a boy and a baby inside, and when he had told them what he wanted, the boy said, there is no one here that can help thee, but take the middle road, and perhaps thou wilt find help. So off he galloped to where the roads branched off, and then along the middle one, to another house. There he found an old witch lying on the floor, but she gave him the same answer that the boy had done,

and sent him to the right-hand road. On this road he came to another cottage, where an old man with a long grey beard was sitting by the fire, and when Vainamorinen told him of his trouble, the old man replied, Greater things have been done by but three of the magic words, water has been turned to land and land to water. On hearing this answer, Vainamoyen rose from his sledge and went into the cottage and seated himself there,

and all this time his knee was bleeding, so that the blood was enough to fill seven huge birch and pots. Then the old man asked him who he was, and bade him sink to him the origin of the iron that had wounded himself. so. And Vainamoyen related the following story of how iron was first made. Long ago after there were air and water, fire was born, and after the fire came iron. Uco, the creator, rubbed his hands upon his left knee, and there arose thence three lovely maidens, who were the mothers of iron and steel. These three maidens walked forth on the clouds,

and from their bosoms ran the milk of iron, down into the clouds, and thence down upon nearer. earth. Uco's eldest daughter cast black milk over the riverbeds, and the second cast white milk over the hills and mountains, and the third red milk over the lakes and oceans. And from the black milk grew the soft black iron ore, from the white milk the lighter-colored ore, and from the red milk, the brittle red iron ore. After the iron had lain in peace for a while, fire came to visit his brother Iron and try to eat him up. Then Iron ran from him and took refuge in the swamps and marshes, and that is how we now find iron ore hidden in the marshes. Then was born the great Smith Illmarinen, and the next morning, after he was born, he built his smithy on a hill

near the marshland. There he found the hidden iron ore and carried it to his smithy and put it in the furnace to be smelted. And Illmarinen had not blown more than three thousand. And Ilmarinen had not blown more than strokes of the bellows, before the iron began to grow soft as though. But then iron cried out to him, Take me from this furnace, Ilmarinen, save me from this cruel torture, for the heat of the fire had grown unbearable. Thou art not heard, but only a little frightened, Ilmarinen replied, but I will take thee out, and thou shalt be a great warrior and slay many heroes. But iron swore by the hammer and anvil, I will injure trees and mountains, but I'll never. never kill the heroes. I will be men's servant and their tool, but will not serve for weapons.

So Ilmerinen put the iron on his anvil and made from it many fine things and tools of every kind. But he could not harden the iron into steel, though he pondered over it for a long time. He made a lie from birch ashes and water to harden the iron in, but it was all in vain. Just then a little bee came flying up, and Ilmerinen begged him to bring honey from all the flowers in the meadows that he might put it in the water, and so harden the iron to steal. But the hornet, one of the servants of the evil spirit Lampo, was sitting on the roof and overheard Ilmarinen's words, and the hornet flew off and collected all the evil charms he could find, the hissing of serpents, the venom of adders, the poison of spiders, the stings of

every insect, and brought them to Illmarinen. He thought that the bee had come and brought him honey from the meadows, and so mixed all these poisons with the water in which he was to plunge the iron. And when he thrust the iron into the poisoned water, it was turned to hard steel, but the poisons made it forget its oath, and grow hard-hearted, and it began to wound men and cause their blood to flow in streams. This was the origin of steel and iron. When Vynamorinen had finished, the old man rose from the hearth, and began an incantation to make the wound close up. First he cursed iron that it had become so wicked, and then he bade the blood ceased to flow by the power of his magic. And as he went on, he prayed to great Uku

that if this magic incantation should not prove sufficient, Uco himself would come and stop the wound. By the time he had finished his words of magic, the blood ceased flowing from the wound. Then the old man sent his son to make a healing self out of herbs, to take away the word. To take away the soreness from Vynamoynen's knee. First the youth made the cell from oak bark and young shoots and many sorts of healing grasses. Three days and three nights he steeped them in a copper kettle, but when he had finished the salve would not do. Then he added still other healing herbs, and steeped it for three days more, and at last it was ready. First he tried it on a birch tree that had been broken down by wicked lampo. He rubbed the salve on the broken branches and said,

With this self I anoint thee, recover, O birch-tree, and grow more beautiful than ever. And the tree grew together and became more beautiful and strong than ever before. Then he tried the self on broken granite boulders and on fissures in the mountains, and it was so powerful that he closed them all together as if they had never existed. After this he hurried home and gave the magic self to his father and told him what he had done with it. The old man anointed Viner Moinen's knee with it, saying, Do not rely on thine own virtue or power, but in thy creator's strength. Do not speak with thine own wisdom, but with great Uchus.

Whatever in thee is good comes from Uco. No sooner had the old man put on the self and said these words, then Vina Moinen was seized with a terrible pain, and lay rolling and writhing on the floor in agony. But the old man bandaged up his knee with a silken bandage, and prayed to Uco to come to his assistance, and suddenly the pain left Weinamoyen, and his knee became as strong and well as ever. Then he raised his eyes in gratitude to heaven, and prayed thus to Uco.

Praise to thee, my creator, for the aid that thou hast given me, for thou hast banished all my pain and trouble. O all ye people of Kala, both those now living and those to come. Boast not of the work that ye have done, but give to God the praise, for the great Uco alone can make all things perfect. Uco is the one master. There was a moment's pause, and then little Mimi said that she was so glad Vina Moinen

was well again, and asked Father Miko to tell them what happened to him next. But the old man answered that he must have a little time to breathe at least. So he filled his pipe again and lighted it, and Eric brought up. some more beer and they sat and smoked and drank beer and chatted for a while. Then when he felt rested once more, Father Miko obeyed Mimi's urgent request and began again to tell them how Vainamoynen got home and what happened afterwards. End of Chapter 9. Chapter 10 of Finnish Legends. This is a Librivox recording. All Librevox recordings are in the public domain.

For more information or to volunteer, please visit Librivox.org. Recording by Sonia Finnish Legends by R. Avon, Chapter 10 Illmarinen forges the sample. No sooner was Vainamoynen cured of his wound, then he put his sledge in order and drove off at lightning speed towards Kalavala. For three days he journeyed over hills and valleys, over marshes and meadows, and on the evening of the third day,

he reached the land of Kalevala once again. There, on the borderline he halted, and began a magic song. And as he sang, a fir tree began to grow from the earth, and kept on growing until its top had grown up above the clouds and reached to the stars. When the tree had finished growing, Vainamoynen sang another magic song, so that the moon was caught fast in the tree's branches, and obliged to shine there until Vynamoyen should reverse his spell. and then by another spell he made the stars of the great bear fast in the tree-top,

and then jumped into his sledge and drove on again to his home, with his cap-saddle wry on his head, mourning because he had promised to send Ill-Marinen back to the Northland to forge the magic Sampo as his ransom. As he drove on, he came to Ill-Marinen's smithy, and he stopped and went in to him. Il-Marinen welcomed him and asked where he had been so long, and what had happened to him. Then Vainer Moinen told him of his journey to the Northland, and all the dangers he had gone through, and he added, In a village there I saw a maiden, who is the fairest in all the Northland. All there sing her praises, for her forehead shines like the rainbow, and her face is fair as the golden moonlight.

She is more beautiful than the sun and all the stars together, but she will not marry any suitor. But do thou go, dear Illmarinen, and see her wondrous beauty. forged a magic sample for her mother, and then thou shalt win this lovely maiden to be thy wife. But Ilmarinen replied, O cunning Vainamoyen, I know that thou hast promised me as a ransom for thyself, but I will never go to that gloomy country, nor do I care for thy beautiful maiden, I will not go for all the maids in Pugola. Vainamoyen answered, but I can tell thee of still greater wonders, for I have seen a giant fir-tree growing on the border of our own country. Its top is higher than the clouds, and in its branches

shine the moon and the great bear. I will not believe thy wonderful story, replied Ilmarinen, until I see the tree with my own eyes, and the moon and stars shining in it. Come with me, said Vainamoyen, and I will show thee that I'll speak the truth. So oft they said to see the wondrous tree. When they had come to it, Vynamoinen asked Ilmarenin to climb the tree, and to bring down the moon and stars, and he at once began to climb up towards them. But while he was climbing, the fir-tree spoke to him, saying, "'Foolish hero, why hast thou so little knowledge as to try to steal the moon from my branches?' No sooner had the tree said these words to Illmarinen, then Weinamoyen sang a magic spell,

calling up a great storm-wind and saying to it, O stormwind, take Illmarinen and carry him in thy airy vessel to the dark and dismal northland. And the storm wind came and heaped up the clouds so that they formed the boat, and seizing Illmarinen from the tree, it placed him in the clouds and rushed off to the north, carrying clouds and all with it. On and on he sailed, rising higher than the moon, tossed about by the wind, until at last he came to the northland, and the stormwind set him down in lowy's squirt. courtyard. Old toothless Loe saw him as he alighted, and asked him,

Who art thou that comest through the air, riding on the storm-wind? Has thou ever met the great Smith Ill-Marinen, for I have long been waiting for him to come and forge the magic sample for me? I do indeed know him well, he replied, for I myself am Ill-Marinen. At these words, Loe hurried into the house and told her youngest daughter to dress herself in all her most splendid clothes and ornaments, for Ilmarinen was come to make the sample for them. So the maiden chose her loveliest silken dresses, and placed a circuit of copper round her brow, a golden girdle round her waist, and pearls about her neck, and in her hair she twisted threads of gold and silver. When she was dressed, she looked, with her rosy red cheeks and

bright sparkling eyes, more lovely than any other maiden in all the Northland, and then she hurried to the hall to meet Illmarinen. loy went to ilmarinen and led him into the house where there was a feast spread ready for him she gave him the best seat at the table and the choicest viands to eat and gave him everything he wished for then she asked him if he would forge the sample for her and promised him if he would her fairest daughter as his wife ilmarinen was charmed with her daughter's beauty and he promised to do what she asked but when he went to look for a place to work in he could find no place and he could find no place and and not even so much as a pair of bellows to blow his fire with. Still he was not discouraged, but for three days he wandered about, looking for a place to build a workshop. On the evening of the third day he saw a huge rock that was suited for his purpose,

and there he began to build. The first day he built a chimney and started a fire. The second day he made his bellows and put them in place. The third day he finished his furnace, and had all ready to begin his work. and Ilmarinen made a magic mixture of certain metals and put them in the bottom of the furnace, and he hired some of Lois men to work the bellows and keep putting fuel on the fire. Three long summer days the workmen blew the bellows,

until at length the base rock began to blossom in flames from the magic heat. On the evening of the first day Ilmarinen bent over the furnace and took out a magic bow. It gleamed like the moon, had a shaft of copper and tips of silver. and was the most wonderful bow that had ever been made. But it would not rest satisfied unless it killed a warrior every day, and two on feast days. So Ilmarinen broke it into pieces,

and threw them back into the furnace, and tried again to forge the sample. On the evening of the second day, he looked into the furnace and drew forth a magic vessel. It was all purple, save the ribs that were of gold and the vase of copper, and it was the most beautiful vessel that ever had been made.

But wherever it went, it always led men into quarrels and fights, so Illmarinen broke it into pieces and threw it back into the furnace. On the evening of the third day he took out of the furnace a magic heifer, with horns of gold and the most beautiful shaped head. But she was ill-tempered and would not stay at home, but rushed through the forest and swamps and wasted all her milk on the ground. So Ilmarinen cut the magic heather in pieces And threw them back into the furnace

And on the fourth evening He took out a wonderful plough The plough share of gold and the handles of silver And the beam of copper But he ploughed up fields of barley and the richest meadows So Ilmarinen threw it back into the furnace Then he drove away all his workmen And by his magic called up the storm winds

To blow his bellows They came from the north and south and east and west, and they blew one day and then another, and then a third, until the fire leapt out through the windows. The sparks flew from the door, and the smoke rose up and mingled with the clouds. And on the third evening, Ilmarinen looked into the furnace and beheld the magic sample, growing there. Quickly he took it out, and placed it on his anvil, and taking a huge hammer, the wonderful smith forged the luck-bringing sample. From one side it grinds out flour, and from the other salt, and from the third it coins out money.

And the lid is all the colours of the rainbow, and as it rocks back and forth, it grinds one measure for the day, and one for the market, and one for the storehouse. Then old Lohy joyfully took the luck-bringing Sampo, and hid it in the hills of Lapland. She bounded with nine great locks, and by her witchcraft made three roots grow all around it,

two deep beneath the mountains, and one beneath the sea. seashore. And when he had finished the sample, Ilmarinen came to the lovely daughter of Lohie and asked her if she were ready now to be his wife. But she replied, if I should go with thee and leave the northland, all the birds would cease to sing. No, never while I live will I give up my maiden freedom, lest all the birds should leave the forest and the mermaids leave the waters. So Ilmerinen had made the sample all in vain, and he was now far from home, and he was now far from home, and had no way of returning.

But Lowy came to him and asked him why he was grieving, and when she learned his trouble and that he now wished to return to his own home, she provided him with the boat of copper. And when he had set sail, she sent the north wind to carry him on his way, and on the evening of the third day he reached his home. There Vainamoynen met him, and asked if he had forged a magic sample. Yes, replied Illmarinen, I have forged a sample. with its lid of many colors.

Loe has the wondrous sample, but I have lost the beauteous maiden. Ah, said little Mimi, old Loie's daughter was just as mean as could be, and of course she didn't keep her promise, because laps never can be good people. Don't be too hard on the poor laps, my dear, said Father Miko,

for you see this happened a great many hundreds of years ago, and the whole world has grown better since then. But now we will leave ill-Marine and Weinemoinen for a while, and I will tell you about the reckless Laminchenin and his adventures. So the old man began as follows. End of Chapter 10 Chapter 11 of Finnish Legends. This is a Libervox recording.

All Libervox recordings are in the public domain. For more information or to volunteer, please visit Libravox.org. Recording by Phil Schampf Finish Legends by R. Ivan Lemmicanon and Killickey Long, long ago, a son was born to Lampo, and he was named Lemmicanan, but some called himati. He grew up amongst the islands and fed upon salmon

until he became a mighty man, handsome to look at, and skilled in magic. But he was not as good as he was handsome. He had a wicked heart, and was more famous for his dancing than for great deeds. Now, at the time my story begins, there lived in the Northland, a beautiful maiden named Kilike.

She was so lovely that the sun had begged her to marry his son and come and live with them, but she refused. And when the moon came and besought her to marry her son, and the evening star sought her for his son, she refused them both. And after that came suitors from all the country's roundabout, but the lovely Killiky would not marry one of them.

When Lemmy Canaan heard of this, he resolved that he would win her for himself. But his aged mother tried to dissuade him, telling him that the maiden was of a higher family than his own, that all the Northland women would laugh at him, and then if he should try to punish them for their laughter, that the warriors of the Northland would fall on him and kill him. But all this did not make him change his mind, and he started off for the distant night. Northland. When he came near to Killiky's home, all the women had maidens that saw him began to laugh at him because he looked so poor, and yet dared to try to win Fair Killiky's hand. When he heard them laughing, it made him so angry that he drove on without paying any

attention to how he was driving. And when he came to the courtyard, his sledge hit against the gatepost and broke to pieces, and threw him out into the snow. He rose up angry, than ever, but all those around only laughed the harder at him, and made all manner of fun of him. Then they offered him a place as a shepherd on the mountains. So, Atty became a shepherd, and spent all the days on the hills, but in the evenings he went to their dances, and when he had shown them what a skillful dancer he was, he soon became a great favorite with all the women, and they began to praise him, instead of laughing at him. But Fair Kilike alone, would have nothing to do with him, would not even look at him in spite of all his endeavors to win her.

At last she was tired out with his attentions, and told him that he had better return home, for she did not like him, and that so long as he stayed there, she would not even look at him. Still he did not go away, but waited until a chance came to carry out his new plan. About a month after this, all the maidens were met together for a dance in a glen among the hills, and among them was Killikee. Suddenly, Lemmy Canaan came galloping up in his sledge and seized the fair Killiky as she was dancing with the rest, placed her in his sledge, and drove off like the whirlwind. And as he flew by the frightened maidens, he cried out to them, Never tell that I have taken Killiky, or I will cast a magic spell over your lovers, so that they will all leave you and go off to the wars, and will never come back to dance and make merry with you.

But Kellecky wept and begged Lemmy Kainan to give her back her freedom, saying, Oh, give me back my freedom, cruel, Lemmy Kainan, let me return on foot to my grieving father and mother. If thou will not let me go, O Ati, I will curse thee, and will call upon my seven valiant brothers to pursue and kill thee. Once I was happy among my people, But now all my joy has gone, since thou hast come to torment me, O cruel-hearted, Ate.

But all her words could not move Lemmy Canaan to release her. Then he said to her, Dearest maiden, fair Killiky, cease thy weeping and be joyful. I will never harm thee, nor deceive thee. Why shouldst thou be sorrowful, for I have a lovely home and friends and riches, and thou shalt never need to labor. Do not despise me because my family is not mighty, for I have a good spear and a sharp sword, and with these I will gain greatness and power for thy sake. Then Killiky asked him, O Otty, son of Lempo, wilt thou then be to me a faithful husband? Will thou swear to me never to go to battle, nor to strife of any sort? I swear upon my honor, Lemmicanan replied, that I will never go to battle, if thou wilt promise in return,

never to go to dance in the village, however much thou mayest long for it. So the two swore before great Uco, Lemmy Canaan promising never to go to battle, and Killiky that she would never go to the village dances. And then Lemmy Canaan rejoicing cracked his sweep, and they galloped on like the wind, over hills and valleys, towards the plains of Calavala. As they came near to Lemmy Canaan's home, Killikey saw that it looked dreary and poor, and began to weep again. But Lemmy Kinan comforted her, telling her that now he would build a splendid mansion for her, and so she grew cheerful once more. They drove up to his mother's cottage, and as they entered, his mother asked him how he had fared. Atty answered, I have well repaid the scorn of the Northland of maidens, for I have brought the fairest of

them with me in my sledge. I brought her well wrapped in bearskins hither, to be my loving bride forever. Beloved mother, make ready for us the best room and prepare a rich feast that my bride may be content. His mother answered, Praise be gracious Uco, that hath given me a daughter. Praise Uco, my son, that thou hast won this lovely maiden, the pride of the Northland,

who is purer than snow, more graceful than the swan and more beautiful than the stars. Let us make our dwelling larger, and decorate the walls most beautiful, in honor of thy lovely bride, the fairest made of all creation. End of Lemmy Canaan and Killicay. Chapter 12 of Finnish Legends. This is a Libravox recording.

All Libravox recordings are in the public domain. For more information or to volunteer, please visit Libravox.org. Recording by Phil Schamp Finish Legends by R. Eithent. Killiky's Broken Vow. Lemmy Canaan and Killike lived together happily for many years, keeping the promises they had made to each other. But one day, Lemmy Canaan had not come home from fishing by sunset,

and then the longing to dance was more than Killiky could withstand, and she went into the village and joined the maidens in their dance. As soon as Lemmy Canaan came home, his sister, Eineke, came to him and told him how Killiky had broken her promise and had joined the dance. Then Lemmy Canaan grew angry and sad at the same time, and he went to his mother and asked her to steep his clothing in the blood of serpents, for he was going off to battle, since Killickey could not keep her vow. Killiky tried to persuade him not to leave her,

telling him that she had dreamt a dream in which she saw their home in flames, and the fire bursting out through the doors and windows and roof, But Lemmy Canaan replied, I have no faith in women's dreams or maiden's vows. Bring me my copper armor, mother, for I long to get to the wars, to go to dismal pohola, there to win great stores of gold and silver.

Stay home, my dear son, his aged mother said, and drink the beer in our cellars, sitting peaceably by thine own heart, for we have more than enough gold and silver. Only the other day, as our servants were ploughing, the fields, they came upon a chest of gold and silver buried in the ground. Take this and be content. When all this had no effect upon Lemmy Canaan, his mother began to tell him of the magic of the

Northland people, and that they would sing him into the fire so that he would be burnt to death, but he replied. Long ago, three Lapland wizards tried to bewitch me and employed their strongest spells against me, but I stood unmoved. Then I began my own magic side. I began my own magic, songs, and before long I overcame them and sank them to the bottom of the sea, where they are still sleeping, and the seaweed is growing through their hair and beards. Still his mother tried to stop him, and his wife, Kelakib, begged his forgiveness in tears. He stood listening to them and brushing out his long black hair, but at last he became impatient, and threw the brush from him and cried out, I will not stay, but keep that brush. And when ye see blood

oozing from its bristles, then ye may know that some terrible misfortune has overtaken me. Saying this, he left them, and put on his armor and harnessed his steed into his sledge. Then he sang a song, calling on all the spirits of the woods and the mountains and the waters, and on great Uco himself to help him against the Northland Wizards, and when his song was ended, he drove off like the wind. In the evening of the third day he reached a little village in the Northland. Here he drove into a courtyard and called out, Is there anyone strong enough to attend to my horse and take care of my sledge?

There was a child playing on the floor of the house, and it replied that there was no one there to do it. Then Lemmy Canaan rode on to another house and asked the same question, and a man standing in the doorway replied, There are plenty here that are mighty enough, not only to unharness thy steed, but to conquer thee and drive thee to thy home, ere the sun has set. Then Lemmy Canaan told him that he would return and slay him, and so drove off to the

highest house in the village. Here he cast a spell over the watchdog, so that he should not bark, and drove in. Then he struck the ground with his whip, and from the ground there arose of vapor that concealed the sledge, and in the vapor was a dwarf that took his steed and unharnessed it, and gave it food. But Lemmy Canaan went on into the house. house, having first made himself invisible. There he found a great many people singing and making Mary, and by the fires the Northland wizards were seated. He made his way on, and then took on his own shape again, and entered into the main hall, and cried out to those that were singing to be silent. As soon as she saw him, the mistress of the house ran up to him and asked him

who he was, and how he had passed the watchdog unnoticed. Then Memie Canaan told her, who he was, and instantly began to weave his magic spells, while the lightning shot from his fur mantle and flames from his eyes. He sang them all under the power of his magic, some beneath the waters, some into the burning fire, some beneath the heaped up mountains. Only one poor old man, who was blind and lame, did he leave untouched. And when the old man asked him why it was that he had alone been left. Cruel Lemmy Canaan began to abuse him and to torment him with words until the old man, Nasut, grew almost wild with anger and hobbled away, swearing to have vengeance. Nasut had journeyed on and on, and at last arrived at the river Twoni, which separates the land of the

dead from the land of the living. There he waited until Lemmy Canaan should come, for he knew, by his wizard's skill that he would come thither soon. End of Kilike's Broken Vow. Chapter 13 of Finnish Legends This is a Libravox recording. All Libravox recordings are in the public domain. For more information or to volunteer, please visit Libravox.org.

Recording by Phil Schemp Finish Legends by R. Ivan. Lemmy Canaan's second wooing. After this, Lemmy Canaan traveled on through dismal Poyola until he came to the home of aged Lohie. He went in to Lohy and begged her to give him one of her daughters in marriage, but Lohie refused, saying, Thou hast already taken one wife from Lapland, the fair Killickey, and I will give thee neither the loveliest nor yet the ugliest of my daughters.

Still Lemmy Canaan kept urging her, and at last, to get rid of him, she said, I will never give one of my daughters to a worthless man. Thou mayest not ask me again, until thou bring'st me the hissar reindeer. Then Lemmy Kainan set to work to make his arrows and his darts. When these were done, he went to Liliki, the great snowshoe maker, and bade him make him a huge pair of snowshoes as he was going to hunt the Hissar reindeer.

At first, Lilikie tried to dissuade him, telling him he could never succeed, but perhaps would die in the forest. But Lemmy Canaan ordered him again to make the snow-shoes, and Liliky's set to work. He made them of wood, only a few inches wide, but longer than Lemmy Canaan was tall, and with straps in the middle to fasten them on to the feet. He also made a staff for Lemmy Canaan to push himself along with, or to keep his balance with when he slid down the hills.

At length they were finished, and Lemmy Canaan put them on, and his quiver on his back, and took his snow staff in his hand. as he set off, he cried out, There is no living thing in all the forest that can escape me now when I take my mighty strides in deliki snow-shoes. But the evil spirit Hissa overheard him as he boasted thus, and Hissa

set to work to make an enchanted reindeer that Lemmy Canaan would never be able to catch. So he took bare willow branches to make the horns, and wood for the head. The feet and legs were made of reeds, and the veins from withered grass. The eyes were made. made from daisies, the ears from flowers, and the skin of the rough fur bark, and the muscles

from strong, sappy wood. When this magic reindeer was completed, it was the swiftest and finest looking of all reindeer, and his assented off to Poyola, telling it to lure Lemmy Canaan into the snow-covered mountains, and there to wear him out with the cold and the fatigue of the chase. So the reindeer went forth to dismal pollolla, and there it ran through the courtyards and the outhouses, overturning tubs of water, throwing the kettles from their hooks, and upsetting the dishes that were cooking before the fires. There was a frightful noise there, for all the dogs began to bark, and the children to cry, and the women to laugh, and the men to shout, and then the magic reindeer went on its way. Now Lemmy Canaan had set out as soon as his snow shoes were ready, and he had hunted

the whole world over for a trace of the hissar reindeer, rushing like the wind over the mountains and valleys, until fire shot from his snow shoes, and his snow staff smoked. But after he had wandered over the whole world and still found no trace of the hissar reindeer, he came at last to the corner of Northland, where the magic animal had just run through the courts, upsetting everything. And the children were still crying, and the women laughing when he arrived. Lemmy Canaan asked them what the cause, was of their uproar, and they told him how the reindeer had been there. No sooner had he heard this, then off he flew over the snow, and as he went, he sang a spell, calling on the powers of Pohola, to enable him to catch the Hissa beast. After he had sung, he gave three huge strides with his

snowshoes, and at the end of the third he caught up with the Hissa reindeer, and in another moment had it bound fast. Then he spoke to the reindeer, and patted it on the head, and bade it come with him to Lohie, but suddenly the animal made a mighty rush, snapped his bonds in two, and sprang away over the hills and valleys out of sight. Lemmy Canaan started off after it, but at the first step, his snowshoes broke right in two and threw him down, breaking his arrows and his snow staff in his fall. Then he arose and looked sadly at his broken shoes and arrows and stick, and said to himself, How shall I ever succeed in my own?

hunt, now that my shoes are broken, and the reindeer is once more free. End of Lemmy Canaan's second wooing. Chapter 14 of Finnish Legends. This is a Libravox recording. All Libravox recordings are in the public domain. For more information or to volunteer, please visit Libravox.org. Recording by Phil Schamp Finish Legends by R. Ivan.

Lemmikainen's death. For a long time, Lemmy Canaan sat, considering whether he should give up the chase and return to Kalaala, or still keep on after the hiss a reindeer. At length he regained his hope and courage, and having sung an incantation that made his snowshoes and arrows and staff whole again, he started off once more. This time he turned his steps to the home of Tapio, the god of the forest, and as he went he began to sing wondrous songs to Tapio and his wife, Mialari. begging them to help him, and promising them great stores of gold and silver if they would do so. At last he arrived at Tapio's palace, which had window frames of gold, and the palace itself was of ivory, and within it Mialiki and her daughters were dressed in golden garments, and wore golden gems in their hair, and pearls around their necks, and they all promised to help Lemmy Canaan,

and went off to drive the reindeer up to the palace so he might catch it, nor had he long to wait before whole troops of reindeer came flocking into the palace courtyard, and Lemmy Canaan saw among them the Hissadir and caught it. Then Lemmy Canaan sang a song of triumph, and having paid to Tapio's wife, Mialiki, the gold and silver he had promised, he hastened off with the reindeer to Lohie's home. But when he gave the Hissadir to her, she said, I will give thee my fairest daughter, if thou wilt catch and bridle for me the fiery Hissom. a horse that breathed smoke and fire from his mouth and nostrils.

So Lemmy Canaan went off, taking with him a golden bridle to put on the horse. For three days he wandered without catching sight of the hiss of horse. But on the third day, he climbed to the top of a very high mountain, and from thence he spied the steed on the plain amongst the fir trees, breathing smoke and flames from his mouth and nostrils and eyes. When Lemmy Canaan saw him, he prayed to great Uco to send a shower of icy hail upon the fiery hissed And presently a great shower of hail rained down, and every hailstone was larger than a man's head. After the hail was over, Lemmy Canaan came up to the fiery horse and coaxed him to let the golden bridle be slipped over his head.

Then off they went like the wind, the horse obeying Lemmy Canaan perfectly, and in a very short time they arrived. at Lohe's house. When he had given the Hissah horse to Lohe, Lemmy Canaan asked again for the hand of her Farah's daughter, but Lohe told him she would not give him her daughter until he had killed the swan that swam on Tawoni's river, which flows between the land of the living and the dead. Then Lemmy Canaan started off fearlessly to seek the graceful swan of Tewoni, and journeyed on and on until at length he came to the cold black river. There the old shepherd, heard of Poyola, Nosshut, was waiting for him, and though blind, he heard Lemmy Canaan's footsteps, and sent a serpent from the Death River to meet him. The serpent stung Lemmy Canaan just over the

heart, so that he fell down dead almost instantly, only having time to call upon his ancient mother to help him. And Nasshut cast his body into the dismal river Twoni, where it was washed down through the rapids to the Deathland, Twonela. There the son of the ruler of the Deathland, land, took the body, and cutting it into five portions, cast them back into the stream, saying, Swim there now, O Lemmy Canaan, float forever in this river, so that thou mayest hunt the wild swan at thy leisure. And thus the handsome Lemmy Canaan died, and was cast into the river Twoni that flows along the death. End of Lemmy Canaan's death. Chapter 15 of Finnish Legends. This is a Librovox recording. All Libravox recordings are in the public domain. For more information or to volunteer, please visit

Libravox.org. Recording by Phil Schamp. Finish Legends by R. Ivan. Lemmicanan's restoration. Lemmicanan's mother began to grow uneasy at his long absence, and to fear that some trouble had befallen him. At last one day, as his wife, the fair Killikee, was in her room, She noticed that drops of blood had begun to flow from the bristles of Lemmy Canaan's hairbrush. Then she began to weep and mourn, and ran and told his mother, who came and saw the blood oozing from the brush and cried out, Woe is me for my son, my hero, is in some terrible distress. Some awful misfortune has happened to him.

Saying this she hurried off and went straight to Lohy's house. There she asked what had become of her son, but Lohie only replied that she did not know, that he had driven off long ago in a sledge she had given him, and perhaps the wolves or bears had eaten him. Thou art only telling falsehoods, replied Lamy Canaan's mother, for no bears or wolves can devour him. He would put them to sleep with his magic singing. Now, tell me truly, O Lohie, whither thou hast sent my son, where I will destroy all thy storehouses, and even thy magic Sampo. And then, though, he said, that she had given him a copper

boat, and he had floated off on the river. Perhaps he had perished in the rapids below. But Lemmy Canaan's mother answered, thou art still speaking falsely, tell me the truth this time, or I will send plague and death upon thee. Then lo he answered the third time, I will tell thee the truth. I sent him to fetch me the Hissa reindeer, and then after the fire-breeding horse, and last of all, after the swan that swims the death stream, Tawani, that he might gain the hand of my Farah's daughter. He may have perished there, for he has not come back since to ask for my daughter's hand. No sooner had Lohie said this than the anxious mother hurried off to hunt for her son, over hills and valleys, through marsh and forest, and over the wide water,

she went, but looked for him in vain. Then she asked the trees if they had seen him, but they answered, We have more than enough to think of with our own griefs. We are cut down with cruel axes, and burned to death, and no one pities us. So she wandered on and on, and finally asked the paths if they had seen her son pass by. But the paths replied, Our own lives are too wretched to think of other people's sorrows. We are trot of, and underfoot by beasts and men, and the heavy carts cut us in pieces. Next she asked the moon, but the moon replied, I have trouble enough of my own. I have to wander all alone in both summer and winter nights, and have no rest. Next she questioned the sun, and he was kinder than the rest,

and told her how her son had died in the gloomy river Tuoni. Then she hastened to Elmarinen, the wondrous smith, and bade him make a huge rake for her out of copper, with teeth a hundred fathoms long, and the handle, five hundred fathoms. Ilmarinen quickly forged a magic rake, and she hurried off with it to the gloomy river Twoni, praying as she went, O son, whom Uco hath created, shine for me now with magic power into the kingdom of death, into dark Manala, and lull all the evil spirits there to sleep. The sun came and sat upon a birch tree near the river of Tuoni and shone upon the deathland, Tuonela,

until all the spirits fell asleep. Then he rose, and hovering over them, warmed them into yet deeper slumber, and then hurried back to his place in the sky. Meanwhile, Lemmy Canaan's mother had raked a long time in the coal-black river, but could find nothing. Then she waited in deeper and deeper, until she could reach into the deepest caverns with her rake. First she found his jacket, and then the rest of his clothing.

And finally, the third time she swept her rake along, it brought up Lemmy Canaan's body. But the hands and arms and head were still missing. Still she went on with her search, and at length all the pieces were gathered together. When she had laid them beside each other in their proper position, she began to pray to the goddess of the veins, Suonatar, and the maiden of the ether, to come and join the different parts together, and to sew up the wounds and make him whole. And then she prayed to mighty Uco to help them, and to heal every part that was wounded or bruised, to touch them with his magic touch, and restore Lemmy Canaan to life.

And Uco did so, and Lemmy Canaan lived once more, but he was still blind and deaf and dumb. But his mother considered deeply how she might restore these senses to him, and at length she called the little bee to her, and bated go out and collect honey from the healing plants in the meadows. So the bee flew away, and returned very soon, laden with honey, from all the healing plants. And she anointed her son with this, but it only gave him his sight, and still left him deaf and dumb. Again the mother sent off the bee, telling it to go across the seven ocean, and to alight on an enchanted isle in the eighth.

There it would find magic honey to bring back. The bee did as it was told, and found the magic honey balm in tiny earthen vessels, and flew back with seven vessels in its arms, and seven on each shoulder, all filled with magic honey balm. Lemmy Canaan's mother anointed him with this, and he could hear, but still remained speechless.

Then the mother bade the bee fly up to the seventh heaven, and to bring down from thence the honey of Uco's wisdom, which was so abundant there. When the bee declared it could not fly so high, she told it the way and sent it off. So the bee flew up and up, and at the end of the first day, it rested on the moon. At the end of the second day, it reached the shoulders of the great bear, and on the third day it flew over the great bear's head and reached the seventh heaven of Uco. There it found three golden kettles, and in the first was a balm that gave ease to the heart, and the balm in the second gave happiness, but the balm of the third kettle gave life,

so B took some of the life-giving balm, and hastened back to earth. Then Lemmy Kenan's mother anointed him with this magic balm, speaking a magic spell as she rubbed him with it, and immediately he awoke, and his first words were, truly I have been sleeping long, but yet my sleep was a sweet one, for I knew neither joy nor sorrow. When his mother asked how he had gone thither, and who it was that had harmed him, he told her all. How lo he had sent him for the swan, and how old Nashut, the blind Northland shepherd, had sent the serpent against him and killed him, for he did not know the charm to cure the sting of serpents. Then his mother upbraided him for his ignorance, and told him how the serpent was born from the marrow of the duck and the brain of swallows, mixed with Suhahatar's saliva, and she told him too what the spell was to use against them.

Thus his mother brought him back to life and health, and he was wiser and handsomer than ever, but still he was downhearted. His mother asked him the reason of this, and he replied that he was still thinking of Lohe's daughter, and long he was, for her as his bride, but that first he must shoot the wild swan. But his mother answered, Do not think of the wild swan, nor yet of Lohy's daughters. Return with me to Kala, to thy home and thank and praise the maker, Uco, that he hath saved thee, for I alone could never have saved thee from Disbal Manala. So Lemmy Canaan hastened home with his mother, back again to his pleasant home in Kala. Everyone expressed satisfaction that Lemmy Kainan had been restored to life. For, you see, said Mimi, though he was really a bad man, he did so many wonderful things that you

just can't help wishing for him not to be killed. But now it had grown quite late, nearly nine o'clock, and so they all ate their supper, and then Eric and Father Miko sat smoking and talking, while Mother Steena and the little ones went into the other room to bed. For Eric had actually two rooms in this house, and it isn't every Finnish country cabin that has that, you know. They talked of their country, for that was the dearest subject to both of them. They were intelligent men for their class, and when Father Miko told how the Russian Tsar was taking their liberties away from them,

and was beginning to break all his oaths and promises, and would no doubt end up by making them as badly off as the people on the south side of the Finnish Gulf. When Father Miko related all this, Eric's eyes flashed, and he longed to be able to draw the sword to defend his beloved country's liberty. But at last, they had gone over all these things and were sleepy themselves, so they made up their beds on some sheepskin rugs on the floor, and soon fell into a sound sleep. The next day it was still storming, and so Father Miko gave up all idea of leaving that day.

About three o'clock in the afternoon, it was dark as night then. They all finished dinner and settled down around the fire, as on the day before, and Father Miko was easily persuaded to go on with his stories. Eric was at work on a pair of snowshoes, just like those that Lemmy Canaan wore in the story of the hunt after the Hissadir. They were nearly finished, about six feet long and five inches wide in the broadest part, with a place in the middle to fasten them onto the feet, and the front ends were turned up. All that now remained to be done was to polish them off, and Eric worked at this while Father Miko told his stories.

The children had enough to do to watch Papa Miko's face and listen to the wonderful tales, and Mother Stina was busy with some sewing. she couldn't spin because the noise of the wheel would have drowned Father Miko's voice. Now that we have brought Lemmy Canaan back from the Death River, the old man said, we will see what Wynamon was doing all this while. So he began as follows. End of Lemmy Canaan's restoration. Chapter 16 of Finnish Legends

This is a Librevox recording. All Librevox recordings are in the book. the public domain. For more information or to volunteer please visit limbox.org. Finnish legends by R. Eyvind. Vainamuen's boat building. Weinemoinan started to build a boat from the Rainbow Maiden's distaff, but he had soon used up all his timber and the boat was far from finished. So he asked Sampsa, the planter of the first trees that grew on earth, to go and search out the needful timber in order to finish the boat. Sampsa started off with a golden axe upon his shoulder and a copper hatchet in his belt.

He wandered through the mountain forests and at length came upon a great aspen and was just going to cut it down when the aspen asked him what he wanted. I wish to take your timber for a vessel, Samsa replied, that the vice-magician Vainamenen is building. Then the Aspen answered, All the boats that have been made of my wood have been but failures. They float but a little way and then sink to the ocean's bottom, for my trunk is full of hollow places where the worms have eaten my wood. so Samsa left the aspen

and searched still further until he came to a pine tree that was even taller than the aspen was Sapsa struck a blow with his axe and at the same time asked the pine tree if it would furnish good timber

for Vainamuenen's boat but the pine tree answered all the ships that have been made from me are useless I'm full of imperfect for the ravence live among my branches and bring ill luck. And Samsa was obliged to leave the pine tree and go on until he came to a tremendous oak tree, whose trunk was thicker than the height of even tallest men.

And he asked the oak tree if it would furnish wood for Vainamenen's boat. I will gladly furnish the wood, replied the oak tree, for I am tall and sound and strong. Chan shines upon me for three months in the summer and the sacred cuckoo dwells in my branches and brings good fortune. So Sampsa quickly felt the oak and brought the timber skillfully hewn to Vainamöinen.

The vice magician Vainamöinen then began to put his boat together by the aid of magic spells. The first master's, magic song that he sang joined the framework together, and the second song fashioned the blanking in the ribs, and the third put the roll-locks in place and made the oars. But alas, when all this was done, there were still three magic words needed to complete the stem and stern and bulwarks.

Vainamenen saw that all his labor was in vain, unless he found the three magic words, for unless the stern and stem were fastened and the bulwarks built, the boat could never put to sea. He pondered long over where he might find the lost words, and after a while he concluded that they might be found in the brains of swallows, and the heads of swans, and the plumage of the sea duck. But though he killed great numbers of these, birds, he could not find the three lost words. Then he thought that he might find them on the tongues of reindeer or of the squirrels. But though he killed great numbers of them and found many words on their tongues, the three lost words were not there. Then he said to himself,

I will seek the lost words in the kingdom of Manala. There are countless words. There are countless words. to be found there in the Deathland. So off he went, traveling for three weeks over hill and dale, through marshes and thickets, until at length he came to the river of Tuoni. There he called out in a voice like thunder, Bring a boat, or daughter of Tuoni, and ferry me over this black and fatal river. Tuanis daughter, a wee little little, dwarf, but very wise and ancient, made him first say while he was still alive.

And first, Weinamon answered that Tuon himself, the death god, had sent him. But the maid replied, Had Tuon brought thee, he would now be with thee, and thou wouldst be wearing his cap and gloves. So Weinamenen answered again, I was slain. by an iron weapon. But the maid would not believe him because he had no bleeding wound. Then he said the third time that he had been washed there by the river.

But still the maid would not believe him for his clothing was not wet. And the fourth time he said that fire had burnt him. But the mate replied, If the fire had brought thee to Manala, thy hair and eyebrows and beard would all be signed and burned. But now I ask thee for the last time what it is that hath brought thee living hither.

Tell me the truth this time. Then Vainamunen told her that he had been building a boat by magic, but that he yet lacked one spell and had come thither to seek it. when he had said this Tuani's daughter came across and rode him to the opposite side having first tried to dissuade him from coming but Vainamuinen was not afraid

and when he had landed he walked straight up to the abode of Tuani there Tuanatar Tuan's wife gave him a golden goblet filled with beer saying drink Tuan's beer O wise and ancient Vainamoyen. But he carefully inspected the liqueur before he tasted it,

and saw that it was black and full of the spawn of frogs, and poisonous serpent broods. And he said to Tuonatar, I have not come hither to drink Tuon's poisons, for they that do so will surely be destroyed. Tuonatar then asked him why he had come, and he told her of his boat building and how he still needed the three magic words, and that he hoped to find them there.

Tuoni will never reveal them, Tuanatar said, nor shall thou ever leave these gates alive. And as she spoke, she waked the slumber wand over Vainamenen's head, and he sank into a deep sleep. And to make sure of he's not escaping, Tuoni's son, a hideous wizard with only three fingers, wown nets of iron and of copper, and set them all through the river to catch Vainamenen if by any chance he should get so far. But Vainamunen soon freed himself from Tuanatar's slumber spell,

and knowing in how great danger he was, he instantly transformed himself into a serpent and wriggled his way. to the river and through the nets that had been set to catch him until at length he came out safe into the land of the living again. And the next morning, when Tuon's wizard son went to look at his nets, he found all kinds of evil fish and serpents, but not the wise old magician, but Weinamonan prayed to Ucco. I thank thee, O Ucco, that though hast protected me, but never suffer any other of thy heroes, not even the wisest, to go against the laws of nature to the awful Duonela. For there are but few who return from thence. And then Weinamonan called together the

people on the plains of Kalevala and spoke to the young men and maidens, saying, Listen all young people, never disobey your parents, never harm the innocent, nor wrong the weak, nor utter falsehood, else you will pay the penance for it in the gloomy prison of Manaw. For there is the dwelling place of the wicked, and a place for the guilty. Beneath the burning rocks there are fire couches, with pillows of hissing serpents,

and coverlets of green writhing vipers. And the wicked there drink the blood of adders, but have nothing to eat at all. If ye would be happy, shun this abode of the wicked ones in Tuonela. But I thought Vainamenen wasn't to use any wood for his boat except the pieces of the distaff, said Mimi. Well you see, said Father Micko, the main thing was to build the boat by magic. And we'll see now how he did that. I don't believe a little extra wood made any difference.

So he went on. End of Vainamenen's boat building. Chapter 17 of Finnish Legends. This is a Librivox recording. All Librivox recordings are in the public domain. For more information or to volunteer, please visit Librivox.org. Finnish legends by R. Aywind Vainamenen finds the lost words.

Vainamenen had failed to find the three magic words in the deathland and now he sat and pondered whether he should go next to seek them. While he was thinking over this, a shepherd came to him and said, though canst find a thousand words of wisdom on the tongue of the dead hero Vipunen. I know the road that leads to his grave. First, thou must journey a long distance over the points of needles, and then a long way upon the edges of sharp swords, and then a third road on the edges of hatchets.

Then Weinamon considered how he should be able to walk over the needles and swords and hatchets, and at last hit on a plan. He went to the Smith Ilmarinen, and bade him make shoes of iron and gloves of copper and a magic staff of the strongest medal as he was going to seek the lost words from the wise Vipunen. Ilmerenen made him the shoes and gloves and staff, but said, The vice magician Vipunen died long ages ago. He surely cannot tell thee the magic words.

Still Vainamunen was not disheartened, but began his journey. The first day he hurried along over the points of needles and all the second day over the sword edges. And on the evening of the third day he had come across the edges of the hatchets and reached the spot where Vipunen lay buried. From Vipunen's shoulders grew great aspens. On each temple grew a birch tree, on his mighty chin and alder, from his beard grew willows, from his beard grew willows, from his mouth a fir tree and an oak upon his forehead. Then Weineminen drew his magic hatchet from its leather seeth and cut down all the trees that were growing over Vipunen. And then he took his magic stuff and trusted between Vipolen's teeth and pried open his mouth, and as he did so, he sang the spell to bring

Vipunens spirit back from the deathland, Tuonela. And when the Sple, he sang the spell to bring Vipunens spirit back from the deathland, Tuonela. And when the spell was sung, Viponen felt the pain of the stuff within his mouth, and bit it so hard that he cut clear through the iron outside, but the censor was of steel, too hard even for Vipunen's teeth. So he opened his mouth, wide in anguish, and as he did so, Vainamenen slipped and fell head along, armor and all, right down his throat. And Wipunen said as he swallowed him, I have eaten sheep and reindeer, bears and oxen, but I have never tasted a sweeter morsel than this. But now Vainamonem was sorely perplexed to know what he should do.

After pondering over the matter, he took a dagger that he wore, and from the wooden handle he built a boat by the aid of magic spells and began to row all through the old magician's body through every single vein and vessel. But Vipunen scarcely felt it and paid no attention to him. Then Vainamuenen thought again, and taking off his armor, he made it into a forge with bellows, and all complete, and used his knees for an anvil and his arm for a hammer. and started to work. For three days he worked away inside the magician's body, until the bellows blew a perfect whirlwind and the anvil rang like thunder. At length, old Wiponen could burn it no longer and cried out. What great magician art though,

for I have eaten many men and heroes, but never such an one as thou. For the smoke is pouring from my nostrils and the fire streams from my mouth and my throat is full of iron clinkers. Go and leave me, wretched torturer. Why hast thou come hither to hurt me? Are thou a trial sent by mighty Ucco? For if so, I will be resigned. But if thou art of some human race, I will search out thy tribe and destroy it. Leave my body, cease thy forging. Let me rest in peace and slumber. Or if thou wilt not leave me,

I will call on all the great magicians of the past, the spirits of the mountains and woods and seas and rivers. On Ilmatar, daughter of the eater, to assist me. Or if these be not sufficient, I will call on mighty Ucko to drive thee forth. If thou art from the winds, then return to the copper mountains where they live. If from the sea, return to it. If from the forests, then return to them,

or I will drive thee to the bottom of the cold black river of Tuoni, whence thou shalt never move again. I am well contented here, said Vainamuenen, in these room caverns. I can eat thy heart and flesh, and for drink I will take thy blood, and I will set my forge still deeper in thy vitals, and will swing my hammer still harder on thy heart, and lungs, and liver. I shall never leave thee until I learn all thy wisdom, and the three lost words, that all thy magic knowledge may not perish with thee from the earth. Then Vipunen began to sing all his knowledge and his magic spells for Vainamuinen. He sang the origin of witchcraft and the source of good and evil,

and how by the will of Ucco the water was first divided from the ether. And next he sang of how the moon and sun were made, and whence the colors of the rainbow came, and how the stars were sprinkled in the sky. three whole days and nights he sang until the stars and the moon stood still to listen and the very waves of the sea and the tides ceased to rise and fall and the rivers stopped in their courses. At length Vainamenen had learned all the wisdom of the great magician and the three lost words and he made ready to leave Vipunen's body bidding him open wide his mouth

that he might get out and leave him forever. I have eaten many things, oh, Vainamoyen, said Vipunen. Bears and reindeer and wolves and oxen, but never such a thing as thou. Now thou hast found the wisdom that thou seekest. Go in peace and never come back to me. Then he opened his mouth wide, and Vainemunen glided forth, and hastened swiftly as the deer to Kalevala. First he went in the smithy,

and Ilmarinen asked him if he had learned the lost words that would enable him to finish his vessel. I have learned a thousand magic words, answered Vainamuenen, and among them are the lost words that I sought. Thereupon he hastened off to where his vessel lay, and with the three lost words, He joined the stem and stern and raised the ballwalks. Thus he had built the vessel with magic alone,

and by magic art he launched it too, not touching it with foot or knee or hand, using only magic to push it. Thus was the task completed, which should gain for him the rainbow maiden in her beauty. Oh, do hurry and tell us about that, said Mimi, and Father Miko continued. End of Vainaman and finds the lost words.

Chapter 18 of Finnish Legends This is a LibriVox recording. All LibriVox recordings are in the public domain. For more information or to volunteer, please visit LibriVox.org. Recording by Sonia. Finnish Legends by R. Avon. Chapter 18. The rival suitors.

Now the rainbow maiden was really the same as Old Lodgy's fairest daughter, whom Vynermoyen had wood, and for whom Ilmarinen had made the magic Sampo, and Vynamoyen had learned this. So when the magic boat was finished, he made ready for a journey to the Northland, to try once more to win the fair Poyola maiden for his bride. He ornamented the magic vessel with gold and silver, and painted it scarlet, and on the mast he set sails of linen, red, white and blue. Then he stepped on board and called on Uco to protect and help him, and on the winds to aid him on his way, and off the magic boat flew towards Poyola,

never needing an oar to help it. Aniki, Illmarine and sister, was down by the seashore just at dawn that morning, and as she gazed out over the sea, she saw a blue speck in the distance. At first she thought it was a flock of birds, and then, as it drew nearer, it looked like a great tree floating on the water. But at last she saw that it was a vessel with but one man in it, and when it came still nearer, she recognized Vainamoynen. She called out to him and asked him whither he was going.

He replied that he was come a-fishing, but Aniki said, "'Thai boat is not rigged like a fisher-boat, nor hast thou lines or nets with thee. tell me the truth, O Weinamoyen, and he answered the second time that he had come to kill wild geese and ducks. But Aniki told him that she knew that was untrue, for he had no hunting dogs in the vessel with him, nor any weapons. Then he told her that he was sailing to the wars. Aniki replied, My father often used to sail to war, but in a ship with many rowers, and with many armed heroes on board, but thy vessel is surely not fitted for battle.

Now tell me the truth, oh wise Vainamoyen, or else I will send a storm wind after thee, and break thy ship in pieces. Then he told her the truth, that he was going to woo the rainbow maiden, Lois' daughter, and then Aniki knew that he spoke the truth. She hurried off to her brother, Smithy,

and said to him, Dearest brother, if thou wilt forge for me a silver loom and gold and silver finger-rings and ear, and earrings, golden girdles and golden ornaments for my hair, I will tell thee something that is very important for thee to know. So Ilmarinen promised, and his sister said, O Ilmarinen, if thou hopest ever to wed the fair maid of Poyola, thou must hasten and make thy sledge ready, for Vynamenen is now sailing thither in a magic boat to win her before thee. Then Ilmerinen bade his sister prepare a magic soap and make a bath ready for his.

while he was forging the gold and silver ornaments that she had bargained for. When Illmarinen had finished his work, he found the bath and the magic soap all ready for him, and he began to wash off the grime and dirt and soot of the smithy. When he was through and came out of the bath, he had grown wonderfully bright and handsome, for the magic soap had made his cheeks rosy and his eyes bright as moonlight. Then he put on his finest garments, soft linen and silken stockings, a blue vest and scarlet trousers, and a fur coat of sealskin, held by buttons made of jewels, and a belt with golden buckles.

After he was dressed, he ordered his magic sledge to be harnessed, and on the front placed six cuckoos and seven bluebirds, that they might sing and charm the Northland maiden. When all was ready, Irmarinen prayed to great Ukut to send snow that it might cover all the country, and let his sledge glide easily to Poyola. and the snow came and ilmarinen wrapped himself up warmly in bearskins and drove off like the wind first invoking uco's blessing on his journey on he went over hill and dale with the cuckoes and bluebirds singing on the sledge and then he drove along the sea-shore to the north in a cloud of snow and sand and mist and sea-foam looking out for vina moinen's vessel on the evening of the third day he caught up with vina moinen and called out to him

O ancient Vynamoynen, let us woo the maiden peacefully, and let her choose which one of us she will. To this Vynar moinen agreed, and having promised not to use deceit of any sort against one another, they hurried on their way, Vynarmoinen calling up the south wind to help him, and Illmarinen's steed, shaking the hills of Northland as he galloped on. Soon they drew near to low-east dwelling, and the watch-dogs began to bark more loudly than they had ever done before. Lohy's husband told his daughter to go and see what the trouble was, but she replied that she was busy grinding barley and could not go. Then he told his wife to go, but she was too busy cooking dinner. So the father grew angry and said,

Women are always busy, either baking or sleeping, go my son and learn what all the trouble is. But the son refused because he was busy splitting wood. So at last Lohie's husband was obliged. to go himself, for the dogs kept barking louder and louder. There, as soon as he had reached the gate, he saw a scarlet-colored ship sailing into the bay, and a sledge driving up along the shore at full speed. Then he hastened back into the house and told them all that he had seen. And Lowy took a branch and gave it to her daughter, saying, "'Place this on the fire, my daughter, and if in burning it drips blood,

then these strangers bring war and bloodshed, but if clear water, then they come in peace. So the maiden put the branch on the fire, and as they watched it, they saw honey trickling out, and from this lo he knew that the two men were coming as suitors. Then they hasten out into the courtyard, and saw the vessel in the harbour, painted scarlet, and an ancient white-bearded magician at the helm,

and on the land they saw a brightly-colored sledge, with cuckoos and bluebirds singing on the front, and driven by a young and handsome hero. Loe immediately recognized them both, and said to her daughter, "'Will't thou have one of these suitors, dearest daughter? He that comes in the ship is good old Vainemoynen, bringing countless treasures for thee from Caliwala. The other in the sledge with the singing birds is the blacksmith Illmarinen, who brings no presents save himself.

When they come into the house, bring a prince. pitcher of honey-drink, and give it to the one that thou wilt follow. Give it to old Vainamoynen, for he brings thee countless treasures. But the daughter replied, I will never marry a man for riches, but for his real worth. Mothers did not use to sell their daughters thus in the olden times to suit us whom they did not love. I shall choose ill-marinen for his true worth and wisdom. Old Lohy grew angry at this, and tried to change her daughter's mind, but all she could say did not move her. And just then Vynamoyen came to the house and addressed the maiden thus. Come with me, O lovely maiden, be my bride and honored wife,

and share my joys and sorrows with me. The maiden answered, Has thou built the magic vessel using neither hand nor foot to touch it? I have built it and brought it hither, answered Vynamoyen. It is finally made by magic and will live in the worst of storms. Nothing can ever sink it. But then the maiden said to him, I will not wed a husband born in the sea. Storms would bring us trouble, and the winds wreck our hearts. I cannot go with thee, cannot marry thee, O Vainamenamen. End of chapter 18. Chapter 19 of Finnish legends. This is a Librevox recording. All Librivox recordings are in the public domain. For more information or to volunteer,

please visit Librivox.org. Recording by Sonia Finnish Legends by R. Avon Chapter 19 Illmarinen's wooing Just as Vynemoinan had received his answer Ilmarinen came hurrying into the house and into the guest-room. Their servants brought him honey-drink in silver pitchers,

but he said, I will never taste the drink of Northland till I see the rainbow maiden. With her I will gladly drink. for I have come hither to seek her hand. Then Lowy said to him, The maiden is not ready to receive thee, and thou may not woo her before thou hast ploughed the field of hissing serpents.

Once the evil spirit Lampo plowed it, but it has never been done since. Illmarinen wandered off sadly, but while he was pondering over what he should do, he saw the lovely maid herself. He went up to her and said, long ago I forged a sample for thee, and then thou promised to become my wife, but now thy mother demands that I first plough the field of serpents before I win thee.

But the maiden comforted him, and told him how to plough the field with a plough of gold and silver and copper. So Illmarinen went off and built a smithy, and placed in the furnace gold and silver and copper and iron, and from these he forged a plough, with plough share of gold and beam of silver and copper-handle. and for himself he made boots and gloves and armor of iron, and as he worked he sang magic spells to give his work power to overcome the serpents. Then he harnessed to the plough the fire-breathing heesey horse, and went into the field. There were serpents of every sword creeping and crawling over one another and hissing horribly, but Ilmerinen cast a spell over them and plowed the field,

so that all the snakes were buried in the furrows. And then he went to Lohie and claimed her daughter's hand. But Lohie refused to let him have her daughter, until he should catch the great bear of Manala and bring him to her. So he went off to the maid again, and told her what old Lowy had demanded of him. The lovely maiden instructed him how to prepare a muzzle for the bear, forging it of steel on a rock beneath the water,

at a spot where three currents met together, and the straps were to be of steel and copper mixed. and Ilmarinen made a muzzle as she had directed and set off for Manala, the dismal deathland. As he went, he prayed to the goddess of the mists to send a fog where the great bear of Manala was, so that he might not see Ilmarinen as he approached. And the goddess sent the fog,

and Ilmarinen was able to creep up to the bear and throw the magic muzzle over his head, and then to lead him to Lohie without any trouble. When he had brought the bear to her, he asked her again for her lovely daughter's hand. But Lohy said to him, Thou must perform one more task still, and then, when that is done, thou shalt have my dear daughter. Catch for me the monster pike that lives in the river of Twoni, but thou may not use hook nor line, nor nets, nor boat.

Hundreds have been sent to catch it, but all have died in Twoni's dark waters. And now Illmarinen was deeply discouraged, and went off to tell the maiden of this third task, which he thought it was impossible to do. But she told him to forge an eagle in his magic furnace, and that the eagle would catch the monster pike for him. So Illmarinen went to work, and forged an eagle in his smithy, talons of iron, beak of steel and copper. And when the eagle was entirely made from iron and copper, he mounted on its speck and baited fly away to the river of Tewoni, there to catch the monster pike. When they had reached the bank, Ilmarinen dismounted and began to search for the pike,

while the eagle hovered over the water. While Ilmarinen was searching, a huge monster rose from the depth and tried to seize him, but the eagle swooped down and with one bite of his mighty beak wrenched off the monster's head. Still Illmarinen continued his search until at last the monster pike its'est. itself rose up to seize him. But as it came to the surface, the giant eagle swooped down upon it and buried its talons in the pike's flesh. Then the fish, maddened with the pain, rushed down to the deepest caverns, dragging the eagle with it, until the bird had to lose its hold and saw aloft again. A second time the eagle swooped down and struck deep into the pike's

shoulders, but the pike dived to the bottom again and escaped. At last the eagle made a third descend, and this time grasped the pike firmly with his beak of steel and planted his talons firmly on the rocks and this time he succeeded in dragging the pike from out the river then the eagle flew off with the pike to the top of a tall pine-tree and there ate the body of his victim leaving the head for ilmarinen but the eagle himself sawed up into the air up beyond the clouds and at length disappeared behind the sun Ilmarinen returned to Lohie with the pike's head and again claimed her daughter in marriage. Lowy answered him, Thou hast performed this last task but badly, since thou only brought me the worthless head. But still, since thou hast completed the other tasks also, I will give thee my fair daughter. Thou hast won the maid of beauty to be the help and joy of all thy future life.

But while Ilmarinen was rejoicing in his good, fortune, the aged Vynamoynen wandered sorrowfully homewards, bewailing his sad lot, thus to be compelled to live without a wife to cheer his home. "'Woe is me,' he sang, "'that I did not woo and marry in my youth, for the old men cannot hope to conquer the young ones when they go a wooing.' When this story was ended, Father Miko stopped a while to rest, and the others discussed the stories that he had just told.

All were pleased that the rainbow maiden had chosen Illmarinen instead of the aged Weinamoinen, and little Antero asked Papa Miko what they had had to eat at the wedding. He was rather more deeply interested in things to eat than anything else, so Father Miko continued after he had rested a while. End of Chapter 19 Chapter 20 of Finnish Legends. This is a Libre Vox recording. All Libre Vox recordings are in the public domain.

For more information or to volunteer, please visit Librivox.org. Recording by Sonia Finnish Legends by R. Avin Chapter 20 The Brewing of Beer Great preparations were now made in Lohy's home for her daughter's wedding with Ilmarinen. In distant Karyala, a part of Kalaala,

was a great ox, the largest in the world. It took a weasel seven days to travel round his neck and shoulders. The swallow had to fly a whole day without resting to get from one horn tip to the other. The squirrel travelled thirty days, starting from the tail, before he reached the shoulders. This great ox was led by a thousand heroes to Poyola, to Lohie's house, but when he had come thither, no one could be found to kill him. Then there came an aged hero from Karyala, and went up to the ox to kill him with his war-clob. But the ox turned and gave him one fierce glance,

and the old warrior dropped his club, and ran away and hid in the forest. Then they sent forth far and near to find someone to kill the ox, but no one came. At last there arose from the sea a tiny dwarf, who, when he stepped on land, grew suddenly into a giant, with hands of iron,

a copper-colored face, a head of flint upon his head, and sandstone shoes upon his feet. As soon as this sea-spirits, saw the ox, he rushed at it and killed it with one blow of his golden sword. Thus was the meat provided for the feast. The banquet hall was so large that when a dog barked at one door, no one could hear him at the opposite side, and when a cock crowed on the roof, no one on the ground could hear him.

Loe went in thither to see that all was being put in readiness, but while she was there, she said aloud as if to herself, Whence will I get the liquor for my guests? for I know nothing of the secret of beer brewing. An old man was sitting beside the fire, and he answered her. Beer comes from barley, hops and water. The seed of the hops were scattered loosely over the earth, and from them arose the graceful hop vine, climbing over everything.

The barley was planted in the land of Kalaala, and it grew and flourished there. Then the hops, clinging to the trees, began to hum, and the barley and the water in the wells to sing. saying, let us join our forces together, that we may live united, for that is far better than to be separated as now we are. So the ancient maiden Osmotar took six golden grains of barley, seven hops, and seven cups of water, and set them in a cauldron on the fire. There she let them steep and boil during the warm summer days, and at length poured off the liquor into tubs made of birch wood.

Now she pondered long how she should make the liquor ferment and cause it to foam and sparkle. Then Osmotar called one of the Kalvala maidens and bade her step into the birch and tub. The maiden did so, and on looking around she saw a splinter of wood lying on the bottom. She picked it up, thinking it was worthless, but nevertheless she took it to Osmotar.

Osmotar rubbed her hands upon her knees and turned the bit of wood into a white squirrel. As soon as she had made the squirrel, she sent it off to Tapio's kingdom, to the great forest, and commanded it to bring her cones from the magic fir trees and young shoots from the magic pines. And the squirrel hurried off and travelled through the forest until it came to Tapius home. There it found three magic pine trees growing and three fir trees beside them, and having taken the young shoots and the cones and stowed them in its pouch, it came back again to Osmotar.

But when she put the cones and pine shoots into the beer, it still refused to ferment. So Osmotar made the Kalevala maiden get into the birchen tub once more, and this time the maiden found a chip upon the bottom. When she took it to Osmotar, the latter rubbed her hands upon her knees again, and turned the chip into a magic golden-breasted martin. Then she sent the martin off to the dens of the mountain bears to gather the foam from their angry lips as they fought with one another. The martin flew away and soon returned with the foam that it had gathered from the mouth of the raging bears.

But when Osmotar added it to the liquor, there was no effect, and the beer remained as still as ever. For a third time, then, the maid of Kalevala stepped into the tub, and this time found a pod on the bottom. Osmotar took the pod and rubbed it between her hands and knees, and there flew out of it a honeybee. She sent the bee off to the islands of the sea, telling it to go to a man. there where a maiden lay asleep, and growing by the maiden's side there were honey grasses and fragrant flowers. From these the bee was to collect the honey and bring it back. The bee flew off straight over the ocean, and on the evening of the third day reached the Isles of the sea, where it found the maiden fast asleep among the flowers, clad in a silver robe with a girdle of copper. By her grew

the loveliest and sweetest of flowers and grasses, and the bee loaded itself down with their honey and returned to Osmotar with it. This time, when the honey was placed in the beer, it began to ferment and rice and bubble and foam until it filled all the tubs and ran over on the sands. When the beer was ready, all the heroes of Kalevala came to drink it, and Lamin Kainan drank so much that he became intoxicated.

But Osmotar, now that she had made the beer, did not know how to keep it, for it was still running out of the tubs and over everything, While she was sitting and grieving over this, the robin sank to her from an aspen, and told her to put it into strong oaken barrels, bound with copper hoops, and thus the last difficulty was overcome. Thus was the first beer brewed from hops and barley, continued the old man, and the beer of Caliwala is famed to strengthen the feeble,

to cheer the sad, to make the old young and the timid brave. It makes the heart joyful and puts wise sayings on the tongue, but the fool it makes still more foolish. Thus the old man ended his account of the origin of beer, and Lowy, who had listened to him carefully, took all the tubs she had and put hops and barley in them, and water on top, and then lit huge fires to heat stones, that she might drop them in the mixture, and make it boil.

She made such a great quantity of beer that the springs were emptied and the forest grew small, and such a vast column of smoke went up as filled half, half of Poyola, and was seen even in distant Karsala and Lamin'in's home. And all the people there thought it arose from some mighty battle between great heroes. But Lamin Kinen pondered over it, and at last he found out that it was the fires for Lowy's beer-making for the wedding feast, and he grew bitterly angry, for Lowy had refused him her daughter's hand, and now had given her to Illmarinen.

But now the beer was ready, and was stored away in Kavon. casks, hooped with copper, and thousands of delicate dishes were made ready for the feast. But when all was nearly ready, the beer began to grow impatient in its casks, and cried out for the guests to come that songs might be sung in its honor. So Lohi sent first for a pike and a salmon to sing its praises, but they could not do it. Next she sent for a boy, but the boy was too ignorant to sing the praises of the beer, and all this time the beer was calling out more and more loudly from its prison. Then Lohy determined to invite the guests at once, lest the beer should break forth from the casks. So she called one of her servants and said to her,

Go, my trusted servant, and call together all the Poyola people to the banquet. Go out into the highways, too, and bring in all the poor and blind and cripples, the old and the young, that they may be merry at my daughter's wedding, and ask all the people of Karyala and the ancient Vainamoyen, but be sure thou dost not invite while Lamin'nchinen. At this the servant asked why she was not to ask Lamin'in'in'n, and L'i answered, L'emin'in must not come, for he loves war and strife, and would bring disturbance and sorrow to our feast, and scoff at our maidens. And the servant, having learned from Lowy how he should recognize Lamingkinen, set off and invited rich and poor, old and young, the death, the blind,

and the cripples in all Poyola and Karyola, but did not ask Lamin Kainan. End of Chapter 20 Chapter 21 of Finnish Legends. This is a Librefox recording. All Libre Fox recordings are in the public domain. For more information or to volunteer, please visit LibreFox.org, recording by foe. Finnish Legends by R. Elvind Elmarinen's Wedding Feast

At length, the guest began to... arrive, and Umarinen came escorted by hundreds of his friends, driving a cold black steed, and with the same birds singing on his ledge as when he came to Wu the Rainbow Maiden, Luhi's various daughter. When he alighted from his sledge, Luhi sent her best servants to take the steed and give him the very best of food in a manger of pure gold. But as Eumarinung advanced to enter the house, they found that he was too tall to pass through the doorway without stooping, which would have been very unlucky. So Louis had to have the top, being taken away before he could enter.

Inside, the dwelling was so changed that no one would have recognized it. Lowy had caused a magic spell over it, and all the beams and door and windowsails were made from bones that gleamed like ivory. The windows were adorned with trouts scales, and the fires were set in flowers, and the seats and tables and floors were of gold and silver and copper, with marble hardstones and silken carpets on the floors. Louie bade Elmarin and welcome when he came into the guest hall, and calling up her servant maidens, she gazed at her daughter's suitor.

The maidens bore waxed tapers, and by their light the bridegroom looked handsomer than ever, and his eyes sparkled like the waves of the sea. Then, Louie bade the maidens lead Elmarinen to the seat of honor at the table in the great hall, and then all the other guests took their places, and the feast began. First of all, the daintiest dishes of every sort were served by Louie to the bridegroom, honey biscuits, river salmon, butter, bacon, and every delicacy one can think of, and after he was served, the servants took the dishes around to the others. After this, the foaming beer was brought in silver pitchers, and all were served

in the same order. All the heroes and magicians assembled there began to grow merry, and Vainemoynen said that someone should sing the praises of the beer, but no one else could be found to do it, and all pressed Weinemoinan to sing, so at last he arose and began. He sang of the beer first, and then from his great stock of wisdom he sang them one, song after the other of the days of old, until every guest grew happy from his magic power of song. But when Wynamoinen had finished his singing, he added, Yet I am but a poor singer, for if Great Akko should sing his perfect songs of wisdom, he would sing the oceans into honey and the sands to berries, and the pebbles into barley, the rivers into beer, the fruit to gold,

and the mountains into bread. Grant high blessing, Great Akko, upon this feast of ours. send joy in health and comfort to all those here that we may ever look back with pleasure till Imarinine's marriage with the fair maiden of the rainbow. Thus Weinamoyan, the great singer, ended his singing, and the time had come for the bride and bridegroom to leave for their distant home in Caliwala. But first must Osmotar, the wise maiden, instruct the bride as to her future life. Osmotar told her that she must henceforth be thoughtful and not foolish, that she must love her husband's kinsfolk as her own. Osmantar told her too, never to be idle, and then instructed her in all the many household duties of the wives of Kalaala, but at the same time impressed it upon her how wicked she would be if with all this she were to forget her own parents. After this, Osmotard turned to the bridegroom and bade him ever love his bride and honour her, not ever treat her ill. Thus she advised them both, and they made ready to leave.

But the maiden of the rainbow wept, because she was leaving all the joys and pleasures of her youth, and she was leaving all the joys and pleasures of her youth, and she was. though she loved, to go to a distant land, where all would be new and strange, and perhaps, too, hard for her. Yet at length all the farewells had been said, the last goodbye was spoken, and the two got into their sledge, in the next instant the swift black steed flew off like an arrow, rushing on toward the land of Caliwala, leaving far behind them the gloomy northland, which was yet so dear to the rainbow maiden, and which she was never to see again. Three days they journeyed onward over hill and valley without stopping, and the third evening brought them in sight of Ilmarin and Smithy,

and they could see the smoke rising from the chimneys of their home. There they found that they had been expected for a long time, and there was great rejoicing when their sledge drove up, with the birds singing merrily on its front, and all bright and happy. Laco, Ilmarinen's mother, received him at the door and welcomed the fair Ray MoMA maiden most heartily, and when the bridal pair had taken off their furs, she served them with the very best of food and drink,

twice as bits of reindeer, wheat and biscuit, honey cakes, and fish of all sorts, and the best of beer. And while they ate, the others, who had been old Luji's guests, began to arrive, and soon there was a great feast going on, almost as great a one as there had been before at Lohys. While they were all feasting, Vain and Omenoinen arose and began to sing again. This time he sang the praises of the Brite Grum's father and mother, and the bride and groom, and ended up with praising the guests that were assembled there. Then he and many of the guests took their leave and journeyed off together to their homes. Three days they drove on together, and Wyomondon kept on singing all the time,

until suddenly his song was cut short, for his sledge ran into a birch tree and was broken into pieces. But Weimonyonon considered the case and then said, Is there anyone here who will go to Tuonela, to the Deathland, for the augur of Tuoni, that I may mend my sledge with it? But no one would venture on so perilous a journey, so at length Weinemoinan went himself and obtained to own his magic augur, and with its aid, on his return, he put together his magic sledge again. Then he harnessed up his steed once more and galloped off to his home.

Thus ended Ilmarinen's wedding and the feasts that followed it. These two stories took Anturo's fancy, and he begged that Papa Miko would tell about some more times when they had good things to eat. But Father Miko said, people can't be eating all the time, Anturo, and I think the others would rather hear about what Laman Kainen did when he heard of the feast and was not invited himself. Mimi cried, yes, yes, and so the old man began. End of chapter 21, Ilmarinen's wedding feast, recording by phone. Chapter 22 of Finnish legends. This is a Librevox recording. All LibreFox recordings are in the public domain. For more information, or to volunteer,

please visit Librevox.org. Recording by phone. by R. Ivan The Origin of the Serpent As Lemminkinen was ploughing his fields one day, he heard the noise of sledges as if a vast number of people were on their way past. At once he guessed the reason, for they were the guests going to Umarinen's wedding, while he alone had not been invited.

Then his face turned pale with anger, and he left his ploughing and hastened off to his house. When he arrived there, he asked his mother to give him a hearty meal, and after that he went to the bath-house, and after the bath, put on his finest garments as if going through a feast. His mother asked him where he was going, and he told her that he was bound for the great feast that Louis had prepared. But his mother tried to keep him from going, telling him that they did not want him there, or else they would have invited him, but he answered, This sword with its sharp edges constantly reminds me that I am needed in distant Pogola. His mother spoke again, saying,

Do not go, my dear son, for a deathful meet thee thrice upon the way. Lemmincinen replied that he did not fear death, but would overcome him, but at the same time asked his mother what the first danger would be. When thou hast travelled for one day, she replied, thou wilt come to a stream of fire with a fiery cataract, and in a firefall a rock and on the rock a fiery hill, and on its top an eagle made of flames, who devours all that approach him. Lemminkinen answered that he would easily pass this danger and asked to know the second.

His mother told him, When thou hast traveled two days, thou wilt come to a fiery pit filled with red hot stones, and no one has ever been able to pass over it. But Lemmikinen thought but little of the second danger, and asked his mother to tell him what the third one was. She replied, When thou hast gone one day farther, and has come to Podula, the wolf and the black bear will attacked thee, and many hundred men have perished in their jaws. But he told her how easily he would overcome them, and then have conquered all the dangers of the journey. Then his mother added, There are three things still to conquer. When thou reachest Louie's dwelling, they will find walls built with iron rising up to the sky, and surrounded by railings of spares on which are serpents,

and all manner of venomous creatures twisting and creeping about, and right before the gateway lies the largest of the mall, longer than the rafters of a house. And beyond all this, thou would find great hosts of armed warriors, who have grown angry over their beer, and they will certainly kill you. And if thou shouldst come into the courtyard, thou would find it full of sharp stakes to hold the heads of those that got thither unbidden. Do not forget how thou once fared in Bodula, that had I not saved thee, thou wouldst now be at the bottom of Tuanis River.

Yet after she had warned him of all this, Lemankind and would not be persuaded to remain at home, but put on his magic armour of copper, and took his father's sword, and his own strongest bow. Then he had his deed hitched to a sledge, and went out into the court-char to drive off. There his mother bade him farewell, and gave him some last words of advice, telling him that if he should come to the feast, to drink but half of his goblet of beer, for there were serpents in the other half, and to behave modestly, and not to try to take the best of everything for himself. When she had ended,

Lemondkinen jumped upon his ledge, tracked his whip, and drove off like the wind. He had not gone far before a flock of wild birds flew across his road and dropped a few feathers on the ground. Lemondkinen stopped and picking them up, put them carefully in his leather pouch, for he thought,

no one knows what may happen. As soon as he had picked up the feathers, he was off again, but he had not gone far when his steed stopped in terror, for there, of them, has a broad river of fire, and a firefall with a rock in the middle, and on the rock a fiery hill, and on the hill a flaming eagle. The eagle asked him whether he was going, and Lemmankainen replied that he was hurrying to Luhi's feast and begged the eagle to let

him pass. Truly thou shalt pass, the eagle answered, but only through the flames and down my throat. But Lemmincinen was not dismayed. He took out the feathers from his pouch, and rubbed them between his fingers, and presently there arose a whole flock of birds and flew straight down the eagle's mouth, so that its hunger was satisfied. Then Lemminkainen was able to pass over the river by the help of his magic, and to drive on his way. He drove for another day, and then his horse suddenly stopped again in terror, for there was a huge pit full of fire right in front, which stretched as far as one could see to east and west. Yet Lemmikainen was not discouraged, but brayed to the great echo, that it would send a great storm from all the four points of

compass and filled the pit with snow. And the snow came, and as it fell into the seething pit of fire, it melts it and formed a lake, and Lemminkainen quickly cast a spell upon this lake, so that a solid bridge of ice was formed over it, and he drove over in perfect safety. Thus the second danger was passed, and he drove on more swiftly than ever. After another day's journey, when he had come near to Louis' abode, his horse stopped again, trembling with fear. This time there were a fierce wolf and a great black bear in the road. but lemmincinen put his hand into his leathern pouch and pulled out a tuft of wool this he rubbed between his hands and breathed on it and it changed into a whole flock of sheep on which the bear and the wolf jumped and left lemmincinen to pursue his journey in peace in a very short time he had reached louis house but there he found a great wall of iron and the fence of spears and the horrible snakes and lizard that his mother had told him of yet he pulled out his magic broadsword and cut an opening through the wall and the fence of spears and the mass of serpents and the small of the fence of the spear and the fence of the serpents and the small and the small and the mess of serpents and the

and passed through the gateway. There he found a huge serpent with a hundred eyes, each as large as bulls, and a thousand tongues long as javelins and teeth like hatchets. Lemankindin sang one spell, but it was not powerful enough, and the huge monster started to rush at him and seized him in his awful mouth.

But Lemmincinnan just in time began to sing a stronger spell. For evil things cannot bear to have their wicked origin told, and if therefore one sings the source of any evil, one makes it harmless at once. So Lemankind and sang, If thou wilt not give room for me to pass, I will sing of thy evil origin, will tell how thy horrid head was made.

Swayata, thy evil mother, once spat upon the waves of the sea. The spittle was rocked by the waves and warmed by the sun, until after a long time it was washed ashore. There the daughters of Ucco, the creator, saw it, and said, What would happen if great Uco were to breathe the breath of life into this writhing, senseless mass, but Ucco overheard them and said,

Not but evil comes from evil, therefore I will not give it life. Now, Wicked Lempo heard what Uco had said, and he himself breathed into it, the breath of life, and shaped it to the form of a serpent, adding to the spittle all manner of evil things, every poisonous plant and things from the deathland.

This was thine origin, O serpent, filess thing of all creation, therefore clear the pathway that I may enter the halls of the hostess, as Louie. Thus sang Lemonkinen and the serpent uncoiled itself and crawled away, while Otty himself went on through the gateway. End of Chapter 22, the origin of the serpent. Chapter 23 of Finnish Legends. This is the LibreFox recording. All LibreFox recordings are in the public domain. For more information or to volunteer, please visit liverfox.org, recording by phone.

Finnish Legends by R. Ivan, the unwelcome guest. thus lemmincinen came unbidden to louis abode but he had arrived too late for the feast he entered the house with such a mighty thread that the floors bent under him and the walls and ceilings creaked as he advanced louis husband was seated in the guest-room and lemmikinen said to him the same greeting to thee that thou givest to me are there food and beer here for a stranger and barley for a hungry steed louis husband answered i have never yet refused a place in my stables for a stranger your horse, and if thou wilt act honestly, there is a place for thee between the iron kettles. Lemmankainen said, When my father Lempel comes to a house as a guest, he is well received and given a place of honour. Why should I, his son, be put between the pots and kettles to be covered with suit?

With these words, he walked up to the table, and taking his seat, he waited to be served. Then Luhy said to him, O Lemmikinen, thou wert not invited hither, and I feel that thou bring a sorrow with thee. All our dinner was eaten and our beer drunk yesterday, and we have nothing left for thee. This made Lemminkainen, very angry, and he replied, O toothless mistress of Podula, thou hast managed thy feast very badly, for thou hast had delicacies of every sort for the others, who gave but trifling presents, while for me, who have sent the most of all, thou hast nothing at all after my long journey. Then Luhi called up one of her meanest servants, and bade her serve the guest,

and there came a little short woman who made ready a soup out of fish bones and fish heads and crusts of bread and turnip-stalks and brought him the worst of the servant's beer to quench his thirst with. Lemmankind and looked into the pictures of beer and saw snakes and worms and lizards floating about in them. This made him furiously angry, yet he resolved to drink the beer at any rate, and then to punish them for their evil treatment of him. So he drew a fish hook out of his magic wallet, and with it he caught all the evil creatures in the beer and killed them with his sword, and drank the beer. When he had done this, he turned to the host and abraded him for his bad treatment,

and finally said that as the Podula folk could not treat guests decently, perhaps he could purchase good beer at least. At this, Louis' husband grew angry and conjured up a little lake in the floor at Lemonkinin's feet, and bade him quenches thirst at that. But Lemmincinen conjured up a bull with gold and silver horns that drank up all the water. Then Louis' husband conjured up to the water. a wolf to devour the bull, but Atty called up a rabbit to draw off the wolf's attention. Next the host conjured up a dog to eat the rabbit, but Attie drew away the dog by means of a squirrel

that he called up by his magic. At that, the host made a golden martin to cut his squirrel, and Lemmincinen a scarlet-colored fox which ate the golden martin. Next the host conjured a hen to distract scarlet fox, and Lemmincinen made a hawk to tear the hen to pieces. Then, old Louis's husband cried, We shall never be happy here, until thou art driven out, O evil Atee, and with these words he drew his sword and challenged Lemminkinen to combat. So, Ati drew his sword also, and when the two were measured, they found that Atis was the shorter by half an inch. Then Lemmikinen said to his host, although thou hast a longer sword, yet thou shalt begin the fight. After this, they placed themselves in position, and the host of Boudjula began.

But so powerful was Lemmikinen's magic that he only hit the walls and floors and rafters, but could not touch Achi himself. Then Lemminkainen said sneeringly, What harm have the walls and rafters done that thou shouldst cut them to pieces? But come, let us go out into the courtyard, that the hole may not be covered with blood. So they went out into the yard, and there they spread out in ox-hide, and took up their places on it to continue to fight. Lemmikinen again allowed the host to begin,

and the latter struck three mighty blows, but still could not harm Achi. Then the battle began in real earnest, and the sparked. flew from their swords until it seemed as if there were a sheet of flame flowing from Lemmincinen's sword and down upon the head and shoulders of his opponent. And when he saw this, Lemmikinen said, O thou son of Podula, see how thy neck is shining like the ocean at dawn. The other turned without thinking to see what it was, and quick as lightning Lemmikinen whirled his sword round his head, and with one blow cut off the host's head as

easily as one cuts the top from a turnip, and the head rolled along on the ground. the yard were hundreds of sharp stakes, and on all but one there was a human head. So Lemminkinen quickly took the host's head and stuck it on the empty stake, and then went into the house and ordered Luhi to bring in water to wash his hands, as he had just slain her husband. But Louis hastened out and called in hundreds of armed warriors to avenge her husband's death, and in a very short time, Lemenkinen saw that he must either flee or else be killed if he remained. End of Chapter 23, the unwelcome guest.

Chapter 24 of Finnish Legends. This is the Librefox recording. All Libravox recordings are in the public domain. For more information, or to volunteer, please visit Librevox.org, recording by phone. Finnish Legends by R. Ivan. The Isle of Refuge Lemminkainen hasted from Louis House and looked around for his sledge and steed to escape from the Podula men. But both had disappeared, and in their place he found only a clump of willows.

As he stood there, wondering what he should do next, the noise of armed men running together grew louder and louder, and he knew that they would soon reach him. So Lemminkainen changed himself into an eagle, and rose up into the clouds. As he flew towards the south, he met a Greyhawk flying northward, and called to it,

Oh, Greyhawk, fly to Podula and tell the warriors of the northland that they will never catch the eagle, Lemmincinen, ere he reaches his home in distant Calavala. Then he flew on home, taking on again his own form, he went to his mother's house. When she saw the troubled look in his face, she guessed that some great danger threatened him, and began to ask him if it was this or that or the other that troubled him, but to all her questions he answered, no. At length she bade him tell her then what his trouble was, and he replied, All the men of Northland are sharpening their swords

and spears to kill thy unlucky son, Ati, for I have slain the host of Podula, Louis' husband, in a quarrel, and the men of Northland will soon come. him hither to avenge it. His mother then reminded him how she had warned him of the journey and his troubles, and asked him where he was going to take refuge. Lemminkainen replied that he did not know, and asked his mother to help him, and she answered, If I should turn thee into a tree, thou might be cut down for firewood, or if into a berry the maidens might pluck thee, or if to a fish, thou would never have a happy life, but if thou wilt swear to me not to go to war again for sixty years, then I will tell thee of a distant island,

far off across the ocean, where thou may stress in safety. So Lemminkinen gave his promise, on his honour, not to fight for 60 years, and then his mother told him how to find the Isle of Refuge. He must sail across nine seas, and in the middle of the tenth he would come to the island, where his father had once taken refuge long before. There he must stay until the third year was come, and then he might return to his home. Lemminkinen took enough provisions in his boat for a long journey, and then bidding farewell to his mother and his home, he sailed away.

When he had raised the linen sails, he called up a fair wind to drive him onward, and for three months he sailed on without the moment's rest, until at length he reached the magic aisle of refuge. First, he asked the people of the island if there was room there for his boat, and on receiving their consent he drew it up out of the water. Next he asked them if he might take refuge and conceal himself there, and they granted this too, but when he asked for a little ground to cultivate, and a place in the forest to cut down the trees,

they told him that the whole island had long ago been divided up amongst them, and that he must live in one of their houses if he wished to stay on the island. But Lemmankainen was not satisfied with this, and told him that he only wished to be allowed to go into the forest, and sing some few magic songs there, and this they willingly allowed him to do. So he went into the forest and began to sing the most wondrous spells, making oak trees to grow up around him, and on each branch in acorn, and on each acorn sat at a-acorn.

Then the cuckoos began to sing, and gold fell from every beak, and silver from their wings, and copper from their feathers, until the isle was abundantly supplied with precious metals. Then Lemmikainen sang again, and turned to sand to gems and the pebbles into pearls, and he covered the whole island with flowers, and made little lakes with gold and silver ducks swimming in them, until everyone was delighted, and the maidens most of all. Then, Atty said, If I were in a fine castle, I would conjure up the most wonderful feats and sing the grandest songs you have ever heard. No sooner had he said this than they had

led him to their finest castle, and there he conjured up his splendid feast with knives and forks and all the dishes made of gold and silver. From this time on, Achi was treated as an honored guest and spent his time most delightfully. In every village on the island were seven castles, and in each castle were seven daughters, and all of these me be be bemencrime and welcome as he went from one to another according to his fancy. Thus he spent a whole of his years in exile. but there was one maid, old and ugly, and living in a remote village whom he neglected. At length the time of his return was come, and he made up his mind to leave. But just as he had decided to go, the maid whom he had neglected came to him and bade him

beware, for she was going to take revenge for his slighting her. But Lemmincinen scarcely heard her, for he was so busy thinking about his journey home. But the maiden went around to all the men of the island, and told him evil stories about Lemminkinen, and then she went and burned his boat. The next morning, Lemminkainen started off to bid his friends the maidens farewell, but he had not gone far before he saw the men getting their weapons ready to come and attack him, and he saw that he must fly immediately if he wished to escape alive. So he hastened down to his boat, but when he reached it, there were only the ashes left.

At first he did not know what to do, but he spied seven broken pieces of planks and a few fragments from a broken distaff, and taking these he began to sing. some mystic spells over them. Now sooner had he finished his incantations than a magic boat stood ready before him, and he got into it and sailed away. But before he was far from the shore, all the maidens came down to the beach and began to weep and beg him to come back, and dwell with them forever. But Lemmankind and answered them that he felt a great longing to see his home once more and his mother, yet that he was truly sorrowful to leave them, but it must be so. And so he sailed on until the isle was out of sight.

The boat sailed on and on for two days and nights, but on the third day came a mighty stormwind and tossed the vessel about until it broke all in pieces and left Lemminkine and struggling in the waters.

He swam for long days and nights struggling with the waves until at length he reached the rocky point projecting out into the ocean. There he landed and soon found his way to a castle that was built upon the rocks.

He told the mistress of the castle how he had been in the water for days and days and was almost perishing from hunger, and she, being a kind-hearted woman, gave him a splendid feast of bread and butter, veal and bacon, and fish and honey-cakes, and when he had eaten that and rested, she gave him a new boat, loaded with provisions, in which to finish his journey. So off he sailed again, and after many wary days of sailing, he at length reached his beloved island home. But when he landed, and went up to where the house is dead, there was not a sign of anything left. The whole place was all overgrown with trees and bushes. Then Lemminkainen sat down and began to weep,

but it was not for the loss of his home in all his riches that he whipped, but for his beloved mother. As he sat there, he caught sight of an eagle flying in the air above, and Atty asked him if he knew what had happened to his mother. But the eagle could only tell him that his people had all perished long ago. Next he asked the raven, and the raven told him that his people had been killed by his enemies from Bodula. On hearing this, Lemminkainen began again to mourn her loss,

and to look about for some dear relic that he might keep in remembrance of her. But as he looked, he suddenly came on a faint pathway leading away from the house, and on it he saw the prince of light feet. He began to follow it eagerly, over hill and valley, until he reached the gloomy forest. There it led him to a hidden glade right in the middle of the island, and there he found a humble cabin, and his grey-haired mother weeping in it. Atte cried aloud for joy at the sight of her, and then he told her how he had mourned her as dead,

She asked him in return how he had spent those years on the Isle of Refuge, and he told her all, how charming the life there was, and how he had enjoyed himself there, but that at the end all the men of the Isle had come to hate him, because the maidens admired him so much, and how through their jealousy and the hatred of the one maid whom he had neglected, he had nearly lost his life. And when he had ended his story, they both gave thanks to Great Ucco that they had found each other again. End of Chapter 24, the Isle of Refuge.

chapter twenty five of finnish legends this is the libevox according all liberfax accords are in the public domain for more information or to volunteer please visit livervox dot org recording by phone finnish legends by r ivan the frost fiend when the next day began to dawn lemmincinn and went to the beach that was hidden behind the projecting point where his vessels lay he found them still there but as he approached he heard the rigging wailing in the wind and saying much Must we lie here forever unwrought, since Aty has sworn not to go to war for sixty long years. Then Lemminkining cried out to his vessels, "'More no more, my good warships, for soon you shall be filled with warriors and hastening to the battle.' When he had uttered these words, he hurried back to his mother and bade her sorrow no longer over the insult that the pojula warriors had offered to her, for he was going now to make war on them in order to punish them for it.

His mother, when she heard his intention, besought him earn not to go to war and break his oath to her, for some great misfortune was surely come upon him. But he paid no heed to her, and went to seek his friend Cura to accompany him on his expedition. When he came to the aisle in which Cura lived, he went up to the house and said, Oh, my dear friend Cura, dost thou not remember the time when we fought together long ago against the men of dismal northland. Come with me now, and be my companion in another war against them. Now, Curra's father was sitting by the window, whittling out a javelin, and his mother was near the door skimming milk, and his brothers and sisters were also working nearby. And all of them cried out that Cura could not go to war, for he was but lately married, and they bade Lemmankind and leave him.

But Cura himself jumped up from where he was lying before the fire, and began to put on his armor in great haste. On his helmet were wolves of bronze, and a horse on each javelin. Then Currah took his mighty spear, and going forth into the court, he hurled it towards the north, and it flew on and on, whistling through the air, until at length it fell upon the earth of the distant northland. And after this, Curra touched his javelin against Lemmankind and spear, and promised to be his faithful comrade in this expedition. So the two great warriors made all need for preparation and set forth to sail to this small podula. But Luhi knew by magic art that they were coming, and she called the black frost to her,

and gave him these commands, hastened forth, O Black Frost, and freeze all the white sea, frees Lemankind in his vessel fast in the ice, and freeze the magician himself in his vessel, so that he may never more awaken from his icy sleep until I myself may choose to free him. So the black frost hastened off to do her bidding, and first he stripped the leaves of the trees and took all the color from the flowers on his way to the seashore. When he reached the shore, the first night he froze all the rivers that empty into the sea, and the waters along the shore, but he did not touch the open sea that night. But on the second night he froze all the sea,

and the ice kept growing thicker and thicker all around Lemmincinen's vessel, until at last the black frost even began to freeze Lemmikin's hands and feet and ears. But when Lemmikin felt this, he began to sing an incantation against the black frost, saying, Black Frost, evil child of the Northland and only son of winter, thou mayst freeze the trees and waters and the very stones, but let me be in peace. freeze the iron mountains till they burst in sunder freeze buoxi and imatra but do not try to harm me for i will sting thine origin and make thee powerless for thou wert borne on the borders of the ever-dissimal northland and were fed by crawling snakes the north wind rocked thee to sleep in the marshes and thus thou grew a thing of evil and at last the name of frost was given thee and as thou became larger thou didst learn to rend the trees in winter and to cover all the lakes with ice but if thou wilt not leave me now i will not leave me now i will not leave me now i will cast thee into Lempos' fiery heart, and will lay thee on the anvil that Ilmaninem may

pound thee to pieces with his mighty hammer. Now the Frost-fean knew how great a magician Lemminkine was, and therefore he agreed that he would leave the two warriors unharmed, but keep their ship frozen up as it was, and so Ate and Cura had to leave their vessel and journey over the ice to land. At length they reached the country called Starvation Land, and there they found a house, but there was no food in it. So they went on still farther, over the hill and valley, and as they went, Lemminkainen gathered soft moss from the tree trunks and made stockings of it to keep their feet warm. On and on they went, seeking from some pathways to guide them, but all was one snow-covered wilderness. Dancura said, Alas, O Ati, we came hither to take vengeance on the men of Podula, but I fear that we shall leave our own bones here, and our flesh be food for eagles and ravens.

We shall never learn the pathway that can guide us to her homes. My poor mother will never know what has become of me, whether I have perished in the heat of battle, or on some lonely hill, or in some dismal forest. She can only mourn me as one dead, and sit and reap bitter tears. Then Lemmankind and said, My aged mother, think of her former happy days when all went well and all was joy and happiness. But now sorrow and misfortune are come upon me, yet shall we not despair, for we are young and strong, and will give way neither to hunger nor to evil sorcerers, but we'll use the prayer my father used to pray, saying,

O thou great creator, shield us in thine arms, and give us of thy wisdom. Be our guardian and our father, that thy children may not wander from the path which thou has given them. Then, when Lemmikinen had finished speaking, he took his cares and made fleet horses of them, and the reins he made of days of evil, and from his pains he made the saddles. Then he and Cura galloped off each to his own home, and thus Lemminkinen was once more returned to his aged mother's arms. Now, let us leave him there, and Cura with his own.

bride and kinsfolk and speak hereafter of other heroes. Thus Father Mikkel ended, adding, And I think we must stop now for the night, for it is getting late. Then they had supper, and it was not long before all of them had gone to bed and were sound asleep. Early the next morning, they were all awakened by a dull thud and a smothered shout. Eric and Father Miko jumped up and lit a lantern, and then hurried to the door, which stood open. They had dug a passageway out through the snow the day before, and they saw that the wall of snow had just caved in, and sticking out of the middle of the heap was a pair of small legs

waving about wildly in the air. The next minute they had pulled out the owner of the legs, and little Anturo stood before them, looking very much frightened and very foolish too. He had his snowshoes and some meat with him, and managed to explain, between his sobs, that he had intended to go and hunt for reindeer and Lapland, the way Lemmincinen did in the story, but his snowshoe had caught in the wall and disaster had overtaken him. The would-be hero was promptly taken in charge by Mother Steena, and soon all was quiet again. When they went out the next morning, they found that the snow had long since stopped, but the wind was blowing so hard and it was so bitterly cold,

that Father Miko was easily persuaded to stay another day. After dinner, they settled down exactly as the day before, Mimi and Papa Miko's lap again, and in a few minutes he began to tell them some more of his wonderful stories. I will tell you about someone you have not heard of yet, Father Miko said. about Colorvo, though I am sure he will none of you like Colorful himself, but yet the story itself may be interesting. So he began. End of Chapter 25, the Frostfield.

Chapter 26 of Finnish Legends. This is a LibriVox recording. All LibriVox recordings are in the public domain. For more information or to volunteer, please visit LibreVox.org. Recording by Fanoja, Hungary. Finnish Legends by R. Aywind. Chapter 26 Many ages ago, there was a mother who had three sons, and one of them grew up to be a prosperous merchant, but the other two were carried off, one to a distant Pachola and one to Kyrjala, and the one in Pajola was named Untamo.

But the one in Kajala was called Kala-Wonien. One day, Untamo set his nets near Kalarowinen's home to catch salmon. But in the evening, Kaleroynen came by and took all the fish out of the nets and carried them off home. When Entamo found it out, he went to his brother, and soon they fell to blows, but neither could conquer the other, though they gave one another sound beatings. After this had happened, Kalerowinan sawed some body near Untamo's barns, and Entomu's sheep broke into the field and ate the barley, and then Kalerwoinian. and then Kalevoynen's dog killed his sheep.

This made Untamo so angry that he collected a great army and marched against his brother to put him and all his tribe to death. And when they reached Kaleroyan's home, they burnt old houses and killed everyone except Kalerwoinan's daughter, Entamaula. Now not long after this a child was born to Untamala and she named him Kula war. Then they laid a fatherless infant in the cradle and began to rock him. But he began at once to make the cradle rock without assistance.

And he rocked for three whole days, so hard that his hair stood quite on end, on the third day he began to kick until he had burst his swaddling clothes, and then he crept out of the cradle and broke that also in pieces. When cooler woe was only three months old, he began to speak, and the first woes which he uttered were these. When I have grown big and strong, I will avenge the murder of my grandfather, Teller Wynan and his people. But this on Tomo was greatly alarmed and took counsel with his people as to what should be done with the child. At length they hit upon a plan. They took the child and bound him firmly in a willow basket, and then put him in the world. the lake among the bulrushes. After three days had passed, they went to see if he were dead,

but he had broken loose from the basket and was sitting on the waves, fishing with a copper rod and a golden line. So they took him back again to the house. Next Untama ordered a great heap of dried brushwood to be collected together and a pile was made higher than the treetops. On the top of this they set the boil and then set fire to the pile. It burned three whole days and then entomal sent men to see if the child was dead, but they found him sitting in the middle of the fire, raking the coals together with a copper rod and not a hair of his head was even singed. Then they took him home and considered again how they should kill him, and this time they took him and crucified him on an oak tree.

And on the third day they came and found that he had painted an armed warrior on every leaf, made fast, though he was to the tree. And so they took him down and brought him home again. This time they saw that they could not harm him. So on Tambo told him that he would take him as a servant, and that if he did well, he should be paid well. When Kulnervo had grown a little, he was said to take care of a baby. and was given very careful instructions as to how to rock it and attend to all its wants, but the cruel Kular War treated it harshly,

and in the evening killed it and burned the cradle in the fire. So Entomu was afraid to give him any further employment about the house, but bade him go out and cut down the forest on the mountainside. The Kularvo went to the smith and bade him make a huge axe of fire. copper and when it was ready he spent one day in sharpening it and another in making the handle and then hastened off to the forest there he chose the biggest tree on all the mountain side and felt it at one blow six more huge trees were cut down just as easily but then cooler grew disgusted with the work and pronounced a curse over the whole mountain

and stopped working so when on Tammu came in the evening to see how he was getting on and found only seven trees filled, he saw that he must set Cooler Wo to some other task. The next day, therefore, he took him into a fill and bade him build the fence round it. As soon as Untamo was gone, Cooler was set to work, using whole trees and raising the fence, higher than the clouds, and when he had finished there was no gate to interby, and the fence was so high that no one could climb over it. When Untamo came and saw, saw what he had done and that no one could now get into the field, he told Coolerbo that he was unfitted for such work and must go and thrash the Ryan Bolly. Then Cooler

Wo made a flail and set to work, and he thrashed so hard that all the grain was beaten to powder and the straw was broken up into useless pieces. But when Numa saw this, he grew very angry and cried out that Coolervo was a wretched workman. who spowed whatever he touched, and the next day he took him off and sold him to the blacksmith, Ilmarinen, in distant Kordjada. And the price Ilmarinan paid was three old walnut kettles, seven wolf the sickles, and three old skiders, and whose and axes surely quite enough for such a fellow as Kulner will. End of Chapter 26 Chapter 27 of Finnish Legends This is a Libri Box recording

All LibriVox recordings are in the public domain For more information or to volunteer Please visit LibriVos.org Recording by Farnu Jehengi Finish Legends by R. Iwin Chapter 27 As soon as the purchase was completed Kulurvau asked Almarinen

and his wife too give him some work for the next day so they decided to make him a shepherd but the wife once the rainbow maiden did not like their new servant, so she baked him a cheat loaf. A very thick loaf, half of barley, half of oatmeal, and with a great flintstone in the center, and around the flintstone was melted butter. Then he gave it to Colervo and told him not to eat it

until he was out on the pasture ground. The next morning El Marinen's wife showed Colervo the cattle and bade him take them to the open glaze among the forests, where they would find food in abundance. then she addressed the prayer to ukul that he would guard the flock in case the shepherd should neglect them, and she sought the aid two of all the goddesses of the forests and the daughters of summer and the spirits of the fountains and the brooks, to care for her cattle and watch over them. And she also sang a spell to keep away the bells from coming and devouring them.

And when all these prayers and spells were ended, she sent Coulardvo off with the house. Coolerbo drove them off to their pastures in the woods, carrying his lunch in a basket on his arm, and as he walked, he sang off his hard lot as a slave and how he was given only the scraps and crusts to eat while his master and mistress fed on honey cakes and wheat and biscuit. At length the time came for him to eat his luncheon, and he sat down and drew the cheat low from the basket, but instead of eating it at once, he turned it carefully. over and over in his hands and thought many loaves are fine to look at on the outside but are nothing but chaff inside and he drew out his knife to try the loaf this knife was the one thing that his

mother had kept of all her father's possessions and cooler wo looked upon it as something sacred now as he plunged it into the chief loaf it hit right upon the hard flint in the center and broke in several pieces. Then Kulharvo sat down and began to weep over his loss and to ponder how he should revenge it. But the raven was sitting in a tree nearby and overhead him talking to himself. And the raven said, Why are those so distressed, Clairval? Drive the herd away, one half to the wolves and the other half to the bears dance, so that they may all be devoured. And then when it is time to return home, call together the bolts and bears and make them look like cattle. By dying,

magic art and drive them home for thy mistress to milk. That's the wild tripade this insult. At these wars, Kolarvo jumped up and did as the raven had said, and when the sun was setting in the west, Kolarvo hastened homeward, driving bells and wolves before him, but by a magic spell, he made them look like cattle, and as he went he said to them, sees my hateful mistress when she comes to milk the cattle and tear and rent her in pieces. And he took a cow horn and made a bugle of it and blew till the hills rang to announce his return.

When he reached the co-yard, Almarin's wife greeted him joyfully for it was late and she had feared that something had happened and she told her all this maizea to go and milk the cows as she herself was busy but Cullervo said, thou shouldn't scold thyself, for the cows are in better condition to-night than they have ever been before. And so she went, and when she saw them, she cried out in wonder, Truly my cattle are beautiful tonight, for the hair glistens not the fear of Lennoxes,

and is soft as her mind's skin. With these wards she seated herself to begin milking, but all at once the wolves and bells appeared in their true shapes and began to tear her two pieces. Then she cried out to Cullerbo When she saw what he had done But he answered If I have done evil Thou hast done still greater evil

For thou hast baked a stone inside my bread And I have broken on it my knife The only relic of my mother's people Then Almarinan's wife began to beg him to aid her And promised him the best of everything to eat And that he should never have to work again But Cullerbo would not listen to her prayers But rejoice at her agony

and then the walls and bears made one more onset, and she fell and died. Such was the end of the beauteous rainbow maiden, for whom so many had waved, and who had become the pride and joy of Calabala. End of chapter 27. Chapter 28 of Finnish Legends. This is a Librebox recording. All Librebox recordings are in the public domain. For more information or to volunteer, please visit Librebox.org.

Recording by Fanny of Johanee. Finish Legends by R. I went. Kolarvo's life and death When Colervo hastened off, before Almerinen should come home and find out what had happened. And after he was at a safe distance, he began to play upon the bugle he had made. Until Ilmerinen ran out of his smithy to see what it could be. And there before him in the courtyard, Elmerinen saw the body of his wife and learned what had happened. and he sat down and wept bitterly for all the joy of his life was now gone from him.

But Cullarvo hastened on, and as he went he mourned his heartlet. When he had gone a little way, he met an old witch on the road, and she asked him where there he was going. I shall journey to the dismal northland, answered Cullarvo. That was laid a wicked untamo, who has killed all my king's folk. Then the witch said, What's wrong? For thy father and thy sisters escaped from anew? Tom was vast, and now thy mother has joined them, and they are living happily together on the

distant borders of Calabola. And then Kulervo begged her to tell him the way to them. She did so, and he hastened off to find them. At length he reached his parents about, but at first they did not recognize him, but when he spoke to his mother, she knew him at once, and embraced him and kissed him and made him welcome in his new home. And then they related to one another all that had happened. In the years they had been apart, and his mother ended by saying, "'Praise be oko that thou has come back to us, but there is yet one absent one. The elder sister straight away, many years ago, hunting berries on the hills, and we have never seen or heard of her sins.' So Cullervo settled down to live with his parents, and began to work with others.

The first day they all went out to fish for salmon, and Cullerbo was put at the oars to row their boats. Then he asked whether he should row with all his strength or only a little part of it, and they told him that he could not pull too hard. So he put forth all his giant's strength, and in a minute the boat was all broken to pieces. His father said, I see that though are too clumsy to row. Perhaps thou would do better to drive the salmon into the nets. And Kulerva asked again whether he should use all his strength, and he received the same answer as before.

So he set to work, beating the water to a scares, to scare the fish into the net, but he beat so hard that he mixed all the mud on the bottom with the water and pounded the salmon all to pulp and destroyed all the nets. Then his father saw that he was not fit for such work, so he sent him off to pay the yearly taxes. Kular would did so, and after he had paid them, he started off in his sledge to drive home again. He had not driven far when he met a lovely maiden whom he asked to get into his sledge and come with him to his home and marry him, but she made fun of him and he drove off in anger and when he had driven still farther he met another maiden. Still more lovely than the first, and this one he had lends persuaded to get into his sledge and come home with him and marry him.

But when they had driven along for two days towards his home, the maiden asked him about his king's walk and he told her that he was a colourful son. No sooner had the maiden heard this then she gave a great cry of anguish and cried out, And asked, then thou art my brother, for I am Cullerva's daughter, who wandered off one day to pick berries and never returned. And with these wars, she jumped from the sledge and hastened weep into a river nearby. There she plunged beneath the icy waters and was never seen again alive, but her lifeless body floated down to the Black River of Tuani. But Cularvo unharnessed his estate from the sledge and galloped off home, and there, related to his mother, all that had occurred, and how he had unknowingly been the cause of his sister's death, and when he had

finished this story, he added, "'Who is me? "'That I need not die long ago, but now I must hasten off to gloomy powjola, that was slayed a wicked on Tama and myself also slain.' Having said this, he also made ready his armor and ground his brood sword, until it was as sharp as a razor, but before he went, he asked his father and brother and sister and mother if they would grieve when they heard of his death. And all but his mother told him that they would never sorrow over the death of such an evil fellow. But his mother alone said that,

in spite of all the evil he had done, her mother's love was still strong and that she would weave over him for years to come. Thereupon Kulervo went forth on his journey to the icy Northland, but before he had gone far, a messenger came and told him that his father was dead, and asked Kulervo to come back and help bury him. But he would not come. And a little later, he was told of the death of his brother and then of his sister and last of all of his mother. Still, he refused to come to bury any of them.

Only when the news of his mother's death reached him, he mourned that he had not been with her in her last moments and bade the servants bury her with every possible honor and respect. Now as he near the home of Untamo's tribe, he prayed to Uco to endure his sword with magic powers so that on Tamo and all his people might be surely slain but Uco did as he had asked and with the magic sword Kularo slew single-handled all on Tommos people and burned all their villages to ashes leaving behind him only dead bodies and smoking ruins then he hastened home and found that it was only too true that all his family

had died while he was away and he went out to his mother's grave and wept over it but as he wept, his mother spoke to him from the grave and bade him, let their old dog lead him into the forest to the home of the wood nymphs who would care for him. So Cullarvo set off led by the faithful God. But on the way they came to the grassy mound, where Cullarvo had met his long-lost sister, and there he found that even the grass and the flowers and the trees were weeping. Suddenly overcome with sorrow, he drew forth his magic sword from out its scabbard, and bidding a last farewell to all the world, he thrust the handle firmly into the earth and threw himself upon the sword point so that it pierced his heart, thus ended the evil

life of Cullervo. They were all silent for a moment when the saddest story of Cullervo's life and death was ended, and then Mimi said, I wish you tell us about nice men like Ilmerinen and Vain Moinen, Papamiko, Cullerva was real hateful. Well then, I will tell you of what Elmarinan did when he had lost his wife the rainbow maiden and the old man began End of chapter 28 chapter 29 of Finnish legends this is a Librivox recording all Librivox recordings are in the public domain for more information or to volunteer please visit Librivox.org recording by Fan of Jehengili Finnish legends by our eyewind chapter 29 Elmarinan's bride of gold after Elmarin's wife had been so

cruelly slain, he wept for three whole days and nights without seizing, and after that, for three months he did not go into his smithy, nor even so much as left the hammer from the ground. And as he moaned, he cried, O is me for all his earnest and sorrow now that my dear wife is slain, and there is no more rest for me in my home. But after the three months of mourning were passed, Ilmarinen went out and dug up a great quantity of gold and silver, and cut down the same. further sledge loads of bird trees, which he burned to charcoal. Then he put the charcoal in the bottom of his furnace and laid a large piece of gold and a still larger piece of silver on top. Enclosing the furnace, he stotted the fire and set the workmen to blowing the blows. But the

men were lazy and let the fire go out. So Elmarinen drove them all away and began to blow the fire by magic spools alone. Three days he walked the bellows by his magic spoles, and on the evening of the third day he looked inside the furnace, hoping to see an image rising from the melted gold and silver, and there came forth a lovely lamb, old gold and silver, and everyone admired his beauty Selval Marinan, who said, get back into the furnace, for I only desired a beauty bride, born of the melted golden silver. So he threw the lamp back into the furnace, and added still more gold and silver and other magic metals, and then set his workmen to blow the bellows again.

But they proved lazy this time too. And he had once more to use his magic spells to blow the fire. Again he looked into the furnace on the evening of the third day, and this time there arose a colt of gold and silver and with hoofs of shining copper. Everyone admired a beautiful coltzel Valmarinen who threw it back into the furnace. Once more, he added golden silver and set the workmen to blow the bellows. But they neglected their walk this time too. Then he blew the fire by magic and caused other magic spells over the furnace so that the golden silver should grow into a lovely maiden.

When he looked into the furnace on the evening of the third day, he saw at last the figure of a maiden rising from the flames, but it had neither feet, no hands, no ears. So Almarinen took her from the fire and forged unceasingly until feet and hands and ears were all completed, and the maiden was now the most beautiful that anyone had ever seen. But yet, she could not walk, no talk, no sea, no hair. But Almarina carried the golden maiden out of the smitty and took her to the bathroom where he watched the golden and silver image and then took it and laid it in his couch in his wife's place. That night he heaped up bare skins and rugs of all kinds on top of the bed,

hoping that the image would come to life from the warmth, but it was all in vain, and Elmerinen was almost frozen himself when he rose next morning. Then he said to himself, surely this lovely maiden was not meant to be my bride. I would take her to Vainamonan, and perhaps she may come to life for him. So off he went and offered the beautiful image to Vynemoinen, telling him that he had brought a lovely maiden to be Vainamoyan's bride now in his old age. But Vainamorna Mornan, after praising the woman, the image's beauty said,

My dear brother, Almarinen, it is better to let through this image back into thy furnace and to forge from the melted metal a thousand useful trinkets, for I will never wed an image made of gold and silver. And then why in a moyn and third

to those of his people who were standing nearby and said to them, never bow to any image made of gold or silver, for they cannot see nor hear nor as big and they will only bring you sorrow. End of chapter 29.

Chapter 30 of Finnish Legends. This is a Libri-Box recording. All Libri-Vox recordings are in the public domain. For more information or to volunteer, please visit LibriVox.org. Recording by Farnoja-Hungary. Finnish Legends by R. Iwent. Ilmarinen's fruitless wooing. So El-Morinan cast a maid of gold into a corner of his smithy

and harnessed up his sledge and drove off to this small Northland to ask Louie to give him another of her daughters in marriage. Three days he journeyed and on the evening of the third he reached all Louie's home. Lohi asked him how her daughter, the Rainbow Maiden fared, and Elmarinen, with hanging head and sorrowful face, told how his poor wife had perished and ended up his story by asking Lohi to give him her next fairest daughter to be his wife. But Louie grew angry and upbraided him with not having guarded her other daughter

and thus being guilty of her death, and she scornfully refused to give him another of her daughters. But Almarinen went into the house in great anger, and their address lo, his next fairest daughter, begging her to come to his home with him and become his wife. The maid replied, I would never marry the man who has been the cause of my dear sister's death. And even if I were to marry, I would wish the nobler suitor than a mere blacksmith.

Then Almarinan grew pale with anger, and seizing the maiden in his mighty eyes. he rushed off to his sledge and drove off like the wind before anyone could stop him. The poor maid wept and begged Elmerinen to release her and to let her die by the roadside, rather than to take her dust to his home. If thou would not release me, she said, I would change into a salmon and scape thee. But Elmarinen told her that he would pursue her in the shape of a pike. Then the maiden said first that she would become an ermine,

But Elmarinan told her he would turn into a snake and catch her. And then she said that she would become a swallow, but Elmarinan threatened to become an eagle. So they drove on and on. And the maiden left the whole time and begged Elmarinan to let her go, even if it were only to die in the snow. But he refused and grew more and more angry at her obstinacy. At length they reached Elmarin's home and he took the maiden into the house.

But here seeing there was no hope of escape, she determined to make him so angry that he would kill her and thus she would be freed from her. So she began to make fun of him and to scorn him and laugh at him until at length, Elmarinen was in such a rage that he scarcely knew what he was doing and drew his sword to kill her. But the sword refused to do this cruelty, saying, I was born to drink the blood of warriors, but not of such a pure and lovely maid as this. So, Almarinan being unable to kill her began to weave a magic spell about her, and in a few minutes she changed all of a sudden into a sea-go,

and flew off screaming toward the sea cliffs. And when he had done this, Elmarinen went out and got into his sledge and drove off to his brother, Weinamoyan. When he arrived, Weinamoyan asked him why he was so sad and whether all was well in Pauchola. To this Almarinan replied, Why should not all be well in Paujola? They have the Sempo there, and until it leaves them, they will always prosper. And then Vynemoinen asked him of the maiden whom he had gone to Wu.

I have turned that hateful maid into a sigal. Almarinen answered Froning, and now she flies shrieking above the rolling waves, and will never have another suitor. End of Chapter 30. Chapter 31 of Finnish Legends. This is a Libri-Box recording. All Libri-Box recordings are in the podcast. public domain. For more information or to volunteer, please visit Libribox.org.

Recording by Farnell Jahangiri. Finish legends by R.I. Wind. Chapter 31. Vainamoinen's expedition and the birth of the cantali harp. Vainamoinen reflected on what Elmarin had said of the prosperity of the Northland, and at length proposed that they should go and capture the sample and bring it back to Caliwala. But Almarinen said, it will be hot to carry off the Sampo, for Luhi has fastened it with nine great locks and around it great three roots beneath the mountain and the waters and the sands. A still Vynumoinan persuaded him to go, and Almerinan went to his smithy and began to forge a sword for Vynumoinen. And when it was finished, it was so strong by the power of the magic spells that had been used in making it, that it would cut through the hottest flintstone. Then the two heroes put on their armor and made their sledges ready and drove off along the seashore northward.

But they had not gone far before they heard a voice lamenting. They drove up to the spot whence the voice seemed to come and there they found the ship lying deserted on the sand. Weinaminen asked the ship what it was lamenting over and the ship replied, Alas I will because I am obliged to remain here idle, for I am built to be a warship and I longed to say filled with warriors against the foes. But I am left here to lie alone and rode to pieces." Then Vainamoyen said, You should lie here no longer, but we will sail in thee against the man of Paujola. But tell me whether the autumn magic ship that can sail without wind or oarsman or pilot.

Nay, the sheep replied. I cannot sail if the wind or oars do not help me, and then some guide me with the rudder, but give me these to help me and I can sail faster than any other ship in the world. Then they left their sledges and launched the ship and stepped abroad, and Vainamon began to sing his wondrous spells, and in an instant one side of the vessel was filled with bearded warriors and the other with lovely maids, and in the middle came powerful gray-bearded heroes. First he set the young men at the oars, but however hard they strove they could not budge the ship, and next the maiden stride, but they too fade.

of all, the mighty gray-bearded heroes took the oars, but yet the vessel did not move. Then Ulmerin himself grasped the oars, and in a moment the vessel was moving through the waters at full speed, with all Vynumoinen at the helm. They had not gone far when they came to an island, and on the shore was a man working on a fishing boat. As they drew nearer, he looked up and hailed them, asking whether they were bound. Vynumon answered, O superlumankind! Must thou not recognize us, and canst thou not guess whether we are bound?

Then Lemurcoinen, for it was really he said, I recognize you both now, there's Almorinen who is rowing and the world Wynumoinen. But tell me whither are you selling? Whether ye are sailing? Then Vyna Moynen told him that they were bound for Paujolah to capture the magic sample, and on hearing this, Lemankinen begged to go with them, saying that he would fight valiantly with them. So they took him on board, and the three great heroes sailed down their way.

But before they had gone much farther, they came to a place where there were lovely maidens singing sweetly on the shore. But all around were hidden rocks and whirlpools, and their vessel was near sinking. But Lamancainen knew the spell that would compel the maidens to calm their whirlpools, and to lead the ship in safety past all the hidden reefs, out into open water again and when Lemmincinnan had sung this spell all Vynamoinen was able to steer in safety through the foam-covered rocks and out into

open water but no sooner were they cleared and the vessel stopped as suddenly as if she were anchored to the spot Almerinen and Lamanquinan then plunged the long pole to the bottom of the waters and strove to push the ship ahead but it was impossible then Vynumoynan bade Lamancainen look beneath the vessel to see what it was to stop them, and they found that it was no hidden reef or sandbar, but a mighty pike on whose shoulders the vessel had stuck fast. At Vynumoinen's order, Lamancainen drew his sword and aimed a mighty blow at a monster, but he missed it and fell overboard.

He was drawn out all dripping, and the others consoled him for his failure. Next, Edmarin drew his sword and struck at the monster. But at the first blow his soul broke in pieces. At last, Weinamon reproaching the others for their feebleness, drew his magic sword, and with one thrust he impaled the master on it. Then lifting the master out of the water, he cut him into pieces, and let them fall on the water and floating towards land. Thus the vessel was free at last, but the heroes were weary with their exertions.

And so they rode into land, and there gathered up the fragments of the fish. that had floated onto the shore. Vynumoinen handed these pieces to the maidens who were with them in the vessel, and they prepared the most delicious feast from the pike, having enough and to spare for all on board, and they piled the bones in a heap under rocks. Then Vynumoinen looked at the pile of bones,

and after pondering deeply, he said, wondrous things may be made from these bones. If only I can find a skillful workman to carry out my design and make the Kentee Lee. But no workman could be found who was wise enough to understand Vynumoinus' directions, for no one had ever heard of a Kentee lay before.

At length, all Vynumoinans saw that there was no one who could help him, and so he said to work himself. He made the arches of the harp from the Puck's jawbones, and the pins that hold the strings he made from the teeth, and for the strings he took hairs

from the tail of a magic steed. And at last the first Kantele was finished. And it was so beautiful that everyone crowded around to look at it. When it was already, Wynemoyne handed it two those around to try their skill, but they could only make these chords whenever they touched it. Then Laman Kynan bade the others, leave it to him, for he would show them how to play upon it. But when he touched the strings, it sounded worse than when any of the others had tried it.

And after one and all had to do it, one and all had tried it and found that it only gave forth discords. They proposed to throw it into the sea. But the harp said, I shall never perish in the sea, but will bring great joy to Caliwala. Put me in my maker's hands and I will sing for him. So they took it and laid it at the aged Vindamoy in its feet.

Then the great magician took the wondrous cantile and rested it upon his knee. First he tuned it, tightening all the strings on the street. till they sounded sweetly together, and then he swept his hands across them, and a flood of wonderful melody powered forth from the cantile. And as the wondrous notes resounded in the air, every living thing that heard them stopped and listened.

From the forests came the bears and air mines, and the wolves and Lennoxes. Even Tapio, the forest god, drew near, with all his attendants' spirits, enchanted by the magic sounds. From the sea the fishes came to the edge of the waters and the sea god Ato with his water spirits The daughters of the sun and moon stopped their spinning on the clouds and dropped their spindles So that the threats were broken in two for three whole days the magic can telly of power towards its melody beneath by the moinesus's Skippled fingers until everyone that heard it wept and even the master player himself was at last moved to tears by the power of his own playing the bright

teardrops float down his long beard and over his garments and on over the airs in sparkling streams until they were lost in the waters of deep sea and then the music season and Vynamoinen laid the Kentai Li aside and said is there anyone here who can gather up my teardrops from the sea but all were silence for they could not do it but the raven came flying up and offered to attempt it and Vynuminen promised him the most beautiful plumage if he should should succeed. But the raven tried and failed. Then came a duck and Vainamoyne and made it the same promise and the duck swam off and dive down to the ocean's depth. And at

length it had collected every teardrop and brought them to the great magician by the wondrous change had taken place in them for they were no longer tears but the most beautiful pearls. Thus were pearls first created and for this the blue duck received its lovely plumage. the loveliest story of all cried Mimi how I wish I could have heard by the Moines music what is cantile like the one Papa has up in the love Papa Miko if it was I wish Papa would play on ours I expect they are just alike replied Father Miko and when your Papa's Papa was alive I remember that he used to play on the

cantee Lee very sweetly but there are not many in our land that can play the Cantile now. Well, said Mimi with a sigh, I suppose there are and so you might as well tell us what windompson did next, Papa Miko, please, and Father Miko began again. End of chapter 31. Chapter 32 of Finnish Legends. This is a LibriVox recording. All Libbywax recordings are in the public domain. For more information or to volunteer, please visit Livibox.org. Recording by Farno Johanegli. Finish Legends by R. I. Wind. Chapter 32. The capture of the Sampo. After the magic entail was finished, the three great heroes and magicians sailed away again towards this small Northland. Elmarinen led their rowers on one side of the ship and

Laminquinan to the other, and all winemnon steered. They soon reached Pajola and landed near Lohu's house. When they had drawn their vessel up on land, they all went up to Luhi's house, and Vainamon told her that they were come for the Sampo, that if she would only give them the many colored lid they would go away content. But if not, they would take the whole Sampo by force. Then Luhi grew very angry, and called together all the Northland warriors to slay them. But Vynumoinen began to play upon his cantile, and so wonderful, sweet were the tunes that he played that the warriors forgot all about fighting and began to weep and all the mainzings of Paujola began to dance still wind of wine and played on and on until a deep slumber came upon all the Northland folk

then he ceased playing and cast a powerful spell over them so that they should not awake When all the Pajola folk were sound asleep the three great heroes went to the mountains to seek the magic Sampo. And as they went, Winamoyne and played such wonderful music that the great cliffs opened before them and left them an open road to where the Sanpoli hit. When they had come near the cavern, in which the Sanpoli, they sent Lemmincinen to enter the cave and bring it out. He boasting of his strengths, went into the cavern, and seizing hold of the magic Sampo, he put forth all his strength to lift it up, but it remained immovable, for the roots had grown deep into the earth, and bound down tightly. Then Laman Kinen remembered a huge ox that he had seen out in the fields

with honed seven fathoms long and he went after it and hitched it to the biggest plough he could find and began to plough all around the roots which held the Sempo down. And in a very short while the roots became loosened and they were able to pick up the magic Sampoor and carried on boat their vessel. As soon as it was safely on board they sailed away, leaving all the Pajola folk sleeping. On they flew towards their homes in Calavala, but Lamancahanna grew wary of the silence, and asked Vainamoyan why he would not sing to cheer them, but Vynuminen answered that song would only disturb the rowers. And that it was best never to rejoice until all danger was passed. At length when they had gone three days on their journey, Lamanquin grew angry at Vynumoin's silence and began to sing himself,

but his voice sounded harsh and unmelodious, and it made the very ship tremble. Far off on the land, a crane was standing amidstern russes, amusing itself by counting its toes. But when it had Lamancain's attempt at singing, it was so frightened that it flew off screaming over Pajola, and by its screeching, it awoke all the slumbering people. As soon as Louie awoke, she hurried off to her barns and cattlepins to see if anything had been stolen.

But she found everything all right. Next she hurried to the mountains, the cavern where she had hidden the sun-pool. But when she came there, she found the cavern empty, and saw her her visitors, had torn the sample loose from its fastenings. Then Louie returned to her pause, pails with anger, and fear, for she knew that if the Sampu were lost, that all the prosperity of the Northland would be lost with it. So she called up the goddess of the fox and sent her out to the Lai in the Moinen's vessel. And then she called on Ecotorso, a wicked monster living in the depth of

the sea, to swim to the sheep in sink it, and to eat the man in it. But to bring back the Simpoo to Pajola once more, and she prayed, moreover, to great Uko, that if the sea monster should not succeed, that Uco himself would send a fearful tempest to wreck the vessel. First came the goddess of the fog and lapped them in such a thick mist that they could not move. Three days they lay so when then winemone and drew his sword, exclaiming, we shall all perish here in the fog if no attempt is made to drive it away, and with these wars he struck their waves with his sword. From the blade there flowed a stream of honey, and all at once the fog broke up

and left the way clear before them. But scarcely had the fog disappeared, and they heard a mighty roaring sound, and the foam began to shoot up from the water alongside, and to cover the ship. Then Wynumainen leaned over the vessel's side, and stretching out his arm, he grasped something that he saw in the water,

and pulled up the awful monster Ecotoursel. But the monster was so affrighted by being lifted out of the water that he promised to leave them in peace and never to appear above the water. again if Vainamoinen would only release him so Vainamoynan let him go and the second danger was passed but now came the third and most terrible of all for Uco sand a mighty stormwind which lashed the waves into a fury and stirred up the ocean to its very bottom but at the very first pitch of the ship the magic and delay was

swept overboard by the waves and ato the sea god caught it and carried it off to his home beneath the waves. Then Vynumoinen began to be veil the loss of his wonderful instrument, but as the storm grew worse and tossed their ship about like a feather, all on board began to despair of ever-reaching land alive. But Vynumoinen gave them comfort and courage, and he and the marinen and lemankinen by their magic spells quieted the winds and the waves, and repaired the damage which the vessel had suffered from the store. And then they went on their way in peace. End of Chapter 32.

Chapter 33 of Finnish Legends. This is a LibriVox recording. All LibriVox recordings are in the public domain. For more information or to volunteer, please visit LibriVox the Dorc. Recording by Fan of Jahangiri. Finnish Legends by R. I went. Chapter 33. The Sampo is lost in the sea.

But when Luhi found that all her magic had failed, he assembled all her warriors and embarked them in her largest ship and herself sailed off to recapture the Sampo by force of arms. Before long, they came in sight of Vinyneumon's vessel, and when he saw that Luhi was pursuing him with such a mighty host of warriors, he carried out to Almarinen and Lamanquinan to row with all their might in order to escape from their pursuers. So all the rowers rode until the vessel fairly trembled, and the foam was tossed up from the bow as high as the clouds, but still they could not gain on their pursuers.

Then Wynumon saw that he must use some other means. So he took out a piece of flint from his tinderbox and dropped it into the water, saying as he did so, rise up from the bottom of the sea into a mighty mountain so that Lohy's ship may be dashed pieces. And suddenly a mountain of rocks sprang up. out of the water and before Louie could stop her ship it had hit upon the rocks and was wrecked but Louie was not to be outdone in magic so she took the timbers of the ship and made from them a magic eagle using the rudder for its tail and five sharp iron sighters for its talons and on his wings and back she posted all her warriors and then the

magic eagle rose up into the air it made one circle round the heavens and then lit upon the master Wynemoynan's vessel, almost overturning it by its weight. Vynominen first prayed to Uco for aid, and then he asked Luji if he would consent now to divide the Sampo between them. But she scorned his offer, and the eagle made a soup downward to pick up the Sampo in its talents. But Lamancainen raised his sword, and no sooner had the eagle grasped the Sampo, then he brought down his sword with such force that every talent was cut off but one.

Then the eagle flew up on to the mast once more and upbraided Lamanquin because he had broken his promise to his mother that he would not go through war for 60 years. But Vainaminen, believing that his last hour was come, took the rudder in his hand and struck the eagle such a mighty blow that all the warriors fell from its wings and back into the water. Then the eagle made one more soup down upon the vessel, and with the one talon it had left, it dragged the Sampo over the side of the ship

so that it fell to the bottom of the ocean and was broken to pieces. And it is this that has brought so much wealth to the sea. For where the Sampo is, there will always be wealth also. But a few pieces of the lid floated ashore to Kalaala, and it is therefore that our country has now the harvests that before that grew in the dismal northland. But Luhi threatened Wynomoyan saying,

I will steal away thy silver moonlight and thy golden sunlight. I will send the frost and hail to kill thy crops. I will send the bear-out sow from the forest to kill thy cattle and sheep. I will send upon thy people nine diseases, each one of them more fatal than the other before. Then Vainavain and replied, No one from this monoth-land can harm as of Calabala, only you co-rudes the fate of the people. And he will guard my crops from frost and hail,

and my cattle from the bear Utsau. Thou mayst hide evil people in thy northern caverns, but thou canst never hastilled a sun and moon, and all thy frost and plagues and bears may turn against thyself. And then Louie departed to her home, weeping for the loss of the magic and pool, and ever since that time, there have been famines and poverty in gloomy, poutiola. But by no-moynon and the other heroes returned home,

rejoicing, and on the shore they found fragments of the St. Paul's lit. Then, Vainamoyna pray to Ucote to be merciful and kind to them, and to protect them from frost and hail and bears, and to let the golden light of the moon and sun shine forever on the plains of Calabala. Ah, said Eric, half smiling. It's a great pity that the whole sun ported and flowed ashore to our country, for perhaps then there would never have been any

famines in our land at all and he sighed as he thought of some of the hard winters in years past all is in god's hands said father miko reverently and we must take both good and ill as they come to us it is not for us to say what we would wish let us be thankful that even a part of the simple floated hither he added a smiling there was a few moments silence and then Mimi asked what Weinemoinan had done about his last cantalais so father Miko went on end of chapter 33 chapter 34 of Finnish legends this is a Libravox recording all Libravox recordings are in the public domain for more information or to volunteer please visit Libravox.org

Finish Legends By R. Avind Chapter 34 The Birth of the Second Cantelle When the heroes had returned home And found the fragments of the Sampo on the shore, they wished to make merry over the good fortune Which even these fragments were sure to bring,

But Wynamoyan could not give them music Since the wondrous Cantele had been lost in the sea. Then he bade Ilmarinen make a huge rake With copper teeth a hundred fathoms long, and the handle a thousand fathoms, and when the rake was ready, Wynumoinen took it, and sailing out over the sea in a magic vessel that needed neither sails nor oars to move it, he raked over the whole bottom of the ocean, but he only raked up shells and seaweed, and found no trace of the cantele.

Then Wynumoinen returned sadly home, saying, Never again shall I pour forth floods of music to the people of Kalevala from the magic strings of my cantele, and driven on by his grief he left his house and went far off into the forest. As he wandered there he heard the birch tree lamenting, and Wynamon asked the tree why it was unhappy when it had such lovely silver leaves and tassels. To this the birch tree replied, Thou thinkest that I am always happy,

and that my leaves and tassels must always be whispering joy. But alas, I am so weak and feeble, and must always stand alone without a word of sympathy. Others rejoice at the coming of the spring, But I am robbed of bark and tassels and tender twigs, And am cut up for firewood, And then in the wintertime the frost and the cold biting winds Kill my young shoots,

And strip me of my silver leaves, And leave me cold and naked. While the birch-tree was speaking, Weinamorin's face began to brighten, And he finally exclaimed, Weep no more, good birch-tree, For I will turn thy grief into joy, and make thee sing the most marvelous songs.

Having said this, he set to work to make a new cantele, taking birch wood for the framework. At length the frame was already, but he did not know of what to make the pegs. Suddenly he came upon a great oak tree, on which grew golden-colored acorns, and on each acorns sat a sacred cuckoo singing its melody. So Weinamorne took a piece of the oak and made the pegs from it.

But the harp was not yet finished, for the five strings were still lacking. then weinamoynan journeyed on through the forest until at length he came to where a forest maiden was sitting on a mound and singing and her long golden hair was falling loose over her shoulders so winemoynan went up to her and begged her some of her golden tresses from which to weave the five strings for the cantele and the maiden willingly gave up a portion of her golden hair, and from it Weinemoinan wove five strings, and at last the second cantile was complete. Then Weinamoyan sat down upon a rock and placed the cantella upon his knees, and after putting all the strings in tune he began to play.

The fairy music resounded over hill and dale, until at length the very mountains began to dance with delight, and the rocks were rent and sunder and floated on the surface of the ocean. The trees of the forest, too, laughed with joy and began to dance about like children. The young men and maidens rejoiced as they listened to the music, and the grey-haired men and women were amazed, while the babies tried to crawl to where the sweet sounds came from. The magic music resounded far and wide over Kalevala,

and all the wild beasts of the forest fell upon their knees and wonder, while the birds perched upon the trees about him and accompanied the music with their singing. The fish left their homes beneath the waters, and crows. out to the shore to listen, and everything in nature from earth and air and water came to listen to the magic sweetness of Weinamoyan's playing. Three days and more he played unceasing, playing in the houses of his people until their very beams rejoiced, and wandering through the forest where the trees all bent in homage to him, and waved their branches to his music. Then over the meadows still playing until the very ferns and flowers laughed with delight,

and the bushes chimed in in unison with the magic music of the cantele. Oh, I'm so glad that he got another cantele, cried little Mimi delighted. And now what is coming next, Papa Miko? I shall tell you all of Luji's attempted revenge on the heroes who captured the Sampo, he replied, and how they all failed, and then I shall wind up with the last story of all. And having rested a while, the old man continued. End of Chapter 34. Chapter 35 of Finnish Legends.

This is a LibriVox recording. All LibriVox recordings are in the public domain. For more information or to volunteer, please visit LibriVox.org. Recording by Sonia. Finnish Legends by R. Avind. Chapter 35 Lohie attempts revenge. Lohi grew more and more angry and envious when she heard how

prosperous and happy all the folk of Calavala were, since the fragments of the Sampo had floated to their shore. So she pondered long in her evil heart how she might send them sorrow and misfortune. Now just at that time the old witch Lojatar, Tone's daughter, came to Lohi, and asked for shelter from the storms and cold, and Lohi took her in and treated her like an honored guessed. And while Loyaatar was there, nine children were born to her, all horrible diseases, and she named them collic, fever, plague, plurisy, ulcer, consumption, gout, sterility, and cancer. And then Lohy's evil heart rejoiced, and she took the nine diseases and sent them into Kalavala, there to harass and kill Vainamoyen's people. And when the diseases

came, everyone in Calavala, both young and old, fell ill of all sorts of illnesses. And Vainamoynen, at first did not know whence all this evil had come. But soon, by his magic power, he learned that it came from the children of Tone's daughter, Lojatar, and then he set to work to drive them away. First he took all those that were ill to the bath-houses, and then he brought buckets of water and heated blocks of stone, until he had filled the whole room with warm steam. Then he prayed to Uco, to drive away all these diseases from them,

and to send these evil spirits to Tuanis kingdom, where they belonged. After Weinamoynen had prayed thus to Uco, he took a magic balsam and rubbed it over all those that were ill, and sang magic spells over them, and then prayed once more to Uco for success, and that length he drove out the nine diseases and saved his same. people from dying. When the nine diseases had been driven out of Caliwala, the news of Vynamoyen's victory over them came at length to the old witch, Lohie, and she grew angrier than ever that her

revenge had failed. But she pondered over what means of revenge she should try next, and at length she hit upon another plan. She went out into the forest and cast a magic spell upon the hugest bear in all the northland, the great Ozzo, and he hastened from his Poyola home, and began to kill the flocks and herds in Kalevala. Then Vainamoyen hastened to Illmarinen and bade him make a triple-pointed spear with which to kill Ozzo. And when the spear was ready, Vainamoyen hastened off to the forest to find the bear, singing as he went, and calling upon the forest god Tapio and his wife to grant him success in his hunt. He had not gone far before he heard his dog bark, and hurrying up to the spot,

he found Otso standing facing the dog and trying to snap him up, and before the bear perceived him, Vainamoyen was able to end Otso's life with a single thrust of his magic spear. When Otso was dead, Vynamoynen threw the body across his shoulder and hastened off home, singing songs of rejoicing as he went. And when he reached his house, there was great rejoicing, and everyone came out to welcome the dead bear, addressing it as if Ozzo were some honored guests come to see them. First, Vynar moinen sang a song of praise to the dead Ozo,

and bade his people welcome him with all due honor. And then the people answered with the most extradest, effigant expressions of pleasure and welcome and admiration for Otso, and offered him all the best things in the house, and when all this ceremony was over, they took off the fur and cut the body up ready for cooking, and prepared the steaks and joints to make a grand feast. At length the whole of the bear was cooked, and a great feast was spread in Vainamoynen's house on golden dishes, and with sparkling beer in copper beakers, and when all were seated at the table, Vainamoinen rose and sang the story of Ozzo's birth and life.

And this is the story which he sang. Long ago a maiden walked in the ether on the edges of the clouds, and as she walked she threw down wool and hair upon the waters from two boxes that she carried. The wool and hair were floated in to the shore, and there, Mieliki, wife of the forest god, found them, and joined the wool and hair together by magic spells. Then she laid the bundle in a birch-bark basket

And bounded in the top of the lofty pine And there the young bear was rocked into life Ozzo grew quickly and became graceful in his movements Although his feet were clumsy and his ankles crooked His mouth large and forehead broad But he still had no teeth or claws Then Mealiki said I would give thee claws and teeth Otho

But I fear that thou wilt use them to harm people with But Ozzo fell on his knees And swore that he would never harm the good So Mierliki took the hardest knots from all the trees To make him teeth and claws But all of them were too weak Then she went to a magic fur that grew in Tapio's kingdom And which had silver branches and golden cones

And from these she made Ozzo's claws and teeth Thus was Ozzo born and reared So they feasted and made merry and when the feast was over, they all tried to see which could pull out Ozzo's teeth and claws in order to preserve them for their magic power. And of all the men there, only the aged Vainamoynen could draw them out. When this was done, Vainamoynen called for his cantele and bade them light torches, as it was already dark. Then he sang sweet songs and played lovely music, so that the long evening passed away like magic, and he sang of the heart.

hunter's victory and pray to Uco always to give good fortune to the hunters of Caliwala. Thus were Lois' two first attempts at revenge, unsuccessful. End of Chapter 35. Chapter 36 of Finnish Legends. This is the Librivox recording. All Librivox recordings are in the public domain. For more information or to volunteer, please visitlibrivox.org.

by Sonia Finnish legends by R. Avin Chapter 36 Lohi steals the sun, the moon and fire When these two dangers were overcome Vainamoynen played upon his cantile so sweetly that the sun and moon came down from their stations in the sky to listen to his music.

But evil Lohie crept upon them unawares and made both sun and moon her captives and carried them off to the dismal northland, and there she hid them both in caverns in the mountains that they might never again shine upon Kalevala. Next, Lohi crept back to Kalevala and stole all the fire from the hearths and left all their homes, cold and cheerless.

Then there was nothing but black night in the world, and great Uco himself did not know what to do without the light of the sun and moon. Uco wondered all over the clouds to find out what had become of the sun and moon, and at last he whirled his fire-souled round his head, so that the lightning flashed over the whole sky. From this lightning he kindled a little fire, and putting it in a gold and silver cradle,

he gave it to the ether maidens to rock and care for, until it grew into a second sun. So the fire-child was cared for tenderly, and he grew fast, but one day the maidens were not watching him closely, and he escaped from them, and bursting through the clouds with a noise like a thunder-clap, he shot across the heavens like a red fireball. Then Weinamoyen said to Illmarinen, Come, let us see what this fire is that is fallen from the heavens.

And so they set out towards the spot where the ball of fire had seemed to fall. Soon they came to a wide river and set to work to make a magic boat to cross. it, and in a very short time the boat was made, and they rode over. On the other bank they were met by the oldest of the ether maidens, who asked them whither they were going. So they told her who they were, and that they had lost all fire and light in Calavala, so that they were come to seek the fire that they had seen fall from the heavens. Then the ether maiden told them what had happened, saying, after the fire-child had begun to grow, he escaped from us one day, and bursting through the clouds, he came down to Poyola. There he killed youth and babes and old

people, until he was driven away by a magic spell. He fled thence, burning fields and forests on his way, until at length he plunged into a great lake and made the waters boil and rage. Then the fish held a council how to get rid of him, and it was decided that one of them must swallow him. First the salmon tried, but failed. and then the bold whiting made a dash and succeeded in swallowing the evil fire-child. After this the waters of the lake grew quiet, and all went on as before. But soon the whiting was seized with terrible pains, and began to swim round in agony, begging for someone to kill him and put him out of his sufferings.

For a long time he swam about unheeded, but at last the trout seized the whiting and swallowed him. For a while all was quiet. it again, but then the trout began to suffer in his turn. Still, every fish was afraid to swallow him until a pike darted up and ate up the trout. But then the pike was seized with the same pains, and he is now swimming about in great agony, but none will help him. When the ether maiden had finished her account of what had happened, Vynamoinen and Illmarinen wove a great net from seaweed, and hurrying to the lake, they began to draw the net all through it. in order to catch the firefish.

But the net was a poor one, and they failed to catch the pike that had swallowed the other fish and the firechild. Then the two magicians gave up their useless net, and choosing an island nearby, they resolved to plant flecks that they might make a stronger and better net. They went to Tijuana's kingdom

before they could find the proper seed, and found it there under the care of a tiny insect. When they had brought the seed from the deathland, they planted it on the shore, in the ashes of a ship that had been burned there, and in a single night the flecks had grown up and ripened. Then they pulled it, and washed and dried and combed it, and took it to the Calabala maidens to spin. Soon the spinning was done and the net was woven.

So the two great heroes took the flaxen net and hastened back to the lake, and began to drag for the firefish. But they only caught common fish, and the pike remained hidden in the deep. caverns. Then Vynamoyen made the net longer and wider, and they tried again. But though they caught fish of every species, the firefish was not amongst them. Vina moinen then prayed to Ato, God of the ocean, and his wife, Wellamore, that they would drive the firefish into his nets. Scarcely had Vynamonan finished speaking when a little dwarf rose from the waters and offered to help them. They accepted the tiny man's aid, and while they drew their nets, the dwarf beat the

waters with a magic pole, and scared all the fish toward them. And as they drew, Vina Moynen sang a magic charm to bring the fish in still greater numbers. This time the net was full of pike, and they dragged it to the shore rejoicing, and among them they found the firefish. So they threw the other fish back into the water, and Vina Moinen drew his knife and began to do it. And they to cut up the firefish. Inside of the pike he found the trout, and inside of the trout the whiting, and on opening the whiting he came upon a ball of blue yarn. Vainamoynen quickly unwound the blue ball, and within that found the red ball, and when he had opened the red ball, he came to the ball of fire in the middle. They pondered how they should get the fire to Caliwala,

and at last Ilmarinen seized it in his hands to carry it off. but it singed Weinamoyen's beard and burned Ilmarinen's hands dreadfully, and then it jumped out of their reach and trolled off over field and forest, burning everything in its course. Vina Moinen hastened after it, and at length caught it hidden in a mass of punkwood. Then he took it and put it, wood and all, in a copper box, and hastened off home. Thus the fire returned to Calabala. But Illmarinen, suffering great agony from his burnt hands,

hastened to the sea to lave them in the cool water, and he called up the ice and frost and snow to come and cool his parched hands, and when all these proved insufficient, he called on great Uco to send him some healing balm to take away the cruel torture, and Uco granted his prayer and his hands were healed. Then Ilmarinen returned home and rejoiced to find that Weinamuenen had already brought the fire thither. End of chapter 36. Chapter 37 of Finnish legends. This is a Librivox recording.

All Librivox recordings are in the public domain. For more information or to volunteer, please visit Librivox.org. Recording by Sonia. Finnish Legends by R. Avon. Chapter 37 The Restoration of the Sun and Moon. Though the fire had been restored to Caliwala, still the gold moon and the silver sun were lost, and the frost came and killed the crops, and the cattle

began to die of hunger. Every living thing felt sick and faint in the dark, dreary world. Then one of the maidens of Kalevala suggested to Ilmarinen to make a moon of gold and a sun of silver, and to hang them up in the heavens. So Ilmarinen set to work. While he was forging them, Vainamoyen came and asked what he was working at, and And so Ilmarinen told him that he was going to make a new sun and moon. But Vynamoyen said, This is mere folly, for silver and gold will not shine like the sun and moon. Still Ilmarinen worked on, and at length he had forged a moon of gold and a sun of silver,

and hung them in their places in the sky. But they gave no light, as Vynamoyen had said. Then Vynamon determined to find out where the sun and moon had got. gone. So he cut three chips from an alder tree, and laying them on the ground before him, he cast many magic spells over them. Then when all was ready, he asked the older chips to tell him truly where the sun and moon were hid. The older chips then answered that they were hidden in the caverns of the mountains of Poyola. No sooner had Vynamoin and Hurtis, then he made ready for a journey and started off for the dismal Northland. When he had traveled three days,

and was come to the borders of Poyola, he found a white river in the road, and no boat to cross over in, so he built a huge fire on the shore, and soon such a dense column of smoke arose that Lohy sent someone to see what was the matter. But when Vynamoynen called to the messenger to bring him a boat, the man made no reply,

but hurried back to Lohie and told her that it was Vynamoyen who was coming to her house. Then Vina-Moyen saw that he could, could never get a cross in that way, so he changed himself into a pike and swam over very easily, and then changed back to his own shape when he had reached the opposite shore. He hastened on with mighty strides, and soon reached Lohy's dwelling. There he was met as if he were a most honored guest, and they invited him into the hall. Vina Moinen went in unsuspectingly, but no sooner was he inside than he found himself surrounded by crowds of arms.

warriors. The warriors asked him in a threatening tone why he had come thither. But Vynamoyen was not frightened, but answered boldly that he had come to seek the sun and the moon. Then the chief of the warriors replied, We have the sun and moon safe in a mountain cavern, and thou shalt never get them back, nor shall thou leave this hall alive. No sooner had he finished speaking, then Vynamoyen drew his magic sword, and fell upon those that stood between him and the door. They gave way before him, and in a moment he was out in the courtyard, where he could have room to fight fairly. All the warriors rushed at him with drawn swords and lifted spears, and the fire flashed from their weapons, but Vainamuenen was more than a match for all

of them, and in a very short time he had stretched them all lifeless on the ground. Then he left the court and hastened on to find the sun and moon. Soon he came to a solitary birch tree, and beside the trees stood a carved pillar of stone, which concealed an opening in the rocks. Vina Moinen gave three blows with his magic sword, and the pillar broke in pieces, showing behind it an entrance into the rock. But the entrance was shut by a massive door, and there was only a little crack through which he could peep. Inside he saw the sun and moon prisoners. but though he tried with all his strength and all his magic spells to open the door, it still remained tightly shut, and he could not budge it so much as an inch.

Vina Moinen began to despair of ever succeeding in liberating the sun and moon, and he hastened off home to ask for Illmarinen's help. He directed him to forge a whole set of skeleton keys, so that one of them would fit the lock of the door to the sun's prison. Ilmarinen went to work, and soon his anvil was ringing merrily to the blows of his hammer. Now Lohy had grown very much alarmed after Vainamoynen had slain all her warriors, and so she assumed the shape of an eagle and flew away to Kalevala to see what was going on there. She heard the merry ring of Ilmarinen's work, and flew down and lit in the window of the smithy.

There she asked what he was doing, and the cunning Ilmarinen replied, I am forging a collar of steel for the neck of evil Lohi, and with it I shall bind her fast to the rocks. Lohi was terribly alarmed at this, so she flew off to Poyola, and released the sun and moon from prison immediately, and sent them up to their places in the heavens. Then the silver sunlight and the golden moonlight returned once more to Calaverala, and Ilmarinen and Vainamoyen, and all the people offered up a prayer that they might never again be deprived of the blessed sun and moon. It would have served old Lohie right if Illmarinen had made a steel collar and put it round her neck, said Mimi, but I'm so glad that Vainamoyen always got the best of it, she added.

There was one time when he was defeated, however, said Father Miko, and now I shall tell it you. It is the last story, and it is about. Vainamorne's departure from Kalevala. So he began. End of Chapter 37. Chapter 38 of Finnish Legends. This is a Librivox recording. All Librivox recordings are in the public domain.

For more information or to volunteer, please visit Librivox.org. Recording by Sonia Finnish Legends by R. A. Vind. Chapter 38. mariaata and wainnamoinen's departure there lived a fair and lovely maiden in calabala called mariaata she was the loveliest and purest of virgins and tended her parents flocks upon the mountain sides here one day as she was watching the sheep she heard a voice calling to her and on looking round she found that it was a bright red berry calling to her and asking her to pluck it mariata did not know that this was a magic berry, so she picked it and put it to her lips to eat it. But the berry rolled from her lips down into her bosom, and said to her, thou shalt have a son, and he shall become a mighty man and drive forth the old magician Vainamoynen. Then Marietta took the flocks home,

and was so silent and still that her parents noticed it and asked what was the matter. So she told them what had happened, but they grew angry and would not keep her. in their house, for they did not believe the story about the berry. Poor Marietta was now obliged to wander about without a shelter from the cold winds. At length she sent a servant, who had remained faithful to her, and had accompanied her, to a village of Poyola, to ask for shelter from an old man named Rurotus. The maid, Pilti, went to Routus, and told him of Marietta's hard lot, but Rurotus and his wife would not have her in the house, but only grudgingly consented to let her go to a stable in the forest,

where the fire-horse of Heasy was kept. So Marietta was obliged to go to the stable in the dense forest far off from every human being, and there she begged the Hees-y-horse to keep her warm by his fiery breath. The Hees-y-horse was kinder to her than men had been, for he let her lie down comfortably in his manger, and kept her warm with his fiery breath. There the babe was born, and his mother grew happy once more, in spite of her sorrowful circumstances. But one night, while she slept, the babe disappeared, and the poor mother was overwhelmed with grief. Then she wandered forth and looked everywhere for him, but in vain.

So she asked the North Star if he had seen her son. But the North Star answered, I would not tell thee even if I knew, for it is thy son who hath made me, and set me here in the bitter cold. And next Marietta asked the moon, and received the same answer as the North Star had given. Then she went to the sun and asked him, and the sun said,

I know very well where thy sun is hidden, for he made me and put me here to shine with my silver light, he lies sleeping yonder in the swamp land. So Marietta hastened to the spot that the sun had pointed out, and there found her babes, sleeping peacefully in the water among the rushes. Then she returned with the babe to her father's house, and this time he received her and allowed her to live there in peace.

And the child grew in beauty and wisdom, and his mother called him flower, but others called him son of sorrow. Then his mother called in an old man, Virokanas, to baptize the child. But Virokanah said, First must someone see if the child shall become an honest man, or wicked wizard, for if he be able to be able to be able to be able to be able to beckonazard,

for if he be not honest I will not baptize him. So Vainamoinen was called to examine the child. It was only two weeks old then, and see if it would grow up a noble man or not. Viner Moinen came and saw the child, and then said, Since this child is only a poor outcast, born in a manger, and having no father save a berry, let him be cast out onto the hillsides or into the marshes to perish.

But all at once the babe himself began to speak, saying, O aged Vainamoynen, foolish hero, thou hast given a false decision. Thou thyself has done great wrongs, yet hast not been punished. Thou gavest thine own brother Illmarinen to ransom thy poor life. Thou persecuted the lovely Aino so that she perished in the deep sea, yet thou wert not killed for all this. Then Virokanah saw that this was truly a magic babe, and he baptized him to become a mighty hero, and a ruler and king over Kalevala.

Years passed by after this, and Vainamoynen felt his power gradually leaving him, and going over to Mariatta's child. So the ancient hero, with a sad heart, sang his last magic spell in Kalevala, and made a magic boat of copper to sail away in. he cast loose from the shore and sailed off towards the west, singing as he went. Fare ye well, my people, many suns shall rise and set on Kalevala, until the people shall at length regret my absence, and shall call upon me to come back with my magic songs and wisdom.

Fare ye well. Thus Vainamöinen, in his magic boat of copper, left Kalevala. On he sailed to the land of the setting. son, and at length he reached the haven and anchored his boat, never again to return to Kala. But the wondrous cantele, and all his songs and wisdom, remain among us to this day. And now, said Father Miko, I have told you my last story. Old Vainamuenen has left Kalawala, and the rule of the Christ child has begun.

under it our land has advanced and grown comfortable and happy let us only pray that we may never be less so they were all silent for some time and then all of them thanked father miko heartily for the pleasure that he had given them soon after this they had supper and went to bed and the next morning father miko drove off in his sledge the moonlight covering all the country with a flood of silver and soon he had disappeared into the dark and silent fir forest, but not before he had promised them all that he would stop there again next year, if possible. The end. End of Chapter 38. End of Finnish Legends by R. Avon.