Runo XIX: The Exploits and Betrothal of Ilmarinen

Then the smith, e'en Ilmarinen,He the great primeval craftsman,Came himself into the chamber,And beneath the roof he hastened.

Brought the maid of mead a beaker,Placed a can of drink of honeyIn the hands of Ilmarinen,And the smith spoke out as follows:"Never while my life is left me,Long as shines the golden moonlight,Will I taste the drink before me,Till my own is granted to me,She for whom so long I waited,She for whom so long I pined for."

Then said Pohjola's old Mistress,In the very words which follow:"Trouble great befalls the suitor,Comes to her for whom he waiteth;One shoe still remains unfitted,And unfitted is the other;But the bride is waiting for you,And you may indeed receive her,If you plough the field of vipers,Where the writhing snakes are swarming,But without a plough employing,And without a ploughshare guiding.Once the field was ploughed by Hiisi,Lempo seamed it next with furrows,With the ploughshare formed of copper,With the plough in furnace smelted;But my own son, most unhappy,Left the half untilled behind him."

Then the smith, e'en Ilmarinen,Sought the maiden in her chamber,And he spoke the words which follow:"Night's own daughter, twilight maiden,Do you not the time remember,When I forged the Sampo for you,And the brilliant cover welded,And a binding oath thou sweared'st,By the God whom all men worship,'Fore the face of Him Almighty,And you gave a certain promiseUnto me, the mighty hero,You would be my friend for ever,Dove-like in my arms to nestle?Nothing will your mother grant me,Nor will she her daughter give me,Till I plough the field of vipers,Where the writhing snakes are swarming."

Then his bride assistance lent him,And advice the maiden gave him:"O thou smith, O Ilmarinen,Thou the great primeval craftsman!Forge thyself a plough all golden,Cunningly bedecked with silver,Then go plough the field of serpents,Where the writhing snakes are swarming."

Then the smith, e'en Ilmarinen,Laid the gold upon the anvil,Worked the bellows on the silver,And he forged the plough he needed,And he forged him shoes of iron;Greaves of steel he next constructed,And with these his feet he covered,Those upon his shins he fastened;And he donned an iron mail-coat,With a belt of steel he girt him,Took a pair of iron gauntlets,Gauntlets like to stone for hardness;Then he chose a horse of mettle,And he yoked the steed so noble,And he went to plough the acre,And the open field to furrow.There he saw the heads all rearing,Saw the heads that hissed unceasing,And he spoke the words which follow:"O thou snake, whom God created,You who lift your head so proudly,Who is friendly and will hearken,Rearing up your head so proudly,And your neck so proudly lifting;From my path at once remove you,Creep, thou wretch, among the stubble,Creeping down among the bushes,Or where greenest grass is growing!If you lift your head from out it,Ukko then your head shall shatter,With his sharp and steel-tipped arrows,With a mighty hail of iron."

Then he ploughed the field of vipers,Furrowed all the land of serpents,From the furrows raised the vipers,Drove the serpents all before him,And he said, returning homeward:"I have ploughed the field of vipers,Furrowed all the land of serpents,Driven before me all the serpents:Will you give me now your daughter,And unite me with my darling?"

Then did Pohjola's old Mistress,Answer in the words which follow:"I will only give the maiden,And unite you with my daughter,If you catch the Bear of Tuoni,Bridle, too, the Wolf of Mana,Far in Tuonela's great forest,In the distant realms of Mana.Hundreds have gone forth to yoke them;Never one returned in safety."

Then the smith, e'en Ilmarinen,Sought the maiden in her chamber,And he spoke the words which follow:"Now the task is laid upon me,Manala's fierce wolves to bridle,And to hunt the bears of Tuoni,Far in Tuonela's great forest,In the distant realms of Mana."

Then his bride assistance lent him,And advice the maiden gave him."O thou smith, O Ilmarinen,Thou the great primeval craftsman!Forge thee bits, of steel the hardest,Forge thee muzzles wrought of iron,Sitting on a rock in water,Where the cataracts fall all foaming.Hunt thou then the Bears of Tuoni,And the Wolves of Mana bridle."

Then the smith, e'en Ilmarinen,He the great primeval craftsman,Forged him bits, of steel the hardest,Forged him muzzles wrought of iron,Sitting on a rock in water,Where the cataracts fall all foaming.

Then he went the beasts to fetter,And he spoke the words which follow:"Terhenetar, Cloudland's daughter!With the cloud-sieve sift thou quickly,And disperse thy mists around me,Where the beasts I seek are lurking,That they may not hear me moving,That they may not flee before me."

Then the Wolf's great jaws he muzzled,And with iron the Bear he fettered,On the barren heaths of Tuoni,In the blue depths of the forest.And he said, returning homeward:"Give me now your daughter, old one.Here I bring the Bear of Tuoni,And the Wolf of Mana muzzled."

Then did Pohjola's old MistressAnswer in the words which follow:"I will give you first the duckling,And the blue-winged duck will give you,When the pike, so huge and scaly,He the fish so plump and floundering.You shall bring from Tuoni's river,And from Manala's abysses;But without a net to lift it,Using not a hand to grasp it.Hundreds have gone forth to seek it,Never one returned in safety."

Then there came distress upon him,And affliction overwhelmed him,As he sought the maiden's chamber,And he spoke the words which follow:"Now a task is laid upon me,Greater still than all the former;For the pike, so huge and scaly,He the fish so plump and floundering,I must bring from Tuoni's river,From the eternal stream of Mana,But with neither snare nor drag-net,Nor with help of other tackle."

Then his bride assistance lent him,And advice the maiden gave him."O thou smith, O Ilmarinen,Do thou not be so despondent!Forge thee now a fiery eagle.Forge a bird of fire all flaming!This the mighty pike shall capture,Drag the fish so plump and floundering,From the murky stream of Tuoni,And from Manala's abysses."

Then the smith, e'en Ilmarinen,Deathless artist of the smithy,Forged himself a fiery eagle,Forged a bird of fire all flaming,And of iron he forged the talons,Forged the claws of steel the hardest,Wings like sides of boat constructed;Then upon the wings he mounted,On the eagle's back he sat him,On the wing-bones of the eagle.

Then he spoke unto the eagle,And the mighty bird instructed:"O my eagle, bird I fashioned,Fly thou forth, where I shall order,To the turbid stream of Tuoni,And to Manala's abysses:Seize the pike, so huge and scaly,He the fish so plump and floundering."

Then the bird, that noble eagle,Took his flight, and upward soarings,Forth he flew the pike to capture,Fish with teeth of size terrific,In the river-depths of Tuoni,Down in Manala's abysses:To the water stretched a pinion,And the other touched the heavens;In the sea he dipped his talons,On the cliffs his beak he whetted.

Thus the smith, e'en Ilmarinen,Journeyed forth to seek his bootyIn the depths of Tuoni's river,While the eagle watched beside him.From the water rose a kelpieAnd it clutched at Ilmarinen,By the neck the eagle seized it,And the kelpie's head he twisted.To the bottom down he forced it,To the black mud at the bottom.

Then came forth the pike of Tuoni,And the water-dog came onward.Not a small pike of the smallest,Nor a large pike of the largest;Long his tongue as twain of axe-shafts,Long his teeth as rake-shaft measures,Wide his gorge as three great rivers,Seven boats' length his back extended,And the smith he sought to seize on,And to swallow Ilmarinen.

But the eagle rushed against him,And the bird of air attacked him;Not an eagle of the small ones,Nor an eagle of the large ones.Long his beak as hundred fathoms,Wide his gorge as six great rivers,Six spears' length his tongue extended,Five scythes' length his talons measuredAnd he saw the pike so scaly,Saw the fish so plump and floundering.Fiercely on the fish he darted,Rushed against the fish so scaly.

Then the pike so large and scaly,He the fish so plump and floundering,Tried to drag the eagle's pinionsUnderneath the sparkling waters,But the eagle swift ascended,Up into the air he raised him,From the grimy ooze he raised him,To the sparkling water o'er it.

Back and forth the eagle hovered,And again he made an effort,And he struck one talon fiercelyIn the pike's terrific shoulders,In the water-dog's great backbone,And he fixed the other talonFirmly in the steel-hard mountain,In the rocks as hard as iron.From the stone slipped off the talon,Slipped from off the rocky mountain,And the pike again dived downward,In the water slid the monster,Slipped from off the eagle's talons,From the great bird's claws terrific,But his sides were scored most deeply,And his shoulders cleft asunder.

Once again, with iron talons,Swooped again the furious eagle,With his wings all fiery glowing,And his eyes like flame that sparkled,Seized the pike with mighty talons,Grasped the water-dog securely,Dragged the huge and scaly monster,Raised him from the tossing water,From the depths beneath the billows,To the water's sparkling surface.

Then the bird with claws of ironMade a third and final effort,Brought the mighty pike of Tuoni,He the fish so plump and floundering,From the river dark of Tuoni,And from Manala's abysses.Scarce like water flowed the waterFrom the great pike's scales stupendous;Nor like air the air extendedWhen the great bird flapped his pinions.

Thus the iron-taloned eagleBore the pike so huge and scaly,To the branches of an oak-tree,To a pine-tree's crown, wide spreading.There he feasted on the booty,Open ripped the fish's belly,Tore away the fish's breastbone,And the head and neck he sundered.

Said the smith, said Ilmarinen,"O thou wicked, wicked eagle,What a faithless bird I find you,You have seized upon the quarry,And you have feasted on the booty,Open ripped the fish's belly,Torn away the fish's breastbone,And the head and neck have sundered."

But the iron-taloned eagleRose and soared away in fury,High aloft in air he raised him,To the borders of the cloudland.Fled the clouds, the heavens were thundering,And the props of air bowed downward:Ukko's bow in twain was broken,In the moon the horns sharp-pointed.

Then the smith, e'en Ilmarinen,Took the pike's head, which he carried,To the old crone as a present,And he spoke the words which follow:"Make of this a chair for ever,In the halls of lofty Pohja."

Then he spoke the words which follow,And in words like these expressed him:"I have ploughed the field of serpents,Furrowed all the land of serpents;Bridled, too, the wolves of Mana,And have chained the bears of Tuoni;Brought the pike so huge and scaly,He the fish so plump and floundering,From the river deep of Tuoni,And from Manala's abysses.Will you give me now the maiden,And bestow your daughter on me?"

Then said Pohjola's old Mistress,"Badly have you done your errand,Thus the head in twain to sever,Open rip the fish's belly,Tear away the fish's breastbone,Feasting thus upon the booty."

Then the smith, e'en Ilmarinen,Answered in the words that follow:"Never can you bring, undamaged,Quarry from the best of regions.This is brought from Tuoni's river,And from Manala's abysses.Is not yet the maiden ready,She for whom I longed and laboured?"

Then did Pohjola's old MistressAnswer in the words which follow:"Yes, the maiden now is ready.She for whom you longed and laboured.I will give my tender duckling,And prepare the duck I cherished,For the smith, for Ilmarinen,At his side to sit for ever,On his knee as wife to seat her,Dove-like in his arms to nestle."

On the floor a child was sitting,On the floor a child was singing:"To our room there came already,Came a bird into our castle;From the north-east flew an eagle,Through the sky a hawk came flying,In the air one wing was flapping,On the sea the other rested,With his tail he swept the ocean,And to heaven his head he lifted;And he gazed around, and turned him,Back and forth the eagle hovered,Perched upon the heroes' castle,And his beak he whetted on it,But the roof was formed of iron,And he could not pierce within it.

"So he gazed around and turned him,Back and forth the eagle hovered,Perched upon the women's castle,And his beak he whetted on it,But the roof was formed of copper,And he could not pierce within it.

"So he gazed around and turned him,Back and forth the eagle hovered,Perched upon the maidens' castle,And his beak he whetted on it,And the roof was formed of linen,And he forced his way within it.

"Then he perched upon the chimney,Then upon the floor descended,Pushed aside the castle's shutter,Sat him at the castle window,Near the wall, all green his feathers,In the room, his plumes a hundred.

"Then he scanned the braidless maidens,Gazing on the long-haired maiden,On the best of all the maidens,Fairest maid with hair unbraided,And her head with beads was shining,And her head with beauteous blossoms.

"In his claws the eagle seized her,And the hawk with talons grasped her,Seized the best of all the party,Of the flock of ducks the fairest,She the sweetest-voiced and tenderest,She the rosiest and the whitest,She the bird of air selected,In his talons far he bore her,She who held her head the highest,And her form of all the shapeliest,And her feathers of the finest,And her plumage of the softest."

Then did Pohjola's old MistressAnswer in the words that follow:"Wherefore dost thou know, my darling,Or hast heard, my golden apple,How the maiden grew amongst us,And her flaxen hair waved round her?Perhaps the maiden shone with silver,Or the maiden's gold was famous.Has our sun been shining on you,Or the moon afar been shining?"

From the floor the child made answer,And the growing child responded:"Therefore did your darling know it,And your fostling learned to know it.In the far-famed maidens' dwelling,In the home where dwells the fair one;Good report rejoiced the father,When he launched his largest vessel;But rejoices more the mother,When the largest loaf is baking,And the wheaten bread is baking,That the guests may feast profusely.

"Thus it was your darling knew it,Far around the strangers knew it,How the young maid grew in stature,And how tall grew up the maiden.Once I went into the courtyard,And I wandered to the storehouse,Very early in the morning,In the earliest morning hours,And the soot in streaks ascended,And the smoke in clouds rose upward,From the far-famed maiden's dwelling,From the blooming maiden's homestead,And the maid herself was grinding,Busy working at the handmill;Rung the mill like call of cuckoo,And the pestle quacked like wild geese,And the sieve like bird was singing,And the stones like beads were rattling.

"Forth a second time I wandered,And into the field I wandered,In the meadow was the maiden,Stooping o'er the yellow heather;Working at the red-stained dye-pots,Boiling up the yellow kettles.

"When I wandered forth a third timeSat the maid beneath the window,There I heard the maiden weaving,In her hands the comb was sounding,And I heard the shuttle flying,As in cleft of rock the ermine,And the comb-teeth heard I sounding,As the wooden shaft was moving,And the weaver's beam was turning,Like a squirrel in the tree-tops."

Then did Pohjola's old MistressAnswer in the words which follow:"Bravo, bravo, dearest maiden,Have I not for ever told thee,Not to sing among the pine-trees,Not to sing amid the valleys,Not to arch thy neck too proudly,Nor thy white arms leave uncovered,Nor thy young and beauteous bosom,Nor thy shape so round and graceful?

"I have warned thee all the autumn,And besought thee all the summer,Likewise in the spring have cautioned,At the second springtide sowing,To construct a secret dwelling,With the windows small and hidden,Where the maids may do their weaving,And may work their looms in safety,All unheard by Suomi's gallants,Suomi's gallants, country lovers."

From the floor the child made answer,And the fortnight-old responded:"Easily a horse is hiddenIn the stall, with fine-tailed horses;Hard it is to hide a maiden,And to keep her long locks hidden.Though you build of stone a castle,And amid the sea shall rear it,Though you keep your maidens in it,And should rear your darlings in it,Still the girls cannot be hidden,Nor attain their perfect stature,Undisturbed by lusty gallants,Lusty gallants, country lovers.Mighty men, with lofty helmets,Men who shoe with steel their horses."

Then the aged VäinämöinenHead bowed down, and deeply grieving:Wandered on his journey homeward,And he spoke the words which follow:"Woe is me, a wretched creature,That I did not learn it sooner,That In youthful days one weddeth,And must choose a life-companion.All thing else a man may grieve for,Save indeed an early marriage,When in youth already children,And a household he must care for."

Thus did warn old Väinämöinen,Cautioned thus Suvantolainen,That old men against the younger,Should not struggle for a fair one:Warned them not to swim too proudly,Neither try to race in rowing,Nor to seek to woo a maiden,With a younger man contending.