Runo XLVI: Väinämöinen and the Bear

The Mistress of Pohjola sends a bear to destroy the herds of Kalevala(1-20). Väinämöinen kills the bear, and a great feast is held inKalevala in honour of the occasion (21-606). Väinämöinen sings, plays onthe kantele, and hopes that a time of great happiness and prosperity iscoming to Kalevala (607-644).

Unto Pohjola came tidings,To the village cold the tidingsThat in Väinöla 'twas healthy,Freed was Kalevala completelyFrom the evil plagues of magic,And the scourge of nameless sickness.

Louhi, Pohjola's old Mistress,Old and gap-toothed dame of Pohja,Thereupon again grew furious,And she spoke the words which follow:"Still I know another method,And a cunning scheme have thought on.On the heath the Bear I'll waken,On the waste the curving-clawed one,Väinöla's fine flocks to ravage,Herds of Kalevala to slaughter."

On the heath the bear she wakened,From his native land she drove himTo the heathlands of Väinölä,And to Kalevala's green pastures.

Väinämöinen, old and steadfast,Uttered then the words which follow:"Ilmarinen, smith and brother,Make a new spear quickly for me,Make it with three cutting edges,With a copper shaft construct it.With the bear I now must struggle,Overthrow the shaggy monster,That he slay no more my geldings,Nor shall fall upon my brood-mares,Neither shall destroy my cattle,Or attempt my cows to injure."

Then the smith a spear constructed,Not a long one, not a short one,But of middle length he forged it.On the blade a wolf was sitting,On the edge a bear was standing,At the joint an elk was trotting,On the shaft a colt was running,At the end a reindeer leaping.Then fresh snow was gently falling,And a little snow had driftedAs it drifts in early autumn,White as is the hare in winter.

Said the aged Väinämöinen,And he spoke the words which follow:"Now my inclination leads meUnto Metsola to travel;To the forest's daughter's dwelling,And to the Blue Maiden's homestead.Leaving men, I seek the forest,Heroes leave, for distant regions.Take me as thy man, O forest,Take me, Tapio, for thy hero.May good fortune now be granted,And to fell the forest-beauty.

"Mielikki, the forest's Mistress,Tellervo, the wife of Tapio,Do thou bind thy dogs securely,Do thou keep thy whelps in order,In the paths, 'mid honeysuckle,And beneath the roof of oakwood.

"Otso, apple of the forest,O thou lazy honey-pawed one!If thou hearest me approaching,Hearest me, the hero, coming,In thy hair thy claws conceal thou,In thy gums thy teeth conceal thou,That thou never more may'st move them,That they motionless remain there.

"O my Otso, O my darling,Fair one with the paws of honey,Do thou rest in hilly country,And among the rocks so lovely,Where the pines above are waving,And the firs below are rustling.Turn thyself around, O Otso,Turn thee round, O honey-pawed one,As upon her nest the woodgrouse,Or as turns the goose when brooding."

Then the aged VäinämöinenHeard his dog was barking loudly,And the dog was fiercely bayingJust beside the Small-eye's dwelling,In the pathway of the Broad-nose;And he spoke the words which follow:"First I thought it was a cuckoo,Thought I heard a love-bird singing,But no cuckoo there is calling,And no love-bird there is singing,But it is my dog that's baying,Here my faithful hound awaits me,At the door of Otso's dwelling,At the handsome hero's homestead."

Then the aged VäinämöinenStruck the bear where he was lying,Overturned his bed of satin,Overthrew his lair so golden,And he spoke the words which follow,And in words like these expressed him:"Praise, O Jumala, unto thee,Praise to thee alone, Creator,Unto me the bear who gavest,And the forest gold hast granted."

Gazed he on the golden booty,And he spoke the words which follow:"O my Otso, O my darling,Fair one with the paws of honey,Be not filled with causeless anger,I myself have not o'erthrown thee,Thou thyself hast left the forest,Wandered from thy pine-tree covert,Thou hast torn away thy clothing,Ripped thy grey cloak in the thicket.Slippery is this autumn weather,Cloudy are the days and misty.

"Golden cuckoo of the forest,Shaggy-haired and lovely creature,Do thou quit thy chilly dwelling,Do thou quit thy native desert,And thy home of birchen branches,Wattled wigwam where thou dwellest.Go to wander in the open,O thou beauty of the forest,On thy light shoes wandering onward,Marching in thy blue-hued stockings,Leaving now this little dwelling.Do thou leave this narrow dwelling,Leave it for the mighty heroes,To the race of men resign it.There are none will treat thee badly,And no wretched life awaits thee.For thy food they'll give thee honey,And for drink, of mead the freshest,When thou goest to a distance,Whither with the staff they guide thee.

"From this place depart thou quickly,From thy little nest depart thou,From beneath these famous rafters,From beneath this roof so handsome;Glide along upon thy snowshoes,As on pond a water-lily,Then glide on among the fir-trees,Like a squirrel in the branches."

Then the aged Väinämöinen,He the great primeval minstrel,Walked across the plains, loud-playing,O'er the heath he wandered singing,And he brought the noble stranger.With his shaggy friend he wandered.In the house was heard his playing,'Neath the roofs they heard his singing.

In the house there cried the people,And exclaimed the handsome people,"Listen to the noise resounding,To the music from the forest,Like the singing of the crossbill,Or a maiden's flute in forest."

Väinämöinen, old and steadfast,Then the house was fast approaching.From the house there called the people,And the handsome people asked him,"Have you brought the bright gold with you,Have you brought the silver hither,Brought our darling money with you,Gathered money on your journey?Gave the wood the honey-eater,And a lynx to lord of forest,That you come among us singing,On your snowshoes come rejoicing?"

Väinämöinen, old and steadfast,Answered in the words which follow:"Singing would I bring the otter,Give to Jumala my praises,So I sing as I am coming,On my snowshoes come rejoicing.

"What I bring is not an otter,Not a lynx, and not an otter,One more famous is approaching,Comes the pride of all the forest.Comes an old man wandering hither,With his overcoat he cometh.If it be a pleasure to you,Let the doors be widely opened;But if you dislike the stranger,Close the doors against him firmly."

And the people gave him answer,Shouted all the handsome people,"Welcome, Otso, be thy coming,Honey-pawed, who now approachestTo our dwelling, freshly scoured,To our household, now so charming.

"This I wished for all my lifetime,All my youth I waited for it,Tapio's horn to hear resounding,And to hear the wood-pipe whistling,Wandering through the golden forest,Coming through the silver woodland,And our little house approaching,And along the narrow pathway.

"I had hoped a year of fortune,Waiting for the coming summer,As for new-fallen snow the snowshoe,Or a path for gliding suited,As a maiden for her lover,Or a consort for a red-cheek.

"In the eve I sat at window,Morning, at the door of storehouse,At the gate a week I waited,And a month at pathway's opening.In the lane I stayed a winter,Stood in snow while ground was hardened,Till the hardened land grew softer,And the soft ground turned to gravel,And to sand was changed the gravel,And the sand at length grew verdant,And I pondered every morning,In my head reflected daily,'Wherefore is the Bear delaying?Why delays the forest's darling?Has he travelled to Esthonia,Wandered from the land of Suomi?'"

Then the aged VäinämöinenAnswered in the words that follow:"Where's my guest to be conducted,Whither shall I lead my gold one?To the barn shall I conduct himOn a bed of straw to lay him?"

And the people gave him answer,Shouted all the handsome people,"Better lead our guest illustrious,And conduct our golden beautyUnderneath these famous rafters,Underneath this roof so handsome.There is food arranged for eating,There is drink poured out for drinking,All the floors have there been dusted,And the floors been swept most cleanly,All the women finely dressed them,In their very finest garments,Donned their head-dresses the finest,In their brightest robes arrayed them."

Then the aged VäinämöinenSpoke aloud the words which follow:"O my Otso, O my birdling,O my charge, with paws of honey,Still there's ground for thee to walk on,And upon the heath to wander.

"Golden one, go forth to wander,Dear one, range about the country,Forth to march with sable stockings,Wander in thy cloth-made trousers,On the pathway of the titmouse,And the path where sparrows wander,Underneath five rafters straying,Underneath six roof-trees walking.

"Now be careful, luckless woman,That the herd may not be frightened,Terrified the little cattle,Nor the mistress' calves be frightened,If the bear approach the homestead,And his shaggy jaws should seize them.

"Now, ye boys, the porch abandon,Girls, depart ye from the door-posts,To the house there comes the hero,And the pride of men approaches.

"Otso, apple of the forest,Fair and bulky forest dweller,Be not frightened at the maidens,Fear not the unbraided maidens,Be not fearful of the women,They the wearers of the stockings.All the women of the household,Quickly round the stove will gather,When they see the hero enter,And behold the youth advancing."

Said the aged Väinämöinen,"Jumala be gracious to us,Underneath these famous rafters,Underneath this roof so handsome.Whither shall I take my darling,And shall bring the shaggy creature?"

And the people spoke in answer,"Hail, all hail to thee who comest!Thither shalt thou bring thy birdling,Thither take thy golden beautyTo the end of pole of pinewood,To the end of bench of iron,That his shaggy coat we gaze on,And his hair may well examine.

"Be not grieved for this, O Otso,Neither let it make thee angry,That we take thy hide an hour,And thy hair to gaze on always.For thy hide will not be injured,And thy hair will not be draggled,Like the rags of evil people,Or the clothing of the beggars."

Then the aged VäinämöinenFrom the bear stripped off the bearskin,On the storehouse floor he laid it,Put the flesh into the kettles,Put it in the gilded kettles,In the copper caldrons placed it.

On the fire the pots arranged he,In the blaze their sides of copper,Filled them up, and overfilled them,With the meat he overfilled them,Salt unto the stew he added,Brought from very distant regions,From the Saxon land they brought it,And from distant waters brought it,Through the Sound of Salt they rowed it,And they from the ships conveyed it.

When the meat enough was sodden,From the fire they took the kettles,And the booty then was carried,And the crossbill then they carriedQuickly to the long deal table,In the golden dishes laid it,Where they sat the mead enjoying,And the beer they were imbibing.

And of firwood was the table,And the dishes were of copper,And the spears were all of silver,And the knives of gold constructed.All the plates were overloaded,Brimming o'er were all the dishes,With the darling of the forest,Booty of the golden woodland.

Then the aged VäinämöinenSpoke aloud the words that follow:"Comrade old, with golden bosom,Master thou of Tapio's household;Thou of Metsola sweet matron,Gracious Mistress of the Forest;Handsome man, the son of Tapio,Handsome red-capped son of Tapio;Tellervo, the maid of Tapio;All the rest of Tapio's people.

"Come ye to the feast of cattle,Where the shaggy beast is eaten;Here is plenty to be eaten,Here is food and drink abundant,Here there is enough for storage,Plenty too, to give the village."

And the people then responded,Answered thus the handsome people:"Where was Otso born and nurtured,Whence was formed his hide so shaggy,Was he born perchance in straw-bed,Was he born near stove in bathroom?"

Then the aged VäinämöinenAnswered in the words which follow:"Otso was not born in straw-bed.Nor was born on chaff in malt-house;There was Otso brought to being,There was born the honey-pawed one,Near the moon, in gleams of sunshine,And upon the Great Bear's shoulders,There beside the Air's fair maiden,Near the daughter of Creation.

"On Air's borders walked a maiden,Through mid heaven there walked a damsel,Through the rifted clouds she wandered,On the borders of the heavens,Clad in stockings, blue in colour,And with shoes most gaily coloured,In her hand a wool-filled satchel,'Neath her arm a hair-filled basket.Wool she cast upon the waters,Hair she threw among the billows,And the wind arose and tossed it,And the air unceasing rocked it,And the breeze on water rocked it,To the shore the waves impelled it,To the edge of honeyed forest,To the end of honeyed headland.

"Mielikki, the forest's Mistress,Tapiola's accomplished matron,Took the wool from out the water,Took the soft wool from the billows.Then she wrapped it all together,With a handsome band she wrapped it,Put it in her maple basket,In a beauteous cradle laid it,Then she lifted up the bundle,And the golden chains she carriedWhere the branches were the thickestAnd the leaves were most abundant.

"Then she rocked the charming object,And she rocked the lovely creatureUnderneath a spreading fir-tree,Underneath a blooming pine-tree.Thus it was the bear was nurtured,And the furry beast was fostered,There beside a bush of honey,In a forest dripping honey.

"Now the bear grew up most handsome,And attained his perfect stature.Short his legs, his knees were crooked,Broad his nose, both thick and stumpy,Broad his head and short his muzzle,And his handsome hair was shaggy,But as yet the bear was tailless,And with claws was unprovided.

"Mielikki, the forest's Mistress,Uttered then the words which follow:'Now let claws be granted to him,And let teeth be also sought for,If he does no mischief with them,Nor to evil purpose turns them.'

"Then the bear by oath engaged him,Kneeling by the forest's Mistress,And in Jumala's high presence,'Fore the face of Him Almighty,Never would he work a mischief,And would work no evil with them.

"Mielikki, the forest's Mistress,Tapiola's accomplished matron,Went to seek the teeth he needed,And to seek the claws he wanted,From the wood of mountain ash-tree,And from juniper the hardest,From the hardest roots of any,From the hardest resinous tree-stumps,But she found no claws among them,Neither found she teeth among them.

"On the heath there grew a pine-tree,On the hill there rose a fir-tree,And the pine had silver branches,And the fir-tree golden branches.With her hands she plucked the branches,And from these the claws constructed,Others fixed in Otso's jawbones,In his gums securely fixed them.

"Forth she sent the shaggy creature,Sent her darling forth to wander,Let him wander through the marshes,Let him wander through the forest,Walk along the woodland's borders,Step along across the heathland,And she bade him walk discreetly,And to march along demurely,And to live a life of pleasure,And upon fine days to wander,Through the plains and o'er the marshes,Past the heaths where men are dancing,Wandering shoeless in the summer,Wandering sockless in the autumn,Resting in the worst of weather,Idling in the cold of winter,In a hollow stump of cherry,In the castle of the pine-trees,At the foot of beauteous fir-trees,'Mid the junipers close-growing,Underneath five woollen mantles,'Neath eight mantles was he hidden,And from thence I fetched my booty,There I found it on my journey."

Then the younger people asked him,And the old folks asked him likewise:"Wherefore was the wood so gracious,Gracious wood, and forest lavish,And the greenwood's lord so joyous,So propitious friendly Tapio,That he thus his pet has given,And resigned the honey-eater?Did you with the spear attack him,Was he overcome with arrows?"

Väinämöinen, old and steadfast,Answered in the words which follow:"Very gracious was the forest,Gracious wood, and forest lavish,And the greenwood's lord was joyous,And propitious friendly Tapio.

"Mielikki, the forest's Mistress,Tellervo, the maid of Tapio,Fair-haired damsel of the forest,Little damsel of the forest,Went along the path to guide me,And to raise the landmarks for me,By the roadside posts erected,And directed all my journey,And the trees she blazed before me,Marks she set upon the mountains,To the door of noble Otso,To the borders of his dwelling.

"When I reached the place I sought for,And arrived upon its borders,With the spear I smote not Otso,And I shot no arrows at him.He himself lurched from the archway,Tumbled from the pine-tree's summit,And the branches broke his breastbone,Others ripped his belly open."

Then he spoke the words which follow,And in words like these expressed him:"O my Otso, O my dearest,O my birdling, O my darling,Now resign to us thy headland,Lay aside thine eye-teeth likewise,Cast away the few teeth left thee,And thy wide jaws give us also,Yet thou needest not be angry,That I come to thee in thiswise,And thy bones and skull have broken,And have dashed thy teeth together.

"Now I take the nose from Otso,That my own nose may be lengthened,But I take it not completely,And I do not take it only.

"Now I take the ears of Otso,That my own ears I may lengthen,But I take them not completely,And I do not take them only.

"Now I take the eyes of Otso,That my own eyes I may lengthen,But I take them not completely,And I do not take them only.

"Now will I take Otso's forehead,That my forehead I may lengthen,But I take it not completely,And I do not take it only.

"Now I take the mouth of Otso,That my own mouth may be lengthened,But I take it not completely,And I do not take it only.

"Now I take the tongue of Otso,That my own tongue may be lengthened,But I take it not completely,And I do not take it only.

"He shall be a man respected,And as hero shall be reckoned,Who the bear's teeth now can number,And the rows of teeth can loosenFrom the jaws of steely hardness,With his grasp as strong as iron."

As no other man came forward,And no hero would attempt it,He himself the bear's teeth numbered,And the rows of teeth he reckoned,Kneeling down beneath the jawbones,With his grasp as strong as iron.

From the bear the teeth then taking,Uttered he the words which follow:"Otso, apple of the forest,Fair and bulky forest-dweller,Thou must go upon thy journey,Leap along upon the journey,Forth from out this narrow dwelling,From this low and narrow cottage,To a lofty house that waits thee,To a wide and pleasant dwelling.

"Golden one, go forth to wander,Dearest treasure, march thou onward,On the swine's path march thou onward,Traversing the road of piglings,To the firwood so luxuriant,To the needle-covered pine-trees,To the hills all clothed with forest,To the lofty-rising mountains.Here for thee to dwell is pleasant,Charming is it to abide there,Where the cattle-bells are ringing,And the little bells are tinking."

Väinämöinen, old and steadfast,After this his dwelling entered,And the younger people asked him,All the handsome people asked him,"Where have you bestowed your booty,Whither did you make your journey?Have you left him in the icefield,In the snow-slush have you sunk him,Pushed him down in the morasses,Buried him upon the heathland?"

Väinämöinen, old and steadfast,Answered in the words which follow:"In the ice I did not leave him,Sunk him not among the snow-slush,For the dogs from thence would drag him,Likewise would the birds befoul him.In the swamp I have not sunk him,Nor upon the heath have buried,For the worms would there destroy himAnd the black ants would devour him.

"Thither have I brought my booty,There bestowed my little captive,On a golden mountain's summit,On a copper mountain's summit.In a splendid tree I laid him,Pine-tree with a hundred needles,In the very largest branches,In the broad and leafy summit,As a joy to men for ever,And a pleasure to the travellers.

"Then I turned his gums to eastward,And his eyes I turned to north-west,Not too high upon the summit,Lest if they were in the summit,Then the wind might perhaps destroy them,And the spring wind treat them badly.Nor too near the ground I placed them,Lest if I too low had laid them,Then the pigs might perhaps disturb them,And the snouted ones o'erturn them."

Then the aged VäinämöinenOnce again prepared for singing,For a splendid evening's pleasure,And a charm to day departing.

Said the aged Väinämöinen,And in words like these expressed him:"Keep thy light, O holder, shining,So that I can see while singing,For the time has come for singing,And my mouth to sing is longing."

Played and sang old Väinämöinen,Charming all throughout the evening,And when he had ceased his singing,Then a speech he made concluding:

"Grant, O Jumala, in future,Once again, O good Creator,That once more we meet rejoicing,And may once again assembleHere to feast on bear so fattened,Feasting on the shaggy creature.

"Grant, O Jumala, for ever,Grant again, O good Creator,That the posts be raised to guide us,And the trees be blazed before us,For the most heroic people,For the manly race of heroes.

"Grant, O Jumala, for ever,Grant again, O good Creator,That may sound the horn of Tapio,And the forest-pipe may whistleEven in this little courtyard,Even in this narrow homestead.

"In the day may we be playing,And at eventide rejoicing,In this firm and solid country,In the wide expanse of Suomi,With the young who now are growing,With the rising generation."