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 Vainamoinen From the bear stripped off the bearskin, 300 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, 310 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 carried Quickly to the long deal table, In the golden dishes laid it, 320 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, Br.i.m.m.i.n.g o"er were all the dishes, With the darling of the forest, Booty of the golden woodland. 330
Then the aged Vainamoinen Spoke 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. 340
"Come ye to the feast of cattle, Where the s.h.a.ggy 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 s.h.a.ggy, 350 Was he born perchance in straw-bed, Was he born near stove in bathroom?"
Then the aged Vainamoinen Answered 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, 360 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. 370 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 sh.o.r.e 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, 380 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 carried Where the branches were the thickest And the leaves were most abundant. 390
"Then she rocked the charming object, And she rocked the lovely creature Underneath 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. 400 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 s.h.a.ggy, 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, 410 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, 420 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, 430 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 s.h.a.ggy creature, Sent her darling forth to wander, Let him wander through the marshes, Let him wander through the forest, 440 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, 450 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." 460
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?" 470
Vainamoinen, 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, 480 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 n.o.ble Otso, To the borders of his dwelling.
"When I reached the place I sought for, And arrived upon its borders, 490 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, 500 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, 510 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. 520
"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, 530 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 loosen From the jaws of steely hardness, With his grasp as strong as iron."
As no other man came forward, And no hero would attempt it, 540 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, 550 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, 560 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."
Vainamoinen, old and steadfast, After this his dwelling entered, And the younger people asked him, All the handsome people asked him, 570 "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 mora.s.ses, Buried him upon the heathland?"
Vainamoinen, old and steadfast, Answered in the words which follow: "In the ice I did not leave him, Sunk him not among the snow-slush, 580 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 him And 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. 590 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, 600 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 Vainamoinen Once again prepared for singing, For a splendid evening"s pleasure, And a charm to day departing. 610
Said the aged Vainamoinen, 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 Vainamoinen, Charming all throughout the evening, And when he had ceased his singing, Then a speech he made concluding: 620
"Grant, O Jumala, in future, Once again, O good Creator, That once more we meet rejoicing, And may once again a.s.semble Here to feast on bear so fattened, Feasting on the s.h.a.ggy 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, 630 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 whistle Even in this little courtyard, Even in this narrow homestead.
"In the day may we be playing, And at eventide rejoicing, 640 In this firm and solid country, In the wide expanse of Suomi, With the young who now are growing, With the rising generation."