Kalevala, The Land of the Heroes, Volume Two. Anonymous

If a sooty tramp was passing,

       He perchance might spear the growler,

       Or the wolves bring to destruction,

       And the forest bears might slaughter."

      Then the lively Lemminkainen

       Answered in the words which follow:

       "I myself know evil places,

       Worst of all do I esteem them,

       There where any death might seize me,

       And at last destruction reach me. 240

       O my mother who hast reared me,

       Mother who thy milk hast given,

       Whither would'st thou bid me hide me,

       Whither should I now conceal me?

       Death's wide jaws are just before me,

       At my beard destruction's standing,

       Every day for me it waiteth,

       Till my ruin is accomplished."

      Then said Lemminkainen's mother,

       And she spoke the words which follow: 250

       "I can tell the best of places,

       Tell you one the best of any,

       Where to hide yourself completely,

       And your crime conceal for ever,

       For I know a little country,

       Know a very little refuge,

       Wasted not, and safe from battle,

       And untrodden by the swordsmen.

       Swear me now by oaths eternal,

       Binding, free from all deception, 260

       In the course of sixty summers,

       Nevermore to go to battle,

       Neither for the love of silver,

       Nor perchance if gold was needed."

      Then said lively Lemminkainen,

       "Now I swear by oaths the strongest,

       Never in the first of summers,

       Nor in any other summer,

       Mix myself in mighty battles,

       In the clashing of the sword-blades. 270

       Wounds are still upon my shoulders,

       In my breast deep wounds still rankle,

       From my former battle-pleasures,

       In the midst of all the tumult,

       In the midst of mighty battles,

       Where the heroes all contended."

      Then did Lemminkainen's mother

       Answer in the words which follow:

       "Take the boat your father left you,

       And betake yourself to hiding. 280

       Traverse nine lakes in succession,

       Half the tenth one must thou traverse,

       To an island on its surface,

       Where the cliffs arise from water.

       There in former times your father

       Hid, and kept himself in safety,

       In the furious fights of summer,

       In the hardest years of battle.

       There you'll find a pleasant dwelling,

       And a charming place to linger. 290

       Hide thyself a year, a second,

       In the third year come thou homeward,

       To your father's well-known homestead,

       To the dwelling of your parents."

Runo XXIX.—Lemminkainen's Adventures on the Island

       Table of Contents

      Argument

      Lemminkainen sails across the lakes in his boat and comes safely to the island (1-180). There he lives pleasantly among the girls and women till the return of the men from warfare, who conspire against him (181-290). Lemminkainen flies from the island, much to the grief both of the girls and himself (291-402). His boat is wrecked in a violent storm, but he escapes by swimming to land, makes a new boat, and arrives safely on the shores of his own country (403-452). He finds his old house burned, and the whole surroundings laid waste, when he begins to weep and lament, especially for the loss of his mother (453-514). His mother, however, is still alive, having taken refuge in a thick forest where Lemminkainen finds her to his great joy (515-546). She relates how the army of Pohjola came and burned down the house. Lemminkainen promises to build a finer house after he has revenged himself upon the people of Pohjola, and describes his pleasant life in the island of refuge (547-602).