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　　SELECTIONS FROM THE KALEVALA.

　　ILMARINEN'S WEDDING FEAST.

　　Ilmarinen, the blacksmith, visited the Northland, won the Rainbow Maid, and successfully performed the tasks set by her mother Louhi. Great preparations were made in Pohyola for the wedding, and the coming of the bridegroom was anxiously expected.

　　Louhi, hostess of the Northland,

　　Ancient dame of Sariola,

　　While at work within her dwelling,

　　Heard the whips crack on the fenlands,

　　Heard the rattle of the sledges;

　　To the northward turned her glances,

　　Turned her vision to the sunlight,

　　And her thoughts ran on as follow:

　　"Who are these in bright apparel,

　　On the banks of Pohya-waters,

　　Are they friends or hostile armies?"

　　Then the hostess of the Northland

　　Looked again and well considered,

　　Drew much nearer to examine,

　　Found they were not hostile armies,

　　Found that they were friends and suitors;

　　In the midst was Ilmarinen,

　　Son in-law to ancient Louhi.

　　When the hostess of Pohyola

　　Saw the son-in-law approaching,

　　She addressed the words that follow:

　　"I had thought the winds were raging,

　　That the piles of wood were falling,

　　Thought the pebbles in commotion,

　　Or perchance the ocean roaring;

　　Then I hastened nearer, nearer,

　　Drew still nearer and examined,

　　Found the winds were not in battle,

　　Found the piles of wood unshaken,

　　Found the ocean was not roaring,

　　Nor the pebbles in commotion;

　　Found my son-in-law was coming

　　With his heroes and attendants,

　　Heroes counted by the hundreds.

　　"Should you ask of me the question,

　　How I recognized the bridegroom

　　Mid the host of men and heroes,

　　I should answer, I should tell you:

　　'As the hazel-bush in copses,

　　As the oak-tree in the forest,

　　As the moon among the planets;

　　Drives the groom a coal-black courser,

　　Running like a famished black-dog,

　　Flying like the hungry raven,

　　Graceful as the lark at morning,

　　Golden cuckoos, six in number,

　　Twitter on the birchen cross-bow;

　　There are seven blue-birds singing

　　On the racer's hame and collar.'"

　　Noises hear they in the court-yard,

　　On the highway hear the sledges.

　　To the court comes Ilmarinen,

　　With his body-guard of heroes;

　　In the midst the chosen suitor,

　　Not too far in front of others,

　　Not too far behind his fellows.

　　Spake the hostess of Pohyola:

　　"Hie ye hither, men and heroes,

　　Haste, ye watchers, to the stables,

　　There unhitch the suitor's stallion,

　　Lower well the racer's breast-plate,

　　There undo the straps and buckles,

　　Loosen well the shafts and traces,

　　And conduct the suitor hither,

　　Give my son-in-law good welcome!"

　　Ilmarinen turned his racer

　　Into Louhi's yard and stables,

　　And descended from his snow-sledge

　　Spake the hostess of Pohyola:

　　"Come, thou servant of my bidding,

　　Best of all my trusted servants,

　　Take at once the bridegroom's courser

　　From the shafts adorned with silver,

　　From the curving arch of willow,

　　Lift the harness trimmed in copper,

　　Tie the white-face to the manger,

　　Treat the suitor's steed with kindness,

　　Lead him carefully to shelter

　　By his soft and shining bridle,

　　By his halter tipped with silver;

　　Let him roll among the sand-hills,

　　On the bottoms soft and even,

　　On the borders of the snow-banks,

　　In the fields of milky color.

　　Lead the hero's steed to water,

　　Lead him to the Pohya-fountains,

　　Where the living streams are flowing,

　　Sweet as milk of human kindness,

　　From the roots of silvery birches,

　　Underneath the shade of aspens.

　　"Feed the courser of the suitor,

　　With the sweetest corn and barley,

　　With the summer-wheat and clover,

　　In the caldron steeped in sweetness;

　　Feed him at the golden manger,

　　In the boxes lined with copper,

　　At my manger richly furnished,

　　In the warmest of the hurdles;

　　Tie him with a silk-like halter,

　　To the golden rings and staples,

　　To the hooks of purest silver,

　　Set in beams of birch and oak-wood;

　　Feed him on the hay the sweetest,

　　Feed him on the grains nutritious,

　　Give the best my barns can furnish.

　　"Curry well the suitor's courser

　　With the curry-comb of fish-bone,

　　Brush his hair with silken brushes,

　　Put his mane and tail in order,

　　Cover well with silken blankets,

　　Blankets wrought in gold and silver,

　　Buckles forged from shining copper.

　　"Come, ye small lads of the village,

　　Lead the suitor to my chambers,

　　With your auburn locks uncovered,

　　From your hands remove your mittens,

　　See if ye can lead the hero

　　Through the door without his stooping,

　　Lifting not the upper cross-bar,

　　Sinking not the oaken threshold,

　　Moving not the oaken casings,

　　Great the hero who must enter.

　　"Ilmarinen is too stately,

　　Cannot enter through the portals,

　　Not the son-in-law and bridegroom,

　　Till the portals have been lengthened;

　　Taller by a head the suitor

　　Than the doorways of the mansion."

　　Quick the servants of Pohyola

　　Tore away the upper cross-bar,

　　That his cap might not be lifted;

　　Made the oaken threshold lower

　　That the hero might not stumble;

　　Made the birch-wood portals wider,

　　Opened full the door of welcome,

　　Easy entrance for the suitor.

　　Speaks the hostess of the Northland

　　As the bridegroom freely passes

　　Through the doorway of her dwelling:

　　"Thanks are due to thee, O Ukko,

　　That my son-in-law has entered!

　　Let me now my halls examine;

　　Make the bridal chambers ready,

　　Finest linen on my tables,

　　Softest furs upon my benches,

　　Birchen flooring scrubbed to whiteness,

　　All my rooms in perfect order."

　　Then the hostess of Pohyola

　　Visited her spacious dwelling,

　　Did not recognize her chambers;

　　Every room had been remodelled,

　　Changed by force of mighty magic;

　　All the halls were newly burnished,

　　Hedgehog bones were used for ceilings,

　　Bones of reindeer for foundations,

　　Bones of wolverine for door-sills,

　　For the cross-bars bones of roebuck,

　　Apple-wood were all the rafters,

　　Alder-wood, the window casings,

　　Scales of trout adorned the windows,

　　And the fires were set in flowers.

　　All the seats were made of silver,

　　All the floors of copper-tiling,

　　Gold-adorned were all the tables,

　　On the floor were silken mattings,

　　Every fire-place set in copper,

　　Every hearth-stone cut from marble,

　　On each shelf were colored sea-shells,

　　Kalew's tree was their protection.

　　To the court-room came the hero,

　　Chosen suitor from Wainola,

　　These the words of Ilmarinen:

　　"Send, O Ukko, health and pleasure

　　To this ancient home and dwelling,

　　To this mansion richly fashioned!"

　　Spake the hostess of Pohyola:

　　"Let thy coming be auspicious

　　To these halls of thee unworthy,

　　To the home of thy affianced,

　　To this dwelling lowly fashioned,

　　Mid the lindens and the aspens.

　　"Come, ye maidens that should serve me,

　　Come, ye fellows from the village,

　　Bring me fire upon the birch-bark,

　　Light the fagots of the fir-tree,

　　That I may behold the bridegroom,

　　Chosen suitor of my daughter,

　　Fairy Maiden of the Rainbow,

　　See the color of his eyeballs,

　　Whether they are blue or sable,

　　See if they are warm and faithful."

　　Quick the young lads from the village

　　Brought the fire upon the birch-bark,

　　Brought it on the tips of pine-wood;

　　And the fire and smoke commingled

　　Roll and roar about the hero,

　　Blackening the suitor's visage,

　　And the hostess speaks as follows:

　　"Bring the fire upon a taper,

　　On the waxen tapers bring it!"

　　Then the maidens did as bidden,

　　Quickly brought the lighted tapers,

　　Made the suitor's eyeballs glisten,

　　Made his cheeks look fresh and ruddy;

　　Eyes were neither blue nor sable,

　　Sparkled like the foam of waters,

　　Like the reed-grass on the margin,

　　Colored as the ocean-jewels,

　　Iridescent as the rainbow.

　　"Come, ye fellows from the hamlets,

　　Lead my son-in-law and hero

　　To the highest seat at table,

　　To the seat of greatest honor,

　　With his back upon the blue-wall,

　　Looking on my bounteous tables,

　　Facing all the guests of Northland."

　　Then the hostess of Pohyola

　　Served her guests in great abundance,

　　Richest drinks and rarest viands,

　　First of all she served the bridegroom;

　　On his platters honeyed biscuit,

　　And the sweetest river-salmon,

　　Seasoned butter, roasted bacon,

　　All the dainties of Pohyola.

　　Then the servants served the others,

　　Filled the plates of all invited

　　With the varied food of Northland.

　　Spake the hostess of Pohyola:

　　"Come, ye maidens from the village,

　　Hither bring the beer in pitchers,

　　In the urns with double handles,

　　To the many guests in-gathered.

　　Ere all others, serve the bridegroom."

　　Thereupon the merry maidens

　　Brought the beer in silver pitchers

　　From the copper-banded vessels,

　　For the wedding guests assembled;

　　And the beer, fermenting, sparkled

　　On the beard of Ilmarinen,

　　On the beards of many heroes.

　　When the guests had all partaken

　　Of the wondrous beer of barley,

　　Spake the drink in merry accents

　　Through the tongues of the magicians,

　　Through the tongue of many a hero,

　　Through the tongue of Wainamoinen,

　　Famed to be the sweetest singer

　　Of the Northland bards and minstrels.

　　"Grant, O Ukko, my Creator,

　　God of love, and truth, and justice,

　　Grant thy blessing on our feasting,

　　Bless this company assembled,

　　For the good of Sariola,

　　For the happiness of Northland!

　　May this bread and beer bring joyance,

　　May they come in rich abundance,

　　May they carry full contentment

　　To the people of Pohyola,

　　To the cabin and the mansion;

　　May the hours we spend in singing,

　　In the morning, in the evening,

　　Fill our hearts with joy and gladness!

　　Hear us in our supplications,

　　Grant to us thy needed blessings,

　　Send enjoyment, health, and comfort,

　　To the people here assembled,

　　To the host and to the hostess,

　　To the bride and to the bridegroom,

　　To the sons upon the waters,

　　To the daughters at their weavings,

　　To the hunters on the mountains,

　　To the shepherds in the fenlands,

　　That our lives may end in honor,

　　That we may recall with pleasure

　　Ilmarinen's magic marriage

　　To the Maiden of the Rainbow,

　　Snow-white virgin of the Northland."

　　Crawford's Translation, Rune XXI. National Epics