Old Väinämöinen said:
"Just let him live in happiness
Near a wilderness where squirrels live, in a secluded forest."
xi—The Origin of the Snake.
(a.)
I know, "crafty one",[1] thine origin—thine upbringing, "horror of the land",
Why thou, O snake, wast born in grass—wast formed on the earth by spells, O 'worm'.
Thou wast born, "crafty one",[2] wast reared, "horror of the land",
Upon a rugged rock, upon the earth's lowlying depths.
v. Upon a smooth rock in a dark secluded forest.
Hiisi ran along the earth, Hiisi ran, the earth perspired.
He ran o'er swamps, ran over lands, o'er Lapland's ample wooded tracts,
Sweat trickles from his hair, from his beard a lather pours.
The "dread one" as he ran succumbed—wearied as he sped along.
The "strong one" sank upon a stone—fell to the ground upon a rock,
Swooned upon a hilltop, slept on a boulder in a mead.
He slept awhile upon the hill—for long upon the point of rock,
He snored extremely as he slept, snorted as he lay asleep,
From the 'toad's' mouth saliva poured—froth from "ugly's" jaws,
Foam from the "strong one's" nose, a clot from Lempo's stumpy nose
Upon fresh quartz stone (F. thunderstone) upon a rugged rock.
Syöjätär was passing by and ate the slaver on the rock.
The slaver burns her in the throat—caused a pricking in her teeth.
She spat it from her mouth on the waters, dropt the slaver on the waves.
Wind rocked it to and fro, the ocean swell kept swaying it
Upon the clear and open sea, upon the lumpy waves.
