Page:Folk-lore - A Quarterly Review. Volume 2, 1891.djvu/48

This page has been proofread, but needs to be validated.
40
Magic Songs of the Finns.

Hence originated wretched iron, wretched iron, useless slag.
It originated in the smithy of a smith— under the forge of Ilmarinen.

Variants.

1-6 Jesus has two hands, both uniform.
He rubbed together both his palms — ground together his two hands.
Hence originated two maidens — all the three Luonnotars.

(f.)

Ho ! thou wretched iron, wretched iron, useless slag.
Certainly I know thy stock, thy stock and thine origin.
Thou are Vuolankoinen's [v. Vuolahainen's] son — wast brought forth by Vuolahatar?[1]
4 Thy father is from the knolls (napa) of Vuojala[2] thy mother from the well of Lempi.[3]
Thine origin is from swamp knolls, from swamp knolls, from earth knolls in a swamp.
Thy father is from a swamp, thy mother from a swamp,
All thy other relatives are from a swamp.
A rust-coloured sedge[4] grew on a swamp — in a pool purple melic grass,[5]
Rocked by Tuuletar, swung to and fro by Lännetär[6] [v. Lemnietär[7]].

  1. All these three names are mentioned by Ganander (p. 109). Vuolahatar = Mrs. Vuolahainen.
  2. Also written Vuojela. Among the variants in the Old Kalevala (6.5) vuojela is substituted for luotola also written luotela, an alias of Pohjola, and both have väinölä (Väinämöinen's home) as a parallel word in the following line.
  3. The Being that excited love. Elsewhere in the Loitsurunoja p. 46a) this well seems to be called the "maidens'" (impi) well.
  4. Ruoste-heinä. This word is applied to purple melic, mat grass, and various sedges.
  5. Teräs-heinä translates the Swedish staal-gräs, steel grass purple melic grass.
  6. West Wind's daughter.
  7. The goddess of love.