Page:Folk-lore - A Quarterly Review. Volume 2, 1891.djvu/50

This page has been proofread, but needs to be validated.
42
Magic Songs of the Finns.

(b.)

Annikki, the Island maiden, went to the war of Istero[1]
A tin plug fell down, a silver terminal slipt off
Into the space between two rocks.
A sorcerer seized it in his hands
Before it had time to reach the ground, before its contact with the earth.
He took it to a forge of smiths — a smith formed out of it a tool.
Forged from it a sorcerer's arrows — an " archer's" evil instruments.
The sorcerer shot his arrows — shot an arrow at the sky.
The sky was like (F. wished) to split — the aerial vaults to break,
Portions of the air to rend, the aerial canopy to slant
From the torment of the " fiery" arrow, from the pointed shaft of Aijö's son.
The arrow receded thither where nought was ever heard of it again.
Then he shot another arrow into the earth under his feet.
14 The earth was like to go to Mana[2] — the hills to break up into mould,
Sandy ridges to split, sandy heaths to break in two
From the torment of the " fiery" arrow, from the burning pain (F. sparks) of the red wood.
The arrow constantly receded thither where nought was ever heard of it again.
Forthwith he shot a third, a final and malignant arrow.
Through lands, through swamps, through deep gloomy forest tracts.
Against a steel [v. silver] mountain, against an iron [v. stony] rock.
The arrow rebounded from the stone — recoiled against the rock,

  1. Elsewhere this man's name appears in the form Isversko, which Lönnrot derives from the Russian izverg, "a monster," an untimely birth.
  2. Was like to die.