inen forges himself a new wife of gold and
silver, but cannot give her life or warmth, so he carries off another
daughter of Louhi; but she angers him so much that he changes her into a
seagull. Ilmarinen and Vainamoinen, who are afterwards joined by
Lemminkainen, now undertake another expedition to Pohjola to carry off
the Sampo. On the way, Vainamoinen constructs a kantele or harp of
pikebone, and lulls Louhi and her people to sleep; but she pursues the
robbers, and first the kantele is lost overboard, and then the Sampo is
broken to pieces and lost in the sea. Vainamoinen saves enough to secure
the prosperity of Kalevala, but Louhi only carries home a small and
almost useless fragment. Vainamoinen then makes a new kantele of
birchwood. Louhi brings pestilence on Kalevala, then sends a bear
against the country, and lastly, steals away the sun and moon, hiding
them in the stone mountain of Pohjola. Vainamoinen drives away the
plagues, kills the bear, and renews fire from a conflagration caused by
a spark sent down from heaven by the god Ukko. Ilmarinen then prepares
chains for Louhi, and terrifies her into restoring the sun and moon to
their original places.

Runo L. The virgin Marjatta swallows a cranberry, and brings forth a
son, who is proclaimed King of Carelia. Vainamoinen in great anger quits
the country in his boat, but leaves the kantele and his songs behind him
for the pleasure of the people.

* * * * *

As a specimen of the Finnish language, I quote the original text of a
few lines from the charming passage at the commencement of Runo VIII
(lines 1-16):--

Tuo oli kaunis Pohjan neiti,
Maan kuula, ve'en valio,
Istui ilman wempelella,
Taivon kaarella kajotti
Pukehissa puhtaissa,
Walkeissa vaattehissa;
Kultakangasta kutovi,
Hopeista huolittavi
Kultaisesta sukkulasta,
Pirralla hopeisella.

Suihki sukkula piossa,
Kaami kaessa kaaperoitsi,
Niiet vaskiset vatisi,
Hopeinen pirta piukki
Neien kangasta kutoissa,
Hopeista huolittaissa.

The _Kalevala_ is very unlike any poem familiar to general readers, but
it contains much that is extremely curious and interesting; and many
beautiful passages and episodes which are by no means inferior to those
we find in the ballad-literature of better-known countries than Finland.

W. F. KIRBY.

_Chiswick, May_ 1907

CONTENTS OF VOL. I

RUNO