Fir is a boy that sways about, it was tended by Hotja,[1]
v. Fir, a tall, lanky boy was reared by Hotja,
4 Rocked by a Turjalainen,[2] swung by a Vaaralainen,[3]
Put to sleep by frosty weather, suckled by hard frost,
v.suckled by warm air,
Souced by sky water, splashed by warm (water).
It sprang from the ground like a strawberry—like a rooted plant with a stiff top,
Grew up with a pair of boughs, rose with triple branches,
Increased from the air's dew, shot out shoots owing to the sky water [v. owing to Jesus' blood],
Stretched itself like wheaten dough, kept rolling like a butter-pat.
O Fir, pitiable and useless boy, brought forth by Syöjätär,
Formed from the earth by Maajatar,[4] thou wast reared by a hillock,
Made bushy by Pellervoinen [v. Pelleroinen], nailed down by Naservainen[5] [v. spiked down by Nasarvainen v. Natulainen],
Thou didst sprout from earth like a strawberry—from the forest like an arctic bramble,
The sun shone through thee, the moon shed light upon thy sides,
A hillock suckled thy roots, wind rocked thy leafy boughs.
Variants.
4 Rocked by a whirlwind [v. by Tuuletar, v. Tutjelmoinen].
(h.)
The fir is a tall, lanky boy—a comely tree created by God,
A sprout drawn forth by Jesus Christ, a shoot brought to light by good luck,
- ↑ 'A tall, lanky fellow.'
- ↑ 'A Norwegian Lap.'
- ↑ 'A mountaineer,' v. värjäläinen.
- ↑ = Maatar, Earth's daughter, or Mrs. Earth.
- ↑ Lehtori Raitio suggests that Naservainen may be the same as Näservä, which is given in the Loitsunmoja (p. 220) as a variant of Puhuri, 'strong wind', and that the meaning of this passage may be that the fir has been spiked fast into the ground, i.e., firmly rooted, by the action of wind.
