Page:Folk-lore - A Quarterly Review. Volume 1, 1890.djvu/42

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36
Magic Songs of the Finns.

Then Kuolatar[1] appeared, from out the sea rose Kuolatar,
v.from out the sea rose Nuoratar[2] [v. Maarator]
Upon a treeless isle—a stoneless reef.
She rubbed her two palms, scrubbed both of them,
Obtained a little scurf,
[Then] flung it on the waters—on the undulating sea
Over her left shoulder.
A wind wafted it ashore into a secluded forest.
There wast thou born, O "windy throat", there didst arrive, O "hairy nose",
Didst appear on the open sea, wast reared in a secluded forest.


(c.)

Wolfs origin is known—where the wolf was born.
The old woman Loveatar, mistress of Pohjola, the whore,
v. A crone of Viro,[3] a rampant quean, an old woman raging mad
When bringing forth her sons—giving birth to her children
In the hollow of a frosty pool, in an icy well's recess
v.on the lid of an icy well
The fruit of her womb is not born, the fœtus is not brought to birth.
She removed to another place, was delivered of her sons
In a dense grove of wild bird cherries, 'mid branches broken by the wind.
The fruit of the womb was born there, the fœtus brought to birth.
There she begat a splendid[4] boy
That eats up bone, bites flesh, draws blood quite fresh.
When she had begotten him she said:
"Alas for my wretched son, seeing my wretched son is one
That eats up bone, bites flesh, draws blood quite fresh,
Were I to bring him to a room (he would destroy my room),
v.fire would burn my room,
Were I to build for him a bath (he would reduce my bath to bits )
v.water would sweep my timberwork away."


  1. From kuola, "slaver, drivel".
  2. From nuora, "a cord, rope".
  3. Esthonia.
  4. Ironical.