Was combed out with avidity, was brushed in the hours of dusk.
Immediately it was put on a distaff — in a trice upon a spinning-staff.
Sisters[1] spin it, sisters-in law put it on the netting-needle,
Brothers net it into a net, fathers-in-law attach lines.
The netting-needle turned — the mesh-stick moved backwards and forwards
Before the seine was completed — the yarn lines were attached
During a single summer night, in the middle between two days.
The net was finished, the yarn lines were attached,
A hundred fathoms at the far end, seven hundred fathoms at the sides.
(b.)
At night the flax was sown, at night was heckled,
At night was rippled, at night was steeped in water,
At night was removed from the water, at night the flax was broken in flax-brakes,
At night the threads were spun, at night the nets were woven.
The nets were completely finished, the seine was fitted with lines
During a single summer night, in half another one besides.
The nets were woven by brothers, were spun by sisters.
Were netted by sisters-in-law, were fitted with lines by a father.
They neatly fitted it with sinks, they attached the floats properly.
(c.)
Tuoni's three-fingered girl, Lapland's three-toothed crone
Spun a hundred (fathom) seine during a single summer night.
Lapland's three-fingered old man was the weaver of nets,
The mesh-stick turned in his hand, a knot was formed on the net.
- ↑ The sisters that helped Väinämöinen to make a net (Kalevala,
xlvii, 322). The whole of (a) is in the Kalevala (xlviii, 35-68).
