No More Learning

So Sigurd called the horse Grani, the best of all the horses of the world ; nor was the man he met other than Odin him self.
" Not enough is thy wealth, and I grieve right sore that thou must needs run here and there like a churl's son ; but I can tell thee where there is much wealth for the winning, and great name and honor to be won in the getting of it. "
Sigurd asked where that might be, and who had watch and
Now yet again spake Regin to Sigurd, and said, —
ward over it. " Regin answered,
Fafnir is his name, and but a little way hence he lies, on the waste of Gnita-heath ; and when thou
298 TALES FROM THE NORTHERN MYTHS.
comest there thou mayest well say that thou hast never seen more gold heaped together in one place, and that none might desire more treasure, though he were the most ancient and famed of all kings. "
" Young am I," says Sigurd, " yet know I the fashion of this worm, and how that none durst go against him, so huge and
evil is he. " " Regin said,
Nay, it is not so, the fashion and the growth of him is even as of other lingworms [dragons], and an overgreat tale men make of it ; and even so would thy forefathers have
deemed ; but thou, though thou be of the kin of the Volsungs, shalt scarce have the heart and mind of those, who are told of as the first in all deeds of fame. "
Sigurd said, " Yea, belike I have little of their hardihood and prowess, but thou hast naught to do, to lay a coward's name upon me, when I am scarce out of my childish years. Why dost thou egg me on hereto so busily ? "
Regin said, " Therein lies a tale which I must needs tell thee. "
" Let me hear the same," said Sigurd.
regin's tale of his brothers, and of the gold called ANDVARl'S HOARD.
" Thus the tale begins," said Regin. " Hreidmar was my father's name, a mighty man and a wealthy ; and his first son was named Fafnir, his second Otter, and I was the third, and the least of them all both for prowess and good conditions ; but I was cunning to work in iron, and silver, and gold, whereof I could make matters that availed somewhat. Other skill my brother Otter followed, and had another nature withal, for he was a great fisher, and above other men herein ; in that he had the likeness of an otter by day, and dwelt ever in the river, and bare fish to bank in his mouth, and his prey would he ever bring to our father, and that availed him much ; for the most part he kept him in his otter gear, and then he would come home, and eat alone, and slumbering, for on the dry land he might see naught. But Fafnir was by far the greatest and grimmest, and would have all things about called his.
" Now," says Regin, " there was a dwarf called Andvari, who ever abode in that force [waterfall] which was called Andvari's force, in the likeness of a pike, and got meat for himself, for
TALES FROM THE NORTHERN MYTHS. 299
many fish there were in the force ; now Otter, my brother, was ever wont to enter into the force, and bring fish aland, and lay them one by one on the bank. And so it befell that Odin, Loki, and Hcenir, as they went their ways, came to Andvari's force, and Otter had taken a salmon, and ate it slumbering upon the river bank; then Loki took a stone and cast it at Otter, so that he gat his death thereby ; the gods were well content with their prey, and fell to flaying off the otter's skin ; and in the evening they came to Hreidmar's house, and showed him what they had taken ; thereon he laid hands on them, and doomed them to such ransom, as that they should fill the otter skin with gold, and cover it over without with red gold ; so they sent Loki to gather gold together for them ; he came to Ran [the goddess of the sea] and got her net, and went therewith to Andvari's force, and cast the net before the pike, and
the pike ran into the net and was taken. Then said Loki —
" <What fish of all fishes Swims strong in the flood,
But hath learnt little wit to beware ? Thine head must thou buy
From abiding in hell,
And find me the wan waters flame. ' He answered —
" ' Andvari folk call me, Call Oinn my father,
Over many a force have I fared ; For a Norn of ill-luck,
This life on me lay
Through wet days ever to wade. '
" So Loki beheld the gold of Andvari, and when he had given up the gold, he had but one ring left, and that also Loki took from him ; then the dwarf went into a hollow of the rocks, and cried out, that that gold ring, yea, and all the gold withal, should be the bane of every man who should own it thereafter.
"Now the gods rode with the treasure to Hreidmar, and fulfilled the otter skin, and set it on its feet, and they must cover it over utterly with gold ; but when this was done then Hreidmar came forth, and beheld yet one of the muzzle hairs, and bade them cover that withal; then Odin drew the ring, Andvari's heirloom, from his hand, and covered up the hair therewith, then sang Loki, —
300
TALES FROM THE NORTHERN MYTHS.
" ' Gold enow, gold enow,
A great weregild, thou hast,
That my head in good hap I may hold ; But thou and thy son
Are naught fated to thrive,
The bane shall it be of you both. '
" Thereafter," says Regin, " Fafnir slew his father and mur dered him, nor got I aught of the treasure, and so evil he grew, that he fell to lying abroad, and begrudged any share in the wealth to any man, and so became the worst of all worms [ser pents], and ever now lies brooding upon that treasure; but for me, I went to the king and became his master smith ; and thus is the tale told of how I lost the heritage of my father, and the weregild for my brother. "
So spake Regin ; but since that time gold is called Ottergild, and for no other cause than this.
But Sigurd answered, " Much hast thou lost, and exceeding evil have thy kinsmen been ! but now, make a sword by thy craft, such a sword as that none can be made like unto it ; so that I may do great deeds therewith, if my heart avail thereto, and thou wouldst have me slay this mighty dragon. "
Regin says, " Trust me well herein ; and with that same sword shalt thou slay Fafnir. "
OF THE WELDING TOGETHER OF THE SHARDS OF THE SWORD GRAM.
So Regin makes a sword, and gives it into Sigurd's hands. He took the sword, and said, —
" Behold thy smithying, Regin ! " and therewith smote it into the anvil, and the sword brake ; so he cast down the brand, and bade him forge a better.
Then Regin forged another sword, and brought it to Sigurd,
who looked thereon. " Then said Regin,
Belike thou art well content therewith, hard master though thou be in smithying. "
So Sigurd proved the sword, and brake it even as the first ; then he said to Regin, —
" Ah, art thou, mayhappen, a traitor and a liar like to those former kin of thine ? "
Therewith he went to his mother, and she welcomed him in seemly wise, and they talked and drank together.
TALES FROM THE NORTHERN MYTHS. 801
Then spake Sigurd, " Have I heard aright, that King Sig- mund gave thee the good sword Gram in two pieces ? "
So Sigurd said, " Deliver them into my hands, for I would have them. "
She said he looked like to win great fame, and gave him the sword. Therewith went Sigurd to Regin, and bade him make a good sword thereof as he best might ; Regin grew wroth thereat, but went into the smithy with the pieces of the sword, thinking well meanwhile that Sigurd pushed his head far enow into the matter of smithying. So he made a sword, and as he bore it forth from the forge, it seemed to the smiths as though fire burned along the edges thereof. Now he bade Sigurd take the sword, and said he knew not how to make a sword if this one failed. Then Sigurd smote it into the anvil, and cleft it down to the stock thereof, and neither burst the sword nor brake it. Then he praised the sword much, and thereafter went to the river with a lock of wool, and threw it up against the stream, and it fell asunder when it met the sword. Then was Sigurd glad, and went home.
" True enough," she said.
But Regin said, " Now whereas I have made the sword for thee, belike thou wilt hold to thy troth given, and wilt go meet Fafnir? "
"Surely will I hold thereto," said Sigurd ; " yet first must I avenge my father. "
OF THE SLAYING OF THE WORM FAFNIR.
Now Sigurd and Regin ride up the heath along that same way wherein Fafnir was wont to creep when he fared to the water ; and folk say that thirty fathoms was the height of that cliff along which he lay when he drank of the water below. Then Sigurd spake, —
" How sayedst thou, Regin, that this drake [dragon] was no greater than other lingworms ; methinks the track of him is marvelous great ? "
Then said Regin, " Make thee a hole, and sit down therein, and whenas the worm comes to the water, smite him into the heart, and so do him to death, and win for thee great fame thereby. "
But Sigurd said, " What will betide me if I be before the blood of the worm ? "
302 TALES FROM THE NORTHERN MYTHS.
Says Regin, " Of what avail to counsel thee if thou art still afeard of everything ? Little art thou like thy kin in stoutness of heart. "
Then Sigurd rides right over the heath; but Regin gets him gone, sore afeard.
But Sigurd fell to digging him a pit, and whiles he was at that work, there came to him an old man with a long beard, and asked what he wrought there, and he told him.
Then answered the old man and said, "Thou doest after sorry counsel: rather dig thee many pits, and let the blood run therein; but sit thee down in one thereof, and so thrust the worm's heart through. "
And therewithal he vanished away; but Sigurd made the pits even as it was shown to him.
Now crept the worm down to his place of watering, and the earth shook all about him, and he snorted forth venom on all the way before him as he went; but Sigurd neither trembled nor was adrad at the roaring of him. So whenas the worm crept over the pits, Sigurd thrust his sword under his left shoulder, so that it sank in up to the hilts; then up leapt Sigurd from the pit and drew the sword back again unto him, and therewith was his arm all bloody, up to the very shoul der.
Now when that mighty worm was ware that he had his death wound, then he lashed out head and tail, so that all things soever that were before him were broken to"pieces.
So whenas Fafnir had his death wound, he asked, Who art thou ? and who is thy father ? and what thy kin, that thou wert so hardy as to bear weapons against me ? "
Sigurd answered, " Unknown to men is my kin. [Sigurd refusing to tell his name is to be referred to the superstition that a dying man could throw a curse on his enemy. ] I am called a noble beast: neither father have I nor mother, and all alone have I fared hither. "
Said Fafnir, " Whereas thou hast neither father nor mother, of what wonder wert thou born then ? But now, though thou tellest me not thy name on this my death day, yet thou know- est verily that thou liest unto me. "
He answered, " Sigurd am I called, and my father was Sigmund. "
Says Fafnir, " Who egged thee on to this deed, and why wouldst thou be driven to it? Hadst thou never heard how
TALES FROM THE NORTHERN MYTHS. 303
that all folk were adrad of me, and of the awe of my counte" nance ? But an eager father thou hadst, O bright-eyed swain!
Sigurd answered, "A hardy heart urged me on hereto; and a strong hand and this sharp sword, which well thou knowest now, stood me in stead in the doing of the deed; Seldom hath hardy eld a faint-heart youth. "
Fafnir said, " Well, I wot that hadst thou waxed amid thy kin, thou mightest have good skill to slay folk in thine anger; but more of a marvel is it, that thou, a bondsman taken in war, shouldst have the heart to set on me, for few among bondsmen have heart for the fight. "
Said Sigurd, " Wilt thou then cast it in my teeth that I am far away from my kin ? Albeit I was a bondsman, yet was I never shackled. God wot thou hast found me free enow. " "
In angry wise dost thou take my speech;
Fafnir answered,
but hearken, for that same gold which I have owned shall be
thy bane too. " " Quoth Sigurd,
Fain would we keep all our wealth till that day of days; yet shall each man die once for all. "
Said Fafnir, "Few things wilt thou do after my counsel; but take heed that thou shalt be drowned if thou farest un warily over the sea; so bide thou rather on the dry land, for the coming of the calm tide. "
And yet again he said, " Regin, my brother, has brought about my end, and it gladdens my heart that thine too he bringeth about; for thus will things be according to his will. "
And once again he spake, "A countenance of terror I bore up before all folk, after that I brooded over the heritage of my brother, and on every side did I spout out poison, so that none durst come anigh me, and of no weapon was I adrad, nor ever had I so many men before me, as that I deemed myself not stronger than all; for all men were sore afeard of me. "
Sigurd answered and said, " Few may have victory by means of that same countenance of terror, for whoso comes amongst many shall one day find that no one man is by so far the mightiest of all. "
Then says Fafnir, " Such counsel I give thee, that thou take thy horse and ride away at thy speediest, for ofttimes it falls out so, that he who gets a death wound avenges himself none the less. "
304 TALES FROM THE NORTHERN MYTHS.
Sigurd answered, " Such as thy redes are I will nowise do after them ; nay, I will ride now to thy lair and take to me that great treasure of thy kin. "
" Ride there then," said Fafnir, " and thou shalt find gold enow to suffice thee for all thy life days ; yet shall that gold be thy bane, and the bane of every one soever who owns it. "
Then up stood Sigurd, and said, " Home would I ride and lose all that wealth, if I deemed that by the losing thereof I should never die; but every brave and true man will fain have his hand on wealth till that last day: but thou, Fafnir, wallow in the death pain till Death and Hell have thee. "
And therewithal Fafnir died.
OF THE SLAYING OF KEGIN, SON OF HREIDMAR.
Thereafter came Regin to Sigurd, and said, " Hail, lord and master, a noble victory hast thou won in the slaying of Fafnir, whereas none durst heretofore abide in the path of him; and now shall this deed of fame be of renown while the world stands fast. "
Then stood Regin staring on the earth a long while, and pres ently thereafter spake from heavy mood, "Mine own brother hast thou slain, and scarce may I be called sackless of the deed. "
Then Sigurd took his sword Gram and dried it on the earth, and spake to Regin, —
" Afar thou faredst when I wrought this deed and tried this sharp sword with the hand and the might of me; with all the might and main of a dragon must I strive, while thou wert laid alow in the heather bush, wotting not if it were earth or heaven. "
Said Regin, " Long might this worm have lain in his lair, if the sharp sword I forged with my hand had not been good at need to thee; had that not been, neither thou nor any man would have prevailed against him as at this time. "
Sigurd answers, " Whenas men meet foes in fight, better is stout heart than sharp sword. " "
Then said Regin, exceeding heavily, Thou hast slain my brother, and scarce may I be sackless of the deed. "
Therewith Sigurd cut out the heart of the worm with the sword called Ridil; but Regin drank of Fafnir's blood, and spake: " Grant me a boon, and do a thing little for thee to do. Bear the heart to the fire, and roast it, and give me thereof to eat. "
TALES FROM THE NORTHERN MYTHS. 305
Then Sigurd went his ways and roasted it on a rod; and when the blood bubbled out he laid his finger thereon to essay it, if it were fully done; and then he set his finger in his mouth, and lo, when the heart blood of the worm touched his tongue, straightway he knew the voice of all fowls, and heard withal how the woodpeckers chattered in the brake beside him, —
" There sittest thou, Sigurd, roasting Faf nir's heart for an other, that thou shouldest eat thine own self, and then thou shouldest become the wisest of all men. "
And another spake, " There lies Regin, minded to beguile
the man who trusts in him. " " But yet again said the third,
Let him smite the head from off him then, and be only lord of all that gold. "
And once more the fourth spake and said, "Ah, the wiser were he if he followed after that good counsel, and rode there after to Fafnir's lair, and took to him that mighty treasure that lieth there, and then rode over Hindfell, whereas sleeps Bryn- hild; for there would he get great wisdom. Ah, wise he were, if he did after your redes, and bethought him of his own weal; for where wolfs ears are, wolf's teeth are near. "
Then cried the fifth, " Yea, yea, not so wise is he as I deem him, if he spareth him, whose brother he hath slain already. "
At last spake the sixth, "Handy and good rede to slay him, and be lord of the treasure ! "
Then said Sigurd, "The time is unborn wherein Regin shall be my bane ; nay, rather one road shall both these brothers fare. "
And therewith he drew his sword Gram and struck off Regin's head.
Then Sigurd ate some deal of Fafnir's heart, and the rem nant he kept. Then he leapt on his horse and rode along the trail of the worm Fafnir, and so right unto his abiding place ; and he found it open, and beheld all the doors and the gear of them that they were wrought of iron : yea, and all the beams of the house ; and it was dug down deep into the earth : there found Sigurd gold exceeding plenteous, and the sword Rotti ; and thence he took the Helm of Awe, and the Gold Byrny, and many things fair and good. So much gold he found there, that he thought verily that scarce might two horses, or three belike, bear it thence. So he took all the gold and laid it in two great chests, and set them on the horse Grani, and took the reins of him, but nowise will he stir, neither will he abide smiting.
806 TALES FROM THE NORTHERN MYTHS.
Then Sigurd knows the mind of the horse, and leaps on the back of him, and smites and spurs into him, and off the horse goes even as if he were unladen.
II. The Slaughter of the Giukings.
ATLI BIDS THE GIUKINGS TO HIM.
Now tells the tale that on a night King Atli woke from sleep and spake to Gudrun. "Medreamed," said he, " that thou didst thrust me through with a sword. "
Then Gudrun areded the dream, and said that it betokened fire, whenas folk dreamed of iron. " It befalls of thy pride belike, in that thou deemest thyself the first of men. "
Atli said, " Moreover I dreamed that here waxed two sorb- tree saplings, and fain I was that they should have no scathe of me ; then these were riven up by the roots and reddened with blood, and borne to the bench, and I was bidden eat thereof.
" Yea, yet again I dreamed that two hawks flew from my hand hungry and unfed, and fared to hell, and meseemed their hearts were mingled with honey, and that I ate thereof.
" And then again I dreamed that two fair whelps lay before me yelling aloud, and that the flesh of them I ate, though my will went not with the eating. "
Gudrun says, " Nowise good are these dreams, yet shall they come to pass ; surely thy sons are nigh to death, and many heavy things shall fall upon us. "
" Yet again I dreamed," said he, " and methought I lay in a bath, and folk took counsel to slay me. "
Now these things wear away with time, but in nowise was their life together fond.
Now falls Atli to thinking of where may be gotten that plenteous gold which Sigurd had owned, but King Gunnar and his brethren were lords thereof now.
Atli was a great king and mighty, wise, and a lord of many men ; and now he falls to counsel with his folk as to the ways of them. He wotted well that Gunnar and his brethren had more wealth than any others might have ; and so he falls to the rede of sending men to them, and bidding them to a great feast, and honoring them in diverse wise, and the chief of those messengers was hight Vingi.
TALES PROM THE NORTHERN MYTH8. 307
Now the queen wots of their conspiring, and misdoubts her that this would mean some beguiling of her brethren ; so she cuts runes, and took a gold ring and knit therein a wolf's hair, and gave it into the hands of the king's messengers.
Thereafter they go their ways according to the king's bid ding ; and or ever they came aland Vingi beheld the runes, and turned them about in such a wise as if Gudrun prayed her brethren in her runes to go meet King Atli.
Thereafter they came to the hall of King Gunnar, and had good welcome at his hands, and great fires were made for them, and in great joyance they drank of the best of drink.
Then spake Vingi, " King Atli sends me hither, and is fain that ye go to his house and home in all glory, and take of him exceeding honors, helms and shields, swords and byrnies, gold and goodly raiment, horses, hosts of war, and great and wide lands, for, saith he, he is fainest of all things to bestow his realm and lordship upon you. " —
Then Gunnar turned his head aside, and spoke to Hogni,
"In what wise shall we take this bidding? Might and wealth he bids us take ; but no kings know I who have so much gold as we have, whereas we have all the hoard which lay once on Gnitaheath ; and great are our chambers, and full of gold and weapons for smiting and all kinds of raiment of war, and well I wot that amidst all men my horse is the best, and my sword the sharpest, and my gold the most glorious. " "
A marvel is it to me of his bidding, for seldom hath he done in such a wise, and ill counseled will it be to wend to him ; lo now, when I saw those dear-bought things the king sends us, I wondered to behold a wolf's hair
knit to a certain gold ring ; belike Gudrun deems him to be minded as a wolf towards us, and will have naught of our faring. "
But withal Vingi shows him the runes which he said Gudrun had sent.
Now the most of folk go to bed, but these drank on still with certain others; and Kostbera, the wife of Hogni, the fairest of women, came to them, and looked on the runes.
But the wife of Gunnar was Glaumvor, a great-hearted wife.
So these twain poured out, and the kings drank, and were exceeding drunken, and Vingi notes it, and says, —
Hogni answers,
308 TALES FROM THE NORTHERN MYTHS.
" Naught may I hide that King Atli is heavy of foot and over old for the warding of his realm ; but his sons are young and of no account ; now will he give you rule over his realms while they are yet thus young, and most fain will he be that ye have the joy thereof before all others. "
Now so it befell both that Gunnar was drunk, and that great dominion was held out to him, nor might he work against the fate sharpen for him ; so he gave his word to go, and tells Hogni his brother thereof.
But he answered, " Thy word given must even stand now, nor will I fail to follow thee, but most loth am I to this jour ney. "
OF THE JOURNEY OF THE GIUKINGS TO KING ATLI.
Now tells the tale of Gunnar, that in the same wise it fared with him ; for when they awoke, Glaumvor his wife told him many dreams which seemed to her like to betoken guile coming; but Gunnar areded [counseled] them all in other wise.
" This was one of them," said she ; " methought a bloody sword was borne into the hall here, wherewith thou wert thrust through, and at either end of that sword wolves howled. " "
The king answered,
stained weapons oft betoken dogs' snappings. "
Cur dogs shall bite me belike ; blood
She said, " Yet again I dreamed — that women came in, heavy and drooping, and chose thee for their mate ; mayhappen these would be thy fateful women. "
He answered. " Hard to arede is this, and none may set aside the fated measure of his days, nor is it unlike that my time is short. "
So in the morning they arose, and were minded for the journey, but some letted them herein. —
" Arise, and give us to drink goodly wine from great tuns, because mayhappen this shall be very last of all our feasts ; for belike if we die the old wolf shall come by the gold, and that bear shall nowise spare the bite of his war tusks. "
Then all the folk of his household brought them on their way weeping.
Then cried Gunnar to the man who is called Fjornir,
TALES FROM THE NORTHERN MYTHS. 309
The son of Hogni said, —
" Fare ye well with merry tide. "
The more part of their folk were left behind ; Solar and
Gncevar, the sons of Hogni, fared with them, and a certain great champion, named Orkning, who was the brother of Kostbera.
So folk followed them down to the ships, and all letted them of their journey, but attained to naught therein.
Then spake Glaum vor, and said, —
" O Vingi, most like that great ill hap will come of thy com ing, and mighty and evil things shall betide in thy traveling. "
He answered, " Hearken to my answer ; that I lie not aught ; and may the high gallows and all things of grame have me, if I lie one word ! "
Then cried Kostbera, "Fare ye well with merry days. "
And Hogni answered, " Be glad of heart, howsoever it may fare with us ! "
And therewith they parted, each to their own fate. Then away they rowed, so hard and fast that well nigh the half of the keel slipped away from the ship, and so hard they laid on to the oars that thole and gunwale brake.
But when they came aland they made their ship fast, and then they rode awhile on their noble steeds through the murk wildwood.
And now they behold the king's army, and huge uproar, and the clatter of weapons they hear from thence; and they see there a mighty host of men, and the manifold array of them, even as they wrought there ; and all the gates of the burg were full of men.
So they rode up to the burg, and the gates thereof were shut; then Hogni brake open the gates, and therewith they ride into the burg.
Then spake Vingi, "Well might ye have left this deed undone ; go to now, bide ye here while I go seek your gallows tree ! Softly and sweetly I bade you hither, but an evil thing abode thereunder ; short while to bide ere ye are tied up to that same tree ! "
Hogni answered, " None the more shall we waver for that cause ; for little methinks have we shrunk aback whenas men fell to fight ; and naught shall it avail thee to make us afeard, — and for an ill fate hast thou wrought. "
And therewith they cast him down to earth, and smote him with their ax hammers till he died.
310 TALES FROM THE NORTHERN MYTHS.
THE BATTLE IN THE BURG OF KING ATLI.
Then they rode unto the king's hall, and King Atli arrayed his host for battle, and the ranks were so set forth that a cer tain wall there was betwixt them and the brethren.
" Welcome hither," said he. " Deliver unto me that plente ous gold which is mine of right ; even the wealth which Sigurd once owned, and which is now Gudrun's of right. "
Gunnar answered, " Never gettest thou that wealth ; and men of might must thou meet here, or ever we lay by life if thou wilt deal with us in battle : ah, belike thou settest forth this feast like a great man, and wouldst not hold thine hand from erne and wolf ! "
" Long ago I had it in my mind," said Atli, " to take the lives of you, and be lord of the gold, and reward you for that deed of shame, wherein ye beguiled the best of all your affinity ; but now shall I revenge him. "
Hogni answered, " Little will it avail to lie long brooding over that rede, leaving the work undone. "
And therewith they fell to hard fighting, at the first brunt with shot.
But therewithal came the tidings to Gudrun, and when she heard thereof she grew exceeding wroth, and cast her mantle from her, and ran out and greeted those newcomers, and kissed her brethren, and showed them all love — and the last of all greetings was that betwixt them.
Then said she, " I thought I had set forth counsels whereby ye should not come hither, but none may deal with his shapen fate. "
And withal she said, "Will it avail aught to seek for peace ? "
But stoutly and grimly they said nay thereto. So she sees that the game goeth sorely against her brethren, and she gathers to her great stoutness of heart, and does on her a mail coat and takes to her a sword, and fights by her brethren, and goes as far forward as the bravest of man folk ; and all spoke in one wise that never saw any fairer defense than in her.
Now the men fell thick, and far before all others was the fighting of those brethren, and the battle endured a long while unto midday ; Gunnar and Hogni went right through the folk
TALES FROM THE NORTHERN MYTHS. 311
of Atli, and so tells the tale that all the mead ran red with blood ; the sons of Hogni withal set on stoutly.
Then spake Atli the king, " A fair host and a great have we, and mighty champions withal, and yet have many of us fallen, and but evil am I apaid in that nineteen of my cham pions are slain, and but six left alive. "
And therewithal was there a lull in the battle.
Then spake Atli the king, "Four brethren were we, and now am I left alone ; great affinity I gat to me, and deemed my fortune well sped thereby; a wife I had, fair and wise, high of mind, and great of heart ; but no joyance may I have of her wisdom, for little peace is betwixt us; but ye — ye have slain many of my kin, and beguiled me of realm and riches, and for the greatest of all woes have slain my sister withal. "
Quoth Hogni: "Why babblest thou thus? thou wert the first to break the peace.
Thou didst take my kinswoman and pine her to death by hunger, and didst murder her, and take her wealth ; an ugly deed for a king ! — meet for mocking and laughter I deem it, that thou must needs make long tale of thy woes ; rather will I give thanks to the gods that thou fallest into ill. "
OF THE SLAYING OF THE GIUKINGS.
Now King Atli eggs on his folk to set on fiercely, and eagerly they fight ; but the Giukings fell on so hard that King Atli gave back into the hall, and within doors was the fight, and fierce beyond all fights.
That battle was the death of many a man, but such was the ending thereof that there fell all the folk of those brethren, and they twain alone stood up on their feet, and yet many more must fare to hell first before their weapons.
And now they fell on Gunnar the king, and because of the host of men that set on him was hand laid on him, and he was cast into fetters ; afterwards fought Hogni, with the stoutest heart and the greatest manlihood ; and he felled to earth twenty of the stoutest of the champions of King Atli, and many he thrust into the fire that burnt amidst the hall, and all were of one accord that such a man might scarce be seen ; yet in the end was he borne down by many and taken.
312 TALES FROM THE NORTHERN MYTHS.
Then said King Atli : " A marvelous thing how many men have gone their ways before him ! Cut the heart from out of him, and let that be his bane ! "
Hogni said, " Do according to thy will ; merrily will I abide whatso thou wilt do against me; and thou shalt see that my heart is not adrad, for hard matters have I made trial of ere now, and all things that may try a man was I fain to bear, whiles yet I was unhurt; but now sorely am I hurt, and thou alone henceforth will bear mastery in our dealings together. "
Then spake a counselor of King Atli, "Better rede I thereto ; take we the thrall Hjalli, and give respite to Hogni ; for this thrall is made to die, since the longer he lives the less worth shall he be. "
The thrall hearkened, and cried out aloft, and fled away anywhither where he might hope for shelter, crying out that a hard portion was his because of their strife and wild doings, and an ill day for him whereon he must be dragged to death from his sweet life and his swine keeping. But they caught him, and turned a knife against him, and he yelled and screamed or ever he felt the point thereof.
Then in such wise spake Hogni as a man seldom speaketh who is fallen into hard need, for he prayed for the thrall's life, and said that these shrieks he could not away with, and that it were a lesser matter to him to play out the play to the end ; and therewithal the thrall gat his life as for that time; but Gunnar and Hogni are both laid in fetters.
see
Then spake King Atli with Gunnar the king, and bade him tell out concerning the gold, and where it was, if he would have his life.
But he answered, " Nay, first will I behold the bloody heart of Hogni, my brother. "
So now they caught hold of the thrall again, and cut the heart from out of him, and bore it unto King Gunnar, but he said, —
" The faint heart of Hjalli may ye here behold, little like the proud heart of Hogni, for as much as it trembleth now, more by the half it trembled whenas it lay in the breast of him. "
So now they fell on Hogni even as Atli urged them, and cut the heart from out of him, but such was the might of his manhood that he laughed while he abode that torment, and
LEMMINKAINEN'S VOYAGE. 313
all wondered at his worth, and in perpetual memory is it held sithence. —
Then they showed it to Gunnar, and he said,
" The mighty heart of Hogni, little like the faint heart of Hjalli, for little as it trembleth now, less it trembled whenas in his breast it lay ! But now, O Atli, even as we die so shalt thou die; and lo, I alone wot where the gold is, nor shall Hogni be to tell thereof now; to and fro played the matter in my mind whiles we both lived, but now have I myself determined for myself, and the Rhine River shall rule over the gold, rather than that the Huns shall bear it on the hands of them. " "
Then said King Atli, Have away the bondsman," and so they did.
" But Gudrun called to her men, and came to Atli, and said, May it fare ill with thee now and from henceforth, even as
thou hast ill held to thy word with me ! "
So Gunnar was cast into a worm close [snake pen], and
many worms abode him there, and his hands were fast bound ; but Gudrun sent him a harp, and in such wise did he set forth his craft that wisely he smote the harp, smiting it with his toes, and so excellently well he played that few deemed they had heard such playing, even when the hand had done it. And with such might and power he played that all the worms fell asleep in the end, save one adder only, great and evil of aspect, that crept unto him and thrust its sting into him until it smote his heart; and in such wise with great hardihood he ended his life days.
LEMMINKAINEN'S VOYAGE.
(From the "Kalevala. " Translated by John M. Crawford. Used by permission of Robert Clarke & Co. )
[Kalevala (signifying " abode of heroes") : The national epic of Finland, the elements of which are popular songs, legendary poems, etc. It owes its present form to Dr. Elias Lonnrott, a Finnish scholar (1802-1884), who spent many years in travel in Finland and the Finnish parts of Lapland and Russia, faithfully recording all the songs and stories that he heard from peasants, fisher men, etc. The first version (1835) contained twelve thousand verses, in thirty-two runes or cantos ; the second version (1849), the present form of the poem, has
314 LEMMINKAINEN'S VOYAGE.
twenty-three thousand verses, in fifty runes. Professor Max MUUer said that the Kalovala possessed merits not dissimilar to those of the Iliad, and would claim its place as the fifth national epic of the world. ]
Rune XXIX: The Isle of Refuge.
Lemminkainen, full of joyance, Handsome hero, Kaukomieli,
Took provisions in abundance,
Fish and butter, bread and bacon, Hastened to the Isle of Refuge,
Sailed away across the oceans, — Spake these measures on departing : "Fare thee well, mine island dwelling, I must sail to other borders,
To an island more protective,
Till the second summer passes ;
Let the serpents keep the island,
Lynxes rest within the glenwood,
Let the blue moose roam the mountains,
Let the wild geese eat the barley.
Fare thee well, my helpful mother !
When the warriors of the Northland,
From the dismal Sariola,
Come with swords, and spears, and crossbows, Asking for my head in vengeance,
Say that I have long departed,
Left my mother's island dwelling, When the barley had been garnered. "
Then he launched his boat of copper, Threw the vessel to the waters,
From the iron-banded rollers,
From the cylinders of oak wood,
On the masts the sails he hoisted, Spread the magic sails of linen, In the stern the hero settled
And prepared to sail his vessel, One hand resting on the rudder.
Then the sailor spake as follows, — These the words of Lemminkainen :
" Blow, ye winds, and drive me onward, Blow ye steady, winds of heaven, Toward the island in the ocean,
That my bark may fly in safety
To my father's place of refuge, "
To the far and nameless island !
LEMMINKAINEN'S VOYAGE.
Soon the winds arose as bidden, Rocked the vessel o'er the billows, O'er the blue back of the waters,
O'er the vast expanse of ocean ;
Blew two months and blew unceasing, Blew a third month toward the island, Toward his father's Isle of Refuge.
Sat some maidens on the seaside, On the sandy beach of ocean, Turned about in all directions, Looking out upon the billows ;
One was waiting for her brother,
And a second for her father,
And a third one, anxious, waited
For the coming of her suitor ;
There they spied young Lemminkainen, There perceived the hero's vessel
Sailing o'er the bounding billows ;
It was like a hanging cloudlet, Hanging 'twixt the earth and heaven.
Thus the island maidens wondered, Thus they spake to one another : —
" What this stranger on the ocean, What is this upon the waters ?
Art thou one of our sea vessels ?
Wert thou builded on this island ?
Sail thou straightway to the harbor, To the island point of landing,
That thy tribe may be discovered. "
Onward did the waves propel Rocked his vessel o'er the billows, Drove to the magic island, Safely landed Lemminkainen
On the sandy shore and harbor.
Spake he thus when he had landed, These the words that Ahti uttered — " Is there room upon this island,
Is there space within this harbor, Where my bark may lie at anchor, " Where the sun may dry my vessel
This the answer of the virgins, Dwellers on the Isle of Refuge — " There room within this harbor, On this island, space abundant, Where thy bark may lie at anchor,
is
it
:
?
:
it,
LEMMINKAINEN'S VOYAGE.
Where the sun may dry thy vessel ;
Lying ready are the rollers,
Cylinders adorned with copper ;
If thou hadst a hundred vessels,
Shouldst thou come with boats a thousand, We would give them room in welcome. "
Thereupon wild Lemminkainen Rolled his vessel in the harbor,
On the cylinders of copper, — Spake these words when had ended :
" Is there room upon this island,
Or a spot within these forests,
Where a hero may be hidden
From the coming din of battle,
From the play of spears and arrows ? Thus replied the island maidens : —
" There are places on this island,
On these plains a spot befitting,
Where to hide thyself in safety,
Hero son of little valor.
Here are many, many castles,
Many courts upon this island ;
Though there come a thousand heroes, Though a thousand spearmen follow, Thou canst hide thyself in safety. " Spake the hero, Lemminkainen : —
" Is there room upon this island,
Where the birch tree grows abundant, Where this son may fell the forest, And may cultivate the fallow ? " Answered thus the island maidens : — " There is not a spot befitting,
Not a place upon the island,
Where to rest thy wearied members, Not the smallest patch of birch wood, Thou canst bring to cultivation.
All our fields have been divided,
All these woods have been apportioned, Fields and forests have their owners. "
Lemminkainen asked this question, These the words of Kaukomieli : —
" Is there room upon this island, Worthy spot in field or forest,
Where to sing my songs of magic, Chant my gathered store of wisdom,
"
LEMMINKAINEN'S VOYAGE.
Sing mine ancient songs and legends ? " Answered thus the island maidens : —
" There is room upon this island, Worthy place in these dominions,
Thou canst sing thy garnered wisdom, Thou canst chant thine ancient legends, Legends of the times primeval,
In the forest, in the castle,
On the island plains and pastures. " Then began the reckless minstrel
To intone his wizard sayings ;
Sang he alders to the waysides,
Sang the oaks upon the mountains,
On the oak trees sang he branches,
On each branch he sang an acorn,
On the acorns, golden rollers,
On each roller sang a cuckoo ;
Then began the cuckoos, calling,
Gold from every throat came streaming, Copper fell from every feather,
And each wing emitted silver,
Filled the isle with precious metals.
Sang again young Lemminkainen, Conjured on, and sang, and chanted, Sang to precious stones the sea sands, Sang the stones to pearls resplendent, Robed the groves in iridescence,
Sang the island full of flowers, Many-colored as the rainbow.
Sang again the magic minstrel,
In the court a well he conjured,
On the wall a golden cover,
On the lid a silver dipper,
That the boys might drink the water, That the maids might lave their eyelids. On the plains he conjured lakelets,
Sang the duck upon the waters, Golden-cheeked and silver-headed,
Sang the feet from shining copper;
And the island maidens wondered,
Stood entranced at Ahti's wisdom,
At the songs of Lemminkainen,
At the hero's magic power.
Spake the singer, Lemminkainen, Handsome hero, Kaukomieli : —
LEMMINKAINEN'S VOYAGE.
" I would sing a wondrous legend, Sing in miracles of sweetness,
If within some hall or chamber,
I were seated at the table.
If I sing not in the castle,
In some spot by walls surrounded, Then I sing my songs to zephyrs, Fling them to the fields and forests. " Answered thus the island maidens: — " On this isle are castle chambers, Halls for use of magic singers,
Courts complete for chanting legends, Where thy singing will be welcome, Where thy songs will not be scattered To the forests of the island,
Nor thy wisdom lost in ether. "
Straightway Lemminkainen journeyed With the maidens to the castle ;
There he sang and conjured pitchers
On the borders of the tables,
Sang and conjured golden goblets Foaming with the beer of barley ; Sang he many well-filled vessels, Bowls of honey drink abundant, Sweetest butter, toothsome biscuit, Bacon, fish, and veal, and venison, All the dainties of the Northland, Wherewithal to still his hunger. But the proud heart, Lemminkainen, Was not ready for the banquet,
Did not yet begin his feasting, Waited for a knife of silver,
For a knife of golden handle ; Quick he sang the precious metals, Sang a blade from purest silver,
To the blade a golden handle,
Straightway then began his feasting, Quenched his thirst and stilled his hunger, Charmed the maidens on the island.
Then the minstrel, Lemminkainen, Roamed throughout the island hamlets, To the joy of all the virgins,
All the maids of braided tresses ; Wheresoe'er he turned his footsteps, There appeared a maid to greet him;
LEMMINKAINEN'S VOYAGE.
When his hand was kindly offered, There his hand was kindly taken ; When he wandered out at evening, Even in the darksome places,
There the maidens bade him welcome ; There was not an island village
Where there were not seven castles,
In each castle seven daughters,
And the daughters stood in waiting, Gave the hero joyful greetings,
Only one of all the maidens
Whom he did not greet with pleasure.
Thus the merry Lemminkainen Spent three summers in the ocean, Spent a merry time in refuge,
In the hamlets on the island,
To the pleasure of the maidens, To the joy of all the daughters; Only one was left neglected,
She a poor and graceless spinster, On the isle's remotest border,
In the smallest of the hamlets.
Then he thought about his journey O'er the ocean to his mother,
To the cottage of his father.
There appeared the slighted spinster,
To the Northland son departing, — Spake these words to Lemminkainen:
" O thou handsome Kaukomieli,
Wisdom bard, and magic singer,
Since this maiden thou hast slighted, May the winds destroy thy vessel,
Dash thy bark to countless fragments
On the ocean rocks and ledges ! "
Lemminkainen's thoughts were homeward, Did not heed the maiden's murmurs,
Did not rise before the dawning
Of the morning on the island,
To the pleasure of the maiden
Of the much-neglected hamlet. Finally at close of evening,
He resolved to leave the island, He resolved to waken early,
Long before the dawn of morning; Long before the time appointed,
LEMMINKAINEN'S VOYAGE.
He arose that he might wander Through the hamlets of the island, Bid adieu to all the maidens,
On the morn of his departure.
As he wandered hither, thither,
Walking through the village pathways
To the last of all the hamlets ;
Saw he none of all the castles,
Where three dwellings were not standing; Saw he none of all the dwellings
Where three heroes were not watching ; Saw he none of all the heroes,
Who was not engaged in grinding
Swords, and spears, and battle-axes,
For the death of Lemminkainen.
And these words the hero uttered : —
" Now alas ! the Sun arises
From his couch within the ocean,
On the frailest of the heroes,
On the saddest child of Northland ;
On my neck the cloak of Lempo
Might protect me from all evil,
Though a hundred foes assail me,
Though a thousand archers follow. "
Then he left the maids ungreeted,
Left his longing for the daughters
Of the nameless Isle of Refuge,
With his farewell words unspoken, Hastened toward the island harbor,
Toward his magic bark at anchor ;
But he found it burned to ashes,
Sweet revenge had fired his vessel, Lighted by the slighted spinster.
Then he saw the dawn of evil,
Saw misfortune hanging over,
Saw destruction round about him. Straightway he began rebuilding
Him a magic sailing vessel,
New and wondrous, full of beauty ;
But the hero needed timber,
Boards, and planks, and beams, and braces, Found the smallest bit of lumber,
Found of boards but seven fragments,
Of a spool he found three pieces,
Found six pieces of the distaff ;
LEMMINKAINEN'S VOYAGE.
With these fragments builds his vessel, Builds a ship of magic virtue,
Builds the bark with secret knowledge, Through the will of the magician ;
Strikes one blow, and builds the first part, Strikes a second, builds the center,
Strikes a third with wondrous power, And the vessel is completed.
Thereupon the ship he launches, Sings the vessel to the ocean, — And these words the hero utters :
" Like a bubble swim these waters, Like a flower ride the billows ;
Loan me of thy magic feathers, Three, O eagle, four, O raven,
For protection to my vessel, "
Lest it flounder in the ocean !
Now the sailor, Lemminkainen, Seats himself upon the bottom
Of the vessel he has builded, Hastens on his journey homeward, Head depressed and evil-humored, Cap awry upon his forehead,
Mind dejected, heavy-hearted, That he could not dwell forever
In the castles of the daughters
Of the nameless Isle of Refuge.
Spake the minstrel, Lemminkainen, Handsome hero, Kaukomieli : —
" Leave I must this merry island, Leave her many joys and pleasures, Leave her maids with braided tresses, Leave her dances and her daughters, To the joys of other heroes ;
But I take this comfort with me :
All the maidens on the island,
Save the spinster who was slighted, Will bemoan my loss for ages,
Will regret my quick departure ; They will miss me at the dances,
In the halls of mirth and joyance,
In the homes of merry maidens,
On my father's Isle of Refuge. "
Wept the maidens on the island, Long lamenting, loudly calling
322
LEMMINKAINEN'S VOYAGE.
To the hero sailing homeward : —
" Whither goest, Lemminkainen,
Why depart, thou best of heroes ? Dost thou leave from inattention,
Is there here a dearth of maidens, " Have our greetings been unworthy ?
Sang the magic Lemminkainen To the maids as he was sailing, — This in answer to their calling :
" Leaving not for want of pleasure, Do not go from dearth of women ; Beautiful the island maidens, Countless as the sands their virtues. This the reason of my going,
am longing for my home land, Longing for my mother's cabins, For the strawberries of Northland, For the raspberries of Kalew,
For the maidens of my childhood, For the children of my mother. "
Then the merry Lemminkainen
Bade farewell to all the island ;
Winds arose and drove his vessel
On the blue back of the ocean,
O'er the far extending waters,
Toward the island of his mother.
On the shore were grouped the daughters Of the magic Isle of Refuge,
On the rocks sat the forsaken,
Weeping stood the island maidens, Golden daughters, loud lamenting. Weep the maidens of the island
While the sail yards greet their vision, While the copper beltings glisten ;
Do not weep to lose the sail yards,
Nor to lose the copper beltings ;
Weep they for the loss of Ahti,
For the fleeing Kaukomieli
Guiding the departing vessel.
Also weeps young Lemminkainen,
Sorely weeps, and loud lamenting, Weeps while he can see the island, While the island hilltops glisten ; Does not mourn the island mountains, Weeps he only for the maidens,
Left upon the Isle of Refuge.
I
LEMMINKAINEN'S VOYAGE.
Thereupon sailed Kaukomieli
On the blue back of the ocean ;
Sailed one day, and then a second,
But, alas ! upon the third day,
There arose a mighty stormwind,
And the sky was black with fury.
Blew the black winds from the northwest, From the southeast came the whirlwind, Tore away the ship's forecastle,
Tore away the vessel's rudder,
Dashed the wooden hull to pieces. Thereupon wild Lemminkainen
Headlong fell upon the waters ;
With his head he did the steering,
With his hands and feet, the rowing; Swam whole days and nights unceasing, Swam with hope and strength united,
Till at last appeared a cloudlet,
Growing cloudlet to the westward, Changing to a promontory,
Into land within the ocean.
Swiftly to the shore swam Ahti, Hastened to a magic castle,
Found therein a hostess baking,
And her daughters kneading barley,
And these words the hero uttered : —
" O thou hostess, filled with kindness, Couldst thou know my pangs of hunger, Couldst thou guess my name and station, Thou wouldst hasten to the storehouse. Bring me beer and foaming liquor,
Bring the best of thy provisions,
Bring me fish, and veal, and bacon, Butter, bread, and honeyed biscuits,
Set for me a wholesome dinner, Wherewithal to still my hunger, Quench the thirst of Lemminkainen. Days and nights have I been swimming, Buffeting the waves of ocean,
Seemed as if the wind protected,
And the billows gave me shelter. "
Then the hostess, filled with kindness, Hastened to the mountain storehouse, Cut some butter, veal, and bacon,
Bread, and fish, and honeyed biscuit,
LEMMINKAINEN'S VOYAGE.
Brought the best of her provisions, Brought the mead and beer of barley, Set for him a toothsome dinner, Wherewithal to still his hunger, Quench the thirst of Lemminkainen.
When the hero's feast had ended, Straightway was a magic vessel Given by the kindly hostess
To the weary Kaukomieli,
Bark of beauty, new and hardy, Wherewithal to aid the stranger In his journey to his home land, To the cottage of his mother.
Quickly sailed wild Lemminkainen On the blue back of the ocean ;
Sailed he days and nights unceasing, Till at last he reached the borders
Of his own loved home and country ; There beheld he scenes familiar,
Saw the islands, capes, and rivers, Saw his former shipping stations, Saw he many ancient landmarks,
Saw the mountains with their fir trees, Saw the pine trees on the hilltops,
Saw the willows in the lowlands ;
Did not see his father's cottage,
Nor the dwellings of his mother.
Where a mansion once had risen,
There the alder trees were growing, Shrubs were growing on the homestead, Junipers within the courtyard.
Spake the reckless Lemminkainen : — " In this glen I played and wandered, On these stones I rocked for ages,
On this lawn I rolled and tumbled, Frolicked on these woodland borders, When a child of little stature.
Where then is my mother's dwelling, Where the castles of my father ? Fire, I fear, has found the hamlet, And the winds dispersed the ashes. "
Then he fell to bitter weeping, Wept one day, and then a second, Wept the third day without ceasing ; Did not mourn the ancient homestead, Nor the dwellings of his father ;
LEMMINKAINEN'S VOYAGE.
Wept he for his darling mother, Wept he for the dear departed, For the loved ones of the island.
Then he saw the bird of heaven, Saw an eagle flying near him, — And he asked the bird this question :
" Mighty eagle, bird majestic,
Grant to me the information,
Where my mother may have wandered, Whither I may go and find her! "
But the eagle knew but little,
Only knew that Ahti's people
Long ago together perished ;
And the raven also answered
That his people had been scattered
By the swords, and spears, and arrows, Of his enemies from Pohya. — Spake the hero, Lemminkainen :
" Faithful mother, dear departed, Thou who nursed me in my childhood, Art thou dead and turned to ashes, Didst thou perish for my follies,
O'er thy head are willows weeping, Junipers above thy body,
Alders watching o'er thy slumbers ? This my punishment for evil,
This the recompense of folly !
Fool was I, a son unworthy,
That I measured swords in Northland With the landlord of Pohyola.
To my tribe came fell destruction,
And the death of my dear mother, Through my crimes and misdemeanors. "
Then the minstrel looked about him, Anxious, looked in all directions,
And beheld some gentle footprints,
Saw a pathway lightly trodden
Where the heather had been beaten.
Quick as thought the path he followed, Through the meadows, through the brambles, O'er the hills, and through the valleys,
To a forest, vast and cheerless;
Traveled far and traveled farther,
Still a greater distance traveled, To a dense and hidden glenwood,
LEMMINKAINEN'S VOYAGE.
In the middle of the island ;
Found therein a sheltered cabin,
Found a small and darksome dwelling Built between the rocky ledges,
In the midst of triple pine trees ;
And within he spied his mother,
Found his gray-haired mother weeping.
Lemminkainen loud rejoices,
Cries in tones of joyful greetings, — These the words that Ahti utters :
" Faithful mother, well-beloved,
Thou that gavest me existence,
Happy I, that thou art living,
That thou hast not yet departed
To the kingdom of Tuoni,
To the islands of the blessed.
I had thought that thou hadst perished, Hadst been murdered by my foemen, Hadst been slain with bows and arrows. Heavy are mine eyes from weeping, And my cheeks are white with sorrow, Since I thought my mother slaughtered For the sins I had committed ! " Lemminkainen's mother answered : —
" Long, indeed, hast thou been absent, Long, my son, hast thou been living
In thy father's Isle of Refuge,
Roaming on the secret island,
Living at the doors of strangers,
Living in a nameless country,
Refuge from the Northland foeman. "
Spake the hero, Lemminkainen : —
" Charming is that spot for living, Beautiful the magic island, Rainbow-colored was the forest,
Blue the glimmer of the meadows, Silvered were the pine-tree branches, Golden were the heather blossoms ;
All the woodlands dripped with honey, Eggs in every rock and crevice,
Honey flowed from birch and sorb tree, Milk in streams from fir and aspen, Beer foam dripping from the willows, Charming there to live and linger,
All their edibles delicious.
SLYBOOTS. 827
This their only source of trouble :
Great the fear for all the maidens,
All the heroes filled with envy,
Feared the coming of the stranger ; Thought that all the island maidens, Thought that all the wives and daughters, All the good, and all the evil,
Gave thy son too much attention ; Thought the stranger, Lemminkainen, Saw the island maids too often ;
Yet the virgins I avoided,
Shunned the good and shunned the evil, Shunned the host of charming daughters, As the black wolf shuns the sheepfold, As the hawk neglects the chickens. "
SLYBOOTS.
An Esthonian Folk Tale. Edited by W. F. KIRBY.
In the days of the son of Kaliv there reigned a very rich king of Kungla, who gave a great feast to his subjects every seven years at midsummer, which lasted for two or three weeks
The time for the feast came round again, and its commencement had been looked forward to for some months, though with some uncertainty ; for twice already, seven years ago and fourteen years ago, the anticipated festival had come to nothing. Both times the king had made full preparations for the feast, but no man had tasted it. This seemed strange and incredible, but there were many people everywhere who could bear witness to the facts. It was said that on both these occasions an unknown stranger had come to the head cook and asked to be permitted to taste a little of the food and drink, but the moment he had dipped his spoon in the soup kettle, and put the froth in the beer can to his mouth, the whole contents of the storehouses, pantries, and cellars vanished in a moment, so that not a scrap or drop of anything remained. The cooks and kitchen boys had all seen and sworn to the truth of the matter, but the people were so enraged at the collapse of the
together.
328 SLYBOOTS.
feast that the king was obliged to appease them seven years before, by ordering the head cook to be hanged for having given the stranger permission to taste the food. In order to prevent any repetition of the trouble, the king proclaimed that he would richly reward any one who would undertake the prepara tion of the feast ; and at length, when no one would undertake the responsibility, the king promised his youngest daughter in marriage to any one who should succeed, but added that failure would be punished with death.
A long way from the capital, and near the borders of the kingdom, lived a rich farmer who had three sons, the youngest of whom showed great intelligence from his youth, because the Meadow Queen had nursed him, and had often secretly given him the breast. The father called him Slyboots, and used to say to the brothers, " You two elder ones must earn your living by your bodily strength and by the work of your hands, but as for you, little Slyboots, you will be able to rise higher in the world than your brothers, by your own cleverness. "
Before the father died, he divided all his corn land and meadows between his two elder sons, but to the youngest he gave enough money to enable him to go forth into the wide world to seek his fortune. But the father's corpse was scarcely cold when the two elder brothers stripped the youngest of every farthing, and thrust him out of the door, saying mock ingly, " Your cleverness alone, Slyboots, is to exalt you over our heads, and therefore you might find the money trouble some to you. "
The youngest brother scorned to notice the ill treatment of his brothers, and went cheerfully on his way. " Good fortune may come from God," was the comforting reflection which he took with him from his father's house, and he whistled away his sad thoughts. Just as he was beginning to feel hungry, he encountered two traveling journeymen. His pleasant counte nance and cheerful talk pleased them, and when they rested, they shared their provisions with him, so that Slyboots did not fare so badly on the first day. He parted from his companions before evening quite contented, for his present comfort left him without anxiety for the morrow. He could sleep anywhere, with the green grass for a couch and the blue sky above, and a stone under his head served as well as a soft pillow. Next morning he set out on his way again, and arrived at a lonely farm, where a young woman was sitting at the door, weeping
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bitterly. Slyboots asked what was her trouble, and she answered, " I have a bad husband, who beats me every day if I cannot humor his mad freaks. He has ordered me to-day to cook him a fish which is not a fish, and which has eyes, but not in its head. Where in the world shall I find such a creature ? " " Don't cry, young woman," answered Slyboots. " Your hus band wants a crab, which is a water animal to be sure, but is not a fish, and which has eyes, but not in its head. " The woman thanked him for his good advice, and gave him some thing to eat, and a bag of provisions which would last him for several days. As soon as he received this unexpected assist ance, he determined to set out for the royal capital, where cleverness was likely to be in most request, and where he hoped to make his fortune.
Wherever he went, he heard every one talking of the king's midsummer banquet, and when he heard of the reward which was offered to the man who should prepare the feast, he began to reflect whether he might not be able to accomplish the ad venture. " If I succeed," said he to himself, " I shall find my self at a stroke on the highway to fortune; and in the worst case of all, I shall only lose my life, and we must all die sooner or later. If I begin in the right way, why shouldn't I succeed ? Perhaps I may be more fortunate than others. And even if the king should refuse me his daughter, he must at least give me the promised reward in money, which will make me a rich man. "
Buoyed up with such thoughts he pursued his journey, singing and whistling like a lark, sometimes resting under the shadow of a bush during the heat of the day, and sleeping at night under a tree or in the open fields. One morning he finished the last remains of his provisions, and in the evening he arrived safe and sound at the city.
Next day he craved audience of the king. The king saw that he had to deal with an intelligent and enterprising man, and it was easy for them to come to terms. " What is your name ? " asked the king. The man of brains replied, " My baptismal name is Nicodemus, but I was always called Slyboots at home, to show that I did not fall on my head. " "I will leave you your name," returned the king, "but your head must answer for all the mischief if the affair should go wrong. "
Slyboots asked the king to give him seven hundred work men, and set about his preparations without delay. He ordered twenty large sheds to be constructed, and arranged in a square
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like a series of large cow houses, so that a great open space was left in the middle, to which led one single large gate. He ordered great cooking pots and caldrons to be built in the rooms which were to be heated, and the ovens were furnished with iron spits, where meat and sausages could be roasted. Other sheds were furnished with great boilers and vats for brewing beer, so that the boilers were above the vats below. Other houses without fireplaces were fitted up as storehouses for cold provisions, such as black bread, barm bracks, white bread, etc. All needful stores, such as flour, groats, meat, salt, lard, butter, etc. , were brought into the open space, and fifty sol diers were stationed before the door, so that nothing should be touched by the finger of any thief. The king came every day to view the preparations, and praised the skill and forethought of Slyboots. Besides all this, several dozen bakehouses were built in the open air, and a special guard of soldiers was sta tioned before each. They slaughtered for the feast a thousand oxen, two hundred calves, five hundred swine, ten thousand sheep, and many more small animals, which were driven to gether in flocks from all quarters. Stores of provisions were constantly brought by river in boats and barges, and by land in wagons, and this went on without intermission for several weeks. Seven thousand hogsheads were brewed of beer alone. Although the seven hundred assistants toiled late and early, and many additional laborers were engaged, yet most of the toil and trouble fell upon Slyboots, who was obliged to look sharply after the others at every point. He had warned the cooks, the bakers, and the brewers, in the most stringent man ner, not to allow any strange mouth to taste the food or drink, and any one who broke this command was threatened with the gallows. If such a greedy stranger should make his appearance anywhere, he was to be brought immediately to the superintend ent of the preparations.
On the morning of the first day of the feast, word was brought to Slyboots that an unknown old man had come into one of the kitchens, and asked the cook to allow him to taste a little from the soup kettle with a spoon, which the cook could not permit him to do on his own responsibility. Slyboots ordered the stranger to be brought before him, and presently he beheld a little old man with gray hair, who humbly begged to be allowed to taste the food and drink prepared for the ban quet. Slyboots told him to come into one of the kitchens, when
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he would gratify his wish if it were possible. As they went, he scanned the old man sharply, to see whether he could not detect something strange about him. Presently he observed a shining gold ring on the ring finger of the old man's left hand. When they reached the kitchen, Slyboots asked, " What security can you give me that no harm shall come of it if I let you taste the food ?