Kalevala, The Land of the Heroes, Volume One

by Unknown

Then did Pohjola's old Mistress
Answer in the words which follow:
"I will give you first the duckling,
And the blue-winged duck will give you,
When the pike, so huge and scaly,
He the fish so plump and floundering.
You shall bring from Tuoni's river,
And from Manala's abysses;
But without a net to lift it,
Using not a hand to grasp it.160
Hundreds have gone forth to seek it,
Never one returned in safety."

Then there came distress upon him,
And affliction overwhelmed him,
As he sought the maiden's chamber,
And he spoke the words which follow:
"Now a task is laid upon me,
Greater still than all the former;
For the pike, so huge and scaly,
He the fish so plump and floundering,170
I must bring from Tuoni's river,
From the eternal stream of Mana,
But with neither snare nor drag-net,
Nor with help of other tackle."

Then his bride assistance lent him,
And advice the maiden gave him.
"O thou smith, O Ilmarinen,
Do thou not be so despondent!
Forge thee now a fiery eagle.
Forge a bird of fire all flaming!180
This the mighty pike shall capture,
Drag the fish so plump and floundering,
From the murky stream of Tuoni,
And from Manala's abysses."

Then the smith, e'en Ilmarinen,
Deathless artist of the smithy,
Forged himself a fiery eagle,
Forged a bird of fire all flaming,
And of iron he forged the talons,
Forged the claws of steel the hardest,190
Wings like sides of boat constructed;
Then upon the wings he mounted,
On the eagle's back he sat him,
On the wing-bones of the eagle.

Then he spoke unto the eagle,
And the mighty bird instructed:
"O my eagle, bird I fashioned,
Fly thou forth, where I shall order,
To the turbid stream of Tuoni,
And to Manala's abysses:200
Seize the pike, so huge and scaly,
He the fish so plump and floundering."

Then the bird, that noble eagle,
Took his flight, and upward soarings,
Forth he flew the pike to capture,
Fish with teeth of size terrific,
In the river-depths of Tuoni,
Down in Manala's abysses:
To the water stretched a pinion,
And the other touched the heavens;210
In the sea he dipped his talons,
On the cliffs his beak he whetted.

Thus the smith, e'en Ilmarinen,
Journeyed forth to seek his booty
In the depths of Tuoni's river,
While the eagle watched beside him.
From the water rose a kelpie
And it clutched at Ilmarinen,
By the neck the eagle seized it,
And the kelpie's head he twisted.220
To the bottom down he forced it,
To the black mud at the bottom.

Then came forth the pike of Tuoni,
And the water-dog came onward.
Not a small pike of the smallest,
Nor a large pike of the largest;
Long his tongue as twain of axe-shafts,
Long his teeth as rake-shaft measures,
Wide his gorge as three great rivers,
Seven boats' length his back extended,230
And the smith he sought to seize on,
And to swallow Ilmarinen.

But the eagle rushed against him,
And the bird of air attacked him;
Not an eagle of the small ones,
Nor an eagle of the large ones.
Long his beak as hundred fathoms,
Wide his gorge as six great rivers,
Six spears' length his tongue extended,
Five scythes' length his talons measured240
And he saw the pike so scaly,
Saw the fish so plump and floundering.
Fiercely on the fish he darted,
Rushed against the fish so scaly.

Then the pike so large and scaly,
He the fish so plump and floundering,
Tried to drag the eagle's pinions
Underneath the sparkling waters,
But the eagle swift ascended,
Up into the air he raised him,250
From the grimy ooze he raised him,
To the sparkling water o'er it.