# Kalevala (Kirby 1907)/Runo 32

Layout 2
Runo XXXII.—Kullervo and the Wife of Ilmarinen
Argument
The wife of Ilmarinen makes Kullervo her herdsman and maliciously bakes him a stone in his lunch (1-32). She then sends him out with the cattle, after using the usual prayers and charms for their protection from bears in the pastures (33-548).
Kullervo, Kalervo’s offspring, Old man’s son, with blue-dyed stockings, Finest locks of yellow colour, And with shoes of best of leather, To the smith’s house went directly, Asked for work that very evening, Asked the master in the evening, And the mistress in the morning: “Give me something now to work at, Give me work that I may do it,10 Set me something now to work at, Give some work to me the wretched!” Then the wife of Ilmarinen, Pondered deeply on the matter, What the new slave could accomplish, What the new-bought wretch could work at, And she took him as her herdsman, Who should herd her flocks extensive. Then the most malicious mistress, She, the smith’s wife, old and jeering,20 Baked a loaf to give the herdsman, And a great cake did she bake him, Oats below and wheat above it, And between, a stone inserted. ​Then she spread the cake with butter,
And upon the crust laid bacon, Gave it as the slave’s allowance, As provision for the herdsman. She herself the slave instructed, And she spoke the words which follow:30 “Do not eat the food I give you, Till in wood the herd is driven.” Then did Ilmarinen’s housewife Send the herd away to pasture, And she spoke the words which follow, And in words like these expressed her: “Send the cows among the bushes, And the milkers in the meadow, Those with wide horns to the aspens, Those with curved horns to the birches,40 That they thus may fatten on them, And may load themselves with tallow, There upon the open meadows, And among the wide-spread borders, From the lofty birchen forest, And the lower growing aspens, From among the golden fir-woods, From among the silver woodlands. “Watch them, Jumala most gracious, Guard them, O thou kind Creator,50 Guard from harm upon the pathway, And protect them from all evil, That they come not into danger, Nor may fall in any evil. “As beneath the roof-tree watch them, Keep them under thy protection, Watch them also in the open, When beyond the fold protect them, That the herd may grow more handsome, And the mistress’ cattle prosper,60 To the wish of our well-wishers, ’Gainst the wish of our ill-wishers. “If my herdsman is a bad one, Or the herd-girls should be timid, ​Make the willow then a herdsman, Let the alder watch the cattle, Let the mountain-ash protect them, And the cherry lead them homeward, That the mistress need not seek them, Nor need other folks be anxious.70 “If the willow will not herd them, Nor the mountain-ash protect them, Nor the alder watch the cattle, Nor the cherry lead them homeward, Send thou then thy better servants, Send the Daughters of Creation, That they may protect my cattle, And the whole herd may look after. Very many are thy maidens, Hundreds are beneath thy orders,80 Dwelling underneath the heavens, Noble Daughters of Creation. “Suvetar, the best of women, Etelätär, Nature’s old one, Hongatar, the noble mistress, Katajatar, maiden fairest, Pihlajatar, little damsel, Tuometar, of Tapio daughter, Mielikki, the wood’s step-daughter, Tellervo, the maid of Tapio,90 May ye all protect my cattle, And protect the best among them, Through the beauty of the summer, In the pleasant time of leafage, While the leaves on trees are moving, Grass upon the ground is waving. “Suvetar, the best of women, Etelätär, Nature’s old one, Spread thou out thy robe of softness, And do thou spread out thy apron,100 As a covering for my cattle, For the hiding of the small ones, That no ill winds blow upon them, Nor an evil rain fall on them. ​“Do thou guard my flock from evil,
Guard from harm upon the pathways, And upon the quaking marshes, Where the surface all is shifting, Where the marsh is always moving, And the depths below are shaking,110 That they come not into danger, Nor may fall in any evil, That no hoof in swamp is twisted, Nor may slip among the marshes, Save when Jumala perceives it, ’Gainst the will of him, the Holy. “Fetch the cow-horn from a distance, Fetch it from the midst of heaven, Bring the mead-horn down from heaven, Let the honey-horn be sounded.120 Blow into the horn then strongly, And repeat the tunes resounding, Blow then flowers upon the hummocks, Blow then fair the heathland’s borders, Make the meadow’s borders lovely, And the forest borders charming, Borders of the marshes fertile, Of the springs the borders rolling. “Then give fodder to my cattle, Give the cattle food sufficient,130 Give them food of honey-sweetness, Give them drink as sweet as honey, Feed them now with hay all golden, And the heads of silvery grasses, From the springs of all the sweetest, From the streams that flow most swiftly, From the swiftly-rushing torrents, From the swiftly-running rivers, From the hills all golden-shining, And from out the silvery meadows.140 “Dig them also wells all golden Upon both sides of the pastures, That the herd may drink the water, And the sweet juice then may trickle ​Down into their teeming udders,
Down into their swelling udders, That the veins may all be moving, And the milk may flow in rivers, And the streams of milk be loosened, And may foam the milky torrents,150 And the milk-streams may be silent, And the milk-streams may be swollen, And the milk be always flowing, And the stream be always dropping, Down upon the greenest haycocks, And no evil fingers guide it; That no milk may flow to Mana, Nor upon the ground be wasted. “There are many who are wicked, And who send the milk to Mana,160 And upon the ground who waste it, Give the cattle’s yield to others. They are few, but they are skilful Who can bring the milk from Mana, Sourest milk from village storage, And when new from other quarters. “Never has indeed my mother Sought for counsel in the village, Brought it from another household; But she fetched her milk from Mana,170 Sour milk brought from those who stored it, And fresh milk obtained from others; Had the milk from distance carried, Had it fetched from distant regions, Fetched the milk from realms of Tuoni, ’Neath the earth in Mana’s kingdom. Secretly at night they brought it, And in murky places hid it, That the wicked should not hear it, Nor the worthless ones should know it,180 Nor bad hay should fall into it, And it should be saved from spoiling. “Thus my mother always told me In the very words which follow: ​‘Where has gone the yield of cattle, Whither has the milk now vanished? Has it been conveyed to strangers, Carried to the village storehouse, In the laps of beggar-wenches, In the arms of those who envy,190 Or among the trees been carried, And been lost amid the forest, And been scattered in the woodlands, Or been lost upon the heathlands? “‘But no milk shall go to Mana, Nor the yield of cows to strangers, In the laps of beggar-wenches, In the arms of those who envy, Nor among the trees be carried, Nor be lost amid the forest,200 Nor be scattered in the woodlands Nor be lost upon the heathlands. In the house the milk is useful, And at all times it is needed; In the house there waits the mistress, In her hand the wooden milk-pail.’ “Suvetar, the best of women, Etelätär, Nature’s old one, Go and fodder my Syötikki, Give thou drink to my Juotikki,210 Milk confer upon Hermikki, And fresh fodder give Tuorikki, Give thou milk unto Mairikki, Put fresh milk into the cowhouse, From the heads of brightest herbage, And the reeds of all the forest, From the lovely earth up-springing, From the hillocks rich in honey, From the sweetest meadow-grasses, And the berry-bearing regions,220 From the goddess of the heather, And the nymph who tends the grasses, And the milkmaid of the cloudlets, And the maid in midst of heaven. ​Give the cows their milk-filled udders Always filled to overflowing, To be milked by dwarfish women, That a little girl may milk them. “Rise, O virgin, from the valley, From the spring, in gorgeous raiment,230 From the spring, O maiden, rise thou, From the ooze arise, O fairest. From the spring take thou some water, Sprinkle thou my cattle with it, That the cattle may be finer, And the mistress’ cattle prosper, Ere the coming of the mistress, Ere the herd-girl look upon them, She, the most unskilful mistress, And the very timid herd-girl.240 “Mielikki, the forest’s mistress, Of the herds the bounteous mother, Send the tallest of thy handmaids, And the best among thy servants, That they may protect my cattle, And my herd be watched and tended Through the finest of the summer, In the good Creator’s summer, Under Jumala’s protection, And protected by his favour.250 “Tellervo, O maid of Tapio, Little daughter of the forest, Clad in soft and beauteous garments, With thy yellow hair so lovely, Be the guardian of the cattle, Do thou guard the mistress’ cattle All through Metsola so lovely, And through Tapiola’s bright regions Do thou guard the herd securely, Do thou watch the herd unsleeping.260 “With thy lovely hands protect them, With thy slender fingers stroke them, Rub them with the skins of lynxes, Comb them with the fins of fishes, ​Like the hue of the lake creatures, Like the wool of ewe of meadow. Come at evening and night’s darkness, When the twilight round is closing, Then do thou lead home my cattle, Lead them to their noble mistress,270 On their backs the water pouring, Lakes of milk upon their cruppers. “When the sun to rest has sunken, And the bird of eve is singing, Then I say unto my cattle, Speak unto my horned creatures. “‘Come ye home, ye curve-horned cattle, Milk-dispensers to the household, In the house ’tis very pleasant, Where the floor is nice for resting.280 On the waste ’tis bad to wander, Or upon the shore to bellow, Therefore you should hasten homeward, And the women fire will kindle, In the field of honeyed grasses, On the ground o’ergrown with berries.’ “Nyyrikki, O son of Tapio, Blue-coat offspring of the forest! Take the stumps of tallest pine-trees, And the lofty crowns of fir-trees,290 For a bridge in miry places, Where the ground is bad for walking, Deep morass, and swampy moorland, And the treacherous pools of water. Let the curve-homed cattle wander, And the split-hoofed cattle gallop, Unto where the smoke is rising, Free from harm, and free from danger, Sinking not into the marshes, Nor embogged in miry places.300 “If the cattle pay no heeding, Nor will home return at nightfall, Pihlajatar, little damsel, Katajatar, fairest maiden, ​Quickly cut a branch of birch-tree, Take a rod from out the bushes, Likewise take a whip of cherry, And of juniper to scourge them, From the back of Tapio’s castle, From among the slopes of alder.310 Drive the herd towards the household, At the time for bathroom-heating; Homeward drive the household cattle, Cows from Metsola’s great forest. “Otso, apple of the forest, With thy honey-paws so curving, Let us make a peace between us, Haste to make a peace between us, So that always and for ever In the days that we are living,320 Thou wilt fell no hooféd cattle, Nor wilt overthrow the milch-kine, Through the finest of the summer, In the good Creator’s summer. “When thou hear’st the cow-bells ringing, Or thou hear’st the cow-horn sounding, Cast thee down among the hillocks, Sleep thou there upon the meadow, Thrust thine ears into the stubble, Hide thy head among the hillocks,330 Or conceal thee in the thickets, To thy mossy lair retreat thou, Go thou forth to other districts, Flee away to other hillocks, That thou mayst not hear the cow-bells, Nor the talking of the herdsmen. “O my Otso, O my darling, Handsome one, with paws of honey, I forbid thee to approach them, Or molest the herd of cattle,340 Neither with thy tongue to touch them, Nor with ugly mouth to seize them, With thy teeth to tear to pieces, Neither with thy claws to scratch them. ​“Go thou slouching through the meadow, Go in secret through the pasture, Slinking off when bells are ringing, Shun the talking of the shepherds. If the herd is on the heathland, Then into the swamps retreat thou,350 If the herd is in the marshes, Then conceal thee in the thickets, If the herd should climb the mountain, Quickly then descend the mountain, If the herd should wander downward, Wander then along the mountain, If they wander in the bushes, To the thicker woods retreat thou, If the thicker wood they enter, Wander then into the bushes,360 Wander like the golden cuckoo, Like the dove of silver colour, Move aside as moves the powan, Glide away like fish in water, As a flock of wool drifts sideways, Or a roll of flax the lightest, In thy fur thy claws conceal thou, In thy gums thy teeth conceal thou, That the herd thou dost not frighten, Nor the little calves be injured.370 “Let the cattle rest in quiet, Leave in peace the hooféd cattle, Let the herd securely wander, Let them march in perfect order Through the swamps and through the open, Through the tangle of the forest, Never do thou dare to touch them, Nor to wickedly molest them. “Keep the former oath thou sworest, There by Tuonela’s deep river,380 By the raging fall of water, At the knees of the Creator. Thou hast been indeed permitted, Three times in the course of summer, ​To approach the bells when ringing,
And the tinkling of the cow-bells, But ’tis not permitted to thee, Nor permission has been given, To commence a work of evil, Or a deed of shame accomplish.390 “Should thy frenzy come upon thee, And thy teeth be seized with longing, Cast thy frenzy in the bushes, On the heath thy evil longing, Then attack the trees all rotten, Overthrow the rotten birch-trees, Turn to trees in water standing, Growl in berry-bearing districts. “If the need for food should seize thee, Or for food the wish thou feelest,400 Eat the fungi in the forest, And do thou break down the ant-hills, And the red roots do thou delve for; These are Metsola’s sweet dainties. Eat no grass reserved for fodder, Neither do thou hurt my pasture. “When in Metsola the honey Is fermenting and is working, On the hills of golden colour, And upon the plains of silver,410 There is food for those who hunger, There is drink for all the thirsty, There is food to eat that fails not, There is drink that never lessens. “Let us make a league eternal, Make an endless peace between us, That we live in perfect quiet And in comfort all the summer, And to us the lands are common, And our provender delicious.420 “If thou dost desire a combat, And wouldst live in hopes of battle, Let us combat in the winter, And contend in time of snowfall. ​When the marshes thaw in summer, And the pools are all unfrozen, Never venture to approach thou, Where the golden herd is living. “When thou comest to this country, And thou movest in this forest,430 We at any time will shoot you, Though the gunners should be absent. There are very skilful women, All of them accomplished housewives, And they will destroy your pathway, On your journey bring destruction, Lest you might work any evil, Or indulge in any mischief, Ill by Jumala not sanctioned, And against his blessed orders.440 “Ukko, thou, of Gods the highest, Shouldst thou hear that he is coming, Then do thou transform my cattle, Suddenly transform my cattle, Into stones convert my own ones, Change my fair ones into tree-trunks, When the monster roams the district, And the big one wanders through it. “If I were myself a Bruin, Roamed about a honey-pawed one,450 Never would I dare to venture To the feet of aged women. There are many other regions, There are many other penfolds, Where a man may go to wander, Roaming aimless at his pleasure. Therefore move thy paws across them, Do thou move thy paws across them, In the blue wood’s deep recesses, In the depths of murmuring forest.460 “On the heath o’er pine-cones wander, Tramp thou through the sandy districts, Go thou where the way is level, Do thou bound along the lakeshore, ​To the furthest bounds of Pohja,
To the distant plains of Lapland. There indeed mayst thou be happy, Good it is for thee to dwell there, Wandering shoeless in the summer, Wandering sockless in the autumn,470 Through the wide expanse of marshland, And across the wide morasses. “But if thou should not go thither, If thou canst not find the pathway, Hasten then to distant regions, Do thou wander, on thy pathway Unto Tuonela’s great forest, Or across the heaths of Kalma. There are marshes to be traversed, There are heaths that thou mayst traverse,480 There is Kirjos, there is Karjos, There are many other cattle, Fitted with their iron neck-chains, Ten among them altogether; There the lean kine quickly fatten, And their bones are soon flesh-covered. “Be propitious, wood and forest, Be thou gracious, O thou blue wood, Give thou peace unto the cattle, And protection to the hoofed ones,490 Through the whole length of the summer, Of the Lord the loveliest season. “Kuippana, thou king of woodland, Active greybeard of the forest, Hold thy dogs in careful keeping, Watch thou well thy dogs and guard them; Thrust some fungus in one nostril, In the other thrust an apple, That they may not smell the cattle, And they may not scent their odour.500 Bind their eyes with silken ribands, Likewise bind their ears with linen, That they may not hear them moving, And they may not see them walking. ​“If this is not yet sufficient,
And they do not much regard it, Then do thou forbid thy children, Do thou drive away thy offspring. Lead them forth from out this forest, From this lakeshore do thou drive them,510 From the lands where roam the cattle, From among the spreading willows, Do thou hide thy dogs in caverns, Nor neglect to bind them firmly, Bind them with the golden fetters, With the slender silver fetters, That they may commit no evil, And be guilty of no outrage. “If this is not yet sufficient, And they do not much regard it,520 Ukko, then, O golden monarch, Ukko, O thou silver guardian, Hearken to my words so golden, Listen to my lovely sayings! Take a snaffle made of rowan, Fix it on their stumpy muzzles, Or if rowan will not hold them, Cast thou then a copper muzzle, If too weak is found the copper, Forge thou then an iron muzzle,530 If they break the iron muzzle, And it should itself be shattered, Drive thou then a stake all golden, Through the chin and through the jawbone, Do thou close their jaws securely, Fix them that they cannot move them, That they cannot move their jawbones, And their teeth can scarcely open, If the iron is not opened, If the steel should not be loosened,540 If with knife it is not severed, If with hatchet ’tis not broken.” Then did Ilmarinen’s housewife, Of the smith the wife so artful, ​Drive from out their stalls the cattle,
Send the cattle forth to pasture, After them she sent the shepherd, That the slave should drive the cattle.