To the Finnish Bridge when drivingOn the west wind's path of copper,On the pathway of the rainbow,With the king's note in my wallet,And his mandate in my bosom,And upon my tongue defiance,What was that which came to meet me,And what horror to confound me?Nothing but an ancient corbie,Aged crow, a wretched creature;With his beak he sniffed around him,And his nostrils snuffed the vapour;He had smelt the war already,When his nostrils snuffed the vapour,That he might discern the messageWhich I carried in my pocket;He had smelt the war already,And the scent of blood allured him.To the Finnish Bridge when drivingOn the west wind's path of copper,On the pathway of the rainbow,Swift I hastened as an envoy,With the king's note in my wallet,And his mandate in my bosom,In my charge the leader's orders,And upon my tongue the secretThat the flags in breeze should flutter,And the lance-points smite in battle,And the swords should do their duty.What was that which came to meet me,And what horror to confound me?'Twas an eagle came to meet me,Eagle fierce with beak hooked sharply;With his beak he sniffed around him,Through the mist he pushed his nostrils,By the scent he sought to fathomWhat was in the envoy's message.He had smelt the war already,And the scent of blood had reached him,And he went to call his comrades.To the Finnish Bridge when drivingOn the west wind's path of copper,On the pathway of the rainbow,Swift I hastened on as envoy,With the king's note in my wallet,And his mandate in my bosom,And upon my tongue the secretAnd the leader's secret ordersThat the flags should now be waving,And the spear-points should be sharpened,What was it I there encountered,And what met me there to vex me?'Twas the raven's son that met me,'Twas a carrion-bird that met me;With his beak he sniffed around him,And his nostrils snuffed the vapour,That the meaning of my messageWith his nose he thus might fathom.He had smelt the war already,And the scent of blood had reached him,And he went to call his comrades.To the Finnish Bridge when drivingOn the west wind's path of copper,On the pathway of the rainbow,While I hastened as an envoy,With the king's note in my wallet,And his mandate in my bosom,And upon my tongue the secret,And the leader's secret orders,What was that which came to meet me,And what horror to confound me?'Twas a little wolf that met me,And a bear that followed closely;With their snouts they sniffed around them,Through the mist they pushed their nostrils,Seeking thus to probe the secret,And the letter to discover;They had smelt the war already,And the scent of blood had reached them,And they ran to spread the tidings.To the Finnish Bridge when drivingOn the west wind's path of copper,On the pathway of the rainbow,While I hastened as an envoy,With the king's note in my wallet,And his mandate in my bosom,And upon my tongue defiance,With the leader's secret ordersThat the flags unfurled should flutter,And the spear-points do their duty,And the axes should be lifted,And the swords should flash in sunlight,What was that which came to meet me,And what horror to confound me?It was Famine met me tottering,Tottering Famine, chewing garbage;With her nose she sniffed around her,That the meaning of my messageWith her nose she thus might fathom;For she smelt the war already,And the scent of blood had reached her,And she went to call her comrades.To the Finnish Bridge while drivingOn the west wind's path of copper,On the pathway of the rainbow,While I hastened as an envoy,With the king's note in my wallet,And his mandate in my bosom,On my tongue the secret ordersThat the flags unfurled should flutter,And the spear-points do their duty,And the axes and the fish-spearsAll should do the work before them,What was that which came to meet me,What unlooked-for horror met me?'Twas the Plague I there encountered,Crafty Plague, the people's murderer,Of the sevenfold war-plagues direst;With his nose he sniffed around him,And his nostrils snuffed the vapour,Seeking thus to probe the matter,And the letter to discover;He had smelt the war already,And the scent of blood had lured himAnd he went to call his comrades.After this my horse I halted,Yoked him with a yoke of iron,Fettered him with Kalev's fetters,That he stood as rooted firmly,From the spot to move unable,While I pondered and considered,Deeply in my heart reflectingIf the profit of my journeyWere not lost in greater evilFor the war brings wounds and bloodshed,And the war has throat of serpent.Wherefore then should I the battle,Whence springs only pain and murder,Forth to peaceful homesteads carry?Let a message so accursedIn the ocean-depths be sunken,There to sleep in endless slumber,Lost among the spawn of fishes,There to rest in deepest caverns,Rather than that I should take it,Till it spreads among the hamlets.Thereupon I took the mandateWhich I carried in my wallet,And amid the depths I sunk it,Underneath the waves of ocean,Till the waves to foam had torn it,And to mud had quite reduced it,While the fishes fled before it.Thus was hushed the sound of warfare,Thus was lost the news of battle.
To the Finnish Bridge when drivingOn the west wind's path of copper,On the pathway of the rainbow,With the king's note in my wallet,And his mandate in my bosom,And upon my tongue defiance,What was that which came to meet me,And what horror to confound me?Nothing but an ancient corbie,Aged crow, a wretched creature;With his beak he sniffed around him,And his nostrils snuffed the vapour;He had smelt the war already,When his nostrils snuffed the vapour,That he might discern the messageWhich I carried in my pocket;He had smelt the war already,And the scent of blood allured him.To the Finnish Bridge when drivingOn the west wind's path of copper,On the pathway of the rainbow,Swift I hastened as an envoy,With the king's note in my wallet,And his mandate in my bosom,In my charge the leader's orders,And upon my tongue the secretThat the flags in breeze should flutter,And the lance-points smite in battle,And the swords should do their duty.What was that which came to meet me,And what horror to confound me?'Twas an eagle came to meet me,Eagle fierce with beak hooked sharply;With his beak he sniffed around him,Through the mist he pushed his nostrils,By the scent he sought to fathomWhat was in the envoy's message.He had smelt the war already,And the scent of blood had reached him,And he went to call his comrades.To the Finnish Bridge when drivingOn the west wind's path of copper,On the pathway of the rainbow,Swift I hastened on as envoy,With the king's note in my wallet,And his mandate in my bosom,And upon my tongue the secretAnd the leader's secret ordersThat the flags should now be waving,And the spear-points should be sharpened,What was it I there encountered,And what met me there to vex me?'Twas the raven's son that met me,'Twas a carrion-bird that met me;With his beak he sniffed around him,And his nostrils snuffed the vapour,That the meaning of my messageWith his nose he thus might fathom.He had smelt the war already,And the scent of blood had reached him,And he went to call his comrades.To the Finnish Bridge when drivingOn the west wind's path of copper,On the pathway of the rainbow,While I hastened as an envoy,With the king's note in my wallet,And his mandate in my bosom,And upon my tongue the secret,And the leader's secret orders,What was that which came to meet me,And what horror to confound me?'Twas a little wolf that met me,And a bear that followed closely;With their snouts they sniffed around them,Through the mist they pushed their nostrils,Seeking thus to probe the secret,And the letter to discover;They had smelt the war already,And the scent of blood had reached them,And they ran to spread the tidings.To the Finnish Bridge when drivingOn the west wind's path of copper,On the pathway of the rainbow,While I hastened as an envoy,With the king's note in my wallet,And his mandate in my bosom,And upon my tongue defiance,With the leader's secret ordersThat the flags unfurled should flutter,And the spear-points do their duty,And the axes should be lifted,And the swords should flash in sunlight,What was that which came to meet me,And what horror to confound me?It was Famine met me tottering,Tottering Famine, chewing garbage;With her nose she sniffed around her,That the meaning of my messageWith her nose she thus might fathom;For she smelt the war already,And the scent of blood had reached her,And she went to call her comrades.To the Finnish Bridge while drivingOn the west wind's path of copper,On the pathway of the rainbow,While I hastened as an envoy,With the king's note in my wallet,And his mandate in my bosom,On my tongue the secret ordersThat the flags unfurled should flutter,And the spear-points do their duty,And the axes and the fish-spearsAll should do the work before them,What was that which came to meet me,What unlooked-for horror met me?'Twas the Plague I there encountered,Crafty Plague, the people's murderer,Of the sevenfold war-plagues direst;With his nose he sniffed around him,And his nostrils snuffed the vapour,Seeking thus to probe the matter,And the letter to discover;He had smelt the war already,And the scent of blood had lured himAnd he went to call his comrades.After this my horse I halted,Yoked him with a yoke of iron,Fettered him with Kalev's fetters,That he stood as rooted firmly,From the spot to move unable,While I pondered and considered,Deeply in my heart reflectingIf the profit of my journeyWere not lost in greater evilFor the war brings wounds and bloodshed,And the war has throat of serpent.Wherefore then should I the battle,Whence springs only pain and murder,Forth to peaceful homesteads carry?Let a message so accursedIn the ocean-depths be sunken,There to sleep in endless slumber,Lost among the spawn of fishes,There to rest in deepest caverns,Rather than that I should take it,Till it spreads among the hamlets.Thereupon I took the mandateWhich I carried in my wallet,And amid the depths I sunk it,Underneath the waves of ocean,Till the waves to foam had torn it,And to mud had quite reduced it,While the fishes fled before it.Thus was hushed the sound of warfare,Thus was lost the news of battle.
Siuru, bird and Taara's daughter,Siuru, bird of azure plumage,With the shining silken feathers,Was not reared by care of father,Nor the nursing of her mother,Nor affection of her sisters,Nor protection of her brothers;For the bird was wholly nestless,Like a swallow needing shelter,Where her down could grow to feathersAnd her wing-plumes could develop;Yet did Ukko wisely order,And the aged Father's wisdomGave his daughter wind-like pinions,Wings of wind and cloudy pinions,That his child might float upon them,Far into the distance soaring.Siuru, bird and Taara's daughter,Siuru, bird of azure plumage,Sailed afar into the distance,And she winged her way to southward,Then she turned again to northward,And above three worlds went sailing.One of these the world of maidens,One where dwell the curly-headed,One the home of prattling children,Where the little ones are tended.Siuru bird outspread her pinions,Wide her silken plumes expanding,Soaring far aloft to heaven.To the fortress of the sunlight,To the lighter halls of moonlight,To the little gate of copper.Siuru bird outspread her pinions,Wide her silken plumes expanding,Soaring far into the distance,Till she reached her home at evening;And her father asked his daughter,"Whither have thy pinions borne thee?Whither didst thou take thy journey?Tell me what thine eyes have witnessed."Siuru heard and comprehended,And without alarm she answered,"Where my pinions have conveyed me,There I scattered feathers from me;Where I sailed above the country,There I scattered silken feathers;Where I shook and flapped my pinions,From my tail I dropped the feathers:What I saw with marten keenness,Might be told in seven narrations,Or in eight tales be recounted.Long I flew on path of thunder,On the roadway of the rainbow,And the hailstone's toilsome pathway;Onwards thus I sailed light-hearted,Heedless, far into the distance,And at length three worlds discovered,One the country of the maidens,One where dwell the curly-headed,One the world of prattling children,Where the little ones are tended;There it is they rear the fair ones,Slender-grown and silky-headed.""What thou heardest? speak and tell me;What thou sawest, let us hear it.""What then heard I, sire beloved,What beheld, O dearest father?There I heard the sport of maidens,There I heard their mirth and sadness,Jesting from the curly-headed,From the little infants wailing.Wherefore, said the maidens, jesting,Do the curly-headed childrenDwell in solitude and lonely,Living thus apart from nurses?And they asked in every quarter,Are no youths in starry regions,Youths of starry birth or other,Who might dwell among the maidens,And amuse the curly-headed?"Ukko heard her words, and answered,"Soar away, my dearest daughter,Steer thy flight again to southward,Sailing far away till evening,Turning then unto the northward,Come before the doors of Ukko,To the western mother's threshold,To the northern mother's region;Seek thou there the youths to woo them,Youths that may release the maidens."
Siuru, bird and Taara's daughter,Siuru, bird of azure plumage,With the shining silken feathers,Was not reared by care of father,Nor the nursing of her mother,Nor affection of her sisters,Nor protection of her brothers;For the bird was wholly nestless,Like a swallow needing shelter,Where her down could grow to feathersAnd her wing-plumes could develop;Yet did Ukko wisely order,And the aged Father's wisdomGave his daughter wind-like pinions,Wings of wind and cloudy pinions,That his child might float upon them,Far into the distance soaring.Siuru, bird and Taara's daughter,Siuru, bird of azure plumage,Sailed afar into the distance,And she winged her way to southward,Then she turned again to northward,And above three worlds went sailing.One of these the world of maidens,One where dwell the curly-headed,One the home of prattling children,Where the little ones are tended.Siuru bird outspread her pinions,Wide her silken plumes expanding,Soaring far aloft to heaven.To the fortress of the sunlight,To the lighter halls of moonlight,To the little gate of copper.Siuru bird outspread her pinions,Wide her silken plumes expanding,Soaring far into the distance,Till she reached her home at evening;And her father asked his daughter,"Whither have thy pinions borne thee?Whither didst thou take thy journey?Tell me what thine eyes have witnessed."Siuru heard and comprehended,And without alarm she answered,"Where my pinions have conveyed me,There I scattered feathers from me;Where I sailed above the country,There I scattered silken feathers;Where I shook and flapped my pinions,From my tail I dropped the feathers:What I saw with marten keenness,Might be told in seven narrations,Or in eight tales be recounted.Long I flew on path of thunder,On the roadway of the rainbow,And the hailstone's toilsome pathway;Onwards thus I sailed light-hearted,Heedless, far into the distance,And at length three worlds discovered,One the country of the maidens,One where dwell the curly-headed,One the world of prattling children,Where the little ones are tended;There it is they rear the fair ones,Slender-grown and silky-headed.""What thou heardest? speak and tell me;What thou sawest, let us hear it.""What then heard I, sire beloved,What beheld, O dearest father?There I heard the sport of maidens,There I heard their mirth and sadness,Jesting from the curly-headed,From the little infants wailing.Wherefore, said the maidens, jesting,Do the curly-headed childrenDwell in solitude and lonely,Living thus apart from nurses?And they asked in every quarter,Are no youths in starry regions,Youths of starry birth or other,Who might dwell among the maidens,And amuse the curly-headed?"Ukko heard her words, and answered,"Soar away, my dearest daughter,Steer thy flight again to southward,Sailing far away till evening,Turning then unto the northward,Come before the doors of Ukko,To the western mother's threshold,To the northern mother's region;Seek thou there the youths to woo them,Youths that may release the maidens."
This totally different ballad is from Neus,Ehstnische Volkslieder, p. 42. Neus quotes Ganander as saying that one of the names of the Finnish Wood-goddess (the spouse of Tapio) is Blue Bird. The present poem ispossiblya fragment of a creation-myth.
Lo, the bird with azure plumage,Feathers blue and eyes all lustrous,Took her flight, and hovered, soaring,Over forests four in number,Over four woods in succession;One a wood of golden pine-trees,One a wood of beauteous apples,One a wood of silver birch-trees,One a swampy wood of lime-trees.Lo, the bird with azure plumage,Feathers blue and eyes all lustrous,Took her flight, and hovered, soaring,Over lakelets three in number;Three the lakes all close together,And the first with wine was brimming,And with ale the second foaming,And the third with mead was frothing.Lo, the bird with azure plumage,Feathers blue and eyes all lustrous,Took her flight, and hovered, soaring,Over three fields in succession,Over three fields close together;In the first the oats were growing,In the second rye was waving,In the third the wheat was springing.And the wood of golden pine-treesWas a wood of youthful striplings,And the wood of beauteous applesWas a wood of youthful maidens,And the wood of silver birch-treesWas a wood of youthful matrons,And the swampy wood of lime-treesWas a wood of men all aged.And the lake with wine o'erbrimmingWas the lake of youthful striplings,And the lake with ale up-foamingWas the lake of youthful matrons,And the lake where mead was frothingWas the lake of youthful maidens.And the field where oats were growingWas the field of youthful striplings,And the field where rye was wavingWas the field of youthful matrons,And the field where wheat was springingWas the share of youthful maidens.
Lo, the bird with azure plumage,Feathers blue and eyes all lustrous,Took her flight, and hovered, soaring,Over forests four in number,Over four woods in succession;One a wood of golden pine-trees,One a wood of beauteous apples,One a wood of silver birch-trees,One a swampy wood of lime-trees.
Lo, the bird with azure plumage,Feathers blue and eyes all lustrous,Took her flight, and hovered, soaring,Over lakelets three in number;Three the lakes all close together,And the first with wine was brimming,And with ale the second foaming,And the third with mead was frothing.
Lo, the bird with azure plumage,Feathers blue and eyes all lustrous,Took her flight, and hovered, soaring,Over three fields in succession,Over three fields close together;In the first the oats were growing,In the second rye was waving,In the third the wheat was springing.
And the wood of golden pine-treesWas a wood of youthful striplings,And the wood of beauteous applesWas a wood of youthful maidens,And the wood of silver birch-treesWas a wood of youthful matrons,And the swampy wood of lime-treesWas a wood of men all aged.
And the lake with wine o'erbrimmingWas the lake of youthful striplings,And the lake with ale up-foamingWas the lake of youthful matrons,And the lake where mead was frothingWas the lake of youthful maidens.
And the field where oats were growingWas the field of youthful striplings,And the field where rye was wavingWas the field of youthful matrons,And the field where wheat was springingWas the share of youthful maidens.
Thou beneath the bridge, the smooth woodUnder juniper the rough wood,Thou the arrow in the willows,O thou challenged gold-adorned one,Earthy-coloured, liver-coloured,Rainy-hued and hazel-coloured,Firebrand hued and cherry-coloured,Do not thou in secret bite me,Nor attack me unsuspecting,Do not bite me when I heed not.
Thou beneath the bridge, the smooth woodUnder juniper the rough wood,Thou the arrow in the willows,O thou challenged gold-adorned one,Earthy-coloured, liver-coloured,Rainy-hued and hazel-coloured,Firebrand hued and cherry-coloured,Do not thou in secret bite me,Nor attack me unsuspecting,Do not bite me when I heed not.
The present list contains only books and papers which have been used or specially consulted in the preparation of this work, or which have been published in England on Esthonian tales and poems. Other books quoted are referred to in the Index and Glossary.
Blumberg, G.Quellen und Realien des Kalewipoeg, nebst Varianten und Ergänzungen. Dorpat, 1869. An important work, including a map, from which we have borrowed some particulars.
Boecler, J.M.Der Ehsten abergläubische Gebräuche, Weisen, und Gewohnheiten, von Johann Wolfgang Boecler, weiland Pastor zu Kusal in Ehstland und des Consistorii in Reval Assessor. Mit auf die Gegenwart bezüglichen Anmerkungen beleuchtet von Dr. F. R. Kreutzwald. St. Petersburg, 1854.
Bouquetfrom the Baltic.All the Year Round, IV. pp. 80-83 (Nov. 3, 1860). Relates to some of the legends of Vanemuine, theKalevipoeg, and Koit and Aemmerik.
Dido, A.Littérature orale des Estoniens.Bibliographie des principale Publications de l'Estonie, et en particulier celle du Dr. Frédéric Reinhold Kreutzwald, 1804-1882.Revue des Traditions Populaires, VIII. pp. 353-365, 424-428, 485-495 (1893). Contains an account, more or less detailed, of the longer tales in Kreutzwald's collection, a few being fully translated.
Dido, A.Kalewipoeg, Épopée nationale Estonienne. Op. cit. IX. pp. 137-155 (1894). Contains an analysis of the poem.
Donner, A.Kalevipoeg jumalaistarulliselta ja historialliselta kannalta katsottuna.Suomi, ser. 2, vol. 5 (1866). Discusses the mythological and historical character of theKalevipoeg, and its relations to theKalevala, especially as regards the episode of Kullervo.
Esthonia.Encyclopædia Britannica(ed. IX.), vol. viii. pp. 561-563 (1878).
Gould, S.B.The Kalevipoeg.Fraser's Magazine, vol. 78, pp. 534-544 (Oct. 1868). A fragmentary account of the poem, containing some curious errors, such as "Sarwik" being translated "Hell;" but with useful comments, especially on the Kalevide's voyage to the North Pole. We cannot see, however, that the Esthonian writings exhibit the melancholy character of a depressed nation, as Mr. Baring-Gould imagines.
Grosse, Julius.Die Abenteuer des Kalewiden: Esthnisches Volksmärchen. Leipzig, 1875. An abstract of the story in hexameters.
Israel, C. Chr.Kalewipoeg, oder die Abenteuer des Kalewiden, Eine estnische Sage frei nach dem Estnischen bearbeitet. Frankfort-on-Main, 1873. A good prose abstract of the poem, somewhat rearranged.
Jannsen, Harry.Märchen und Sagen des estnischen Volkes. Two Parts. Dorpat, 1881, and Riga, 1888. A selection of tales from various sources, some few being from Kreutzwald's collection. Valuable notes are appended to Part ii.
----.Esthnische Märchen.Veckenstedt's Zeitschrift für Volkskunde, i. pp. 314-317 (1889). Contains threestories: "The Devil's Visit," "The Talking Trees" (Christian variant), and "The Officious Flies." Jannsen states that the first has already been printed in the original, and that the other two are from his own collections.
Kalewipoeg,Üks ennemuistene Eesti jut. Kuopio, 1862. An earlier edition was published at Dorpat with the German translation; but this is the one which I have consulted in the preparation of this work.
Kalewipoeg,eine estnische Sage, zusammengestellt von F.R. Kreutzwald, verdeutscht von C. Reinthal und Dr. Bertram. Dorpat, 1857-61.
Kirby, W.F.On the Progress of Folk-lore Collections in Esthonia, with special reference to the work of Pastor Jacob Hurt.Papers and Transactions of International Folk-lore Congress, 1892, pp. 427-429. Based on information published by, or received from, Prof. Kaarle Krohn of Helsingfors.
Kreutzwald, F.R.Eestirahwa ennemuisted jutud. Rahwa suust korjanud ja üleskirjutanud. Helsingfors, 1866. One of the first and best collections of Esthonian tales, but without notes. I believe that several later editions have been published at Dorpat.
----Ehstnische Märchen, aufgezeichnet von Friedrich Kreutzwald.Aus dem Ehstnischen übersetzt von F. Löwe, ehem. Bibliothekar a. d. Petersb. Akad. d. Wissenschaften.Nebst einem Vorwort von Anton Schiefner, und Anmerkungen von Reinhold Köhler und Anton Schiefner. Halle, 1869. Includes a very close translation of most of the longer tales in Kreutzwald's collection. The notes, too, are valuable.
Kreutzwald, Fr., undNeus, H.Mythische und Magische Lieder der Ehsten. St. Petersburg, 1854. In Esthonian and German.
Krohn, Kaarle.Die geographische Verbreitung Estnischer Lieder. Kuopio, 1892. This paper is noted in "Folk-Lore," IV. p. 19 (March, 1893).
Latham, R.Nationalities of Europe. 2 vols. London, 1863. Vol. i. includes translations of fourteen of the principal poems from Neus'Ehstnische Volkslieder.
Löwe, F.SeeKreutzwald.
Neus, H.Ehstnische Volkslieder. Urschrift und Uebersetzung. Reval, 1850-52. A collection of 119 poems in Esthonian and German, with notes.
Oxenford, John.The Esthonian Hercules.Macmillan's Magazine, vol. 30, pp. 263-272 (July 1874). An outline of the story of theKalevipoeg, based on Israel's little book.
Popular Poetryof the Esthonians. Varieties of Literature from Foreign Literary Journals and Original MSS., now first published. London, 1795, pp. 22-44 (reprinted in "Folk-Lore Journal," iii. pp. 156-169, 1885). Contains twelve specimens of lyric poetry, undoubtedly based on some German publication. The anonymous compiler makes the strange mistake of regarding the Esthonians as "Sclavonians."
Schiefner, A.Ueber die ehstnische Sage vom Kalewipoeg.Bulletin de l'Académie Imperiale des Sciences de St. Petersburg, ii. pp. 273-297 (1860). Contains an analysis of the first thirteen cantos of theKalevipoeg, with reference to Finnish, Scandinavian, and Classical parallels.
Schott.Ueber finnische und estnische Heldensagen, Monatsbericht d. k.k. Akademie der Wissenschaft zu Berlin, 1866, pp. 249-260.
I am indebted to Mr. Sydney Hartland for kindly calling my attention to one or two papers which I might otherwise have overlooked.