Kalevala (of 2) the Land of the Heroes Volume I (Paperback)

Excerpt: ... ointment in perfection,430 Fit to bind the veins together, And to heal the joints completely. From the meadow bring this ointment, And the salve from out the meadow, For upon the wounds I'll spread it, And anoint the bruises with it." Then the bee, that active hero, Flew again on whirring pinions, And across nine lakes he travelled, Half across the tenth he travelled,440 On he flew one day, a second, And at length upon the third day, Never on the reeds reposing, Nor upon a leaf reposing, Came he to the lovely island, Where the land abounds with honey, Till he reached a furious torrent, And a holy river's whirlpool. In this spot was cooked the honey, And the ointment was made ready450 In the little earthen vessels, In the pretty little kettles, Kettles of a thumb-size only, And a finger-tip would fill them. Then the bee, that active hero, Gathered honey in the meadow, And a little time passed over, Very little time passed over, When he came on whirring pinions, Coming with his mission finished,460 In his lap six cups he carried, Seven upon his back he carried, Pg. 161 Brimming o'er with precious ointment, With the best of ointment brimming. Then did Lemminkainen's mother Salve him with this precious ointment, With nine kinds of ointment salved him, And ten kinds of magic ointment; Even yet there came no healing, Still her toil was unavailing.470 Then she spoke the words which follow, And expressed herself in thiswise: "O thou bee, thou bird aerial, Fly thou forth again the third time, Fly thou up aloft to heaven, And through nine heavens fly thou swiftly. There is honey in abundance, In the wood as much as needed, Which was charmed by the Creator, By pure Jumala was breathed on,480 When his children he anointed, Wounded by the powers of evil. In the honey dip thy pinions, Soak thy plumage in the nectar, Bring me honey on thy pinions, In thy mantle from the forest, As an ointment for the patient, And anoint the bruises with it." But the bee, the...