Table Of Content• •
V Ä I N Ä M Ö I N E N
E T E R N A L S A G E
BY
MARTTI HAAVIO
Professor of Oral Tradition
at
The University of Helsinki
Translated from the Finnish
by
Helen Goldthwait-Väänänen
PORVOO • HELSINKI
WERNER SÖDERSTRÖM OSAKEYHTIÖ
V Ä IN Ä M Ö IN E N
IIl'MINKI 100«
HKI,.«IINOIN LIIICKKIRTAMINO OY
FOREW ORD
Väinämöinen is the most outstanding figure of the Kalevala,
Everyone who has read Finland’s folk epic has formed an idea of him,
and in literature a great number of descriptions are to be found. The
oldest of these was written by Elias Lönnrot himself — »In these runes
Väinämöinen is usually spoken of as grave, wise, and full of foresight,
working for the good of coming generations, omniscient, powerful
in incantation and in music — the hero of Finland. Furthermore,
he is called old, although his age alone did not much affect his courting.»
On the whole, this is the Väinämöinen of the Kalevala. But there is
another Väinämöinen — the Väinämöinen of folk poetry. In these
pages I shall try to sketch in his character, using for my sources chiefly those
crumbs ofinformation to be found in the Old Runes of the Finnish People.
Now that my task is finished, I feel that I have come to conclusions
that modify considerably the concept of Väinämöinen founded on
the Kalevala, as well as that which the older scholars formed of him
based on folk poetry proper; and again, that image which I had formed
in my own mind. This revaluation is, in my opinion, necessary. On
the other hand, let me quote the words of Kaarle Krohn: »I have
attempted to place each matter in its compartment; whoever finds
it does not fit in one, let him take and put it in another.»
I am grateful to my friends Dr. Matti Kuusi and Dr. E. A,
Virtanen for having read my work and for making several excellent
observations which I profited by. My gratitude is due my wife also,
Dr, Elsa Enäjärvi-Haavio, who followed the progress of my work
from the beginning, and whom I consulted on numerous difficult
problems. Her help greatly facilitated their solution.
In 1828 K. A. Gottlund, in his work Väinämöiset, published his
versified myth of the stars. To Väinämöinen comes, Gottlund relates,
the warrior heroes of Troy and of the Roman poets, begging him to
play on the kantele. After long hesitation before so awesome and
dignified an audience, Väinämöinen begins to sing runes. ' He sings
delightfully and without pause for three days on end. On the third
day it comes to pass that the Creator Himself is enchanted 'with his
(j Miililt lluuvloi VUinflm^iiuMi
singing; and the kantele is changed into star rays, its nails into moon
beams, and its strings into sunbeams. After this comes about, the
heroes of Troy and the poets of Rome extol Väinämöinen as the greatest
of them all. Orpheus and Ossian cede him the place of honor. The
Muses had not found a more excellent musician in the heavens. And
Homer himself, charmed by this son of Hyperborea, takes him by
the hand and embraces him.
Gottlund’s poem is naive, even more naive than the resumé of
it in prose. Nevertheless, I feel that the young romantic’s admiration
for the ancient Finnish songs — his intention was to emphasize their
significance through comparison with ancient poetry and with the
songs of Ossian — is fully justified. And although in the following
pages I seldom discuss the esthetic value of the runes, during the writing
of this study I have come to understand more and more vividly this
particular facet, for I have tried to explain how beauty is created.
Martti Haavio
Sammatti, August 1950
FOREWORD TO THE ENGLISH EDITION
This study of mine is now appearing in an English language edition
because certain foreign friends urged that it be published in a language
more generally accessible than Finnish. The work of translating
was rendered especially difficult owing to archaisms, to the many
dialects represented in the citations and to the fact that a great number
of dialectal words are not to be found in any dictionary. I should
like here to express my thanks to the translator, Mrs. Helen Gold-
thwait-Väänänen, who has worked painstakingly and without stinting
time or effort. In the original edition there was no index; the index
in the English edition is also the work of Mrs. Väänänen. Professor
Séamus Õ Duilearga of University College, Dublin, undertook to
read the typescript of the book, and Professor Daniel Aaron of Smith
College, Northampton, Mass., the galleys. To both of them I owe the
warmest gratitude for this proof of their interest and friendship.
The Committee for the Finnish Literature Fund has given a grant-
in-aid to be applied to the expenses of translation.
Martti Haavio
Helsinki, May 1, 1952
