Quick she changes form and feature,
Makes herself another body;
Takes five sharpened scythes of iron,
Also takes five goodly sickles,
Shapes them into eagle-talons;
Takes the body of the vessel,
Makes the frame-work of an eagle;
Takes the vessel’s ribs and flooring,
Makes them into wings and breastplate;
For the tail she shapes the rudder;
In the wings she plants a thousand
Seniors with their bows and arrows;
Sets a thousand magic heroes
In the body, armed with broadswords;
In the tail a hundred archers,
With their deadly spears and cross-bows,
Thus the bird is hero-feathered.
Quick she spreads her mighty pinions,
Rises as a monster-eagle,
Flies on high, and soars, and circles;
With one wing she sweeps the heavens,
While the other sweeps the waters.
(Rune XLIII)
This month we will conclude our readings of the Finnish epic Kalevala, covering Runes 39–50, plus the Epilogue.
You can find the text, translated by John Martin Crawford, at
https://archive.org/details/kalevalaepicpoem02craw/page/580/mode/2up
Or you can find the whole text at
https://www.gutenberg.org/cache/epub/5186/pg5186-images.html#chap39
Discussion starts and continues in the Forum, and we will meet via Zoom on Wednesday June 17 at 1:00 p.m. EDT. The link will be posted in the Forum on the day.
If you’re not already a member, join Kosmos Society and be part of the Book Club and other study groups!
Happy readings!