Page:Folk-lore - A Quarterly Review. Volume 2, 1891.djvu/39

 MAGIC SONGS OF THE FINNS. III. _________

XXV.— The Origin of Iron. (a.) The aerial God himself, Ukko the Creator up above, Rubbed together both his palms upon the end of his left knee. From that originated three maidens — all the three Luonotars, To be mothers of iron ore (F. rust), to be generators of "blue mouth". The maidens walk with swinging gait, the girls advance along the atmospheric rim With swollen breasts, with smarting teats. They milked their milk upon the ground — caused their breasts to discharge, Milked over lands, milked over swamps, milked over still waters. One, the eldest of the girls, milked out black milk, The second, the middle one, jetted forth red milk, The third, the youngest of the girls, poured forth white milk. One had milked black milk, from hers originated soft iron. One had jetted forth red milk, from hers brittle iron is obtained. One had poured forth white milk, from hers things of steel are made.
 * There was a short interval of time.

Iron desired to meet his elder brother, to make acquaintance with fire. Fire became insolent — grew exceeding terrible. Burnt swamps, burnt lands, burnt great wooded wildernesses,