Ihre Schönheit packt, berauscht ihn. "Sollst ein Boot aus meinem Spindel Wainämoinen, alt und wahrhaft, Müht sich, schafft und sucht... vergeblich. Will sich nimmer finden lassen! Voller Unmut, schwer verwundet, Springt er in den Schlitten... Weiter! Und schon hebt sein Haupt er wieder. Nimmer kann der Held verzagen, Der Erinn'rung sanfte Klänge Lindern Schmerz und bringen Hoffnung. These verses the authorship is not given-are a condensation of Runo viii., "Väinämöinen's wound" of the "Kalevela."* A transla Max Müller said of this epic: "A Finn is not a Greek, and a Wainamoinen was not a Homer. But if the poet may take his colors from that nature by which he is surrounded, if he may depict the men with whom he lives, 'Kalevala' possesses merits not dissimilar from those of the 'Iliad,' and will claim its place as the fifth national epic of the world, side by side with the Ionian songs, with the Mahabharata,' the 'Shabnameh,' and the 'Nibelunge.' It may be remembered that Longfellow was accused in 1855 of having borrowed 'the entire form, spirit, and many of the most striking incidents' of 'Hiawatha' from the 'Kalevala.' The accusation, made originally in the National Intelligencer of Washington, D.C., led to a long discussion in this country and England. Ferdinand Freiligrath published a summary of the arguments in support and in refutation of the charge in the Athenæum (London), December 29, 1855, in which he decided that 'Hiawatha' was written in 'a modified Finnish metre, modified by the exquisite feeling of the American poet, according to the genius of the English language and to the wants of modern taste; but Freiligrath, familiar with Finnish runes, saw no imitation of plot or incidents by Longfellow." The "Kalevala," translated from the original Finnish by W. F. Kirby, F.L.S., F.E.S. corresponding member of the Finnish Literary Society, was included in 1908 in Everyman's Library, and is therefore within the reach of all. In 1835 Elias Lönnrot published a selection of old ballads which he had arranged as a connected poem, and gave the name "Kalevala" to it. The word means the land of Kaleva, who was the ancestor of the heroes, and does not appear in person in this poem. The first edition was in two small volumes, containing twenty-five Runos, or cantos. He afterwards rearranged the poem, and expanded it to fifty Runos. It was published in this form in 1849. "The beautiful tone of the Baldwin Piano merits its popularity. It has given me great pleasure to use it in my concert work." tion of the greater part of the Runo will be found at the end of this article. Väinämöinen, or Wainamoinen, is one of the four principal heroes of the epic. He is the Son of the Wind and of the Virgin of the Air, represented as a vigorous old man, a patriarch, minstrel. The Esthonians make him the god of music. Pohjola is the North Country, sometimes identified with Lapland. Louhi is the mistress of it. Her daughter has a complex character, presenting three phases. Mr. W. F. Kirby thinks that she thus illustrates the composite character of the poem, for it is impossible that any two can have been drawn by the same hand. "Firstly, we find her as the beautiful and accomplished daughter of the witch, playing the part of a Medea, without her cruelty. "Secondly, we find her as a timid and shrinking bride, in fact almost a child bride. "Thirdly, when married, she appears as a wicked and heartless peasant-woman of the worst type." * * * Väinämöinen had been carried by an eagle to a place near the castle of Pohjola. Louhi received him graciously and said she would give him her beautiful daughter if he would forge for her a talisman called the Sampo. He replied that he could not do this, but he would send his brother Ilmarinen. (Later in the poem, the maiden prefers Ilmarinen to Väinämöinen and weds him.) Ilmarinen was a handsome youngster, a famous smith, and a cunning craftsman, the son of a human mother. The old gap-toothed woman then gave Väinämöinen a horse and sledge for his homeward journey with the injunction not to look upward or about him, lest misfortune o'ertake him. UNUSUAL UNDERWEAR orrect READY-TO-WEAR CORSETS Frances Thomas 420 Boylston St. THE HE War Revenue Act, approved October 3, 1917, is summarized in this booklet, and clear examples are given showing how to compute the taxes and make out returns in compliance with the law. A copy will be mailed on request. Very few rulings have as yet been made in connection with this law, but our attorney will be glad to assist in interpreting the Act in its application to individuals and business houses. The Merchants National Bank 28 STATE STREET |