The Hero of Esthonia and Other Studies in the Romantic Literature of That Country — John Shaqi
The Hero of Esthonia and Other Studies in the Romantic Literature of That CountryKirby, W. F. (William Forsell)
History
The Hero of Esthonia and Other Studies in the Romantic Literature of That Country
Kirby, W. F. (William Forsell)
Estonian literature; Estonian literature -- History and criticism
When the Kalevide had satisfied himself that no further traces
of his mother were to be found, he cast himself into the sea
beneath the stars, and swam northwards manfully towards
Finland, swimming with his hands, steering with his feet, and
with his hair floating like a sail. He swam on till past
midnight without meeting with a resting-place; but at length he
espied a black speck in the distance, which proved to be a
small rocky island. The hero discovered a mossy bank on a
projecting rock, and made his way to the shore, and lay down,
intending to sleep a little, when he was roused by the voice of
a maiden singing a love-song. It was very dark and somewhat
foggy, but he saw the light of a fire at a little distance at
the foot of an oak-tree, beneath which sat a fair girl with
brown eyes.
[37] The hero soon joined
[Pg 33]
her, and they talked together for some time, when the maiden
became alarmed at his familiarities, and cried out. Her mother
awoke, and thought it was only a bad dream; but her father
hastened to her aid, armed with a great club. But when he saw
the terrible giant, he grew as pale as death, and his club
dropped from his hand.
The maiden could not lift her eyes to her father, but the
Kalevide asked carelessly if he had seen the Finnish sorcerer
pass the island in his boat on the previous evening. "No,"
replied the islander, "I have not seen anything of him for
weeks; but tell me your name and lineage, for I judge that you
are of the race of the gods." The hero answered him fully; but
when the maiden heard that he was the son of Kalev and Linda,
she was seized with terror, and her foot slipping she fell from
the cliff into the sea.
[Pg 34]
The father shrieked and wrung his hands, but the Kalevide plunged into
the sea after the maiden, and sought for her for a long time in vain.
When he abandoned the search, he did not venture to return to the
island, but after crying out a few words of unavailing regret swam
again towards Finland. The father's cry of despair fully roused the
mother, who sprang up, and ran down to the shore, only to learn that
her daughter was lost.
Then the mother took a rake with a long copper handle, and the
father took his net, and with them they sought for their
daughter's body at the bottom of the sea.
[38] They did not find their daughter, but they raked up an
oak-tree, a fir-tree, an eagle's egg, an iron helmet, a fish,
and a silver dish. They took them all carefully home, and went
again to seek for their lost child.
Then a song arose from the deep, telling how a maiden went down
to the sea:
[39]
What beheld she in the ocean?
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