Chapter XVII: Canto XIII: The Kalevide's First Journey to Hades

On the Kalevide's homeward journey he slept for a night at the place where his sword had been stolen, and set out early next morning, making his way through bush and brake. He walked on till sunset with his load of planks without stopping to rest, and then ate his supper and prepared himself a bed of sand as usual. When he awoke in the morning, a magpie informed him for the first time that the sorcerer had kept him in a magic sleep for seven weeks, and he quickened his pace. But when he reached Lake Ilma he found it, to his disgust, too deep to wade through, and he was compelled to go round it.

Presently he encountered an old witch, a relative of the
sorcerer who had done him so much harm already, sitting among
the bushes and singing magic songs. The hero stopped to rest
himself, for the day
[Pg 88]
was very warm, and listened to her song, which was a long
charm against snake-bites. Then he walked on till noon, when
he took a siesta, breaking down trees of all kinds to make
himself a couch. Afterwards he turned to the left in the
direction of Lake Endla, and towards evening he came to the
entrance of a cavern, before which a great fire was burning. A
huge caldron hung over it by heavy iron chains, just opposite
the entrance to the cavern, and three fellows were standing
round, who grinned and whispered to each other as the stranger
approached.

The Kalevide threw down the planks and asked the men what they
had got in the caldron, and whether they were getting ready for
a feast or a wedding. They replied that the caldron cooked for
everybody, and that when they made a feast they killed a great
ox. It took a hundred men to kill it, five hundred to bleed it,
and a thousand to cleanse it.
[67] But to-day they were only cooking for poor people; only
half an elk, the ribs of an old boar, the lungs and liver of a
bear, the suet of a young wolf, the hide of an old bear, and an
egg
[Pg 89]
from an eagle's nest. Old Sarvik
[68] and the old mother were to dine from it; the cat and dog
were to get their share, and the rest was to be divided among
the cooks and workmen; but the old mother was going to bake
cakes for the young ladies' dinner.

The Kalevide expressed his disgust at such cookery, but they
told him it was good enough for witches and sorcerers, and he
then asked them to show him the way to their master's house, as
he wished to pay his respects to the family. They warned him
that he might not escape easily; but as he persisted, they
directed him to the cavern, which he immediately entered, while
the demons laughed, saying that the bear had fallen into the
trap and the lion
[69] into the net, and that he was carrying his hide to market
for nothing.

The cave was so dark and narrow that the hero soon found
himself obliged to creep on all fours, and to grope his way. At
last he perceived a faint light at a distance, and the cavern
enlarged so much that he could now stand upright again.
[Pg 90]

Where the roof rose highest, a heavy lamp hung by chains from
the ceiling, and beyond it were great folding-doors. On each
side stood a jar, one filled with a liquid as white as milk,
and the other with a liquid as black as pitch. Inside he could
hear maidens spinning and singing,
[70] lamenting the happiness of their former lives, and hoping
that some deliverer might appear. Then he strove to force the
door, but it resisted all his efforts, so he sang a song in his
softest tones, telling how he had encountered four fair maidens
gathering flowers in the woods. The maidens sang back that he
had come at a good time, for all the family were out, and they
directed him to dip his hands in the dark liquid, which would
give him magic strength; but if he wished to moderate his
strength, then to dip his hands in the white liquid, for the
dark liquid would give him strength to dash everything to
pieces.

The hero dipped his hands in the dark liquid, and felt his
strength redoubled. He pushed against the door again, and the
door and door-posts too came thundering to the ground. The
maidens fled into the adjoining room, crying out
[Pg 91]
to him not to approach them till he had dipped his hands in
the white liquid, which would remove the enchantment. He
laughed, and, notwithstanding their entreaties, followed them
into the next room, where he saw a naked sword, a small willow
wand, and a ragged old hat hanging on the wall. "Look," cried
he joyfully, "this is the sword which I saw forged for me in
my dream!"

"Beware," said one of the maidens, "do not touch that sword, for it belongs to Sarvik; but take the rod and the hat, for they are yours, and you can work any wonders with them. Swords you can only obtain from the smith himself."

But the Kalevide answered that he could have his will without
the wishing-rod and cap, which were only fit for witches and
wizards. So the maiden, who was anxious to convince him of the
value of the treasures which he despised, took down the hat
from its peg. It was made of the cuttings of finger-nails,
[71] and she declared that there was not
[Pg 92]

another like it in the world, for it could fulfil every desire
of its possessor. So she put it on her head and said—

"Raise thee, raise thee, golden
[72] maiden,

Blue-eyed maiden, raise thee, raise thee,

Like unto the son of Kalev,

Like unto thy friend in stature."

She began at once to grow taller, ell after ell, till she grew fully as tall as the son of Kalev himself.

Then the Kalevide took the hat from her head and set it on his
own, wishing to become as small as she had been. His stature
immediately sank, ell after ell, till he was reduced to the
size of an ordinary man.
[73] The young giantess took back the hat, and wished to resume
her former stature, which accordingly befell.

The Kalevide then said to the maiden that he would willingly
remain a little boy that day for her sake, but he was now
anxious to keep the hat, that he
[Pg 93]
might at once resume his own stature and strength in case of
any sudden and unexpected danger. They sang and danced and
sported to their heart's content, and the maiden called her
second sister, whose duty it was to polish the gold, silver,
and copper ware; and her third sister, who tended the geese on
the common; and the sisters locked and bolted the kitchen
door, for fear the old woman should hear the noise and come to
disturb their merriment.

The maidens were delighted, for though the Kalevide declared
that he could not think of marrying a wife himself, he would
deliver them from Hades next day, and would marry one to the
son of Alev, one to the son of Sulev, and one to the
cup-bearer.
[74] So they played all sorts of games; the falcon-game, in
which the hero was the falcon, and they were the birds;
kiss-in-the-ring, blind man's buff, &c. But whatever they
played at, the hero always got the best of the game. When they
were tired of this amusement, they put out all the lights.

[Pg 94]