uoni,
From the eternal home of Mana.

Vainamoinen, old and steadfast,
Uttered then the words which follow:
"May not rain overtake me,
And an evil fate await me.
Here in Tuonela's dark dwellings,
In the foul abode of Mana?"

Quickly then his shape transforming,
And another shape assuming, 370
To the gloomy lake he hastened;
Like an otter in the reed-beds,
Like an iron snake he wriggled,
Like a little adder hastened
Straight across the stream of Tuoni,
Safely through the nets of Tuoni.

Tuoni's son with crooked fingers,
Crooked fingers, hard as iron,
Wandered early in the morning
To survey the nets extended, 380
Found of salmon-trout a hundred,
Smaller fry he found by thousands,
But he found not Vainamoinen,
Not the old Uvantolainen.

Thus the aged Vainamoinen
Made his way from Tuoni's kingdom,
And he said the words which follow,
And in words like these expressed him:
"Never, Jumala the mighty,
Never let another mortal, 390
Make his way to Mana's country,
Penetrate to Tuoni's kingdom!
Many there indeed have ventured.
Few indeed have wandered homeward;
From the dread abode of Tuoni,
From the eternal home of Mana."

Afterwards these words he added,
And expressed himself in thiswise.
To the rising generation,
And to the courageous people: 400
"Sons of men, O never venture
In the course of all your lifetime,
Wrong to work against the guiltless,
Guilt to work against the sinless,
Lest your just reward is paid you
In the dismal realms of Tuoni!
There's the dwelling of the guilty,
And the resting-place of sinners,
Under stones to redness heated,
Under slabs of stone all glowing, 410
'Neath a coverlet of vipers,
Of the loathsome snakes of Tuoni."

RUNO XVII.--VaINaMoINEN AND ANTERO VIPUNEN

_Argument_

Vainamoinen goes to obtain magic words from Antero Vipunen, and wakes
him from his long sleep under the earth (1-98). Vipunen swallows
Vainamoinen, and the latter begins to torture him violently in his
stomach (99-146). Vipunen tries every means that he can think of to get
rid of him by promises, spells, conjurations and exorcisms, but
Vainamoinen declares that he will never depart till he has obtained from
V