sland of Gottland is meant.]

CANTO II

THE DEATH OF KALEV

Kalev and Linda lived very happily together, and were blessed with a
numerous offspring;[23] but the country was small, and as soon as the
children were grown up they wandered forth into the world to seek their
fortunes, more especially as Kalev had determined that one son only
should be the heir to his possessions. At length Kalev began to grow
old, and felt that his end was approaching. Two of his younger sons, who
were still little boys, remained at home; but the youngest of all, the
famous Sohni, more often known by his patronymic, the Son of Kalev, was
still unborn. Kalev foretold the glory and greatness of this last son to
Linda, indicating him as his heir,[24] and shortly afterwards fell
dangerously sick.

Then Linda took her brooch, and spun it round on a thread, while she
sent forth the Alder-Beetle[25] to bid the Wind-Magician and Soothsayer
hasten to the bedside of her husband. Seven days the brooch spun round,
and seven days the beetle flew to the north, across three kingdoms and
more, till he encountered the Moon, and besought his aid. But the Moon
only gazed on him sorrowfully without speaking, and went on his way.

Again Linda spun the brooch for seven days, and sent forth the beetle,
who flew farther this time, through many thick forests, and as far as
the Gold Mountain, till he encountered the Evening Star; but he also
refused him an answer.

Next time the beetle took a different route, over wide heaths and thick
fir-woods, till he reached the Gold Mountain, and met the rising Sun. He
also returned no answer; but on a fourth journey the beetle encountered
the Wind-Magician, the old Soothsayer from Finland,[26] and the great
Necromancer himself. He besought their aid, but they replied with one
voice that what the drought had parched up, the moonlight blanched, and
the stars withered, could never bloom again. And before the beetle
returned from his fruitless journey the mighty Kalev had expired.

Linda sat weeping by his bedside without food or sleep for seven days
and nights, and then began to prepare his corpse for burial. First she
bathed it with her tears, then with salt water from the sea, rain water
from the clouds, and lastly water from the spring. Then she smoothed his
hair with her fingers, and brushed it with a silver brush, and combed it
with the golden comb which the water-nymphs had used to comb their hair.
She drew o