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edition.

© Abstract Sounds Books Ltd., 2011

Text © Varg Vikernes, 2011
The moral right of the author has been asserted.

All rights reserved.

Without limiting the rights under copyright reserved above, no part of this
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transmitted, in any form or by any means (electronic, mechanical,
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Special Edition Hardback - ABSB041

ISBN: 978-0-9566959-2-5

Standard Edition Paperback - ABSB042

ISBN: 978-0-9566959-3-2 E
1.0 From the dim Mist of An1tiQlJity
1.1 Animism
1.2 Sorcery
1.3 Religion
1.4 The Mistletoe
1.5 The
1.6 The
2.0 The Calendar Woman
2.1 The Sun's Calendar
2.2 The Mysteries
3.0 The Divine Secrets
3.1 The Runes
3.2 Freyr's of
3.3 Hagall's Group of
3.4 Group of eight
4.0 VOIUS[)8

4.1 The Prophecy of the Sorceress

Freyr's First of
4.3 Hagall's First Group of 66
4.4 First of 68
4.5 Freyr's Second
4.6 Hagall's Second 80
4.7 Tyr's Second of
4.8 Freyr's Third Group of
4.9 Hagall's Third of
4.10 Third of
5.0 The Mystery Chamber
5.1 The Hiding Place of the Dead
6.0 The Voice of the Forefathers
6.1 The Eggjum Stone
6.2 Ellison
6.3 The Love of the Grave

Name Index

5
 the conclusions my own. You need an open mind and common sense to
preciate the contents of this book, and this means that a few academ-
ics as well might appreciate it.
This book is written an to describe the traditions and beliefs of the An-
cient have studied the for almost two decades and yet can The sorcery and religion in ancient is the foundation on which
list two books about this The Golden by the anthropologist and civilisation was built. We see traces of this all around us,
Sir James and Fedrekult Cult in Norway"), the mis- do, build and surround ourselves and not least in ourselves.
and historian Otto as any real when writing this book. I that we realise and this.
have been forced to look for answers in the etymology and original texts,
but also old traditional songs and folklore. The language in this book is my second
speakers will have to bear with me.
this book are based on the claim that all the tribes of Ancient
had the same whether lived in Europe or had emi-
to North-Africa or different of Asia. Even though the deities, myths Vikernes
and traditions discussed in this book speaking are Scandinavian, it November 2007

does not mean are Scandinavian. I am common Ancient Troms0, Norway

1V"r\r",r\~.n beliefs.

assume that reader of this book familiar with the Scandinavian

and will ask from you that you open your mind and accept that much
of what you you know is in fact not correct. The common perception
of Baldr and two separate deities for example is wrong; they are
different names the same When you encounter such apparent "mis-
takes" made you need to them as correct, and keep reading until
you realise that my is in fact correct. encounter a translation
a word or name that you think is wrong, or that your dictionary lecturer)
claims is wrong, you need to do better research and find out what other diction-
aries have say about this. They don't always agree. Also,
remember that the Norse was not a with a clear orthography.
What this means is that sometimes my translation may seem to be wrong, but
can be seen as correct if you the of the translated word. We
know many names from different Norse sources, and these different sources use
a different Narfi is for some times Norvi. I always use
translation that makes the most sense, some times other transla-
tions are also - and I often include all possible translations.

Academics tend every book written without references to specific

sources. This book is such a but I have to defend it by saying that
cannot list sources when the ideas are my own, the interpretations my own and

6
 OF The Sun was the most to the Stone man. It him
so he could see well enough to with the rain it was what made
nature green and fertile, an abundance of edible and gave
warmth so he did not freeze to death. The when the Sun was gone or
lost its strength was therefore cha racterized fea r. What wou Id
Would the ever return and grow He did not know. He did
understand the Sun was born in the east, it flew across the and
sank into the ocean and died in the west. What could make this
ball move across the sky? He could not see the
so obviously invisible forces in the air were The known I n\J'IC' I 1,",10

force able to move other like that was the wind. could so
would tear up entire trees from the and toss them about. It was
strong enough to move that ball up there the as well!

The wind was closely related to the breath of man, which could also be used
move tiny objects, like feathers and leaves, around. was therefore natural
the Stone Age man to assume that the wind was made up of the
air, and that controlled the movement of the Sun.

Note to the English version:

In the original Norwegian version of this book the similarity of the words "breath" (No. ande) and
"spirit" (No. and) is used to show where we have the idea of "spirits" from. I can add that the Latin
spiritus also originally translates as "breath", to make it clear that this is not a coincidence in
Image of Danish Burial Mound, by unknown Artist. Norwegian language.

The spirits were invisible and and he assumed that

sible for all the incomprehensible forces of nature.
Animism from the clouds, thunder and nature's power of and
else. He realised - or rather assumed - that it was all associated with the
Stone man was as but he knew virtually
about the world in which that took place around him, The next thing to do for him was to find out how he could influence the
even the most trivial of was very or at best, incomprehensi- that they gave him what he needed, first and foremost rain and
ble. He did not know the Sun rose and shone on the sky, the Sun set and when he wanted and needed it.
the or even what the Sun was. He did not know why the
above or it started to rain. He did not know why or how
or winter came. He did not have any understand-
of of how an hour, a a a month or a year lasted. Because
of that he did not know for how the Sun would be gone when it sat in the
west, or for the winter would last.

8 9
 when nature was at ifs most and
letting the rain fall upon them. It did not end he wanted a per-
man learnt that the lightning struck the trees son to keep a promise he could ask him to stand on or hold onto a rock when
and sometimes them. was followed by the thunder in made the promise, so that the would as and as
and the fire was very similar to the Sun. It warmed them and lit up their He could also hold onto a ring, so that the was without an end.
like the Sun even in the darkest winter nights. He therefore even catch animals thrusting his spear into the animal tracks when
assumed that the fire had been transferred from Heaven to Earth and that it across them, to ifs easier to catch.
was stored inside the trees. The was to extract the fire from the wood
at the moment he needed it. With time the sorcery became more and more the
Stone Age man had spells about in nature, and the idea
When he in his life made different tools out of flint small sparks ap- of sorcery permeated his life. When men died it was to them
and fell the like the did from the He therefore would come back one like the berries and seeds
assumed that this was what in the as well; mighty spirits struck were in the soil. The Earth was seen as because
stones each occurred and hit trees, plants emerged from her womb like children from the womb of the woman.
them. at some that if he did the same he would achieve For the dead to return all the Stone Age woman had to do was to touch the dead
the same result. When he did the from the stones came into contact with in the grave, or touch something he had been in contact with. She then
and when he used his breath and blew on the tiny embers be made as described above. When the woman then gave birth to a
some times turned into a live and fire! Eureka! Ecstatic and amazed the newborn was given the dead name and was as same
the Stone man had discovered how to make a imitating the spirits in person as the one in the grave. Because the dead had no memories his
the This was a and had a great impact on the shaping lives it was assumed that he had all about this in the realm of the dead.
of the Stone to all the forces of nature?
Note:
studied nature further and discovered that the frogs croaked shortly before This naturally explains why we still have the custom in most parts of Europe of naming our children
the rain started to fall. Was this a to or from the spirits? When imitating after their grandparents.
the in the he had to make a so in order to make it rain
whenever he wanted he could catch some and make them croak, usually The Sun disappeared into the ocean in the west, and was assumed to travel
them. did and it worked. After it started to rain. boat at that through the realm of the dead below the surface of the
anyway. It then reappeared in the east, after its Man was a
nature, just like everything else, so the Stone man assumed that he too
to travel through the underworld when he boat across the ocean
may add that when I was a kid in BergenjNorway we were told by the adults not to kill or torment vast river, before being reborn again, a woman. He assumed that it was this
frogs, because if we did, the adults claimed, "it would start to rain". According to them the same ap- that made him forget. When the Stone man died he was because of
plied to black snails. If we stepped on them it would start to rain. given a boat or he was placed in a grave like a boat. Some
he was buried inland along with a horse if the sea was too far away and
He also saw when berries the bushes fell to the ground they turn~d the Sun set over land. The dead were buried on Sunset first after
into bushes the Earth's was transferred by contact. The first full Moon after death, because on this would have the company of
Stone man had no idea it was the sexual intercourse that made the the Sun and the waning on their into the dark cold
so order to make them pregnant he began to transfer the realm beneath the surface of the Earth.
their behinds with birch twigs in the

10
One would human like our forefathers were, would
realize that their sorcery did not but if a sorcerer killed frogs
started to rain afterwards it was not easy to know that his spell
had to do with this. it didn't start to rain right away, but sooner
or later it would, and when it did the sorcerer could take the credit for having
caused this effect. since man was so fearful of all things it would take
a lot of courage not to trust the sorcerers as well. What if the rain would never
fall the Sun never shine and the women never become if they
their ris~( nn-
r'\\ I r \ Y \ l T n l

is that some of the the sorcerers did were indeed very sen-
nature and the processes in learnt something
tried new Some of the they
such as herbal medicine, brain surgery
watering the dry fields with wet
of seeds in the the use of water to cleanse wounds,
sorcerers were the scientists and researchers or the Stone Age!

The final and reason for sorcery to survive, from the

of modern man to the Bronze- and in some places until the Iron Age,
the fact that many of the sorcerers must have understood that what
were was pure was the fact that the sorcerers wanted to keep
their status and power. The sorcerer had been the most skilled, creative
and man in the he had to be in order to survive as a sor-
cerer, so he would also be the man best suited to keep the status quo.

Romantic Image of the Norns, by L. Burger.

12
 often carried their around on shields or in or them in wagons.
He could not cut his beard or nails because he did all
More and more sorcerers from the Neolithic era and onwards, to recog- of nature would be cut down too - because he was the embodiment of nature.
nise the fact had no power whatsoever over the spirits of nature. How- He was not allowed to travel boat between the and autumn be-
ever, rather than understand that there are no in nature concluded cause this would carry him thus off into a death. Some
that not control them means of sorcery. still wanted the Sun places there were so many restrictions to what the could or could
to shine and to return after and still needed rain and what he had to wear, how and when he had to up in the where
the women to become so tried a different approach. Rather than could sleep, and so that it must have been a real torment to be
cast the sorcerer turned into a and to pray to the spirits and
ask them for instead. What had been impersonal spirits everywhere Sorcery did not disappear with the
in nature therefore turned deities. They were addressed of religion, and the animals
the and because of that were different names. Everywhere the birds that had previously been seen as manifestations of different
names, reason we - the different European tribes ture became attributes to the deities from these
- know them different names is the fact that we at that point had traditions of the sorcerers turned into festivals. the same
different in the different parts of L-UJ~IJ'V. spirits and sorcerers continued to the deities and their
for a very time.
given the name pu-
and finally - in the
meaning: to pro-
the name Lukan ("lightning"),
as Loki. The of the crop was called Sibjo
as Sif. The spirit of the forest, the
the love, and everything else, were all
were named and were created to tell the
about the deities and their They taught their chil-
dren about "slash and burn" that Lukan once had cut the hair
of the wife of Punaz. This the thunder always "chased"
the A whole was created, the coming genera-
the processes in nature and how should relate to their deities

in nature, around man, and when the

CH/£:.::l.F\I\A/nt:::l.FLl

idea of sorcery still permeated the

JJJ~.F-.J\JIUJ for the religious man to think that man
it, and doing so gain its pow-
the world the new king became a god-king.
not the role of a he was himself a deity! Everything a god
did influenced the world in some way, and therefore the god-king had to be very
careful. He should not touch the with his so our forefathers most
 their hides. This sorcerer, most known as berserkr
ulfheioinn stored his own force egg, a box, a tree, an
The oak was the tree that was most often struck and because of this animal or somewhere and used the life force the animal or
it was the sorcerers as the most sacred tree in the forest. More than wore the life force of the killed animal outside his own, as nvr,+At"'+lr,n
any other tree the oak the solar powers. In the autumn the leaves fell himself virtually invulnerable. Or so he believed anyway. of
off the tree and it to but sometimes one could, even in winter, find used other animals in this context, instead of or addition to the
a green and lush in the tree crown. This was the mistletoe. The sor- the bear, such as lions and in Ancient Greece and wild
cerers because found the mistletoe in the crown of the tree, where and in but idea was the same.
most often that came from the That it was t'V'':lne-t''\r\V''TQrI

from Heaven to Earth For the sake of simplicity this book use the term "berserk"
or "berserks" when V'QT,O .... vln,-{ to the different sorcerers with a
The oak's life force had retracted to the mistletoe for the and therefore animal.
the tree itself was unusable as a source of solar power. The mistletoe on the
other hand was very All power of the the life force of the oak, the We know of this totemic idea from the about the death of
of the was concentrated into this The sorcerer therefore from where sorcerers or trolls ("malicious
climbed into the tree crown and cut down the and the sorcerer pos- because have hidden away their own life
such a had all the power and energy of the Sun at his disposal. It duck, in a well on an island far away. Before the hero can kill the nvr-,-t-r'\'-;:"""""'''''''+

was used as as for love spells, to manipulate fire and and save he must find the and crush
as ward '""',-{"..
I n t... ·.. rI,...-,.nri'nV,I""'\1

the Bronze had turned into a known in Scandinavia at

that as white that we know from the Viking
as Baldr In the about Baldr's death we learn that the gods
had fun arrows and rocks at the oak tree, because he
could not harmed. After his life force was stored safely in the mistletoe.
The belief that individual's life force can exist outside the individual had great
the ancient man. Sorcerers could steal the life force from other
creatures, like could steal the life force of the cutting down the mis-
tletoe after the oak itself to be dead.

Animals such as wolves and bears were even to man, just like win-
was, with its darkness and and because of that the
Scandinavians saw these animals as manifestations of the winter
believed that these animals could kill the winter spirit, and make
summer and return. In were had to hunt and
kill such animals for summer to return. could also steal the life force of
these animals and use it to become still and more powerful themselves.
autumn, when winter the sorcerers therefore went on a hunt
for winter animals. killed them, drank their ate their hearts and took

16
Romantic Image of the Death of Baldr, by Frolich.

Romantic Image of the Death of Baldr, by C. E. Doep/er.

18
 In order to
year, and

contests from the most obvious being the

about who had to an to the he thought was the
most beautiful. From Scandinavian we have the about who
had to choose a spouse based on at the feet of the The one with
Not everyone could
the most beautiful feet was chosen We also know about this tradition from
in Scandinavia the
tales; where Snow step mother was in front of her mir-
was a
she was not most beautiful woman in the
that she could still not become Snow White was still the most
so the wicked step mother tried to her, a apple, the
that was to show that White was the most beautiful of them
and she therefore We know other details about these
races and contest from other tales, where women have to help old women with
domestic order to

We can therefore now understand tells

to all attacks, except the one from Hoor who
arena. For obvious reasons, he had received this
power that had it from
sorcerer, fou nd it.

We know that the needed a the

the arena, but we also know that he needed other
solar but also every other male
tale Prinsessen som ikke kunne malbindes
where the main Askeladden
the silent so the
kingdom) because he was the bailer who
 catch In the age of sorcery the old himself was killed
and do other that he took his place. This was necessary because the old was
Both French and German tales, like those col- world, and for his life force and power to be to the new
as well as Norwegian ones collected to be killed. This was the age of the C'\/rV'\Y'\I'""\1I1'"\

are full of of competitions where when the king slashed the idol with his sword. The was sacrificed
hero needs to show his skills. addition to chall'engers competed in ers tra nsferred to the new
threw spears and axes, swam, shot with bow and arrow or
rode horses and different ring-games (known today The king was a and was therefore the attributes of the
and in other competitions. In could do his work properly; the was the the
into pure carnivals hammer sceptre) the of the of thunder and the sword
tournaments when and in Scandinavia and of lightning. He blessed man on Earth the sword on his shoulder and trans-
Eastern were Christianised much later than the rest of Europe, ferring the Sun's grace to him. The queen was equipped with the attributes
turned into innocent fun and traditional games for children. goddesses; a pot, a a basket or a cup, that she could use to fertilize the
Earth. She was a goddess, and like'life grew from the Earth each in
games. had to create the form of crops and other or from the sea in form of fish and
other in different word games. or from the womb of women in form of so did emerge
A and alert mind cup. Together the and queen, the and Earth could bless
kingdom and it with rain and

these ended in a draw the two best men had to meet in a final wres- Because of the fact did not know how women
contest, to determine who was the winner. Some kings ruled for many attribute was initially not dependant of the
years, but were all sooner or later, by younger and stronger was in itself able to provide the with
men. connection between the rays of the Sun and Y':::III'",\!"'iY/'""'\Y'\C'

women pregna nt, but th is cha nged her attri bute

The whether he was or had his title renewed, had to make a work alone and on its own.
 Romantic Itnage of a Sorcerer (Druid), by unknown Artist.

sorcerer vv'ho was unable to up with his who did for some reason
not become instead of a sorcerer, lost most of his influence in completely, and the last sorcerers were
He was no and was reduced to some at the stake the Christians. ,'---'",,"";,,"";,. their sorcery survived in
medicine man, a known from the in Scandinavia as a both the one and the Asian When
of the customs" "man the because of his tradi- failed to eradicate the customs, and
r ) r . . l l l r l r..... \/C' C'\/VV'lI'"\I""\!r-

the introduction of the sorcerers Christianised them and made them their own.
 Thursday

Ancient Man believed

Romantic of Baldr and Nanna, by W. Heine.
them, and every 1110nth was
ed and welcomed the first
and the f=.,.V'uU.,...." J ...:;l\..",..)

You believe
VV">r'l.nTV'\rand each month has 28 to 31
The Scandinavian Bronze
of a woman, found in what is known
each with 28 There was
year lasted for two so all in all it has
too. This is in fact most accurate calen-
 ents were often fruits and
Sunday when the Sun set on
the celebration of the
lasted until dawn
the was '-' . . . ,'-' '-',,"'' '-' . . . '-'

The and of love.

second of every month was the and was there-
fore seen as a the 13th
of every was also seen as the of the thirteen
important deities' were celebrated in turn, one every month the
and every year.

The was the last and was dedicated to Wr.II'"'V',N,..,II""

cause he was the

holiday, but the
for next week and the

The first Scandinavian calendar was not the 1st of but the
New Year's a between the thirteenth and the first month. It was there-
fore seen as a world outside all worlds. It was not in the house of a neither
in the nor in the of the it was between autumn and
winter, life and death, and vvas therefore known in the Bronze as
We know Scandinavian as Miogaror
the

When describe the ancient traditions and I use the ancient f"'~lonl'"i~r"
and I need to order to make any sense of it all. The week with the
and a celebration the and life-preserving force.
often ate circular food, like or other round cakes, and
 ter-
the
1\r-("'("""'IVrtIV\ the trunk
1\/1''''\1'"1''''''11''/''\11'' since visited it on the New Year's
inside the burial mound. Therefore
age he was as
resided the end of rainbow in
power open up all worlds, blow-
horn" "horn with I""\IQI"'r>lrIK

Bronze Lures from Denmark. Used to open up the Gate to the Underworld (the Mound).
 the ,"sustainable" "who likes to work",
+", "effective", or
,.,J . . . .....c-" ...... the wife of , "first", "win-
because of Loki's schemes been abducted
the realm the to J6tumheinlr of was also
known as Nanna and was wife. another nanle for Baldr.
When we know this the of the beconles clear. In the
Nanna's heart broke in two from when she saw the dead
In this was instead abducted. This sound a bit
but makes sense; Baldr died when the mistletoe was re-
moved from the oak tree! was not another name for Baldr's
but another name the mistletoe itself. This is evident when we know that
was also called shoot", Hbad branch", He is
the bad shoot, the sacred branch, that contains the life force of Baldr when the
oak tree dies. When cut down it killed Baldr and took away, the realnl
of

A relevant about
concerns", turned himself a
into a hole in Hnitbj6rg built the home of
his mead from the blood of tile wisest man
man made nailed but a barrow with

33
 ... ""., " to who was very and with the goddess, where the (i. e. asked for Baldr to be allowed to
He softened her up with sorcery. The mead was stored in three tanks: turn, and where he learned the secrets of life from her songs He
of the Son "atonement") and Boon was reborn as the chosen one so he that new son he needed
He three with her and drank the mead from one tank to avenge the death of Baldr. When he left the burial the
When he had drun~< it all he turned himself into a bird and flew away. of the Earth goddess, he was born anew as when the Sun rose the first
saw him, turned into an and gave chase. When they arrived in of the new year, in Vali's month tremors the
he suffered the same fate as Pjazi. The other gods chosen"). Vali was born in a dramatic and Cf"I"O':::lt'Y'\lrlri

lit a fire and set fire to his featllers: he fell down and beat him to death. he entered from the realm of the dead. one old he was
able to hunt down and kill Hoor, and avenge the death of Baldr.
made this had already disguised himself as
but access to the realm of the dead he also had to escort a dead
person, or else he had no business there. The god therefore brought the
cut down mistletoe, the of Baldr, and used it as a key to open up the road
to He\. it is described as a worm; Bolporn, alias Jormungandr. The
same mistletoe was used as a wand to soften up Gunnloo; she calmed
down because when she saw the wand mistletoe, a. k. a. the of Baldr)
she realised that he had a valid reason to be there.

"'"""~'"' with Gunnloo is described in another myth as

..... V", ..... where she
a different name" Rindr in the ground", Uditch"). In this
a son who could avenge the killing of Baldr.
defeat Hel's husband, who in this myth is
called Ullr , "cover, before he could lure her into bed. At
first he failed to lure her into bed. He tried to threaten her, but she still refused
he had to, like Heimdallr, Loki and dress up, like a
woman, to her into bed. He then took her force, so that Rindr became
and gave him a son:, Vali "fallen").

When we know all of this we understand the song about in Ha-

he himself in the sacrificial tree, Heimdallr (alias Yggdrasill), and
there for nine neither food nor before he fell down
into the grave and up the runes (secrets). He also learned nine spells
from LJr-I!o""\r-II'""'"

We realise that these were created in a time when man did not
know that the sexual intercourse was what made the women The
about who met are therefore not the original myths; Image from Vendel. Two Sorcerers in a Ritual Dance; one is possibly the horned Deity Vali and
have been in the transition from to patriarchy. other Hoor, alias Fenrir, wearing a Wolf's Hide.

needed to be told about a meeting

34
 dra matic bi rth of the the initiated men left for
autumn and winter darkness. did what was
hunted down and killed the animals that were seen as the spirit
animals winter. In this was the bear and the wolf, but in other
of animals instead or as and the
hunt lasted nine was the nine in the sacrificial
tree, the nine took to reach He!. The clothes of these initiates still hung in
trees, while themselves ran naked and the
armed with spears, clubs, bows and arrows. Those who managed
to kill such animal the life force of the and became berserks.

We learn about this from the about Loki's son Narfi

and Vali. Vali was into a 'Nolf and tore Narfi to bits and pieces, and took
his bowels and them to bind Loki to three rocks. Loki is in this context of
course another name for the wi!nter This of Loki, was maimed
the who needed the blood, heart and fur from the bears and wolves
killed to become berserks themselves - and to overcome death. put
remains of animals in the burial or at least their bowels, and perhaps
and them on the rocks there. So Loki had to sink down into a cave
under a cove of trees sacrificial trees on the burial and lie there
like a corpse until when he was set free and along with
Ullr attacked the This the way, all the skeletons or
bear skulls found in caves used

From Greek of this death cult. Herakles

r-.v,..... VV"l.rdr-.

of chosen" of the killed the Nemean lion and wore

his hide as . . .
vr'"f"r.I'...."f".r-.,V'\ - and because of that became invulnerable.
Image from Vende/. Possibly Herm60r riding to Hel, Vali hunting the Winter Spirits or any Warrior
Skaoi lead the of hunters chasing enganged in a Ring Game.
that we also know him as ("procession and On-
durass The hunt lasted for nine days, and because of that in
order to survive the hunters had to ask for food and drink from anyone they came from Baldr and turned into a nut and her back
across. It was considered very sr1ameful not to something to this party, and p6rr got his hammer back and found the runes. We know
those who refused to were often victims of retaliation. The hunters often killed when they brought these things and we know that had to wait
their their tools or even set fire to buildings, and they had before they could Baldr back.
the
In ancient times the dead were buried up, with all their most fine
all the with Halloween the gods return from the realm of the eqUipment, weapons, and other because believed that the
dead with ",r..~r."f"V"\.V'\r\' ~l""\l"r..,.I""\I'''V" returns with two rings and a blanket
I-IcIYY"\j"'i-::lIIY
needed all of this for their to Hel across the river of When

37
 in needed these and because of the living gotten everything, all their mistakes in on their way to He!. Baldr was called
entered the burial mounds to collect them. took these objects and hid them "the white god" because he was so but Heimdallr too was called
in the woods or elsewhere, for the \A/inter Solstice. white , because he was still dressed up like a dead person, in
and because after spending time in Hel he had the colour of the dead. At this
these men had been reborn as
LJv'VU\.Avv if they hadn't been gods time he had long hair, beard and nails too, because he had not been to
that
""1V"'"\'"lr'l\1 were not allowed to cut their hair or nails until after winter cut them since Halloween. Heimdallr led the of elves because he had
had been killed. That until after the Yule tide and in particular Ragnarok. If once been assigned to create a better man on Earth. He visited three
did cut their hair or nails it would mean disaster for all the trees and other brides, great grandmother, and and fathered three sons:
in nature, and the would lose all their strength. prcell ("slave", original meaning of the word is Karl and
Earl , "man"). Only the latter was seen as and Heimdallr
the 9th of the hunt was over and the bear had been sent to his was assigned to teach and train and an eye on him and his
death. was therefore called the Bear This day marked the end of the reli- Every year, on the Solstice, he Earl and his his home
hunt for He was novl/ considered dead and banished to He!. the North pole, to tell them how were
celebrated the over these winter spirits with a feast, and usually ate either
bear or wolf meat, on wtlat had managed to catch. To allow Heimdallr access to the home everyone should leave their doors
locked on the Winter Solstice. To make sure he would not have to travel on an
On the 25th that is when the Sun set on the 24th day of Himinbj6rg, the Yule empty stomach they placed a bowl of porridge on the table in the room.
with the celebration of the Winter Solstice. The queen (or lady of the In addition to that it was illegal to any animals with claws inside this
walked three times with the Sun around the house with a wand, a bough so that Heimdallr wouldn't wake up any sleepers when to bark and
from the tree, a tree dedicated to and declared that all the elves other animals made noise when he entered. The from the elves were de-
(i. e. the of were welcome. The burial mounds were often built livered to his good children (since mankind was considered to be his ,..,.hlllrlvr,.,....
so that at Sunrise on the Winter Solstice the Sunlight entered the innermost and ashes from the grave were delivered to the bad children. He could know who
chamber and lit it up, up the just like had woken up the seeds was good and who was bad, because he was able to see the entire world from
in the when he sent the Sun beams to propose to Gero C'fenced-in-field"). his throne in Heaven, over the North Pole, and his was so he could
The elves of the word is came with Heimdallr, the god hear the grass grow. He heard and saw CHI£~V'\n'nIY'\rI
who had been reborn as Vali on the first of the year. He took the gifts he had
received from the dead (i. e. that he had found in the burial mound) and in the There were many traditions for the Yule eve. You had to use seven different kinds
silence of the he gave them back to the living (i. e. the reborn dead). These of wood in the fire that one each of the week. you had
items were seen as the from the elves of the dead), because the eat meat from animals associated with as the and you had to
came from the dead - the dead relatives of the living. So the reborn dead sleep on the floor - to allow the elves to in the beds. The decorative food
their had owned in past lives. was not to be eaten by the because this was for the dead and
(what was left it was not to be eaten until the 11th of S0kkvabekkr
When the for some reason didn't deserve these gifts, the Ooinn imperson- known as "The Horse of
ators returned to the grave mounds and the gifts in the barrow opening.
Between the Winter Solstice and the
The of the dead were called elves because the dead were buried spirits, accompanied by 1-ir'\1Y'V'\,~
..... llv

in white and because the seeds returned after winter in the form of visiting all the villages and farms,
white flowers in the meadow or as fair crops, but most importantly because they Hel and HoorjUllr spirits of had also returned when the
were free from crossed the river of forgetfulness. They had for- of the dead had been called upon to rise from the grave. The

39
 but dressed in white and
armed with swords and flaming to the
men and women acted out the this way, and this
who lit bonfires in the forest to burn the feathers of Suttungr
so killed the winter Just like in the 9 days after
was a to food and drink to this party.
the 7th of Landvioi came the final showdown between the the
shadows, the summer and the vvinter This was known as and
is still celebrated as modern New Year's the 1st of

road between Heaven and Hel had up, so the sp,irits of the dead
into the world and meet their shadows in battle, on a field
of the dead" of the Hoor had already been
bear in his winter so what were actually

bear and wolf a and was called Fenrir

when he attacked on Ragnar6k. He was also called Mana-
garm say he was but in reality his image was
based on the sorcerer, dressed in robes and a hood or hat, who A Sword Dance in more modern Times. Image from Historia de gentibus septentrionalibus,
climbed oak on Autumnal and cut down the mistletoe and thus by Olaus Magnus.
killed Baldr. sorcerer wanted this because he needed it rule the
world, but the men and women accused him of being the reason winter
came in first believed he killed summer by this! the mouth of wolf tore in his
in the process.
Hoor too rose from the dead wtlen called upon in the Yule tide, and charged on
the to and the other The adults into two groups in this festival. One group was to VCI'"'\V ....... C' ....... I"'T

elves and the evergreen the summer that refused to

is known from
!J ....... ri...,. ...... ",..,.I/ as well. All the powers went to war against was led by the were dressed in white dresses or
each other. was killed who in this context was in shape of a giant branches from Vfoarr's sacred spruce. other group was to represent
e. the berserks. p6rr killed the mistletoe, but took shadows and darkness, winter to end all warmth and and was
before he too from the poison of the worm. The god the were dressed in furs and black dresses skirts.
, "free" the against Surtr nature were originally seen as and the n ....... ~·+Ir'\'n ....... V"\+'""
inside the burial mound on the so the men had to wear dresses and the women shirts.
way to the darkness. Loki faced He-
against tree. Only ash was left after
l,rll-'''\+V"\IV"\rl
The army of summer was armed with saxes, sickles and the
them. met the guarding the entrance to Hel and they army of winter threw ash. The battle was called a sword dance and was a ritual
killed each other too. Vroarr was the most hero in this drama; he killed intended to ensure that summer over If winter won this sym-
and thus the of He placed his big boot inside bolic battle the crowd would shout at the winter at
them and even intervene to ensure that summer prevailed. it the name S0kkvabekkr creek" Hel sent a horse from
was a battle summer had to 'vvin. Even a symbolic victory for winter the realm of the dead to the world of the to them the news that Baldr
would be disastrous. That's how are when you believe in sorcery... would indeed return. summer could not return until the snow started
to melt, and it did this final winter month.
The life force of the berserks was hidden away elsewhere. When the summer
warriors took their bear or wolf skins and tore them from them and trampled on The 22nd day of S0kkvabekkr was All Heart's and was considered to be the
them killed the winter but left the actors unharmed. This was Vfoarr day the birds began to mate. This was the the deities fell in love with each
other. You could tell they did, because their animals, the birds, started
mating. The fell in love with the the Sun with the and so forth.
The festival was called 1..J'"'l("'In-:lV'ALt which translates as "the origin, development, BaldrjBragi fell in love with while still in He!.
evidence, reason, end or of the . This was not the twilight of the
as so many believe but their and renewal. This process The 7th before Easter, the 1st of was known as
took every year and at the same time of year. It was no coincidence Washing, known from Gaelic as Imbolc or and was yoni-:lyr'fn/"i

that the battle took on a the of the deity of purification. as the first day of spring. Washing lasted for a full week.

the 8th of was the of Eldbj6rg The Sunday of Washing was called Pork and this was the Hel's horse
final of the Yule tide and they drank on this day a toast arrived with the news that Baldr would return. therefore gave thanks to
to the Sun, and because had rescued the Sun. Because of their Hel on this day. Pork Sunday was the transferred the of
the Sun was about to its life force back. The queen (or lady of to the women, by whipping their behinds with fresh birch branches. This custom
walked three times the Sun around the house with a wand, a survived well into the age of gods, and a form of this is in fact still in
a tree dedicated to to send the dead back to whence they parts of Scandinavia.
came, to the realm of the dead. She drank some beer from a bowl and threw the
rest into the She then uttered a formula: "This my but not higher On White Queen Monday travelled the land to collect eggs and
or hotter", to make sure the fire did not grow too The others sat down other white food items for the large bride's race. Dressed in white and \A/O''::lV'lr'rl

on the floor with their hands on their backs and drank - or tried to drink - beer ribbons and wreaths of flowers danced and sang all the way, from farm to
from a bowl on the floor. The more beer you managed to drink, the better farm, women and men, girls and boys, led the (alias the and
it was for your luck and the coming year. If you spilled any beer you the queen (alias the May Queen), whether were sorcerers or deities. The
were not allowed to drink any more, and had to be content with what you had king and queen sat in a carriage, drawn horses or the others in the proces-
drunk.
...... IV',,-.,.r-,r'i\/ sion. The queen did all the talking and the ladies and sang "Bride, bride,
most beautiful bride", to invite to the race all the women who believed stood
The 11th of S0kkvabekkr was known as Hel's and on t~1is day they a chance at winning the bride's race. The females in the wore men's
walked in fronl farm to carrying torches as symbols of the clothes on their upper bodies, and the men wore dresses, because repre-
cleansing fire. This was done to clean the house and throw out any remaining sented the hermaphroditic spirits. This custom remained even after the belief
still left there. This was the final purification after the Yule tide, and on spirits was supplemented with a belief in deities.
this ate the decorative food had made for the dead before
Yule. This was also considered the the bear turned over in the winter lair, and On White Tuesday, alias Pork Tuesday, ate all the food
therefore the Hel, the of changed her mind and decided to the White Queen Monday in a carnival for everyone.
let Baldr return. She did because she saw that the whole world and everything the meat before lent, and raised a The Maypole man's
in for him: snow small creeks everywhere. Hence phallus and the wheel on top the womb of the woman. This was the union of the

43
 world tree, Heimdallr. We know
Y"\C\ 1i"YY"I '':I n t . V'C\rl IT 11'"'
in all sword
Maius but it queen and
1IV'!t"1ln'':IlhJ called a is the we call such holy fes-
the bride's race was held. The winner of the The 1st of Breioablik was the was a when
I'"'l"r\\A/t'",ort with a flower and was the title queen, and in all
nAI',C\V'''"lo1 was considered to be when
race was the title the deities reached age that yea r went
children to the age of 21 that
Note the English came adults. The before the Vernal did as on the White
The title King (No. konge) derives from the name of Jarl's youngest son, Konungr ('Iwonderful young"). and went from farm to farm to collect food for
1\IIr'lnrV::J\I

This was Jarl's most talented and capable son.

The 26th of Breioablik was called of The
woman accompanied all the flowers to make flower wreaths.
and if the wreaths on and walked in around the fields. the Stone
would queen asked the for crops, and in later ages she blessed the
did herself. Often she sat in a wagon and was around The
carried a torch to scare off the destructive from the she
in a sword water from a source. In addition to she and
this time it was a spirits of the field. The ate the food in form of animals. The queen
could and the sword dance was little else holes or one hole in the and a bush in She
winter v.;as however not under any circumstances the contents of an egg and some into the then sang a song.
"V'V"l"vr\" victorious from the sword dance. For nV-=~YY"If.!n·

\l\lc.rinnc-ri'::\\1 be- "Vakn opp, vakn opp, bade aker og eng.

Nu har du sovet i seng.
songs Nu har det v02rt bade sn0
Nu har sommernatten kommet. 17

"Wake up, wake up, both field and Illv,UUVVV.

you have slept for a time now

we have seen both rain and snow
the summer has come now.")

After this raised aI\flr"l\fYloAIO and did what did on

the procession the to collect food for the feast.

The 27th day of Breioablik was called Second Summer and the
same as they had done on the of The 28th of Breioablik was
The 22nd of was called the Trono and was a called Third Summer and did the same as had done on the of
festival dedicated to war ""' . . ,.....;""'\"f"'r'" had to, like Walking. The 8th day of was called the Great of Store

44 45
 did what had done on the of Walk- Friday 13th after the and until Autumnal
fields after winter. a new wedding was for the and the and queen, and
these weddings were celebrated in the same manner. When
Easter after the 1st Full Moon after Vernal and with a new where the almost never
was seen as the returned from He!. This was were moved to
the the colours of nature returned after the darkness of winter. In the Easter
climbed the tallest mountains in the east, so could see the Sunrise as The 15th of N6atun was called Cuckoo and was a when it was pos-
as was on Easter carried round stones or other sible to tell if this was going to be a year or not. If you heard the cuckoo
round with them up into the mountains, all symbols of the Sun, and built in the north everything went as n''"'n .....
r'rI If you heard it in the south you could
cairns on mountain did this to help the Sun and high harvest in weather. If you heard it in west it meant sickness death.
in the and the left after If you heard it in the east you would have The cuckoo was
winter was eaten. This was that now, when she would return, course a manifestation of a

could
The 27th day of N6atun was the of Great and this was celebrated
The next and every after until White Sunday seventh in the same way as the Trono
after gave thanks to the spirits/deities for bestowing upon
man all the wealth of nature. Eachl of these Sundays were celebrated the same The 8th of Glftnir was called Bear Wake and was
the bear was believed to wake up and leave its lair. Hoor was, in other
way as the Trono
back from the grave, reborn and to kill Baldr know the
The 13th of Small Valborg C'castle of the content of Bear Wake from the about Fenrir. The could not let the
know in Gaelic as Beltane white This was the day all the dangerous Fenrir walk about after he returned (i. e. was born
another name for garden"). The win- the Earth goddess), so decided to tie him up. to achieve
could marry and replace the winners of last year's and in the process lost his hand. Fenrir bit it off. was the
as queen and king and were to rule until the and the Sun and Moon were his two and the of his hand
a hammer stone) and a was explained both the lunar and Sunset.
queen. It was celebrated as
nYI'"'.f"'\£:~I::'C"I(
..... nC' to collect food and sword dance and All the of Glftnir were
Thing ("courVparliamenf'). The
and in all cases.
The Sun and Moon married, and because of that this was also known as
Moon, a the Sun. The bride and groom, the chosen ones, The 1st was called Source
had to travel to to and therefore the actual wedding has to on this around the
us become known as a made of leaves, as manifestations of and her brother and husband
the sources and drank the water~ that was believed to be for health
The Small was a devoted to because it was the on this in The was otherwise celebrated like the Trono
first 13th after Saldr and Nanna had returned form He!. The mythological
context was of to where he married the most The 13th of was the Summer a festival for luck
beautiful of the Just as a groom no needed to look for a bride They did the same as had done on the of but the
when this marked transition from time to sowing time. meadow was now so the queen and
 She a For Syftesokdag). did the same as did on the of \1\1'::lII/iY'\rI
ward
as on the Summer Solstice - did it to ward off destructive forces. This
akeren min otherwise celebrated in the same manner as the Trono
"Nu
den blir bade ren
sa i older og The 15th of Alfheimr was Harvest Sacrifice
holder seg sterk og Wake-Up-Day, known fronl Gaelic as the festival of
the beginning of harvest. Before harvest could the
now, and or it was - in the shape of a goat made from last straw -
into bits and pieces and buried the field's four corners and in the field itself.
the time of the Bronze Age spirit of and had become a nr\l"'tr'it:"),C'C'

and a god, Sibijo and known from the Scandinavian VV"\\,+hrd,...r',r

and respectively. The grain deity was still Y'O''''',Y'oc'on"tnt'i

and the Sun itself. It was
h ' v + h , " ' l .....\ \ / of both animal form - a goat. In addition to the
a wreath of flowers on her head. sickle or scythe in a sword dance. a of the
was called Vanadfs and the Romans called her Ve- bread or the most ancient of a cone, was cut into bits and and
nus because she was the most beautiful of all the goddesses. The buried with the straw animal in the The had to die and
queen and was her name. Because of that we still call be buried in the ground for new grain to come. took the first straw harvested
married women or Frau both from her and made a new animal of it, and stored it a safe for next Harvest
name. Sacrifice.

a name that means the same as Freyja, The grain spirit, and later was killed because this was
the sea and the river that flowed into the pose; to ascend from the black Earth to grow crops, wake up and
bonfires along the water's edge, so then be cut down so that man could bake bread.
chain of fires was a necklace, known
as
VV"o\r1"V'\r"','Ar'\\/ necklace of It was a custom to The 14th and 15th day of Glaosheimr was called Livestock Weekend. cattle
dance and the burial mounds on the and on Freyja's was brought home from the on the 14th. The 15th was known as Pack
the queen and young also took a bath in the sea. When emerged from Saddle Saturday, because after having the cattle home from the
the sea born from the sea. They then jumped na- on the 14th the home was all of a sudden full of animals. Ancient Scan-
ked flames from the to drive away destructive spirits. It was, dinavia lived in houses, and the cattle was the north end of
addition to this, a were engaged, and the day was the building, so that man could benefit from the heat
otherwise celebrated in the cold northern wind.

on the Summer Solstice was seen as particularly powerful, and

r{r"\i"'hr"'\'V'Ari The of
from the sources and wells, and use them for sor-
" ' ....... l-.... y....lr.... t"'
Baldr The sorcerers, ,A'£"'),',,",V'IV"',r{

had to be before Sunrise. It was therefore also known as on the Autumnal

Dew frol1l the trees could be collected and used needed the
believed in
winter come
The 22nd of !-AII./\/',nr,\V" was called the of and Waking up (No. to how
forbidden to or music for as long as the lent lasted (until Winter Night).
The also marked the end of harvest. All berries, corn and other food-
stuff were indoors now. To celebrate this all wore a wreath made
from the last straw harvested.

The 1st after the 1st full fVloon after the Autumnal Equinox was the Win-
ter This was the the oa~( and later Baldr, began his journey to the
realm of the dead. It was celebrated like a funeral of the Sun, and we know the
'-'")-,.................. contents of this funeral from the myth about Baldr's burial. Baldr was
sent on a visit to Hel in a because the Sunset was seen in the sea in the
west. Small boats or boats were loaded with firewood and were set
it look as if the Sun itself was aboard. They then sent the burning
boat out to the sea or down a to make it cross the sea/river of forgetfulness
and enter He!.

The final of the year, the 28th of Ydalir, was called Reflection Day,
and was in a sense like any other Saturday, except that you had to wash and
clean and your home well this day. You should think about
what had the last year, and clean your mind too, so that you could
start the next year clean and for new tasks.
 Fehu Tfwaz

Uruz Berko

Pursaz
I
Isaz Ewaz

Ansuz Jera Mannz

The word rune translates as "secret or "secret", and the runes Raipo

<
are most often identified as characters on par with the Latin alphabet. Originally
were sacred intended to the sorcerers memorize their sacred
songs. We believe runes date from no earlier than the 2nd century, but we
can still use them reveal much older secrets, because the runes are based on Kauna
more and even Stone

The secrets the sorcerers and the deities who

travelled to the runes we can find out exactly
Gebo
what it was and what made them able to rule
societies as

into th ree groups of

Win a Sowili

53
 strikes from Heaven to Earth before thunder. It represents a a
ride of the mind after death and a rider.
1. Fehu means "cattle" and is connected to Auohumbla ("silence", "weak
that came about the entrance of the burial mound, when the Sun 6. Kauna means "mound" and is connected to Svartr The dead re-
beams the world of nlet the cold darkness inside the burial mound turned in the Yule tide, from the black burial mound, when the Sun lit
world of This was the that was sacrificed on the burial the innermost chamber as it rose on the Winter Solstice The had
mound when the sorcerers were to travel to the realm of the dead to bring back to fight the shadows of Hel in the forest, armed with bonfires
the power of the Sun. The rune is a of the horns of a cow, and represents and sparks. The rune is a picture of a a dark chamber a
and material wealth.
Y'\r'\C'C'r'\'t"'C'II"'\Y'\C' tiny opening. It !represents light and the darkness
around them.
2. Uruz means and is connected to Ymir C'sound", "howling", "crying").
In the Bronze in Scandinavia used lures to break the silence after they 7. Gebo means "gift" and is connected to Heimdallr Inside the
had up the burial mounds on the New Year's Eve. They later used the burial mound they found the weapons, tools and other valuables that had
lures to summon the deities to Ule burial mounds, to announce that the gate to placed in the grave along with the dead. these items back out for
Hel was open. The lures were after this dismantled and buried, and thus they the reborn dead to enjoy - again - when to them on the Yule
created the world between all Miogaror, every year from the body of Ymir. night. The rune is a picture of two pairs of time. one
The rune is a of an ox without because they have been taken from pair rests the other pair takes over, so time never stands still. It ron,roc'on''tc
him and have used to build the and represents drizzle, strength, spiritual gifts, talents, sharing, reward and
health and the of the
8. Wina means "joy" and "beauty" and is connected to the Vanir the
3. Pursaz means and "noise" and is connected to 86lporn, the giant winners of the beauty contests, and After the Yule time
worm we best know as cattle", "the mighty stick", "ani- winter spirits were weak and nature its and The rune
mated The dead went to Hel in silence, but the sorcerers and later gods is a picture of a beautiful woman. It represents absence of balance
made a lot of noise. To unlock the grave needed the mistletoe; this was what and harmony.
needed to make the of the of Hel believe they were Ooinn
dead to Hel. The rune is a picture of a thorn, and represents
powers,
''LI'--'LAll '/'LI and a to or a transition to this.

and is connected to ("spirit") and saga ("story").

themselves as
UI..::JJI::.,UI.::>VU to get access to Hel, and wounded
themselves with the of a spear to make it look as if they were bleeding. In
Hel learnt the secret stories, the songs and spells from the spirit/goddess of
death. The rune is a of the point of a spear, of the type made from bone
and used for in the Stone It represents signals, messages from the
and divine !..rY'\r"\\Alllc::lri("fo

5. means "thunder" and "ride" and is connected to p6rr ("thunder") and

Loki The went on a hunt for the spirits of winter, who had
killed Baldr and abducted Nanna. The rune is a picture of the lightning that

54 55
3.3 U"""rl"""IFC"
15. means "elk" and is connected to Vfoarr
nar6k took in the
means "hail" and "transition?? and is connected to
1.......l ...... " ...... , ...... "7 who symbolically killed the
When Baldr dies the world is covered in snow them. The rune is a of flames for the
The rune is a of a hail storm in the autumn. It or the head of an elk. It represents birth and
harmful forces of nature, and the transition and strength.
from one world to another.
and is connected to Sol alias Sun-
10. means "need?? and is connected to the Norns; Uro , "honou(?), The Sun was saved in The is a
l-J':ll"'\h':lV'AI/

Veroandi "the and Skuld ("future??, "guilt'?). Need followed flames from a fire. the the Su n rays
in the wake of the autumnal darkness and winter cold. The rune is a picture of a and mysterious eloquence, eyes, stars and feminine charm.
man with a rope tied around his a symbol of slavery and the destiny
our freedom. It the limitations of man, need, slavery, causes
and necessities. h"""lll"rir-hll""\

11. Isaz means "ice" and is connected to Hel , "death"). The flood (rain
and came every year and covered the world. It took Baldr and his wife
to He!. The went into the mound and met her there. The rune is a picture of
an icicle. represents ice, cold and lack of movement.

and is connected to Freyja ("spare?', "free'?, "love"), also

, "free", Inside the burial mound they met a spir-
who freed them frorn death and gave birth to them again, as they
1-.'-"''-'''''''''-'''-'''-'

......,1.'-'tJtJ'-~u out from her womb burial The rune is a picture of a man
and a woman next to each other in the burial mound. It represents the fruit-
ful year, and autumn, and marriage.

, "archer" and "bow" and is connected to Skaoi

The rune is a picture of a waxing and waning Moon.
yew, bows made from yew and the hunt for predators the
of the year.

and is connected to Vali ("chosen", and

kno\vn from the Greek mythology as the Trojan horse.
This was the of the when he annually participated in the
battle in the forest. The rune is a picture of a horse in vertical flight. It
U"""lnn'''"\I'''i'"',I/

represents a to the world of the spirits/gods, an expedition, an initiation,

secrets and a to find answers to secrets.

57
 of 23. Dagaz means Olday", originally its meaning is ,and is connect-
ed to Baldr C'shining white alias and Nanna
TTwaz means "beam" and is connected to TYr. To get the Sun's power and ("eager", "resourceful", llindustrious"), alias ,"sustainable" "who
summer back believed had to first the winter spirits, and a week likes to work", "diligent", 'leffective", or The Sun's power and
after Winter Solstice, on charged. They killed them or chased summer returned, and all the fruits of nature returned. The rune is a
them back and enabled the Sun's power and summer to return. an hourglass. It represents days, divine
The rune is a of a tree or a ray of shaped like an arrow. It rep- ads, deadline, breakthrough and hope.
resents in war and a or god of war, a guiding planet or star I
and a beam that blesses manon Earth. 24. Opa/a means "noble", original its is "state of mind", and is con-
nected to Asgaror spirit garden"). The sorcerer's ./.V"'\rlrI.r-.VV"\

18. Berko means "birch" white" or "bright white", and is con- structed from the image he had of the
When the mE~n had hunted down the winter spirits Earth of the ancestral seat the throne, the
The rune is a picture of a woman's breasts. It rep- sorcerer). It represents inheritance, the ancient
new life and property, homeland, noble, inherited
reputable family, family and nation.
19. Ewaz means "horse" and is connected to Mani ("measure", "Moon"). Hel
sent a message to the in form of a horse telling them that Baldr and his
wife would be allowed to return. The rune is a picture of a horse riding across the
It represents movement, pace, progress, loyalty and the heavenly
bodies' across the firmament.

20. Mannz means "man", ,and is connected to B6rr ("equip",

Men started a new life after winter, and picked up where they had left
year. The rune is a of a man and a woman kissing each
It humanity, its spirit and ability to think
human nature and knowledge about man.

21. means "water" and water" and is connected to Nj6ror ("fa-

vourable", force from The sea was no longer covered with ice,
or too dangerous to and could man with wealth again. The rune
is a picture of waterfall. It van,rac'an"I"" streams, lakes, oceans, lakes and rivers,
and their

means "meadow-friend" "tield-friend" or "love" and is connected to

The was no longer covered with ice, and
man with wealth again. The rune is a picture of the
united in the act of making love in the meadow. It rep-
desire, willingness, creative energy and fertility.

59
4.1 The I-'rl1lnh4~~V of Sorcer«~ss

The learnt the sorcerers in the grave must have been hard to
understand for the uninitiated. Or the songs were common knowledge,
but the sorcerers knew what were all about. Today V61uspa ("the
of the [i. e. sorceress]") is understood as some
sort of Scandinavian of and a prophecy dealing with the end of
the world. As will show you in this this common interpretation is not
correct.

To understand what the songs are all about you first of all need to know
that need to be in a specific sequence. We learn from Havamal
that the sorcerers' songs and were closely associated with the runes. So
to understand the songs we need to read each verse with the sequence of the
runes and to link the verses to the right runes.

may add that I to make the English translation of theses

verses are, in the original (Norse) language, but in-
stead I try to translate them as as I can, to ensure that the meaning is
not lost.

Romantic Image Norns, by J. Gehrts.

60
4.2 first of 3
It was in the beginning of the year
1 when there was
1ask for silence from all neither sand nor sea
sacred nor cool waves,
large or small no Earth
sons of the world tree; nor the high heavens
you will, that I, father of the the door (gap) was open
tell well grass nowhere.
the old stories
to those who are first men. This verse is connected to Pursaz and the The New Year's
was the first day of the year, or to be precise a between all years, and thus a
This verse is connected to Fehu and the cow Auohumbla ("silence"). The win- day beyond all worlds. It was a Middle Earth, Miogaror, a world between all other
ners of the bride's races, "the first amongst men", sacrificed a cow on the burial worlds. The chosen were about to enter the dark grave where he saw
after their clothes in the world tree, to learn the sacred verses in nothing; no sand nor sea, no cool waves, Earth or Heaven. The entrance to the
the realm of the dead. The men had to be silent, to imitate grave mound was open, and there was no grass either in realm of the dead.
the but also because had to listen to the spirit/goddess of the dead
the burial to learn the old stories (sacred songs). 4
Before the sons of the initiator
2 opened up the land
I remember those who created the famous
from the world in the middle;
that in the the Sunlight shone from the Sun
had me on stone halls
nine worlds whereupon the ground grew
nine green growths.
famous tree
This verse is connected to Ansuz and Ooinn. Before the chosen ,. ." . . . '.. . . . . r',... the en-
trances to the burial mounds, the world in between all while the Sun
This verse is connected to Uruz and Ymir (the sound of the lures) and shone outside. On top of this stone hall the grass and other grew. Even
The up like gods, had fasted in the days before the trees were allowed to grow freely on the burial mounds, and were fenced
the New Year's in the year (according to the ancient calendar) and in to make sure no animals grassed there. No herbs were ever from
was now to enter the burial mound. They needed nine sacred boughs (in- burial mounds either. The dead had themselves created their own grave
the mistletoe; to open up the nine different levels of He!. For mounds (the world in the middle).
to the queen of the grave, they learnt a new song. Thus
that he learnt nine songs from B6lporn; the sacred boughs.
5 7
The Sun threw rays of Met the spirits
on the Moon in the field of stagnation
the hand those who temples and mounds
on the firmament; built
Sun who did not know built heaths
where she hr'\lr'\n(~Ori forged valuable\Jl.JlvV\.,J.

Moon who did not know created

what power had and made tools.
stars who did not know
where This verse is connected to Gebo and Heimdallr and the
mound they met the dead, their own ancestors, who at one had the
This verse is connected to and Loki and Svartr. The chosen burial mounds and temples, and they took the valuable items dead had once
went into the graves, where the Moon and stars had no crafted, that now in the grave with them.
power and could not be seen. Inside was until Winter'-JIVI ...... \ . I V v .

when the woke up the dead and showed them the way out.

6
Then all the powers went
to the seats of end (i. e. the
the sacred
and Clnl'"OO,ri'

and
afternoon and r'\\IC\Y'\IY"\n

eau nt the yea rs.

This verse is connected to Gebo and i-401YY'\,'"iCl!!Y"

most where the dead were

were
noon and r'\\/r\n,Y"'Ir"'I

that in the
 U ..... r l ...... F c first of

were
had no
were used to
until three women,
maidens
very
came from the world of

This verse is connected to and JEgir and the Norns. When they
left the burial mounds were still naked, their clothes still hanging in the
world tree, and were therefore without shape. They were initiated and
with them the and other valuables from Het, the world of hunger.
The women the role of Norns in the grave came out as well, still
sacred verses.

9
Then all the powers went
to the seats of the end (i. e. the
the sacred
and ,....rtV·Ar'\,f"i·
Romantic Image of Freyr and Skrrnir, by C. E. Doepler.
who should create
the of dwarves
from the blood of the sea I can add that this explains how Loki could travel to the underworld and have
and from the of the blue. the dwarves forge the wonderful to the gods. All these items came from the
openings in the ground; from the burial mounds of the forebears.
verse is connected to and He!. A dwarf dvergr) is often misinter-
as a small manlike creature, but the original meaning was "opening in 10
the or "entrance to the grave (or cave where the dead rest)". This be- There was the one who drank himself to courage
comes obvious when we know the feminine form of the word; dyrgja, from Nor. had been most important,
and the The king of dwarves was in other amongst the dwarves,
words the initiated who had been in the grave. He was reborn as an initiate and the two rested;
from the half blue and half white of the grave. He was reborn frolll Hel's the manlike
womb, from between her blue the burial mound. The sea of blood was the many completed
blood of the cow that had been sacrificed on the buriaimound, to into dwarves from the Earth
grave and turn the women there red. like the rested said.

66
 This verse is connected to and Vali and _,£,'1"1''\.'''' The wall between the world
This verse is connected to Jera and the of the burial mound. The of the living and the world of the dead was broken at Sunset on Winter
man into the drank the blood of the sacrificed animal and became
Solstice. All the elves (i. e. innocent and of the rose from
initiated. One of the women with him several times the time he the grave, as did the shadows of Hel - the traits of the dead. came
was there the course of three She taught him how to procreate, from the grave and stormed out to in the
what to do to make women so that many children would come in the forest.
from her womb.
13
11 wedge,
needle,
handle,
handy, wise,
fire
iron blood-letting), and
healthy, horn-drill,
well known and calm,
open place with much sand, edge,
drinker.
strong oak shield.

This verse is connected to and Skaei and Hoer. After they drank the blood Thi~ verse is connected to Algiz and Vfoarr. The valuable items taken from the
of the sacrificed animal and with the woman in the grave could par- bunal mounds were given to the on the Winter Solstice. Not the
in the hunt for Hoor. The hunt lasted for six nine) days, under a wax-
we~e physical; some were mental or and some of these tools were used
and a Moon, in all directions and everywhere, until the clumsy bear
to fight the shadows of Hel in Ragnarok.
had been killed and turned into a corpse or had been driven to
the realm of the dead. stole the life force of the animals, who then became 14
without life force, and became berserks. drank a lot of mead when out hunt- The language of dwarves is spoken
because the mead was believed to elevate man to the heavens and enable
in the lingering masses,
them to see the because dew from the sacred tree had been mixed
human children,
into the mead. All the initiated men in this hunt, even the old ones. reckoned amongst the kin that is allowed to,
those who sought,
from stone
Wall and elf mud embankment home
elf wind, brave, until/to horses charge.
inflexible and defiance,
comfortable, colour and wise, This verse is connected toSowiJj and S61. initiates, who knew the runes of
corpse and new the grave, were allowed to participate. had visited the ha lis of stone, the
have now the dwarves homes of the dead under the and the shadows on nrH·C'Cl.,h"r"\!/
powers and advice armed with torches (artificial
,..."~·V",,r. .
-rl\f counted.

68
 of 18
They had no
15 had no mind,
There was the blood or language
and defiant or good colour;

the spi rit gave them life spi rit,

the one who lures (with singing) gave them
life colour attached to
and good looks.

These verses are linked to Ewaz and

16 spirits (the gods) and the defeated winter returned after
White and narok to the grave mound; the well of old wisdom. The sacrificial trees, the ash and
oak elm, .grew there, and in them hung the clothes that the had left when
hider and make cold, they went to participate in the Ragnar6k battle. The men the winter
and the spirits had had their totemic bear or wolf when the tore their furs
it remembered from their bodies and trampled on them to kill the winter Because of this
while man lives these men had no longer a speech or colour. The life forces
has long been considered as relative of the men were hidden away in their clothes, in the sacrificial trees.
of he who were naked, tired, weakened, cold and possibly also badly and looked
like lifeless corpses. They were then carried or pulled to the grave mounds, where
These verses are connected to T{waz and Berko (15/16), Tyr and Joro. After the gods put their clothes back on thus gave them back their
the Winter Solstice came when the gods armed with torches and hot speech and colours).
coals, and the dead ancestors from the grave, had to fight the trolls
we often think of trolls as ugly giants, but they were originally 19.
who caused in the world. The elves, the dear dead rela- I know an ash stood
tives the were in the army with the king (sorcerer) and the called "the one who demands reverence",
other initiates; those who were allowed the deity to participate in the battle. tall tree, poured
white mud;
17 dew comes from there,
Until three came falling in the valleys,
from the crowd, stand evergreen over,
and the well of honour/the well of stone.
to the house;
found on This verse is connected to Laguz and The sacrificial tree, a. k. a. I-InlYY\rll..,1I1"

not in located on top of the grave mound, was watered the r{r..,..,lrI,....'... ,....

ash and who then used a bough from one of Ooinn's holy trees
without fate wand and used it to purify the house. The l"'r.rV"'\r'\; ..... i..."r{
 and were sent back to the realm of death, to the well of This she needed to know if she wanted to become queen. The queen had
a sacred bough, a wand, into the field, into the realm of death and
planted seeds there, to make it fertile. The horse was the field and its corn,
20 which had been burned since at that time used the "slash and
From there came maidens, burn" technique. This golden horse came back from the Earth over and
very wise over again.
from the sea
which is under 22
one was named Fair/light was her name
another the wtlerever she went,
cut in of wood, a chosen woman good at predictions,
the she performed sorcery,
she knew the customs
were not satisfied she played with the customs
with the fluid in the and was always well regarded
declare the fate of the children amongst ill women.
of the age.
This verse is linked to Dagaz and Baldr and The sorceress who won the bride
and All the sorceresses, the wise women, gath- race, the beauty contest, was naturally a term which in was syn-
the well of honour (where the sea/river of forgetfulness is onymous with beautiful. She was skilled at sorcery and
....,"".. . . . ...., . . . , to for the queen title'. tested their skills to find the one who with the sick individuals she visited and healed. She knew the customs and mas-
best mastered the art of sorcery. The old queen, the coming queen and all the oth- tered them better than everyone else. That's she was chosen to be their queen-
ers too. sorcerer in the first place.

21 23
She remembers sacred folks Then all the powers went
first in the to the seats of the end (i. e. the grave)
the horse the sacred gods,
with a spear and agreed;
in the hall of the tall (i. e. either the spirits would
burned suffer losses
or were all the gods to
own party/feast (strive).

This verse is linked to Opa/a and Asgaror. The gods went to the mound and
that they had chosen the right queen, and had found the would be a
good year if they had, or a bad one if hadn't.
This verse is linked to and The sorceress remembered, i. e. she knew,
how the and queen grew corn and made the fields (the golden horse) fertile.

73
 second of covered, and therefore gods travelled into the burial mound.

24 26
Thunder accuses,
swelling of strength and courage,
he seldom sits still,
when he experiences treachery like this;
when oaths are broken,
words and promises,
the outcome of the
nyc,r1Ir-1"crI all strong amongst men
on the battlefield. are broken.

This verse is linked to Fehu and Auohumbla. On New Year's Eve the sorcerers This verse is connected to Pursaz and the bad
were in the astl trees, wounded spearheads. Heimdallr originally a good force, had failed the oak tree and killed Baldr and his wife. The
blew the horn so that the mound 'was up (i. e. the gate in the picket thunderclouds bore witness to what the about this.
fence the burial mound was and was ready to accept the
. The beautiful sorceresses knew what was about to happen and prepared 27
for the inevitable w"'::1nn':::lYr-.../ She knows that the worldtree's
sound (Gjallarhorn) is pawned
an elaboration of the 1st verse. A verse it is common
contain some so it was necessary to create additional under the sacred tree;
verses to include all the information needed in the song, and since the verses she sees a river poured,
were related the runes, which came in a certain order, it was necessary to a waterfall leading to coarse mud
anew when the rune-row was completed once. After Opala the Fehu rune from the pawn of the father of the chosen.
came and so one could continue Inrilc"tlnl"t,a!\I Do you still know enough or what?

25 This verse is connected to Ansuz and The bronze lures were ""n':::lI\A/narl"
Then all the powers went under the sacred tree, meaning they were down to the next New Year's
to the seats of the end (i. e. the when they again where to be used to open up the road to He!. The pawn of the
the sacred father of the chosen was either Baldr himself or the valuables the
and -::lnV'CCI""f'
dead were buried when were in the burial mounds. The
who had in the air entered the mound to get hold of them "again" were the reborn
mixed I""fIChAnC,CT\J
dead themselves). The valuables were not gone all because it could be
to one of recovered, so it was a . "Do you still know enough or what?" -.JUS;::"F.v-.JL"J

that the goddess of the mound, teaching the visiting god these verses, wondered
if he knew enough or needed to hear more. it was about time the listener
This verse is connected to Uruz and Ymir and B6lporn. Baldr had been understood what the song was about. "Do you still not know what I'm
killed the at the Autunln and his wife Nanna, alias lounn, about?" She wants him to give her the to prove his
had been abducted to the underworld the giant Pjazi. They now had to be re-

74 75
28
She sat alone outside,
when the old came,
the young
and looked her in the eyes.
What do you ask me,
you me?
r'\
I- \ I I
Y\ IT' h I ri, rf

about how you lost your eye,

in the well of YOrY"ln,le-r'nnr-o'
the one who reminiscent drinks mead
every
from the pawn of the father of the
Do you still know or what?

and porr. The gods, the young men

and young at the same time. So
a young god, and he was scary
in the grave; wearing a mask, being
the body painted with
around his neck. The god tempted
he originally have whipped her with
a green branch to make her and was so himself born as the son when
he left the burial from Hel's womb. lost eye was the SunjBaldr,
he lost at the Autumn when Baldr was killed
and sent to the underworld. Hel, who had Baldr in her company, knew all about
this, of course; about how the Sun had gone down in the sea and lost its power.

Romantic of Loki, by C. E. Ooepler.

This verse is linked to Kauna and Svartr. The god said the key words he had to
know to receive education from the sorceress in the grave, and showed her the
~1l"'+lr'\+A,""" this was the he needed to be allowed to take the valuables with

77
him from the mound when he left. He learned how to make predictions for 32
the future year every "house", "world", i. e. every month of the year). This tree,
that seemed so innocent,
30 was turned into a dangerous
She saw those who choose the cast by Hoor;
come far away, Baldr'sbrother was
to ride born on that
to the divine he took Ooinn's son (here and killed him
held one night old.
thrust the
battl e, stave bea re r This verse is connected to Gebo and Heimdallr. The which looks
and spear thrust. innocent, was used to kill when Hoor removed it from the oak tree.
Now are god visiting the grave mound left the mound as Baldr's brother and avenger,
the fearless women of the ravagers, who started the hunt for Hoor and killed him one old. The bear
to ride and wolf hunt had begun.
like choosers of the
33
This verse is connected to Kauna and Gebo, Svartr and Heimdallr. The goddess- He did not rest his hands,
es the with weapons and shields, from the grave, and made them he did not comb his hair,
to and kill Hoor in the bear and wolf hunt, starting the first until he could carry
of the new year. Baldr's enemy on the funeral pyre;
but Frigg wept
31 in the hall with a fence around it,
I saw Baldr, over Valhall's bad luck.
the blood stained and glorious Do you still know enough or what?
child of
This verse is connected to Wina and Fjorgyn. While the berserks were
a stave grew restlessly for bears and wolves in the forest the goddess sat and wept in the
on the old burial mound.
thin and very rJ''LoLAUlll LAI.

mistletoe.

This verse is linked to Kauna and Svartr and Heimdallr. In the tomb the
fou nd the of the and gave him the mistletoe so that he would
get his back, grow up and come back from the dead.

79
 LI...,.rt;...,. •• ,~ second of

Then the
0n'~nr"1C\C' the sacred

we become harder
life in that time.

This verse is connected to The gods who hunted down and

killed the bear and the wolf were became harder and tougher, be-
took the animals' force and made it their own. Thus they became
unbeatable immortal in battle. became berserks.

35
She saw
under each grove,
the treacherous
like
there she who sinks down sits
not satisfied with her house.
Do you still know or what?

This verse is connected to and the Norns. Hoor/Fenrir, wolf and son of
was killed the hunters and sent to Hel grave mound), where they
him. The woman who sunk down was the woman imitating the death
~'J".AU"""',JV. She was not about for such a long time in the grave
where not the dead but also where the men skinned dead ani-
drank ate animal rlearts and where the remains were tied and fas-
tened in the grave mound with animal

Romantic Image of Freyja, by C. E. Doepler.

scabbard.

80
37 39
Stood north of There, she saw wading
the below in strong currents
a hall of the men who
for the kin of the gave false
another stood and outlawed murderers
where it never who told whispering secrets
the hall of there fell a blow from below
which call the and had great success on the corpses,
enjoyed tearing in outlaws
connected to Isaz and Hel, and Jera (37) and Freyja. The river Do you still know enough or what?
east was the rain and snow that came from the sky instead of
the ice the face like a sword. The plain below was the This verse is connected to Vali and and Skaoi. She saw
grave and the realm of the dead. the far north the Sun rested in the grave - the men who in secret hid the had found in the burial mounds for later
and it was then a hall of lit up the Sun itself. It rose in the east, shone in use (and thus gave false testimony), and she saw the outlawed berserks
the went down in the west and at it slept in the grave in the north. An wolf) they hunted. These animals were the winter who had murdered
alternative had therefore been lit in the home, the sorcerers/gods (Freyja Baldr and kidnapped his wife. travelled the autumn darkness and
and her in the where it was never cold. Embers and the fire kept rain. Out there in the forest Hoor bears and fell to rest, in the
mankind warm winter. and the gods drank their ate their hearts and took their skins. "made
progress on the corpses", when took their their corps-
38 es, and became berserks.
She saw a hall
far away from the Sun 40
on the beach of corpses, In the east the old sat
the door to the north; in iron forests
and gave birth to
the roof, the children of the walled in rider
this is room to was of them all
those with worm backbone. most skilled stealer
and destroyer of celestial
This verse is connected to Isaz and Hel and Far from the Sun the in form of harmful
burial mound, inside the Earth where the Sun could not light up than on
where the cold rain was dripping through the roof and down This verse is connected to and V/oarr. In the east, the old one sat the
were skeletons left in the burial those with a forest where the battle of took where iron weapons were used
like worm. forest of spears"). The old was the of death who gave
birth to the who became a berserk; those who vnrlvnc"'nrITln("{
Fenrir at Ragnarok. The sorcerers were skilled who at
tumn Equinox stole the mistletoe from the oak tree,
power the Sun. dressed in women's and wore
 of nature. When the sorcerers stole the mistletoe from
were seen as harmful spirits, and were therefore called

41
It filled up with blood
from those who will soon die
from the flock of the power,
blood runs red;
the sunshine was black
in the summer after
the weather was unreliable.
Do you still know or what?

This verse is connected to SowiJj and S61. The battle was fought, between the
elves and gods and berserks. The gods killed those who had risen
from the graves, the winter who had been killed during the hunt for Hoor.
Because iron rusted in the grave were called "the flock of the rusty power".
the dead, all of whom were sent back to Hel, did not see the Sunshine the
following summer, and could not know what kind of weather they would receive in
the coming year. It took at least nine months before they could be reborn again,
after a woman had gone to the grave and transferred them to her stomach.
 of 44
The swallower is barking loudly,
42 in front of the cave leaning over the
Sat there on the mound the ties/mounts are torn,
and struck the hardship is growing,
a she knows that the flocks chants,
servant of eggs; forwards I see, even further,
the cock crowed to the end and meaning of the powers,
the forest of s;;;..LAlil'-"VV-..J.
the destiny of the victorious god.
bea utifu I red
was called This verse is connected to Ewaz and Mani. The dead rose from the grave be-
cause the sorceresses cast spells to revive to ties
This verse is connected to Tfwaz and Sorceresses went to the mound to be in of the grave. They could begin the journey back to the and be
contact with the dead who there, and doing so have the opportunity born again. Because the dead had been awakened from their who
to birth to them V61uspa is recorded in the mythic age, the had also been resting in the underworld, could come back, and he would
verses stemmed from the Stone Age, when people still believed that the women become Baldr's death.
became from contact with the fertile nature, and that the dead could
be reborn women who touched their remains. The verses were later circum- 45
but much of the contents remained relatively unchanged. The sorcer- Brothers will talk against each other
esses sat on the touched the remains of the deceased, and played and and become each other's bane
sang songs birth to the dead sister's sons will
waste their bonds,
43 the world is hard,
many judgements against crimes,
Crowed the
axe time, sword time,
the one with
shields will be broken,
to awaken the folk
wind time, wolf time,
of the father of battle
before man's world will be turned
another crowed
no man will
beneath the Earth spare the lives of others.
a cock black as soot,
in the halls of He!. This verse is connected to Mannz and Borre. It was foreseen that the broth-
ers Baldr and Hoor would be each other's bane. Hoor would kill Baldr with the
This verse is connected to Berko and Joro. The beautiful sorceresses, with long mistletoe and would himself be killed by his brother because of this.
blond sang and raised the dead, and brought them back to life. Some stood fight against the winter spirits, who had been released, would return. Bears and
outside the mound, some sat on top of the while those who were to give wolves would be chased and killed in the autumn darkness, before the winter;
birth to the dead were inside, in the pitch black grave, because they had gods would fight against gods, in the coming Ragnarok, and the world was turned
to touch their remains. This is how the dead got back their life-force upside down. Man, the thinking man, Jarl's enlightened could
and could the back to the mother's/Earth's womb. this.

86
46 This verse is connected to Dagaz and The Sun is in the
The sons of reminiscence grave's innermost chamber, on the Winter Solstice, and awakens all the dead.
the is The burial mounds have been and all the dead fare towards the battle-
when the horn of sound field. Baldr and his wife (the elves) will also visit the in the and led
sounds by Heimdallr they bring with them from the grave.
The world tree
the horn is in the 49
the mind talks The swallower (Fenrir) barks
with the head of reminiscence. in front of the cave leaning over the
the ties are torn,
47 hardship grows.
The one who demands reverence world tree) trembles
ash C"T':l,nrtlnr{
This verse is connected to Opala and Those who died and were
the old tree groans including Baldr and his wife, are allowed to come home on a visit on the Yule eve.
a is
everyone is afraid
to travel on the road to
before black
wants to swallow it.

This verse is connected to and Inguz (47./45.), Nj6ror and Freyr.

that was would happen, when the gods blew in their bronze
lures and announced that had begun. Ooinn (the sorcerers) remem-
bered the verses and the runes he had learned, when he placed his eye in the
past burial The wind howled in the winter night and Fenrir/H6or
was let loose, with the other dead. Everyone was scared, when they trav-
elled into the wilderness to the powers of death, in the darkest winter
killer.

48
What is to the
what is to the wh ite (i. e elves),
the whole world of is
the want peace at the
dwarves groan
in front of their stone
much about stone houses.
Do you still know or what?
Romantic Image of the Chosen Warrior, Va/i, by C. E. Doep/er.

88
 of 52
Black fa res forth from the south
50 with repeated attempts to destroy
The weak comes from the east, the Sun shines from
the source in front of him, the fallen/chosen god's sword;
very wand stone mountains (-heaps) crumble,
with courage; malevolent spirits (trolls) fare to and
the worm moves, tread freely on the road to Hel,
the sky is cloven.
to tear in corpses with rust-red beak
the nailed vessel is loosened. This verse is connected to Raipo and t:>6rr. The darkness takes over the world
when the Sun sets, but the initiated gods wield torches Elves and
This verse is linked to Uruz and Auohumbla, Ymir and Bolporn trolls (i. e. benevolent and malevolent spirits), summer and winter ascend
The mistletoe is up in the Yuletide, and this is the dead freely from the underworld. The cast sparks into the arrows and
Baldr and the - at this time - weak solar power, who has come to visit the living. spears are cast through the air, burning wheels travel down hillsides and
The dead comes in of the decorative food, (lifeless) cake spray from fires when the gods strike them with sticks and torches.
men, cake seeds and cake which consume with their pale
beaks. 53
Then comes the maple's (Frigg's)
51 second
Keel comes from the east, when Ooinn charges
the world of fire arrives to fight the wolf,
of thenAr"\nlr"\l'"
and the bane of the baler
Loki steers; light against black;
witless powers fare about then will Frigg's
with all joy (Ooinn) fall.
are the brothers to
bee-shoes wrlo travel across river. This verse is connected to Kauna and Svartr. Fenrir kills and sends
him or one of his eyes back to the grave, when the Sun goes down on
This verse is connected to Ansuz and The fire shines from the torches, and darkness overcomes the
and saves Baldr and the world from the
The who had hidden away their own life force (senses)
fare forth in the Yuletide with They are the brothers of the
gods and elves who have arrived bee-shoes) from the grave, across
the river of
54
The swallower is n,:)Y"!.fIY'1,n

in front of the cave

the are torn,

even
the powers,
the victorious

This verse is connected to Kauna and Svartr. This winter spirits and Hers shad-
ows flow from the undE~rworld.

55
Then comes the
son of the victorious father
the forest walks
against the fallen animals.
He let the storm's powers
answer
sword to the
then the father is CH/£:::.nr\c\r1

This verse is connected to Gebo and Heimdallr. Out there in the forest the winter
spirits meet the gods, and with the of the gifts from the dead, the weapons
of the ancestors, which Heimdallr came with on the Winter Solstice. The gods kill
Fenrir in the and thus Vfoarr forest) avenges his father's death and
restores balance in nature.

93
56
Then came the honoured
the sound's son (i. e.
the mind's son went
to the worm
killed him with courage
the sacred rain of the world in the middle
he clears all halls
in the inhabited
walks nine feet
carries to the mountain
the of the worm
infamous refrain.

This verse is connected to The king, who represented parr,

struck the mistletoe down with a from where it had been hung in the
Yule. He did the same in all houses where the mistletoe had been hung.
The nine feet he walked were the from the living room to the burial
and p6rr didn't he had to carry the mistletoe to and put it
back in the burial mound, the underworld.

57
The Sun turns black
Earth sinks into the sea
th rown from the
stars;
sparks sprays
and the fire is
tall and
itself.
Romantic Image of P6rr, by C. E. Doep/er.
This verse connected to and Norns. When the mistletoe was back in the
burial mound, the battle continued. The through the night armed
with threw sticks into the fires and let the in the woods.
defeated and away winter

94 95
58 This verse is connected to and Vali. The rode to the burial mound and
The swallower is h":lI'·lfln,rt
sacrificed a horse, on Hel's Horse, the 11th day of S0kkvabekkr, the month of
in front of the cave the goddess of wisdom, Saga, and held a feast. talked about what had
the are torn, pened and told stories about their deeds in the
h ...... 1~~C'h n is rt"'~\AIII'"\rt
I

she knows that the flocks 61

I look even There they will later
to the end of the powers, strange
the of the victorious golden tablets
find in the grass,
This verse is connected to Isaz and He!. This winter spirits and Hel shadows are which in the old days
deT·eal~ed. and can be sent back to the same as they had come, through were possessions of their kin.
the burial mound.
This verse is connected to Perpi and Vali. It appears that the Heimdallr
59 brought with him from the underworld, were not all delivered at the Winter Sol-
She sees stice, but that some were hidden away until after the
on the other side artefacts were placed in the snow, so that would not be found until after the
land from the sea snow had melted, in the grass on the burial mound. It was after and
green wou Id not suffer from such treatment.
waterfalls
above 62
the one who on the mountains With no sowing
catches fish. the fields will grow
bad luck will be better
This verse is connected to Jera and Freyja and Skaoi. Because of this vic- Baldr will come;
at one could see that the and summer were coming back. live there Hoor and Ba Id r
Life and returned to the world. Hrofts (Ooinn's) victory fields
selected by the fallen/chosen gods.
60 Do you still know enough, or what?
The
on the on the backwater field This verse is connected to Algiz and Vfoarr. The meadow and the forest got
and talks about the old Earth power back. The flowers peeked up from the the leaves grew on trees and
the of the powers, grass on the ground. Summer had returned.
and remember there

97
63
Then the tempter chose
blood wood
and started to build
the double's brothers
wide wind world.
Do you still know or what?

This verse is linked to Sowili and the Sun. The retu rn ed to th e

64
She saw a stand
decorated on the Sun
covered with
on the sea of gems;
there the
should build
and in the life

This verse is linked to Sowili and Sun. The power returned to the Sun. The win-
ners of bride races - the - should rule the world, wisely.
Another random document with
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lihaksiansa; Pyry oli epäilemättä kadottanut hänet näkyvistään, ja
hän kiiti nuolena suoraan eteenpäin. Hän juoksi ehkä pari-
kolmesataa askelta tämän toivoa herättävän hiljaisuuden vallitessa,
pysähtyi sitten äkkiä, vakuuttautuakseen siitä että oli yksin, ja heitti
silmäyksen taakseen. Tuskin oli hän kääntänyt päätään, kun
kulkusen kimeä ja katkonainen ääni uudelleen vihiäsi hänen
korviansa ja pakotti hänen taas lähtemään metsien halki, kaikki
epätoivon kauhut rinnassaan.

Hän juoksi koko yön levähtämättä, kunnes hänen ajettuneet ja

jäykistyneet raajansa eivät enää kannattaneet ja hän kaatui
hervotonna kuin riepu muutaman askeleen päähän lähteestä
maahan, johon hän suistui tiedotonna, puolikuolleena, heittämättä
katsetta ympärilleen ja päästämättä valitusta rinnastaan.

Ja samassa vaikeni kulkunenkin, ikäänkuin sen tehtävä olisi

päättynyt.

VI.

Ei kukaan osaisi sanoa, kuinka kauan Mikko Repolainen oli tässä

täydellisen uupumuksen tilassa, joka ei ollut enää elämää, mutta ei
vielä kuolemaakaan. Vanhan metsäneläjän elinvoiman täytyi olla
sangen voimakas, kun se vielä niin pitkän paaston ja niin monien
mielenliikutuksien, niin suuren uupumuksen ja niin kovien tuskien
jälkeen herätti hänet horrostilastaan elämään.

Hänen sekaiset mielikuvansa vaihtelivat alinomaa. Syvän,

suojelevan hiljaisuuden häntä ympäröidessä, ja ennenkuin vatsa ehti
häntä liian selvästi muistuttaa tuskallisesta todellisuudesta, herätti
hänet kiusallinen tunne kaulassa: tuo Simpan rautalanka, johon
hänen ajatuksensa kiihkeästi kiintyi ja johon hänen uusi elämänsä
tuntui keskittyvän. — Saattoiko muuten kaksi mielikuvaa mahtua
hänen heikontuneeseen tajuntaansa? Oliko hän hereillään? Nukkuiko
hän? Näkikö hän unta? Hän ei tiennyt sitä. Hänen silmänsä olivat
ummessa, hän avasi ne. Hän avasi ne vitkaan, ruumista
liikauttamatta, ja antoi katseensa kiitää ympärillä olevan rauhallisen
maiseman yli; sitten käänsi hän päätään harkitun hitaasti, yhtä
hitaasti kuin hän ennen iltaisin kyyristyi, tarkan hajuaistinsa
ohjaamana, peltopyyparveja vaanimaan. — Ei mitään epäiltävää;
hän veti henkeään. — Minnekkähän koira oli kadonnut? — Häipynyt
kuin paha uni. Ehkäpä hänellä lopulta olikin ollut vain pitkällinen
painajainen? — Eipä kuitenkaan: tämä kiusallinen rautalanka oli
jälellä vakuuttamassa hänelle, että hänen kauhistavan kolkko
vankeutensa oli ollut todellista.

Vaistomaisesti kosketti Mikko Repolainen käpälällään sitä, toivoen

siitä mahdollisesti pääsevänsä. Mutta tuskin oli hän ehtinyt siihen
kajota, kun kulkunen kilahti uudelleen, ja hän tunsi pitkän
kauhunväristyksen karmivan selkäpiitään. Hän ei voinut enää paeta,
hänellä ei ollut enää voimia. Hän heitti pikaisen silmäyksen yli koko
näköalan. — Ei mitään! Kumminkin oli kulkunen aivan lähellä! — Ja
yhtäkkiä Mikko Repolaiselle selvisi kaikki.

Tuo metallipallo ilkkuvine suineen ja raadonsilmineen, jonka

Simppa oli pujottanut siihen rautalankaan minkä hän ripusti Mikko
Repolaisen kaulaan, se oli Pyryn kulkunen. Tämä tuhoisa kulkunen
kaulassaan hän oli juossut koko yön luullen koiran olevan
kintereillään. Tämä oli Simpan kostoa; tämän tähden hän siis oli
yöllä juossut kahdeksan tuntia ja tyhjentänyt tuskien maljan
viimeiseen pisaraan saakka, ja nyt, kun hän jälleen virkosi toivoon ja
eloon, oli tuo kosto häntä säälimättömänä seuraava, oli myrkyttävä
hänen päivänsä ja kaikesta huolimatta täyttävä turmiollisen
tehtävänsä.

Vaivaloisesti hän kohousi laihojen käpäliensä varaan, ensin etu-

sitten takarajoilleen ja kulki lähteelle, jonka herkeämätön ja
yksitoikkoinen lirinä oli kuin hiljaisuuden hyminää, jonka sävellajiin
metsän asukasten eri äänet rauhallisesti sopeutuivat.

Hän latki vitkalleen kirkasta vettä, kuin olisi kastanjetteja

[Kastanjetit ovat pieniä, onteloista, kastanjan puolikkaan muotoisia,
puusta tai norsunluusta tehtyjä esineitä, joita isketään vastakkain,
kun tahdotaan osottaa tanssisäveleen tahtia.] iskenyt vastakkain,
hämmentäen veden kalvossa kuvansa, laihtuneen Mikon kuvan, joka
ei muualla tarjoutunut hänen nähtäväkseen. Suippokuono yksin eli
kuvassa, ja kaksi lyhyttä, pystyä ja ikäänkuin irtirepäistyä korvaa
törrötti päässä kuin kaksoistorni, joka tähystää seudulta kuuluvia
ääniä lakkaamatta peljäten erottavansa hiljaisessa ympäristössä
vihollisääniä.

Sitten aikoi hän syödä, ja koska metsä ei tarjonnut hänelle

riittävästi ravintoaineita, lähti hän ruohottuneelle aukealle, josta
leivoset tuontuostakin riemuiten pyrähtivät lentoon, kohosivat
edestakaisin leijuen ylemmä taivasta kohti, täyttäen ilman
viserryksillään, ja laskeusivat ilonhuumeessa alas sinikorkeuksista.

Sieltä hän varmaankin löytäisi yrttejä, jotka hän vanhastaan oli

tuntenut tai myöhemmin oppinut tuntemaan: suolaheiniä, ehkäpä
joitakin herkkusieniä, vatsaa puhdistavia juolavehniä, ehkäpä lisäksi
joitakin myyränmättäitä, joiden kimppuun hän tarmokkaasti kävisi,
vieläpä mahdollisesti talven aikana kuolleiden eläinten tai lintujen
puoleksi mädäntyneitä raatoja, joita ei vielä kukaan ollut löytänyt.
 Mutta kuinka kiusallinen tuo kulkunen olikaan! Epäilemättä hän
tottuisi jokseenkin pian siihen, että rautalanka kuristi kaulaa, mutta
tuo ääni, joka oli tarrautunut häneen kuin takkiainen, muistuttaen
hänelle liian selvästi sekä vältettyjä että edessäolevia vaaroja,
turmeli salaa sitä iloa, jota hän olisi tuntenut nauttiessaan
täydellisesti elämästä. Siinä hänen vapautensa lunnaat, joita hänen
oli tuomittu kuolemaan saakka kantamaan mukanaan! Ja häntä
kidutti hillitön halu päästä niistä vapaaksi.

Lukemattomia kertoja oli hän, maaten selällään takakäpälät

ilmassa, tahallaan ja vihoissaan ne jäykistäen, etukäpälillään
hangannut kaulaa säännöllisin ja hermostunein nykäyksin
irrottaakseen tai katkaistakseen Simpan kuristavan rautalangan. Hän
ei saanut aikaan muuta, kuin että nyki irti karvat kaulasta joka
puolelta päätä ja litisti käpäliensä kynnet, mutta rautalanka ei
lakannut vähääkään kuristamasta, ja jokaisella käpälän kosketuksella
tuntui kulkunen päästävän röyhkeän naurun tai ivallisesti yllyttävän
otteluun. Ja kettu koetti siihen tottua, mutta turhaan, ja mieletön
raivo, jota ei mikään voinut hillitä, kuristi hänen kurkkuansa ja
pingotti hänen lihaksiansa. Hänen täytyi sittenkin elää.

Hän jäi elämään.

Hän sai jokapäiväisen ravintonsa vuoroin kedon ruohoista, vuoroin

heinäsirkoista, joita hän ravisteli pensaista. Sitten tuli pikkulintujen
pesien vuoro, joita hän osui löytämään turvallisten, vehreiden
pensasaitojen suojasta ja okaisten metsäviinimarjapensaiden alta.
Toisinaan hän hotki niistä suuhunsa munat, toisinaan ahmi kitaansa
pienet linnunpoikaset, pienet punaihoiset olennot, joiden silmät
olivat ummessa ja jotka avasivat nokkansa selkiselälleen, kuullessaan
yläpuolellaan oksien kahisten jakaantuvan. Hän saattoi ylettyä aina
rastaiden pesille asti, jotka olivat rakennetut pähkinäpuiden alioksille,
hän hävitti orasvainioilla koko pesälliset peltokanan ja peltopyyn
poikasia, saattoipa kulkusensa turvissa lähestyä talojakin huomiota
herättämättä.

Hän vihasi erikoisesti muuatta Vanhan-Hallan kukkoa, vanhaa

kimeä-äänistä Kukkelikuuta, jolla oli raskaat, höyhenpeitteiset koivet
ja oli yhtä viekas kuin hänkin. Kukkelikuu oli kaikkivoipa ja
mustasukkainen pasha laajassa kanahaaremissaan, jossa sen tuloa
aavistettiin joka kerta sen lähestyessä. Kaulaansa ojentaen ja
siipiään räpäyttäen laski se ilmoille kutsuvan kieuntansa, hätäisen
merkinannon, joka varotti kanoja vaarasta ja sai ne sikinsokin
rientämään koirankoppia kohti, missä tiesivät olevansa turvassa.

Jo aikoja sitten oli Mikko Repolainen päättänyt tappaa sen.

Useampana päivänä peräkkäin hän vakoili sitä, tuli sitten eräänä
kauniina aamuna, kun jo riittävästi tunsi kukon tavat, pensasaidan
taa odottamaan.

Harja pystyssä, silmä verenkarvaisena, höyhenet taisteluvalmiina

asteli Kukkelikuu lähemmä kaakattavan lauman etunenässä. Mutta
sen käytöksessä ei ollut sitä kevyttä siroutta eikä sitä pöyhkeilevää
rohkeutta, jota siinä näki, kun se tunsi olonsa turvalliseksi;
silminnähtävästi se vainusi vaaraa. Mikko Repolainen kilahutti
kulkustansa, ja tämä kotoinen ääni rauhotti vihollista; sitten antoi
kettu, kuten vanha, kärsivällinen metsästäjä ainakin, saaliinsa
hiljalleen lähestyä, ja kun se oli hyvin lähellä eikä enää voinut
pujahtaa häneltä pakoon, teki hän sitä kohti aimo hyppäyksen, ajoi
sitä, sai sen kiinni, likisti sen rinnan leukapielensä väliin, ja ylpeänä
voitostaan, pää pystyssä, kanojen hätääntymisestä välittämättä, vei
tuo vanha veitikka saaliinsa metsään, missä hän sen kyni ja söi.
 Hän pienensi sitten helposti naapurin ällistynyttä kanalaumaa. Hän
kävi siellä niin vaihtelevin väliajoin, niin eri hetkinä päivästä, että
tämä ei yllättänyt häntä milloinkaan työssä. Ja koska hän ei ollut
Mikkoa lainkaan nähnyt eikä saanut vihiä varkaasta muuten kuin
minkä oli kuullut kulkusen kilinää eikä myöskään tiennyt Mikko
Repolaisen seikkailusta mitään, syytti hän tiukasti Pyryä kanojensa
tappajaksi, jopa uhkasi haastaa Simpan oikeuteen tai hävittää tämän
kelvottoman koiran.

Sillä välillä Mikko Repolainen lihoi, ja vaikka hänen oli pitänyt

jättää jänikset melkein kokonaan rauhaan, sai hän, Vanhan-Hallan
siipikarjan tarjotessa hänelle riittävää korvausta, uudelleen uskoa
elämään.

Yksi seikka kumminkin painosti häntä hirveästi: hänen

yksinäisyytensä.

Aina siitä illasta lähtien, jolloin hän joutui kiinni, ei hän kertaakaan
ollut tavannut ketään heimolaistaan. Hän ei voinut olla tuntematta
syvää liikutusta muistellessaan topakkaa kinastelua ja pientä
näykkimistä suurten yhteisten retkien edellä, sekä vaikean
saaliinjaon aiheuttamia ankaroita riitoja, jolloin taisteluhaluiset
paljastivat voimakkaat hammasrivinsä mustien kuonojensa takaa.

Ei mitään, ei mitään muuta kuin metsää! Näytti siltä, kuin hänen

heimonsa olisi hävinnyt hänen joutuessaan vangiksi.

Ja kumminkin tunsi hän alinomaa sen läsnäolon ympärillään. Hän

tunsi sen jäljistä, joita toiset ketut jättivät kosteille näreikköpoluille,
ruohoisille metsäaukeille tai pensaiden alaoksille. Ja varsinkin hän
sen huomasi erityisistä äänistä, jotka olivat merkkinä kahden
osakumppanin öisestä jahdista: toinen oli koira, joka päästi heikon,
kimeän, hieman käheän vingahduksen, sillävälin kun toinen asettui
sille paikalle, mistä haukunnan mukaan saattoi otaksua jäniksen
kulkevan, ja missä sitten otusta ajamatta sieppaisi sen suuhunsa.

Nuo retket tunsi hän kaikki ja erehtyi harvoin niiden suunnasta.

Olipa hän itse, kerran kun nälkä häntä vähän hätyytti, uskaltanut
asettua väijyksiin ja nipistää kuoliaaksi erään pitkäkorvaisen otuksen,
jota Pyry ajoi. Mutta hän ei ollut sitä milloinkaan tehnyt uudelleen,
sillä tuo hurtta, joka oli yhtä viekas kuin hän, oli, aavistaen varkaan
kepposen, hetkeäkään hukkaamatta uudella innolla lähtenyt häntä
takaa ajamaan. Koska painava saalis hidastutti hänen kulkuansa, olisi
hän auttamatta joutunut kiinni, jollei olisi ollut kyllin viisas
jättääkseen viholliselleen tämän ryöstösaaliin, josta hänelle olisi
tullut sangen runsas ateria. Epäilemättä oli Pyry löytänyt jäniksen
jyrkästä rotkosta, johon hän oli sen jättänyt, ja karvajätteet ja
veritahrat kivillä puhuivat kylliksi siitä runsaasta suupalasta, jolla
tämä oli mielihyvin itsensä ravinnut.

Mikko Repolainen aikoi luonnollisesti käyttää hyväkseen

heimolaistensa metsästystä, mutta onnistui siinä vain harvoin, sillä
joskin kulkunen jätti aina takaa-ajajan pitkän matkan päähän
väijyksiin, sattui myöskin sangen usein, että Mikko karkotti jäniksen,
jonka korva oli herkkä kaikille metsän äänille. Mutta tällaisten
tilaisuuksien tarjoutuessa koetti hän hartaasti tavata toisia kettuja
saadakseen heidät ymmärtämään, että hän ei ollut heidän
vihollisensa, — turha vaiva, erakko ei saanut luokseen vauhkoja
veljiään eikä päässyt heidän pariinsa; hänen kutsuihinsa vastasi vain
kaiku, joka ikäänkuin pilkaten kertasi hänen valittelevan
ulvahduksensa.
 Eräänä iltana hän kuuli entisen metsästystoverinsa äänen. Toveri
oli nyt liittynyt toiseen, epäilemättä kilpailijaan, ja hän tuli siitä
surulliseksi, sillä hän tunsi joutuneensa ulkopuolelle rotuaan ja
olevansa kuin kuollut muilta ketuilta.

Kuinka monta kertaa hän olikaan yrittänyt, vieläpä ilman

saaliinhimoa, lähestyä niitä, jotka olivat saaliinajossa! Mutta heti kun
hän lähestyi, tuntui jahtijoukko häipyvän pois, kaikki kävi jälleen
hiljaiseksi: kulkunen teki kaikki hänen ympärillään salamyhkäiseksi ja
autioksi.

VII.

Tuli sitten kiiman aika.

Kiimaisten naaraskettujen jäljillä vainusi Mikko Repolainen

hekumallisia tuoksuja, jotka saivat hänen leukapielensä
vavahtelemaan ja verensä kiehumaan. Koko hänen olentonsa värisi
silloin sitä suurta rohkeutta, jota tarvittiin häätaisteluihin, jotka
olivatkin vain häiden korkein muoto. Ja hän oli näkevinään
haavoitettujen, häpeillään olevien ja voitettujen kilpakosijain edessä
hennon naaraan alttiina voittajan haluille.

Voi noita tappeluita metsien pimennossa, noita hurjia otteluita,

jolloin hampaat iskettiin toisen turkkiin ja veri sai vuotaa, noita
meluisia kaksintaisteluita, joiden päätyttyä voittaja, hänkin
haavoitettuna ja verta vuotavana, nautti voitostaan, sillävälin kun
voitetut, vieläkin uhmailevina, etäämpää näyttivät hampaitaan tai
kiertelivät levottomina ja nurpeilla mielin yhteenliittynyttä paria!
 Mikko Repolainen oli noita voimakkaita. Hän oli usein jäänyt
voittajaksi näissä öisissä turnajaisissa ja saavuttamattoman
päämäärän raivostuttamana seurasi hän nyt noita moninkertaisia
jälkiä, joissa kilpakosijain askeleet peittyivät lemmittyjen jalan jälkiin.
Mutta päämäärä häipyi saavuttamattomiin, sillä kirottu kulkunen,
joka ilmotti asiaankuulumattoman olevan lähellä, sai kilpailijat vaaran
uhatessa sopimaan ja rakastavaiset ryhmät pötkimään pakoon.

Ja hän juoksi kaiket yöt, hylkäsi yhdet jäljet lähteäkseen

seuraamaan toisia, mielessään aina se pettävä toivo, että hänen
kutsu-ulvahtelunsa, joita hän lakkaamatta lähetti naaraalle,
riittäisivät estämään tätä pakenemasta lähestyvää kulkusen kilinää.

Hän joutui epätoivoon. Hän ei muistanut enää käydä varastamassa

kanoja eikä juomassa lähteestä. Rakkauskuume uuvutti häntä ja
mielettömän raivon vallassa heittäytyi hän, kuten ensimäisinä
vapaina päivinään, maahan selälleen yrittäen rajuin tempauksin
katkaista rautaa, joka hänen elämässään oli häviämättömänä
merkkinä ihmisten julmuudesta.

Turha vaiva.

Eräänä iltana hän kumminkin muutti menettelytapaansa. Hän oli

juuri astunut yli kiimaisen naaraan ihka vereksien jälkien ja päätti,
maksoi mitä maksoi, saada sen kiinni, keskittäen tähän päämäärään
kiihkoisen koiraan täyden tarmon.

Mutta kulkunen oli saatava vaikenemaan. Onnistuakseen siinä

päätti hän kulkea hitaasti ja notkeasti läpi oksien sekasortoisten
sokkelojen, niin että pää ja kaula pysyisivät niin täsmällisen jäykkinä
kuin suinkin. Hän läksi siis naaraan jälille, koko ruumis äärimmäisen
jännittyneenä, jalat koukussa, pää puolittain alasvaipuneena.
 Mahdollisimman varovaisesti kulki hän eteenpäin, alistaen
vaistomaiset mielenliikutukset halunsa ja tahtonsa alaisiksi. Kun
hänen tielleen sattui polku tai oja, pakottautui hän kulkemaan
hitaasti sen poikki, vaikkakin jokin hänen olentonsa sisimmässä
hänen tietämättään jo koukisti säärilihaksia, jotta hän yhdellä
harppauksella pääsisi sen poikki tai saisi vaivatta siepatuksi saaliin,
jonka nopeata pakoa hänen silmänsä tahtomattaan seurasivat.

Hän milloin kulki oksien päällitse, milloin mateli pensasryhmien

tyvioksien alitse, toisinaan kynsien kärjille kohoten, väliin taas
painautuen notkeiden polvitaipeiden nojaan. Hän kulki hitaasti,
tuskaisessa jännityksessä, hänen päätään pyörrytti ja sydän löi
rajusti; ja mikäli hän läheni päämäärää, sitä selvemmin tunsi hän
hekumallisen hajun huumaavan aistinsa, ja silloin piti hän silmällä
pienintäkin kaulan liikettä, vähäisintäkin kulkusen värähdystä.

Hän pääsi perille.

Keskellä häikäisevää kuunvaloa tappeli jo kaksi koirasta naaraasta,

joka katseli heitä. Hampaat iskeytyivät vastustajan nahkaan, samalla
kun kuului hillittyä murinaa, kangistuneet käpälät ojentuivat
suonenvedontapaisesti toisen selkää ja raajoja vastaan, veripisaroita
putoeli ja silmät kiiluivat verenhimoisina.

Kiertäen kaaressa kilpakosijoita kuun valaisemalla, ahtaalla,

turvepeitteisellä sysihaudalla, katseli naaras heitä rauhallisena, silmät
puoleksi ummessa, häntä edestakaisin häälyen kuin naisen puvun
laahustin.

Hän osui Mikko Repolaisen eteen, sai hänestä vihiä ja läheni

häntä, ja tämä, rohkaistuna, kiihottuneena, muistamatta että kaula
oli pidettävä jäykkänä, välittämättä noista tappelevista, mitään
kuulematta ja mitään näkemättä, yritteli lemmenkohtauksen
alkuhyväilyjä.

Mutta juuri kun hän yritti naaraan päälle kohottaen eturuumista

nopein liikkein, kuului yön hiljaisuudessa kulkusen kilahdus, ja kaikki,
sekä tappelijat että naaras, syöksyivät ikäänkuin näkymättömien
jousien ponnahuttamina pakoon niin tuimaa ja rajua vauhtia, että
ennenkuin Mikko Repolainen ehti nähdäkään heidän katoavan, seisoi
hän yksin tyrmistyneenä kuun valaisemalla autiolla paikalla.

Silloin erakkoparka alkoi purra kuin hillittömän raivon vallassa kuun

valaisemaa nurmea, ja ulvoa, ulvoa epätoivoisesti, antaen ilkeän
kulkusen soida hurjasti, kilistä kylläkseen. Ja sillävälin kuu irvistellen
tanssitti puiden varjoja hänen ympärillään, ja yölinnut, joiden
huomiota tämä outo kohtaus herätti, lentelivät salamyhkäisinä ja
kolkon äänettöminä milloin yhteen, milloin erilleen hänen yllään.

Valkeneva päivä yllätti hänet siinä tilassa, ja vaaroineen, joita se

mukanaan toi, vetosi se ketun itsensäsäilyttämisvaistoon. Nyt, kun
elämänhalu oli uudelleen herännyt hänessä kuten toipuvassa
sairaassa ankaran taudinkäänteen jälkeen, tunsi hän olemassaolon
kaikkien ongelmoiden painavan itseään, ja selvittääkseen ne oikealla
ajallaan kätkeytyi hän aluksi tiheään viidakkoon keskelle metsää,
missä hän vaipui sellaiseen unenhorrokseen, joka on vainotulle ja
levottomalle olennolle ominainen.

Ja näin kului pitkiä päiviä. Metsäelämä, joka niin täydellisesti

vastasi hänen vaistojansa, hymyili hänelle uudelleen. Pitäessään
huolta jokapäiväisestä ravinnostaan hän melkein sai takaisin entisen
halunsa risteillä metsissä ja tyytyi siihen tuskansekaiseen nautintoon,
siihen katkeraan hekumaan, että kuunteli etäältä kuin kadotetun
paratiisin juhlavirttä heimolaistensa elämää, josta öiset jahdit hänelle
useita kertoja muistuttivat.

Elokuun painostava helle pakotti hänen hämärissä kulkemaan

teiden varsilla oleville niityille, missä hän uskoi varmasti tapaavansa
umpisilmäisiä myyriä, jotka maanpinnalta hakivat apua
tukahduttavaa kuumuutta vastaan ja harhailivat keskellä vereksiä
ävärniitoksia, joutuen kuoleman uhriksi ainoastaan sentähden, että
olivat lähteneet liikkeelle alkuperäisiltä olinpaikoiltaan kuivuneen
myyränmättään alta.

Siinä oli ketulla taattu avunlähde, sillä vaikkapa hän ei olisi

löytänytkään enää elävinä myyriä, jotka viheliäisinä harhailivat
kaksinkertaisen taakan, turvattomuutensa sekä sen hädän
painamana, joka heidät ajoi pakoon sulatusuunin kuumuutta
hehkuvasta maa-asunnostaan, tiesi hän ne varmasti löytävänsä
kuolleina pitkin teiden varsia. Sillä kun myyrä kerta lähtee
sokkeloisesta asunnostaan, ei se sinne palaa enää milloinkaan, vaan
hukkuu ensimäisen ja viimeisen erehdyksensä uhrina.

Saapuipa sitten hiljalleen hedelmärikkauksineen syksy, joka olisi

tehnyt hänen elämänsä erittäin rauhalliseksi, jolleivät
jahtikoiraparvet, jotka rajua melua pitäen risteilivät joka puolella
hänen asuntoaan, olisi liian paljon hänelle muistuttaneet sekä
Simppaa että Pyryä, sekä hänen vankeuttaan että yksinäisyyttään.

Koska hän oli käynyt tavallistaankin varovaisemmaksi, uskalsi hän

nyt hautaantua kaksikäytäväiseen maakoloon vasta sitten, kun oli
taitavia mutkia tehden haihduttanut jäliltään epäiltävimmätkin
vainuavat hurtat.
 Kaikesta huolimatta tuntui elämä hänestä huokealta, eikä tuo
hetkenlapsi ajatellut vähintäkään lähestyvää talvea, jonka pikaista ja
tuimaa tuloa ilmaisivat sekä sepelkyyhkyjen ennenaikainen muutto
että hänen turkkinsa äkillinen karvanlähtö.

VIII.

Talvi tuli äkkiä, niinkuin usein sattuu vuoristossa, heti lokakuun

loppu- ja marraskuun alkupäivien kylmien vihmasateiden jälkeen.
Joitakin punaisia marjoja näkyi vielä kiiltävän pensasaitojen
marjapensaissa, joitakin sinipunervia oratuomen marjoja, joiden
kuoren ensimäinen halla oli käpertänyt kokoon, riippui vielä varsissa,
sittenkun pakkanen oli karistanut pois kolme neljäsosaa. Sitten
putosi eräänä kauniina aamuna, jolloin tuuli tuntui rauenneen,
ensimäinen lumi kuin varkain, pehmeänä, leppeänä, ääneti, tuulen
tuntumatta, kestävän rauhallisena kuin kunnon työmies, jota ei
mikään pidätä, ei mikään hoputa, ja joka tietää, että hänellä on
hyvää aikaa.

Kaksi päivää ja kaksi yötä satoi herkeämättä lunta, joka pyyhkäisi

kukkulat sileiksi, täytti laaksot, tasotti kaikki möyheän peitteensä
alle, jota ei mikään voinut nostaa pois. Ja koko aikana, minkä lunta
satoi, ei metsän eläimistä eikä talvilinnuista yksikään hievahtanut
huolellisesti valitsemaltaan tyyssijalta.

Mikko Repolainen (hän vältti nykyään luolia) oli kuten muutkin,

kyyristyneenä tiheän pähkinäpuuryhmän alimpien oksien suojaan,
hautautunut käärinliinaan, joka itsestään laskostui hänen ympärilleen
ja muodosti hänen kokoonkyyristyneen ruumiinsa mukaisen ahtaan
asunnon, sievän ja ohutseinäisen vankikopin, jonka hauraat seinät
hän kyllä hetken tullen osaisi särkeä. Tässä vankilassa oli hänen
lämmin, sillä hänen turkkinsa oli tiheä, ja holvinmuotoinen
lumikerros, joka peitti hänen köyryisen selkänsä, suojeli häntä
kerrassaan kylmältä ulkoilmalta.

Kun hän arveli lumisateen tauonneen, raivasi hän itselleen

keskipäivän aikaan kapean uloskäytävän ja lähti etsimään
jokapäiväistä ravintoa huolellisesti välttäen sen lumiluolan
särkemistä, jonka luonto oli hänen ruumiinsa mukaiseksi muovaillut.

Oli taas käsissä huonot ajat. Mikko Repolainen tunsi sen hyvin ja
sitä selvemmin, kun tuo riivattu kulkunen, jota hänen pakosta täytyi
joka askeleella heläyttää, saattoi hänet metsästysretkillä, etenkin
jänisjahdissa, auttamattomasti alakynteen.

Hän tiesi kyllä, että jos jänis loikkasi hänen edellään, joutui se
auttamattomasti hänen kynsiinsä, sillä pehmeän lumen aikana eivät
nuo onnettomat pitkäkorvat kykene nopeudessa kilpailemaan
kettujen ja koirien kanssa. Mutta ne eivät ole lainkaan tästä
huonommuudestaan tietämättömiä, ja heti kun kuuluu kulkusen täi
askeleen outo ääni, ovat ne kyllin varovaisia pysytelläkseen liikkeellä
tarpeellisen välimatkan päässä. Kettu on siis niiden mielestä
enemmän kuin epäluuloa herättävä.

Silloin alkoi hän uudelleen retkeillä metsissä loppumattomiin, kuopi

pitkät ajat metsäomenapuiden juurella, kokoili kärsivällisesti
lumitaakkansa varistaneista pensaista jälellejääneitä tähteitä, jotka
vain puoleksi ravitsivat hänen liiankin usein tyhjän vatsansa.

Hän vietti jälleen päiviä ilman ravintoa, piti jänisten kulkupaikoilla

vahtia ja väijyi varovaisena kylän ja talojen lähistöillä, mielessään se
epämääräinen toive, että saisi siepatuksi jonkun siipiotuksen tai
kuristetuksi kuoliaaksi jonkun kissan.
 Ja tällaista kesti aina joulukuun alkupäiville saakka.

Mutta siitälähtien lisääntyi kylmyys kaksinverroin. Purevat

pohjatuulet alkoivat puhaltaa ja lumi, joka pakkasen käsissä oli
muodostunut hienon hienoiksi kristallihelyiksi, tunkihe kaikkialle,
täyttäen syvimmätkin laaksot, imeytyen tiheimpiinkin sokkeloihin ja
muodostaen oikeita valkoisia särkkiä, nietoksia, jotka tuulen ajamina
herkästi siirtyivät paikoiltaan.

Hänen pesänsä pysyi kuitenkin vahingoittumatonna; olipa se

lujettunutkin, ja hän viihtyi siellä entistä paremmin, sillä hänen
ruumiinsa lämpö oli ylt'ympäri sulattanut hänelle lumesta leppoisen
vuoteen, joka sitten pakkasen jäädyttämänä muodosti jonkinlaisen
kovemman pinnan, jääholvin, joka helposti kannatti muutoin
vaihtelevaa lumenpainoa hänen yläpuolellaan.

Kaikki pensaat olivat tyyten paljaat, linnut liikuskelivat kylien

lähistöillä, jänikset olivat näkymättömissä. Ei ollut enää mitään, ei
mitään, ja miettiväisenä, epäröiden, mielessä vielä entinen
seikkailunsa, alkoi kettu uudelleen kulkuesensa turvin käyttää
hyväkseen kotieläinten luottamusta.

Mutta siinä hänellä oli huono onni. Joka yö hiipi hän huomiota
herättämättä asuntojen lähelle, karkottaen pois toiset nälkäiset
ketut, jotka siellä jo maleksivat eivätkä olleet hänen laillaan
odottaneet, kunnes äärimmäinen nälkä heidät pakotti haeskelemaan
satunnaista syötävää.

Mutta ei yksikään eläin aikonutkaan lähteä navetan lämpimiltä

pahnoilta eikä lieden ääreltä, missä kissat viluisina istua kyyröttivät
kivikiukaalla tai lämpimällä pankolla, milloin eivät olleet vilja-aitoissa
tai asuinhuoneiden sillanra'oista väijymässä laihoja hiiriä, jotka,
nälissään nekin, uudelleen olivat tulleet asustamaan taloihin.

Aika-ajoin jahtikoiran vihainen haukunta muistutti hänelle, että

hän oli joutunut liian lähelle, että hänestä oli saatu vihiä ja että
hänen piti kiireimmiten luikkia tiehensä. Ei hän koskaan tuonut näiltä
öisiltä retkiltään mitään mukanaan. Ei ollut näkynyt edes raatoja,
joita ennen oli usein löytänyt ja niillä tyydyttänyt nälkäistä vatsaa;
pahimmassakin tapauksessa niistä saattoi, pitkiä väliaikoja pitäen,
käydä sieppaamassa palan ja heti pötkiä pakoon; kylän eläimet
välttivät itsepäisesti tuhoaan. Mikko Repolainen kuleksi kaikesta
huolimatta talojen lähistöllä. Kumminkin vältti hän huolellisesti
Simpan asuntoa, ja vaikka ajatukset olivat sekaisin ja vatsa tyhjänä,
livisti hän nopeammin tiehensä sinä yönä, jolloin kuuli Pyryn äänen
vastaavan jonkun metsästystoverin nalkutukseen — merkki siitä, että
metsän asukas oli lähellä.

Mutta ketulla ei vieläkään ollut mitään syötävää, ja päivät kuluivat

eikä pakkanen hellittänyt, ja entistä ankarampi nälkä uuvutti ja
kalvoi metsän eläjiä.

Ja Mikko Repolainen oli nyt laihtunut pelkäksi luurangoksi, oli

käynyt surkeamman näköiseksi kuin taannoisen vankeutensa
jälkeen. Hän oli enää vain varjo entisestään, kuumeen kuluttama, ja
vaappui kuoleman ja hulluudenhan välillä. Hän oli saanut tavakseen
kuljeksia kylän ympäristöllä, jonne hän huomaamatta hiipi aina
määrätyllä hetkellä, tietämättä miksi. Ei hän väitellyt enää koiria,
eipä edes Simpan asuntoa, ei toivonut mitään löytävänsä, eipä edes
hakenutkaan mitään syötävää. Kaulassa kilisevä kulkunen oli hänet
vähitellen tappanut. Hän oli nyt valmis viimeiseen ja äärimmäiseen
koetukseen.
IX.

Joulukuun kahdeskymmenesneljäs päivä oli yhtä pitkää hämärää.

Aurinkoa ei näkynyt; ainoastaan puolipäivän tienoossa olivat pitkät,
lyijynharmaat pilvenkaistat osottaneet sen kulkua taivaanrannalla
mustien pilvien takana, jotka levittivät synkän katoksensa aution ja
kolkon seudun ylitse.

Tuontuostakin kuului hätäilevä korpin rääyntä tai harakan nauru

pihlajasta, jonka viimeiset punaiset marjat olivat loppumaisillaan.
Nämä äänet häiritsivät tuokioittain hiljaisuutta ja siinä kaikki.

Ainoastaan uinuksissa oleva kylä, jonka yläpuolella liikkumattomat

savupilvet riippuivat kolkon peitteen tavoin, ikäänkuin näiden
olkikattoisten asuntojen kuumeisena hengityksenä, oli yksinään
näyttänyt muita elonmerkkejä aamunkoitteessa ja hämärän tullen.
Silloin syöksyi likaantunut karja navettain ovista iloisessa innossa
määräajoin ammuen ja juottopaikkaa kohti rynnistäen.

Ja kumminkin oli koko kylänväki valveilla ja liikkeessä: olihan

juhla-aatto. Vanhoissa romaanilaiskeittiöissä, missä lieden
karkeatekoinen tukipylväs ja savustanut, puoliympyrän muotoinen
kaareva katos tukivat kahta laajaa lavaa, jossa palvattiin
silavaviipaleita ja kinkkuja suloisessa katajantuoksussa, siellä oli
tavallista vilkkaampaa liikettä.

Jouluaaton viettoa ja huomispäivän juhlaa varten olivat emännät

leiponeet ja paistaneet kaksi uunillista leipiä ja vehnäsiä, joiden
lämmin tuoksu täytti koko talon. Unohtaen leikkinsä ja riitansa olivat
lapset riemuhuudahduksin katselleet kaikkia valmistuksia ja meluten
lukeneet näitä herkkuja, odottaen kärsimättömästi sitä ikävöityä
hetkeä, jolloin niistä saisivat nauttia. Ja paljon oli uunista tullut esille
hyvää: oli luumuja, joita siellä oli kuivattu ristikoilla leipien
paistuttua, oli marenkeja, joille oli ripoteltu monenvärisiä
pikkumakeisia, ja kellarissa säilytettyjä omenia, jotka levittivät
hienoa, eetterimäistä tuoksua.

Illallinen oli ollut yltäkylläinen, hilpeä mieliala oli vallinnut aterialla,

ja tavanmukaisesti oli koko iloinen talonväki mennyt kirkkoon
jumalanpalvelukseen, keltaisten lyhtyjen liehuessa yön pimeydessä,
ja tullut sieltä takaisin kotia, missä kokoontuivat lämpimään
kakluunihuoneeseen viettämään jouluaattojuhlaa.

Oli syöty ja juotu, oli laulettu ja naurettu, ja isoäiti oli alkanut,

kuten ainakin, vapisevalla, hiukan salaperäisellä ja ikäänkuin kaukaa
kajaavalla äänellään perinnäistarinan:

"Se mitä kerron, tapahtui pitkiä, pitkiä aikoja sitten, kerran

keskiyöllä jumalanpalveluksen jälkeen, jolloin maa, jota nyt
viljelemme, kuului kokonaan ylhäisille herroille ja meidän
isovanhempaimme isovanhemmat olivat heidän palvelijoinaan.

"Ennen jumalanpalvelusta tuli eräs mies, jota ei kukaan ollut

milloinkaan nähnyt, tapaamaan sen linnan kreiviä, jonka rauniot te
tunnette. Hän kertoi, että sudenluolan perällä oli nähty metsäsikoja
ja että nyt, kun oli kirkas kuunvalo, voitaisiin niitä helposti
pyydystää. Intohimoinen metsästäjä kun oli, käski kreivi, unohtaen
velvollisuutensa, heti valjastaa hevoset itselleen ja palvelijoilleen ja
ottaa koirat mukaan. Mutta hänen hurskas vaimonsa itki ja rukoili
häntä niin kauan, kunnes hän vihdoin suostui kirkonkellojen
kaikuessa lähtemään kirkkoon, missä hän istuutui punaiseen,
kullatulla valtaistuinkatoksella varustettuun nojatuoliin, joka siellä oli
heille varattu.
 "Virrenveisuu oli jo alkanut, mutta katumusta ilmaiseva ryppy
näkyi kreivin otsalla, kun tuo outo, salaperäinen vieras astui kirkkoon
ristinmerkkiä tekemättä, tuli uudelleen tapaamaan kreiviä ja puhui
hiljaa hänen korvaansa.

"Miesparka ei enää kyennyt vastustamaan mielitekoaan, vaan

lähti, huolimatta vaimonsa rukoilevista katseista, palvelijat
mukanaan. Pian kuului etäältä jahtikoiraparven haukuntaa ja koko
jumalanpalveluksen ajan kuului kuin herjauksena ulvonnan säestämä
otuksenjahti. Ja kaikilla oli kyyneleet silmissä, ja kaikki rukoilivat
hartaasti.

"Tätä kesti koko yön, sitten äkkiä kävi kaikki hiljaiseksi. Mutta
armollista herraa ei enää näkynyt linnassa; hän katosi jäljettömiin
kirottuine koiraparvineen ja palvelijoineen, ja hän saa helvetissä
kalliisti maksaa tuon kirkonhäväistyksen. Siksi Jumala on tuominnut
hänen joka sadas vuosi jouluyönä metsästämään koirineen läpi yön.
Onneton kreivitär kuoli luostarissa; ja tuota tuntematonta miestä,
joka oli vietellyt hänen puolisonsa mukaansa, häntä ei kukaan enää
milloinkaan nähnyt, ja jokainen tietysti ajatteli, että se oli itse
paholainen.

"Meidän äitimme ei kuullut tuota metsästystä, mutta hänen

isoäitinsä kuuli sen. Silloin oli ilta, kuten nytkin, kolkko keskiyön
hetki, ja…"

Samassa kuului kaamea ulvonta, surullisen pitkä kuolon-ulvonta,

joka kulki kuin kauhunhuuto läpi kylän, ja tähän vastasivat heti kaikki
kylän ja ympäristön talojen koirat kuin johonkin taikamerkkiin
kolkolla ja pitkällä ulvonnalla. Tuo melu paisui uhkaavaksi ja häipyi
kuin nyyhkytys. Juuri kun se oli loppunut, alkoi se uudelleen — tai
oikeammin: se ei loppunutkaan, se hiljeni tuskallisissa
sävelvaihteluissa ja jatkui pöyristyttävänä, epätoivoisen
yksitoikkoisessa tahdissa.

"Rukoilkaamme, lapseni", sanoi vanhus, "rukoilkaamme kreivin

sielun puolesta!"

Kaikki kylän asukkaat olivat valveilla. Miehet olivat ottaneet

seinältä naulasta vanhan pyssyn, jonka piippua he huolellisesti
tarkastelivat, ja heidän hämmästyneissä kasvonilmeissään, joihin
järkeilevä ajanhenki ehkä jo oli leimansa painanut, näkyi merkkiä
entisen taikauskon kauhuista.

Naiset ja lapset kokoontuivat ääneti lieden ympärille, etsien sen

valossa ja lämpimässä turvaa tuntematonta vaaraa vastaan, jonka he
luulivat olevan uhkaamassa. Mutta enemmän kuin kukaan muu, koki
Simppa tänä yönä pelon kauhua.

Tuon vanhan salametsästäjän oven edessä, miehen, joka ei

pelännyt Jumalaa eikä perkelettä, oli ensimäinen ulvonta alkanut.
Sieltäpitäen tämän suuren, kolkon näytelmän pääosan esittäjä johti
näkymätöntä jahtikoiraparvea. Simppa oli työntänyt oven kohdalle
suuren tammisen astiakaapin, jonka takana Pyry, häntä koipien
välissä, karvat pystyssä, ulvoi epätoivoisena. Koko yön valvoi
Simppa, ladattu pyssy kädessä, valmiina laukaisemaan. Tuntia ennen
aamunkoittoa kolkko ulvonta vaikeni.

Päivänvalon ja hiljaisuuden rauhottamana nosti salametsästäjä

paikoilleen raskaan huonekalun, joka sulki hänen asuntonsa
sisäänkäytävän, ja avasi varovaisesti oven ra'olleen.

Katse tylsänä, raajat kuolon jäykistäminä ja pakkasen

palelluttamina, iho puoleksi paljaana, makasi siinä hänen edessään
Mikko Repolainen kuolleena, hyppyyn kyyristyneen kissan
asennossa, luurangoksi laihtuneena, kohtalokas kulkunen
kaulassaan.

Pyry meni sitä pelokkaana haistelemaan ja vetäytyi puhisten sen

luota takaisin.

Ajatukset sekavina, polvet herpautuneina, palasi Simppa

huoneeseensa, otti lapion ja säkin, johon pisti onnettoman uhrinsa
ruumiin ja lähti metsään, koira mukanaan.

Hän kaivoi siellä lumeen syvän kuopan, laski siihen ketun ruumiin,
ja loi sen huolellisesti umpeen.

Ja hän palasi sieltä kotiinsa selkä kumarassa, katse arkana ja

pelokkaana. Vaan Pyry, jolla ei kuten isännällään ollut aihetta
vakaviin mietteihin, laski ennen lähtöä käpälänsä ylenkatseellisen ja
järkevän tyynen näköisenä sille harmaalle lumen- ja mullansekaiselle
kummulle, jonka alla Mikko Repolainen nukkui viimeistä untansa.
MAAN ALLA.

Myyränmättään monikupuisen, multaisen katoksen kattamassa

keskisuojassa heräsi Umpisilmä pitkästä talviunestaan, johon hän oli
vaipunut harhailtuaan pitkät ajat yksin kylmissä käytävissään.

Lämmin hyväili hänen ihoansa, savinen maa oli pehmoista, ja

hermoissa väreilevä ilontunne sai hänen laihtuneen ruumiinsa
virkoamaan puolihorroksista antaen hänen aavistaa, että
säännöllinen elämä, joka oli pitkät ajat ollut keskeytyneenä, oli
tämän lämmön kera alkava uudelleen.

Siitä oli kauan, kun hän turhaan oli tutkinut metsästysalueensa

pitkiä käytäviä. Ainoastaan sangen harvoin oli hän löytänyt
vähäpätöisen saaliin, hyönteisen tai madon, jonka hän heti ahmasi
kitaansa, milloin ei kohdannut voimakasta vastustajaa, jonka kanssa
oli taisteltava ennenkuin sai rauhassa saalistaan nauttia.

Hänen viimeinen suuri ottelunsa oli muistista häipymäisillään:

pitkä, pitkä käärme pakeni sihisten hänen käytäviinsä, ja hän oli tällä
ahtaalla alalla helposti saanut kiinni matelijan, joka ei kovinkaan
nopeasti päässyt eteenpäin. Hän oli tarttunut sitä pyrstöstä kiinni ja
kiipesi sen kylmälle ja pitkän pitkälle selälle. Ennenkuin tuo toinen oli
edes ehtinyt kääntyä, oli hän voimakkailla etukäpälillään palotellut
sen kahdeksi eripitkäksi kappaleeksi, huolimatta elävän hurjista,
ruoskantapaisista kiemurteluista.

Tämän voittosaaliin hienonmakuinen ja rasvainen liha ravitsi hänet

pitkäksi aikaa. Sitten seurasi pitkiä unia; sitten oli hänen ravintonaan
pienet pakkasta pakoilevat hyönteiset, sammakot ja rotat; sitten ei
mitään.

Siitä lähtien alkoivat unet kestää kauemmin, saaliinhaku ei ottanut

päättyäkseen, ja kun pikku myyrä vihdoin huomasi käytävissään
syntyneen vieremiä, ei hän enää siekaillut, tuntiessaan ponnistukset
turhiksi, vaan läksi kulettamaan keskikäytävään multaa tiensä
tukkeeksi.

Mutta nyt, kun veres lämpö sai hänen karvansa kiiltämään, tunsi
Umpisilmä ympärillään kemiallisten ainevaihdosten ihmetöiden,
juurien hengityksen ja liikkeessä olevien nesteiden värisyttävästi
itseensä vaikuttavan.

Käytävien korjaustyö piti vireillä hänen elpynyttä toimintahaluansa.

Yläpuolella riippui pitkiä, valkoisia juuria kuin pystysuoraan
pingotettuja köysiä, toisia pisti alhaalta esiin, joka päivä työntyi uusia
näkyviin. Ja hän kulki alati kuin ahkera työmies, kuin metsänvartija,
joka kevään tullen karsii metsänrajat selviksi, katkomassa
etukäpälillään, noilla tuhoisilla pikku sahoilla, tätä paisuvaa, vaaleaa
juuriverkkoa.

Hänen asuntonsa lämpö lisääntyi asteittain, ja yhä

voimakkaampana tunsi Umpisilmä elämän ympärillään virtaavan.
Päihdyttävien nesteiden tuoksu huumasi hänet kuin nuori viini,
synnyttäen painostavan juopumustilan, sata kertaa valtavamman
sitä, joka kevätpäivinä, hentojen silmikkojen puihin puhjetessa, saa
kiimaiset hirvet lemmenkuumeessa kiljumaan.

Hyönteisiä ilmestyi uudelleen; madot, jotka olivat kulkeneet

syvimmä kasvikerroksiin ja nyt jälleen matelivat tuoresta vehreyttä
kohti, eksyivät hänen käytäviinsä, ja Umpisilmä ahmi suuhunsa
kaikki mitä retkeilyllään sattui löytämään, siten korvatakseen talven
pitkät paastot.

Nyt oli yltäkylläisten juhla-ateriain, alituisten pitojen aikaa. Nyt

hänen rauenneet voimansa palasivat uudelleen, hänen elimistönsä
kehittyi nopeasti. Kuohuvat, päihdyttävät nesteet kiihdyttivät kilpaa
yltäkylläisen ravinnon kera koko hänen olentonsa kuumeiseen
haltioitumistilaan, joka eläinten elämässä aina käy suurten
käänteiden edellä.

Hänen aikansa kului saaliinajoon ja nukkumiseen, ja hänen unensa

yltyivät aina edellistään levottomammiksi.

Tänään oli hän saalista hakiessaan huolellisesti karsinut

mutkittelevat, holvimaiset käytävänsä puhtaiksi juolaheinien silkeistä
juurista. Hän kulki jälleen keskikäytävään, ja siellä hän vaipui
kuopitulle mullalle keskelle savisia pylväikköjä kuin
valtaistuinkatoksen alle uinumaan sitä eläinten puoliunta, jota vaanii
epämääräinen pelko tai jonka rauhaa salaa jäytää aavistus
onnettomuudesta tai tyydyttämätön tarve.

*****

Hän nukkuu. Hänen sametinhienot kylkensä vavahtavat äkkiä

rajusti. Mikähän painajainen ahdistaa tuota pientä eläintä? Loriseeko
tulvavesi käytävissä ja tunkeeko se siihen sokkeloon, jossa hän
lepää? Onko hänellä edessä jättiläistaistelu sihisevää käärmettä
vastaan, pettääkö hänen tarmonsa ja joutuuko hän vapisten
vihollisen haltuun?

Ei, tämä on maanalaista, melkein kuulumatonta raapimista, kuin

outoa gong'in [gong on sointuva metallilaatta, johon lyödään
rumpukapulan tapaisella puikolla] ääntä. Se täyttää hänen mielensä
kauhunmuistoilla ja saa siinä syntymään entisen mielettömän, jo
vaimentuneen pelontunteen. Vapisten kääntyy hän ympäri.

Tulvan uhkaamana vuorikaivoksessa hyökkäävät työmiehet,

kuullessaan hälyytyshuudon "pelastukoon ken voi" mielettöminä,
sekasortoisissa laumoissa pelastusta kohti. Samoin sai pikku myyrän
levottomassa, kauhunmuistojen täyttämässä ja itsetiedotonta
elinvoimaa uhkuvassa olennossa tuo kamala vaara: koiras tulee!
hälyytyshuudon voimalla kaiken tarmon kiteytymään yhdeksi
ainoaksi ajatukseksi, puistattaen voimakkaasti pientä olentoa. Koiras!

Koiras, jonka hyväily kirvelee kuin haava, jonka syleily on

kidutusta, jonka odotus on tuskaa! Koiras, joka raiskaa niinkuin
murhamies tappaa, koiras, jolle hän on jo antautunut ja jota pitää
paeta, paeta kuin kuolemaa!

Hän kuuntelee. Se se on, epäilemättä; ääni on varmasti sen

käpälien, jotka tonkivat, kaivavat ja lähenevät.

Siellä on koiras tai useampia koiraita, sillä ehkäpä etempänä,

joissakin metsän maanalaisissa sokkeloissa, mihin hänen
aistimuksensa ei ulotu, on vielä toisia tulossa häntä kohti, ja niiden
hirveän tuskalliseen hääsyleilyyn täytyy alistua.
 Pakoon! pakoon! Mutta mihin? Valo on kuolemaa. Pikku myyrä
muistaa, että hän päätti eräänä iltana viime vuonna lähteä hehkuvan
kuumista käytävistään ja kiivetä kasteen kostuttamien,
tuoretuoksuisten heinäniitosten sekaan etsimään apua
kärsimyksiinsä.

Mutkaisen käytävän suussa, jossa hänen eteensä ilmaantui suuren

punaisen auringon valaisema avara iltamaisema, sulkeutuivat hänen
heikot, valon sokaisemat silmäparkansa äkkiä, ja hän jäi siihen
pitkäksi aikaa puolikuolleena, umpisokeana.

Kun hämärä hyväätekevänä kostutti hänen pimeyteen tottuneita

silmiänsä, ja kun hän pääsi takaisin maanalaiseen asuntoonsa, lupasi
hän itselleen lujasti, ettei enää koskaan lähtisi seikkailemaan oman
maailmansa ulkopuolelle tuohon silmiä häikäisevään ja
tuhontuottavaan maailmaan, josta lakkaamatta, ikäänkuin uhmaillen,
putkahtaa esiin vaaleita köysiä, jotka uhkaavat pilata hyvän
järjestyksen hänen metsästysalueillansa.

Mutta tuolla on vihollinen, joka lähestyy! Ääni käy selvemmäksi!

Pakoon! pakoon!

Ja kuumeisella kiireellä kaivaa hänkin uuden käytävän, mutkaisen,

salaperäisen, eksyttävän, monikujaisen. Täytyy tehdä sellainen
läpipääsemätön sekasokkelo, johon sisäänmurtaja eksyy! Voi, jospa
tuon voisi muurata kiinni kivien väliin! Ja hänen etukäpälänsä
tonkivat, kaivavat, iskevät; takakäpälät viskovat multaa; pieni
herkkäliikkeinen kuono värisee kuumeesta ja pelosta. Käytävä
pitenee. Mutta tulija! Missä hän on?

Pikku myyrä palaa keskikäytävään ja kuuntelee. Koiras lähenee.

Multaseinä liikahtaa; kuuluu jokin terävä, kalskahtava ääni. Ja äänen
vangitsemana jää Umpisilmä paikalleen ällistyneenä kuuntelemaan.
Mitä käytävää pitkin pakenisi? Saviseinä liikahtaa enemmän; hän
vapisee; pieniä multapaloja irtaantuu kuin lohkoisi muurinmurtaja
väliseinää, ja yhtäkkiä ilmestyy vihollinen, viimeisen lohkareen
vieriessä, kuono mullassa, karvat liassa, samalla kun Umpisilmä
vaistomaisesti syöksyy lähimpään käytävään ja katoo pimeyteen.

*****

Ällistynyt tulokas ei hetkiseen hievahda paikoiltaan, mutta alkaa

sitten, jonkunlaisen hääkiemailuhalun vallassa, ravistaa päältään
multapalasia, joilla hän on itsensä tahrinut.

Sitten hän rupeaa kuuntelemaan, ja haistelee yhä vielä likaisella ja

himosta värisevällä kuonollaan käytävien suuta; syöksyy sitten,
päästäen kidastaan voitonhuudon, käheän ja vinkuvan kuin
kuristettavan linnun, naaraan jälkeen, joka epätoivoisen vauhdilla
kiitää edestakaisin synkissä, sokkeloisissa käytävissä.

Mutta koiras kulkee hänen perässään, onpa usein hipaisemaisillaan

pakenevaa, jonka sukupuolinen tuoksu yllyttää hänen tarmoansa ja
kiihottaa hänen himoansa.

Jo kymmenen kertaa ovat he käyneet keskimmäisessä komerossa

savisen mättäänkuvun alla, joiden tukipylväitä he ohikulkiessaan
ovat survaisseet rikki, juostessaan tätä lemmen ja kidutuksen
kilpajuoksua.

Umpisilmä ei enää tunne eikä näe mitään; hän kuulee aivan

kintereillään pyövelin kutsumahuudot ja huomaa pienten,
väsyneiden käpäliensä vapisevan.
 Tuossa se on. Se lähestyy. Umpisilmä tuntee sen takaa-ajoon
jännitetyn ruumiin kyhäyksen. Se on hänen takanaan; se saa hänet
kiinni! Oi! täytyy kääntyä päin ja tehdä vastakynttä! Hän pääsee
käytävään ja survaisee äkkiä vihollista teräväkyntisillä käpälillään.
Hurja yhteentörmäys! Eräs multatuki sortuu, ja Umpisilmä, joka on
sen kääntyessään kaatanut, vierii multamurujen sekaan.

Yhdellä hyppäyksellä on koiras hänen kimpussaan; se tarttuu

häneen kiinni; se puristaa pienten hampaittensa väliin hänen hiestä
kostean niskansa. Ja hänen päästäessään epätoivon huudahduksia,
joita maanalainen kaiku kertaa, tyydyttää koiras sukupuolisen
himonsa, jonka uhriksi jokainen hänen kaltaisensa joutuu, kun
nesteiden puuhun virtaillessa kiimaisten koirasten kuumeinen veri
sitä vaatii, ja jonka kautta tuskallisen äitiyden ylevä luomistyö ijäti
jatkuu.
KAAMEA TIE VAPAUTEEN.

Pimeys oli läpäisemätöntä. Ei kuulunut muuta kuin jääkahleista

vapautuneen veden solina. Yht'äkkiä metallin kalahdus viilsi kuin
viikate hiljaisuutta, ja tuskanhuuto, joka tuntui lähtevän elämän ja
kuoleman rajoilta, kohosi ilmaan paisuen kuin kauhua herättävä
vesitulva, joka sulut särkee… Eläin oli joutunut pyydykseen…

Kultarinta, pieni harmaanruskea näätä, joka oli syntynyt toissa

keväänä hetkellisen lemmenkaupan hedelmänä, oli tänään, kuten
tavallisesti, lähtenyt liikkeelle pyökkimetsän rinteeltä. Täällä oli
hänellä talviasuntonsa vanhan, sammaltuneen pähkinäpuun
oksantyvessä, johon aika oli kovertanut kolon.

Aina lumentulosta asti, jolloin muuttolinnut olivat kolmiomaisissa

karavaaneissa paenneet kauas pois, oli hän nähnyt ravintoaineensa
nopeasti vähenevän. Tyydyttääkseen sammumatonta verenjanoansa
oli hän saaliinhimoisten heimolaistensa tapaan hylännyt autiot
metsät ja etsinyt kylän lähettyviltä jokapäiväisen ravintonsa.

Hän kävi siellä joka ilta, vaikka olikin varovaisempi ja pelkurimpi

kuin ne vanhat toverinsa, jotka jo pitkät ajat sitten olivat sinne
järjestäneet itsellensä pakopaikkoja puiden oksantyvien onteloisiin
suojiin.

Ne ajat olivat jo kaukana, jolloin hän kiipeili nuorissa tammipuissa

säikyttelemässä rastaanpesien nukkuvia, vastasyntyneitä poikasia,
punaisen kuun auttaessa häntä rikoksessaan. Nyt ei ollut metsässä
enää muita kuin joitakuita vanhoja talvilintuja, joiden varovaisuus oli
siksi pettämätön, ettei heille milloinkaan tapahtunut yllätystä.

Eräänä yönä oli hänen onnistunut pujahuttaa matomainen

ruumiinsa sisään rikkinäisestä ikkunanruudusta, joka tökerösti oli
paikattu paperilla. Hän pääsi oven tai matalan seinän yläreunassa
olevasta kissojen käymäraosta katto-orsien tukikohdalta erään
maatalon aittaan, ja hypättyään sieltä rehuluukun läpi lehmien
ruuheen, tunkeutui hän lämpimään navettaan, missä kanat asustivat.
Sitten oli hän keveästi ponnahtanut orrelle, missä kanat
kyyristyneinä, vieri vieressä lepäsivät yölepoansa, ja oli imenyt niistä
jok'ikisestä veren kuiviin.

Hän iski hampaallaan auki korvan läheltä kulkevan valtimon, ja

himokkaasti imien siitä virtaavaa lämmintä verta piteli hän kynsillään,
jotka olivat terävät kuin kissan, tyrmistynyttä uhriaan, jättääkseen
sen kamppailemaan viimeistä kuolonkamppailuaan lämpimänä,
verettömänä, hervotonna.

Kuin juopuneena, halveksien lihaa veren makuun päästyään, oli

hän palannut metsään ilonhuumeessa, rinta veritahroissa, karva
ryvettyneenä, ruumis pullollaan, välittämättä siitä, että käpälänsä
saattoivat jättää ilmiantavia merkkejä.

Kuinka paljon olikaan tapahtunut lyhyen ajan kuluessa, silloin kun

hän oli itseään kohmelostaan selvittänyt!