from Suomen kansan muinaisia loitsurunoja, compiled by Elias Lönnrot (1880)

The raudan synty — the Birth of Iron — is the most narratively complete of all Finnish origin charms and one of the great myths of European tradition. It was recited by the tietäjä (seer-shaman) when treating wounds made by iron — the charm-singer had to know iron's entire life story in order to command it. The logic is absolute: to control a thing, you must know where it came from.

The central narrative (variant a) is an epic in miniature. God himself rubs his palms together on his left knee and three daughters of Nature are born, their udders swelling. They walk the edge of the sky and milk black, red, and white milk onto the earth — from which are born soft iron, scrap-iron, and steel. Iron yearns to meet its elder brother Fire, but Fire turns savage, burning everything. Iron flees into the bogs of dark Pohjola, hiding for three years in the mud. A wolf runs across the bog, a bear walks the heath; in their tracks iron shoots spring up. The smith Ilmarinen finds these shoots, coaxes iron into the forge, forges it for three days and nights. Iron needs tempering water. A bee is sent to fetch honey from the forest. But Hiisi's hornet — swift on the wing, sharper of quill — gets there first, and pours snake venom, black worm-slime, ant-sting, and frog-poison into the tempering bath. Ilmarinen, thinking it honey, quenches the steel in poison. And so iron, which had sworn an oath never to harm its brother, turns evil — slashing, biting, making blood flow.

The five remaining variants tell the story differently. In (b) the winds create an island and the maidens milk the nameless meadow; old Väinämöinen finds the iron shoots and carries them to Ilmarinen. In (c) the cosmogonic hierarchy is established: water is oldest, fire born from heaven, iron from rust. In (d) a survivor of the great fire stumbles to a spring and iron-rust forms from burned toenails dripping into the water. In (e) iron is born from golden fish-spawn and four maidens grind it on the shore. In (f) iron is simply the son of Vuolankoinen, born from the bog's navel.

Together these six variants constitute the fullest surviving account of iron's mythic biography in any Finno-Ugric tradition. They have never before appeared in English. The Blood Rule is satisfied: every line is translated independently from Lönnrot's Finnish, with no prior English translation known to exist.

a.

God himself, of the open sky,
That Ukko, the highest Creator,
Rubbed his two palms together
On the left knee's end.
From that were born three maidens,
Three full daughters of Nature,
To be mothers of iron-rust,
Begetters of the blue-mouthed one.

The maidens went swaying,
The women trod the edge of the sky,
With udders swelling,
With nipples aching.
They milked their milk onto the land,
Let their udders flow —
Milked on the lands, milked on the bogs,
Milked on the gentle waters.

One milked black milk,
The oldest of the maidens.
The second squeezed out red,
The middle one of the maidens.
The third poured out white,
The youngest of the maidens.

She who milked the black milk —
From that was born soft iron.
She who squeezed out red —
From that was got scrap-iron.
She who poured out white —
From that was made steel.

A little time passed.
Iron wants to meet
Its elder brother,
To go and know Fire.
Fire turned savage,
Grew terribly fierce.
It burned the bogs, burned the lands,
Burned the hard wildernesses,
Was about to burn the wretched one —
Iron, its poor brother.

Iron escapes into flight,
Into flight and hiding,
Into dark Pohjola,
To Lapland's wide back-country,
To the greatest bog's back,
To the fierce fell's summit,
Where the swans lay eggs,
Where the geese hatch their young.

Iron lurks in the bog,
Wallows in the mire.
Hid for one year, hid for another,
Hid for a third one too —
Still could not escape
From Fire's fierce hands.
Had to go a second time,
Had to go to Fire's dwelling,
To be made into a weapon,
To be forged into a sword.

A wolf ran across the bog,
A bear walked the heath.
The bog rose under the wolf's feet,
The heath under the bear's paws.
Iron shoots grew,
Steel sprouts appeared
Where the wolf's hooves had tread,
Where the bear's heel had dug.

That smith Ilmarinen,
The skilful forger too,
Was walking his roads,
Measuring his journeys.
He comes upon the wolf's tracks,
The bear's heel-marks.
He saw the iron shoots,
The steel sprouts,
In the wolf's great tracks,
Where the bear had turned its heel.

He spoke with these words:
"Woe to you, poor iron,
You are in a wretched state,
In a lowly condition,
In the bog in the wolf's hoof-marks,
Always in the bear's steps.
Would you grow beautiful,
Rise up handsome,
If I were to straighten you from the bog,
And bring you to the smithy,
Push you into the fire-place,
Set you in the forge?"

Poor iron startled,
Startled and frightened,
When it heard the news of Fire,
Fire's fierce mention.

Said the smith Ilmarinen:
"You will not be born, poor iron,
Your kin will not come forth,
Nor will your people grow,
Without fierce fire,
Without being brought to the smithy,
Without being set in the forge,
Without being blown with the bellows.
But do not fear that —
Do not be troubled at all.
Fire does not burn its friend,
Nor torment its kin.
When you come to Fire's dwelling,
To the charcoal embers,
There you will grow beautiful,
Rise exceeding handsome,
Into men's fine swords,
Into women's buckle-clasps."

After that day
Iron was kneaded from the bog,
Drawn from the mire,
Got from among the clay.
The smith himself stood in the bog,
Knees in the black ooze,
As iron was wrenched from the muck,
Worked from the earth's mud.
He took the iron shoots,
The steel sprouts,
From the wolf's great tracks,
From the bear's heel-marks.

That smith Ilmarinen —
There he set his bellows,
There he placed his forge,
On the wolf's great tracks,
On the bear's heel-scrapings.
He pushes iron into the fire.
Blew all night without rest,
All day without pause.
Blew one day, blew a second,
Blew a third one too.

Iron stretched like porridge,
Rustled like slag,
Stretched like wheat dough,
Like rye batter,
In the smith's great fires,
In the full strength of the flame.

Then smith Ilmarinen
Looked beneath his forge —
What would the forge yield,
What would the bellows press out?
First he gets scrap-iron,
Then brings forth the slaggy one,
Then pours out the white
From the lower bellows.

There poor iron cried out:
"Oh, you smith Ilmarinen,
Take me out of here,
Out of the torments of angry Fire!"

Said the smith Ilmarinen:
"If I take you from the fire,
Perhaps you will grow terrible,
Turn fiercely to rage,
Even slash your own brother,
Gash your own mother's child."

There poor iron swore,
Swore its heavy oath,
On the forge, on the anvil,
On the gleaming hammers:

"I will not stir flesh
Nor cause blood to flow.
I have wood to bite,
Logs to chew,
Spruce-bark to gnaw,
Stone's heart to eat —
That I may not slash my brother
Nor gash my mother's child.
Better it is for me,
Finer for me to live
As the traveller's companion,
As the walker's hand-tool,
Than to hold my kin in my teeth
Or to torment my people."

Then smith Ilmarinen,
The eternal forger,
Snatched iron from the fire,
Set it on the anvil,
To work it supple,
To forge it into edged tools,
Into spears, into axes,
Into all manner of instruments.
He forges, tapping,
Strikes, ringing —
But iron's tongue does not boil,
Steel's mouth does not emerge.
Iron does not grow hard,
Iron's edge does not sharpen.

Then smith Ilmarinen
Pondering, considers
What to bring to this,
And what liquid to draw,
For the making of steel,
For iron's tempering-water.
He made a little lye,
Mixed some soapy water,
Tested it with his tongue,
Tasted it well with his mind.
Himself spoke these words:
"These are not good for me,
For steel's making-water,
For iron's building-earth."

A bee rose from the ground,
Blue-wing from the tussock,
Flying, gliding,
Around the smith's forge.

That smith Ilmarinen
Commanded it: go to the forest-land,
Bring honey from the forest,
Mead from the honeyed wilderness,
For the steel being made,
For the iron being built.

The hornet — Hiisi's bird,
Hiisi's bird, Lemmo's cat —
Flew around the forge,
Peddling its poisons,
Flying, listening
To the smith's clear words,
Of the steel being made,
Of the iron being built.

That one was swift on the wing,
Sharper of quill-bone.
It got there first.
It fetched Hiisi's terrors,
Carried, turning, venom,
Black worm-slime,
Ant-sting,
Frog's secret poisons —
Into the steel's making-juices,
Into iron's tempering-water.

Smith Ilmarinen himself,
The constant forger,
Thinks, supposes
That the bee has come,
That it has brought honey,
Has carried mead.
Spoke a word, said thus:
"Ah, these are good for me,
For steel's making-water,
For iron's building-earth."

There he quenched poor iron,
There he plunged the steel,
When brought from the fire,
When taken from the forge.

From that, steel turned evil.
Iron became enraged.
It slashed, the wretch, its brother,
Held its kin in its teeth,
Let blood flow,
Made gore rush.

b.

Well I know the birth of iron,
I grasp the origin of steel:
Differently once the winds blew,
Differently once the weathers turned —
Birch-tops hoed the earth,
Pine-tops the fields.

The wind blew for six years,
Stormed for seven summers.
Wind broke the oak-tops,
Crushed the sturdy fence-poles,
Heaped up tussocks from the earth.
That too slipped toward the sea.
From that an island was blessed forth
On the clear sea's back —
On the island a fair wilderness,
In the wilderness a smooth meadow.
There grew two maidens,
Three full brides.

So the maidens walk
To the nameless meadow.
They sat facing east,
Lived facing south.
They milked their milk onto the earth,
Their drops onto the meadow.

The milk began to roll,
Rolled over bogs, over lands,
Rolled over barren clearings,
Rolled to a tussock on the bog,
To a honeyed tussock,
To a golden sod.

From that poor iron was born,
Born and begotten,
Inside the bog, at the earth's navel,
On medium-high ground.
Iron shoots grew
Thumb-length of a man.

Steady old Väinämöinen,
The eternal sage,
Was walking his roads,
Measuring his journeys.
He found the iron shoots,
The steel seedlings of spring.
Looked, turned them over,
Spoke a word, said thus:
"What crops are these
And whose seedlings?
Something would come of these
In the hands of a skilled smith."

He gathered them in his pack,
Carries them to the smith's hand.

That smith Ilmarinen
Seeks a place for the smithy.
He found a tiny piece of land,
A very small dell
Where he set his bellows,
Where he placed his forge.
But poor iron does not grow,
Steel's kin does not emerge,
In a doorless smithy,
On a fireless forge.
The iron-smith lacked wood,
The iron-forger lacked fire.

He gets wood, brings fire —
But still iron is not born,
When there is no bellows-blower,
No one to press the bellows.
He took a servant to blow,
A hired man to press.
He looked beneath his forge,
At the bellows' edge —
And now iron's birth was born,
Steel's kin came forth.

c.

I know the birth of steel,
The origin of iron can be grasped:
Water is the oldest of brothers,
Shore the youngest of brothers,
Fire the middle rapids-child.
From the mountain comes water's offspring,
Fire's birth is from the heavens,
Iron's origin from rust.

Fire turned savage,
Grew fierce and angry.
It wickedly burned many lands,
Many lands, many bogs,
Burned barren clearings,
Burned sandy heaths.
Poor iron had to hide
Before its angry brother.

Where did poor iron hide,
Where did it hide and stay safe,
In that great drought-year,
In that wicked fire-summer?
Poor iron did not hide
In old Väinämöinen's belt,
In his three-jointed sheath,
Nor even at the back's end.
Nor did poor iron hide
In a young maiden's breast,
In a growing girl's arm,
On the top of a long cloud,
In the smooth oak's crown —
No, iron did not hide there,
Nor even there,
Inside the blue ewe,
In the brass sheep's belly,
In the blue piglet's breast.
Not even in the sea did it hide,
Under the deep waves,
Inside the blue whitefish,
In the breast of the red salmon.
Not even properly in heaven,
Under the sky's six painted lids,
Inside the blue casket,
In the golden helmet.

There and then iron hid,
Both hid and stayed safe,
Between two stumps,
Under three birch-roots,
On land without tussocks,
Entirely unknown,
Where the hazel-grouse keeps its nest,
Where the hen raises her young.

A wolf lifted mud from the bog,
A bear dug from the heath.
There iron-rust rose
And a steel shoot grew
From the wolf's hoof-lifting,
From the bear's heel-place.
That would be brought to the smithy,
Driven into the forge.
From that then iron was born,
Steel, the knowable one, was made.

d.

Once a great many lands burned,
Many lands, many bogs,
In the wicked fire-summer,
In the powerless fire-year.
Little was left unburned
On the fierce fell's summit,
On the greatest bog's back.
One poor soul was left
In a place unburned —
Yet even that one burned a little:
Fire scorched its kneecaps,
Heated its hip-flesh,
The sides of its heels,
Its left toes.
It badly burned the toe-tips,
The nails burned to crusts.

It ran in haste to a spring,
Scraped at its crusts,
Rinsed its scabs
In the bubbling spring.
From that was born iron-rust,
Black-day's muck,
In the bubbling spring,
In the shimmering well.

e.

Whence was poor iron born,
Whence born and begotten?
From this was poor iron born,
From this born and begotten:
A golden fish spawns,
A salmon lounges nearby,
In the swaying spring,
In the shimmering well.
Four maidens emerged,
Three full brides,
From the golden fish's spawn,
From the natural salmon's nook —
To be mothers of iron-rust,
Begetters of the blue-mouthed one.

The maidens stood on the shoal,
Tin-breasted, shivering,
On the tiny sandbar,
On the narrow reed-bank.
There they forged iron,
And fashioned steel,
Ground iron seeds,
Pounded steel crumbs.

God arrived at that place,
At the iron seeds' site.
He found the ground iron,
The fragments of steel.
He brings them to the smith's forge,
Under Ilmarinen's bellows.

Then smith Ilmarinen
Pushed them into the fire,
Drives them under his forge,
From forge to anvil.
He forges, tapping,
Strikes, ringing.
Sweat dripped from the Creator's brow,
Dew from God's face,
As iron was being built,
As steel was being made.
From that poor iron was born —
Poor iron, wretched slag —
Born in the smith's forge,
Under Ilmarinen's bellows.

f.

Ho, you there, poor iron,
Poor iron, wretched slag!
Well do I know your lineage,
Your lineage and your birth:
You are the son of Vuolankoinen,
Made by Vuolahatar,
Your father from Vuojola's navel,
Your mother from Lempi's spring.
Your birth is from the bog's navel,
From the bog's navel, from the earth's navel —
From the bog your father, from the bog your mother,
From the bog all the rest of your kin.

A rust-grass grew from the bog,
A steel-grass from the spring,
Rocked by the Wind-Daughter,
Swayed by the West-Daughter.
A simpleton comes from Death's realm,
A son of the Underworld from below the earth.
He found the rust-grass in the bog,
The steel-grass in the spring.
He brings it to the smith's forge,
Under Ilmarinen's bellows,
To be built into things,
To be made into steel.

Colophon

Source: Elias Lönnrot (comp.), Suomen kansan muinaisia loitsurunoja (Ancient Charm Songs of the Finnish People), Helsinki: Suomalaisen Kirjallisuuden Seura, 1880. Section 32: Raudan synty (Birth of Iron), variants a–f.

Translation: Good Works Translation by the New Tianmu Anglican Church, 2026. Translated independently from the Finnish source text. No prior English translation of these incantations is known to exist. Orthographic variants (Toisin:) are omitted for readability.

Note: The raudan synty was one of the most important origin charms in the Finnish tietäjä's repertoire. It was recited when treating wounds caused by iron — the logic being that to command iron, one must know its entire biography from birth to betrayal. The central narrative of variant (a) is among the great mythological poems of Europe: three sky-maidens create iron from their milk; a wolf and bear expose it in their tracks; the smith Ilmarinen coaxes it from the bog with promises of beauty; and the hornet of Hiisi — Hiisi's bird, Lemmo's cat — poisons the tempering water with snake venom, ant-sting, and frog's secret poisons, so that iron breaks its oath and turns against its own kin. The six variants range from the full epic (a) through the wind-born island narrative (b), the cosmogonic hierarchy of elements (c), the burned-survivor etiology (d), the fish-spawn origin (e), and the genealogical naming of iron as son of Vuolankoinen (f). Together they constitute the most complete surviving mythology of iron in any tradition.

Compiled and formatted for the Good Work Library by the New Tianmu Anglican Church, 2026.

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Source Text: Raudan synty

Finnish source text from Elias Lönnrot (comp.), Suomen kansan muinaisia loitsurunoja (Helsinki: Suomalaisen Kirjallisuuden Seura, 1880). Presented here for reference, study, and verification alongside the English translation above. Variant notations (Toisin:) are omitted for readability; the text preserves the original orthography.

a.

Itse ilmoinen Jumala,
Tuo Ukko, ylinen Luoja,
Hieroi kahta kämmentänsä
Vasemessa polven päässä,
Siitä syntyi neittä kolme,
Koko kolme Luonnotarta,
Rauan ruostehen emoiksi,
Suu sinervän siittäjiksi.

Neiet käyä notkutteli,
Astui immet ilman äärtä,
Utarilla uhkuvilla,
Nännillä pakottavilla,
Lypsit maalle maitojansa,
Uhkutit utariansa,
Lypsit maille, lypsit soille,
Lypsit vienoille vesille.

Yksi lypsi mustan maion,
Vanhimpainen neitosia,
Toinen puikutti punaisen,
Keskimäinen neitosia,
Kolmas valkean valutti,
Nuorimpainen neitosia.

Ku on lypsi mustan maion,
Siitä syntyi melto rauta,
Ku on puikutti punaisen,
Siit' on saatu rääkyrauta,
Ku on valkean valutti,
Siit' on tehtynä teräkset.

Oli aikoa vähäisen,
Rauta tahtovi tavata
Vanhempata veljeänsä,
Käyä tulta tuntemassa.
Tuli tuhmaksi rupesi,
Kovin kasvoi kauheaksi,
Poltti soita, poltti maita,
Poltti korpia kovia,
Oli polttoa poloisen
Rauta raukan veikkosensa;
Rauta pääsevi pakohon,
Pakohon ja piilemähän
Pimeähän Pohjolahan,
Lapin laajalle perälle,
Suurimmalle suon selälle,
Tuiman tunturin laelle,
Jossa joutsenet munivat,
Hanhi poiat hautelevi.

Rauta suossa soikottavi,
Vetelässä vellottavi,
Piili vuoen, piili toisen,
Piili kohta kolmannenki,
Ei toki pakohon pääsnyt
Tulen tuimista käsistä,
Piti käyä toisen kerran,
Lähteä tulen tuville,
Astalaksi tehtäessä,
Miekaksi taottaessa.

Susi juoksi suota myöten,
Karhu kangasta samosi,
Suo nousi suen jaloissa,
Kangas karhun kämmenissä,
Kasvoi rautaiset karangot,
Teräksiset tierottimet,
Suen sorkkien sijoille,
Karhun kannan kaivamille.

Tuop' on seppo Ilmarinen,
Taki taitava takoja,
Oli teitensä käviä,
Matkojensa mitteliä,
Joutuvi suen jälille,
Karhun kantapään sijoille.
Näki rautaiset orahat,
Teräksiset tierottimet,
Suen suurilla jälillä,
Karhun kannan kääntamillä,
Sanovi sanalla tuolla:
"Voi sinua rauta raukka,
Kun olet kurjassa tilassa,
Alahaisessa asussa,
Suolla sorkissa sutosen,
Aina karhun askelissa;
Kasvaisitko kaunihiksi,
Koreaksi korkeneisit,
Jos sun suosta suorittaisin,
Sekä saattaisin pajahan,
Tunkisin tulisijahan,
Ahjohon asetteleisin?"

Rauta raukka säpsähtihe,
Säpsähtihe, säikähtihe,
Kun kuuli tulen sanomat,
Tulen tuiman maininnaiset.

Sanoi seppo Ilmarinen:
"Et sä synny rauta raukka,
Ei sinun suku sukeu,
Eikä kasva heimokunta,
Ilman tuimatta tuletta,
Ilman viemättä pajahan,
Ahjohon asettamatta,
Lietsimellä lietsomatta;
Vaan ellös sitä varatko,
Ellös olko milläskänä.
Tuli ei polta tuttuansa,
Herjaele heimoansa;
Kun tulet tulen tuville,
Hiilisehen hinkalohon,
Siellä kasvat kaunihiksi,
Ylenet ylen ehoksi,
Miesten miekoiksi hyviksi,
Naisten nauhan päättimiksi."

Senpä päivyen perästä
Rauta suosta sotkettihin,
Vetelästä vellottihin,
Saatihin saven seasta;
Itse seppo suossa seisoi
Polvin mustassa murassa
Raun suosta raaettaissa,
Maan murasta muokattaissa,
Otti rautaiset orahat,
Teräksiset tierottimet,
Suen suurista jälistä,
Karhun kantapään tiloista.

Se on seppo Ilmarinen
Siihen painoi palkehensa,
Siihen ahjonsa asetti,
Suurille suen jälille,
Karhun kannan hiertimille;
Raun tunkevi tulehen,
Lietsoi yön levähtämättä,
Päivän umpehuttamatta,
Lietsoi päivän, lietsoi toisen,
Lietsoi kohta kolmannenki,
Rauta vellinä venyvi,
Kuonana kohaelevi,
Venyi vehnäisnä tahasna,
Rukihisna taikinana,
Sepon suurissa tulissa,
Ilmi valkean väessä.

Siitä seppo Ilmarinen
Katsoi ahjonsa alusta,
Mitä ahjo antanevi,
Palkehensa painanevi.
Ensin saapi rääkyrauan,
Sitten kuonaisen kuletti,
Siitä valkean valutti
Alisesta lietsimestä.

Siinä huuti rauta raukka:
"Oi sie seppo Ilmarinen
Ota pois minua täältä
Tuskista tulen vihaisen!"

Sanoi seppo Ilmarinen:
"Jos otan sinun tulesta,
Ehkä kasvat kauheaksi,
Kovin raivoksi rupeat,
Vielä veistät veljeäsi,
Lastuat emosi lasta."

Siinä vannoi rauta raukka,
Vannoi vaikean valansa,
Ahjossa, alaisimella,
Vasaroilla valkkamilla:
"En mä liikuta lihoa,
Enkä verta vierehytä;
On mun puuta purrakseni,
Haukatakseni hakoa,
Närettä näpätäkseni,
Kiven syäntä syöäkseni,
Ett' en veistä veljeäni,
Lastua emoni lasta.
Parempi on ollakseni,
Ehompi eleäkseni,
Kulkialla kumppalina,
Käyvällä käsiasenna,
Kuin sukua suin piellä,
Heimoani herjaella."

Silloin seppo Ilmarinen,
Takoja ijän ikuinen,
Raun tempasi tulesta,
Asetti alaisimelle
Rakentoa raukeaksi,
Takoa teräkaluiksi,
Keihä'iksi, kirvehiksi,
Kaikenlaisiksi kaluiksi.
Takoa taputtelevi,
Lyöä helkähyttelevi,
Vaan ei kiehu rauan kieli,
Ei sukeu suu teräksen,
Rauta ei kasva karkeaksi,
Terä rauan tenhosaksi.

Siitä seppo Ilmarinen
Arvellen ajattelevi,
Mitä tuohon tuotanehen
Ja kuta ve'ettänehen
Teräksen tekomujuiksi,
Rauan karkaisuvesiksi.
Laati pikkuisen poroa,
Lipeäistä liuvotteli,
Siitä koitti kielellänsä,
Hyvin maistoi mielellänsä,
Itse tuon sanoiksi virkki:
"Ei nämät hyvät minulle
Teräksen tekovesiksi,
Rautojen rakento-maiksi."

Mehiläinen maasta nousi,
Sinisiipi mättähästä,
Lentelevi, liitelevi,
Ympäri sepon pajoa;
Senpä on seppo Ilmarinen
Käski käyä metsolassa,
Tuoa mettä metsolasta,
Simoa simasalosta,
Teräksille tehtäville,
Rauoille rakettaville.

Herhiläinen Hiien lintu,
Hiien lintu, Lemmon katti,
Lensi ympäri pajoa
Kipujansa kaupotellen,
Lentelevi, kuuntelevi
Sepon selviä sanoja
Teräksistä tehtävistä,
Rauoista rakettavista.

Tuo oli siiviltä sivakka,
Kynäluilta luikkahampi,
Tuop' on ennätti e'ellä,
Nouti Hiien hirmuloita,
Kantoi käännellen kähyjä,
Maon mustia mujuja,
Kusiaisen kutkelmoita,
Sammakon salavihoja,
Teräksen tekomujuihin,
Rauan karkaisuvetehen.

Itse seppo Ilmarinen,
Takoja alinomainen,
Luulevi, ajattelevi,
Mehiläisen tulleheksi,
Tuon on mettä tuoneheksi,
Kantaneheksi simoa,
Sanan virkkoi, noin nimesi:
"Kas nämät hyvät minulle
Teräksen tekovesiksi,
Rautojen rakennusmaiksi."
Siihen kasti rauta raukan,
Siihen tempaisi teräksen,
Pois tulesta tuotaessa,
Ahjosta otettaessa;
Siitä sai teräs pahaksi,
Rauta raivoksi rupesi,
Veisti raukka veljeänsä,
Sukuansa suin piteli,
Veren laski vuotamahan,
Hurmehen hurajamahan.

b.

Kyllä tieän rauan synnyn,
Arvoan alun teräksen:
Toisin ennen tuulet tuuli,
Toisin ennen säät sävisi,
Maata kuokki koivun latvat,
Peltoja petäjän kerkät.

Tuuli silloin kuusi vuotta,
Seurui seitsemän keseä,
Tuuli taittoi tammen latvat,
Rutaisi ruhevat raiat,
Maasta mättähän mäkäisi,
Tuopa myöstihe merelle,
Siitä saari siunautui
Meren selvälle selälle,
Saarelle salo sorea,
Salohon sileä nurmi,
Siihin kasvoi kaksi neittä,
Koko kolme morsianta.

Niinpä neiet astunevi
Niitylle nimettömälle,
Istuivat itähän rinnoin,
Etelähän päin elivät,
Lypsit maalle maitoansa,
Niitylle nitusiansa.

Läksi maiot vieremähän,
Vieri soita, vieri maita,
Vieri auhtoja ahoja,
Vieri suolle mättähäsen,
Metisehen mättähäsen,
Kultaisehen turpehesen.
Siitä syntyi rauta raukka,
Siitä syntyi ja sikesi,
Suon sisällä, maan navalla,
Maalla keskikorkealla,
Kasvoi rautaiset orahat,
Miehen peukalon pituiset.

Vaka vanha Väinämöinen,
Tietäjä ijän ikuinen,
Oli teitensä käviä,
Matkojensa mitteliä,
Löysi rautaiset orahat,
Teräksiset touvon taimet,
Katselevi, kääntelevi,
Sanan virkkoi, noin nimesi:
"Mitkä nää on toukojansa,
Ja kutka orahiansa?
Jotain noistaki tulisi,
Luona taitavan takojan."

Kokosi ne konttihinsa,
Kantavi sepon kätehen;
Tuop' on seppo Ilmarinen
Etsivi pajan sijoa,
Löysi maata pikkuruisen,
Notkoa ani vähäisen,
Johon painoi palkehensa,
Johon ahjonsa asetti,
Vaan ei kasva rauta raukka,
Sukeu suku teräksen,
Pajassa ovettomassa,
Ahjolla tulettomalla;
Puita puuttui rauan seppä,
Tulta rautojen takoja.

Saapi puita, tuopi tulta,
Vaan ei vielä rauta synny,
Kun ei liene lietsojata,
Palkehella painajata.
Otti orjan lietsomahan,
Palkkalaisen painamahan,
Katsoi ahjonsa alusta,
Lietsimensä liepehiä,
Jopa syntyi rauan synty,
Sikesi suku teräksen.

c.

Tietähän teräksen synty,
Alku rauan arvatahan:
Vesi on vanhin veljeksiä,
Ranta nuorin veljeksiä,
Tuli keito koskimäinen;
Vuorest' on ve'en sikiä,
Tulen synty taivahasta,
Alku rauan ruostehesta.

Tuli tuimaksi rupesi
Äreäksi ärtelihe,
Paha poltti paljon maita,
Paljon maita, paljon soita,
Poltti auhtoja ahoja,
Poltti hietakankahia;
Piti piiltä rauta raukan,
Eestä veljensä vihaisen.

Missä piili rauta raukka,
Missä piili sekä säilyi
Sinä suurna poutavuonna,
Pahana palokesänä?
Eipä piillyt rauta raukka
Vyöllä vanhan Väinämöisen,
Kolmijatkossa tupessa,
Ei perän pereäkänä.
Eikä piillyt rauta raukka
Nuoren neitosen nisissä,
Kasvajaisen kainalossa,
Pitkän pilven rannan päällä,
Tammen latvassa tasaisen,
Ei se rauta siellä piillyt,
Eikä vielä tuollakana,
Sisällä sinisen uuhen,
Vaskilampahan vatsassa,
Siniporsahan povessa.
Ei piillyt meressäkänä,
Alla aaltojen syvien,
Sisällä sinisen siian,
Povessa lohen punaisen,
Eikä tarkoin taivosessa,
Päällä kuuen kirjokannen,
Sisässä sinirasian,
Kypärässä kultaisessa.

Tuolla silloin rauta piili,
Seka piili jotta säilyi,
Kahen kantosen välissä,
Kolmen koivun juuren alla,
Maalla mättähättömällä,
Perin tietämättömällä,
Jossa pyy pesän pitävi,
Kana lapset kasvattavi.

Susi nosti suosta mullan,
Karhu kaivoi kankahasta,
Siihen nousi rautaruoste
Ja kasvoi teräskaranko
Suen sorkan nostannasta,
Karhun kantapään tilasta.
Se pajahan vietänehen,
Ahjohon ajettanehen;
Siitä sitten rauta syntyi,
Teräs tiettävä tekeysi.

d.

Paloi ennen paljon maita,
Paljon maita, paljon soita,
Pahana palokesänä,
Tulivuonna voimatonna,
Jäi vähän palamatonta
Tuiman tunturin laella,
Suurimman on suon selällä.
Jäi yksi imehno raukka
Paikalle palamatonna,
Jo vähän paloi sitäki,
Polttelevi polviloita,
Kuumotti kuvetlihoja,
Kaiempia kantapäitä,
Vasemia varpahia;
Pahoin poltti varvaspäitä,
Kynnet karstoiksi paloivat.

Juoksi häässä hettehelle,
Kaaputteli karstojansa,
Rupiansa ruoputteli,
Herehesen hettehesen,
Siitä syntyi rauan ruoste,
Mura mustan päivyllinen,
Herehessä hettehessä,
Läikkyvässä lähtehessä.

e.

Kusta syntyi rauta raukka,
Kusta syntyi ja sikesi?
Tuosta syntyi rauta raukka,
Tuosta syntyi ja sikesi:
Kala kultainen kutevi,
Lohi luona longottavi,
Heiluvassa hettehessä,
Läikkyvässä lähtehessä.
Sukeusi neljä neittä,
Koko kolme morsianta,
Kalan kultaisen ku'usta,
Lohen luonnon loukkehesta,
Rauan ruostehen emoiksi,
Suu sinervän siittäjiksi.

Neitoset norolla seisoi,
Tinarinnat riuvotteli,
Pikkaisella pieskarella,
Kaitaisella kaiskarella,
Siinä rautoa rakensit,
Ja terästä teeskentelit,
Survoit rauan siemeniä,
Telkytit teräsmuruja.

Joutuvi jumala tuohon
Rauan siementen sijoille,
Löyti rauan survimoita,
Teräksen tekopaloja,
Viepi ne sepon pajahan,
Alle ahjon Ilmarisen.

Siitä seppo Ilmarinen
Tunki ne tulen sisähän,
Alle ahjonsa ajavi,
Ahjosta alaisimelle;
Takoa taputtelevi,
Lyöä helkähyttelevi,
Hiki tippui luojan päästä,
Kaste kasvoista jumalan,
Rautoja rakettaessa,
Teräksiä tehtäesssä.
Siitä syntyi rauta raukka,
Rauta raukka, kuona koito,
Syntyvi sepon pajassa,
Alla ahjon Ilmarisen.

f.

Hoi sinua, rauta raukka,
Rauta raukka, kuona koito,
Kyllä mä sukusi tieän,
Sukusi ja syntysiki:
Sie olet poika Vuolankoisen,
Vuolahattaren tekemä,
Isä Vuojolan navoilta,
Emä Lemmen lähtehestä;
Syntysi on suon navoilta,
Suon navoilta, maan navoilta,
Suost' isosi, suost' emosi,
Suosta kaikki muu sukusi.

Kasvoi suosta ruosteheinä,
Teräsheinä hettehestä,
Tuulettaren tuu'ittama,
Lännettären liekuttama;
Hölmä Tuonelta tulevi,
Maan alta Manalan poika,
Löyti suosta ruosteheinän,
Teräsheinän hettehestä,
Viepi sen sepon pajahan,
Alle ahjon Ilmarisen,
Sanoiksi rakettavaksi,
Teräksiksi tehtäväksi.

Source Colophon

Finnish source text from Elias Lönnrot (comp.), Suomen kansan muinaisia loitsurunoja (Helsinki: Suomalaisen Kirjallisuuden Seura, 1880). Variants a–f. Public domain (1880 publication). Project Gutenberg EBook #48751, volunteer transcription by Jari Koivisto.

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