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

The käärmeen synty — the Birth of the Serpent — is the origin charm recited by the tietäjä when treating snakebite. To command the serpent, the charm-singer must know where it came from — and what it came from was filth, demon-spit, and spite. Unlike the bear, which was born in heaven and raised by forest spirits, the serpent has no dignity in its origins. Its birth is degradation. The charm-singer names this degradation to strip the serpent of its power.

The eight variants present a remarkable range of creation myths for a single creature. In (a), the demon Hiisi runs until it collapses on a rock, its foam and slime dripping onto the stone. The cannibal-hag Syöjätär licks up the foam and spits it into the sea. Wind and water shape it; sun dries it on the rocks; Hiisi gives it life, Piru gives it eyes, Lempo gives it jaws, Kehno gives it teeth. In (b), Jesus walks with three companions, and Judas flees, his drool hardening on the rock — Saint Peter asks God to give it life; God warns that evil comes from evil, but Peter insists, and the Lord breathes life into the devil's spit. In (c), Äijö's son drools on a stone, Syöjätär eats the drool and spits it into the sea, and the serpent takes shape from wind and water. In (d), Syöjätär rows the waters and spits; three daughters of Nature find the shaped thing on the shore and wonder what it would become if God gave it life — Hiisi overhears and gives it life himself. In (e), the daughter of Pain lies on a hillside; an east wind makes her pregnant; the serpent is born. In (f), the devil breathes into a reed and the serpent emerges. In (g), the old iron-toothed woman of Death spins blood from a bronze spindle, and from that thread the serpent is fashioned. In (h), the grandest variant, the serpent's anatomy is catalogued: its head from a bad bean, its brain from the rapids' foam, its eyes from Lemmo's flax-seeds, its ears from Lemmo's birch-leaves, its snout from Death's branding-iron, its mouth from Syöjätär's buckle, its tongue from Keio's spear, its teeth from the Underworld-maiden's needles, its gums from the Death-maiden's gums, its body from an evil woman's braid, its spine from Hiisi's charcoal-stake, its tail from Hiisi's maiden's hair-braid, its guts from Hiisi's belt, its spirit from Hiisi's charcoal-forge, its consciousness from the foam of a fiery rapids, its heart from Syöjätär's heart-cherry, its venom from the foam of a wrathful river.

These incantations have never before appeared in English.

a.

I know your birth, dark one,
Your earth's dread raising,
Whence you were born to the grass, serpent,
Whence the worm was blessed to earth:
You were born, dark one,
Raised, earth's dread creature,
On a coarse rock,
On the low earth-mother.

Hiisi ran across the land.
Hiisi ran, the earth sweated.
It ran through bogs, ran through lands,
Through Lapland's wide wildernesses.
Sweat dripped from its hair,
Foam flowed from its beard.
The wretch grew weary in its running,
Exhausted in its twisting.
It sank onto a strong stone,
Fell to the ground on a rock,
Collapsed at a hill's tip,
Dozed off on a grassy boulder.

A week it slept on the hill,
Long on the rock's tip.
It snored fiercely as it slept,
Growled as it dozed.
Slime flowed from the villain's mouth,
Scum from the evil one's throat,
Foam from its massive nose,
Grime from Lemmo's jowls,
Onto Ukko's new stone,
Onto the coarse rock.

Syöjätär passed by,
Ate the slime from the rock.
The slime stews in her gullet,
Clacks between her teeth.
She spat from her mouth onto the waters,
Let the slime onto the waves.

The wind rocked it,
The sea's swell cradled it,
On the clear sea's back,
On the broad swells.
Water stretched it long,
Air twisted it into a spindle.
The wind brought it to land,
The water drew it to the cape.
The gale flung it onto a rock,
Into the hollow of a high stone.
The wind hardened it,
The frost-wind dried it.
The sun baked it crooked
On the shore in the rock-hollow,
On the side of the painted stone,
On the rim of the evil boulder.

Hiisi gave it a spirit,
Piru blessed its eyes,
Lempo fashioned its jaws,
Kehno gathered its teeth.
There came from that Death's grub,
Death's grub, earth's worm.
A birth was born for the serpent,
A name was given to the evil one.

b.

You wicked heathen —
I know your lineage:
Judas set off running,
Flinching, stumbling away,
The wretch in haste after its crime,
After its wicked work had been done.
It ran one day, ran a second,
Ran a third one too.
The evil one came from the east,
The villain from the dawning.
After the long journey,
After the third day,
Judas grew weary in its running,
Exhausted in its stumbling.
It fell to the ground on a rock,
Tumbled onto a stone-ridge,
Sank onto a hillside,
Went limp on a gravel-stone.
As it slept it snored,
Twisted powerfully.

Jesus walked his road,
Measured his journeys,
With his three sons,
With his two tongue-companions.
Judas leapt from the path,
A boundary-shoe from the rock.
The devil got to run,
Bolted in flight.
Slime flowed from the villain's mouth,
Mucus from the wretch's nostrils.
The sun baked it hard,
The devil stretched it long.

Saint Peter sees
The villain's slime on the rock,
The evil one's filth on the gravel-stone.
He looks, turns it over —
What is this blob on the rock?
He began to speak:
"What would come of this,
And what would take shape,
If you, Lord, were to breathe life,
If you, God, were to bless eyes?"

So spoke the great Creator,
The pure God spoke:
"From evil, evil would come,
A villain from a villain's seed,
A wicked thing from the fatherless,
A wretch from the motherless."

Saint Peter speaks,
A second time persists:
"Breathe, Lord, life into that one,
Bless, God, its eyes.
Let it travel in the grass,
Go ringing through the meadow,
Thread its way through roots of trees,
Look through the stalks of heather!"

Then the Lord gave it life,
God blessed its eyes —
Into the evil man's vomit,
Into the wicked one's filth.
From that then the dark one was born,
The evil adder spawned.
The serpent got to hissing,
The black worm to gliding,
The belly-one to crawling the earth,
To travelling on its stomach.

c.

Whence the birth of the autumn-worm,
The way of the winter-serpent?
From this the birth of the autumn-worm,
The way of the winter-serpent:
Kihokuola, Äijö's son,
That hard one sat on a stone,
The crooked one dozed on a rock.
From there it rolled
To the north side of the stone.
Scum dripped from its throat,
Slime from the villain's jaws.
Syöjätär noticed it,
Ate the scum from the stone's side,
Spat the scum onto the waters,
Slapped it onto the waves.

The slime travels the sea,
Rolled on the waves,
Foamed on the strong waters.
The wind came, gathered it,
The wave drove it onto a rock,
Into an iron pipe,
Into the shelter of a thick grass.
From that a birth was born,
From that a growth was grown.
Whence was its spirit got,
Whence were its poisons flung?
From there its spirit was got,
And its poisons flung —
From the fire of Hell,
From the flame of evil's dominion.

d.

Black worm of the underworld,
Grub in death's colours!
I know your lineage,
All your raising:
Syöjätär is your mother,
The water-spirit your parent.
Syöjätär rowed the waters,
The fire-throat churned,
In a copper vessel,
On a red sail.
Syöjätär spat into the water,
Let a slick onto the waves.

The wind rocked it,
The water's spirit cradled it,
Rocked it for six years,
Seven summers too,
On the clear sea's back,
On the broad swells.
Water stretched it long,
The sun baked it soft.
The water's surge shaped it,
The wave drove it ashore,
The sea's swell cast it up
Onto a thick tree's side.

Three daughters of Nature walked
On the rough seashore,
At the edge of the sea's roar.
They saw it on the shore,
Spoke with these words:
"What would come of this,
If the Creator were to breathe life,
Were to bless eyes onto its head?"

Hiisi happened to overhear,
The evil man to spy.
He took it upon himself to be creator,
Hiisi gave that one its spirit —
That which Syöjätär had spat,
The wicked one's filth.
From that it turned into a serpent,
Changed into a black worm.

e.

The daughter of Pain, the maiden of Death,
She dozed off on the turf,
Fell on the cold ground,
On the side of a painted stone.
A great gust of wind came,
A fierce gale from the east,
Made the maiden pregnant,
Got her with child.
From that a birth was born,
An evil offspring spawned —
The serpent got to hissing,
The ant to crawling,
The earth-worm to worming,
The tiny needle to pricking,
Either human skin
Or the hide of a creature.

f.

A tree grew on holy ground,
A reed on pure ground.
A reed rose against the tree,
A sedge on the moss's brace.
The devil blew into the reed,
Slithered into the ring.
From that a worm spawned —
A slinky one, a pointy one —
Twisted from that into a spindle,
From that turned into a serpent,
A crawler on the earth's surface,
A wobbler on the road.

g.

Black worm, green serpent,
Grub in death's colours!
Well I know your lineage,
I know all your raising,
Whence you were fashioned, wretch,
Whence you were born, dark one:
The old iron-toothed woman of Death,
Hook-fingered, crook-jawed,
Spun through a summer's day,
Through an autumn night's heart.
Blood coursed from the tow,
From the bronze spindle.
From that you were fashioned, wretch,
From that you were born, dark one.

h.

Wretches built the serpent,
Scoundrels spun the adder.
The serpent was got built,
The wrathful adder fashioned,
In a single summer's night,
On an autumn's eve.

Whence was the evil one's head put?
The head from a bad bean.
Whence are the viper's brains?
From the foam of a strong rapids.
Whence are the creature's eyes?
From Lemmo's flax-seeds.
Whence are the villain's ears?
From Lemmo's birch-leaves.
Whence was its snout raised up?
From Death's branding-iron's breaking.
Whence was its mouth designed?
The mouth from Syöjätär's buckle.
Whence was its tongue devised?
From Keio's spear-edge.
Whence were its teeth sought?
From the Underworld-maiden's needles.
Whence are the evil one's gums?
From the gums of Death's maiden.
Whence was its body built?
From an evil woman's braid.
Whence was its back erected?
From Hiisi's charcoal-stake.
Whence is the flickerer's tail?
From the hair-braid of Hiisi's maiden.
Whence are its guts knotted?
From the belt of Hiisi's belted ones.
Whence is the outcast's spirit?
From Hiisi's charcoal-forge.
Whence is the destroyer's consciousness?
From the foam of a fiery rapids.
Whence was its heart fashioned?
From Syöjätär's heart-cherry.
Whence were its poisons flung?
From the foam of a wrathful river.

Colophon

Source: Elias Lönnrot (comp.), Suomen kansan muinaisia loitsurunoja (Ancient Charm Songs of the Finnish People), Helsinki: Suomalaisen Kirjallisuuden Seura, 1880. Section 21: Käärmeen synty (Birth of the Serpent), variants a–h.

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 käärmeen synty was the essential charm for treating snakebite — the most common life-threatening encounter with a wild creature in rural Finland. By naming the serpent's origin (always degraded — demon-spit, filth, the devil's vomit), the tietäjä strips the serpent of power. The contrast with the bear-origin charm is total: the bear is born in heaven and christened by God; the serpent is born from slime on a rock and given life by Hiisi. The eight variants display the full range of Finnish folk creativity, from the Hiisi-narrative of (a) to the remarkable Judas-apocrypha of (b), the anatomical catalogue of (h), and the terse reed-birth of (f). Variant (b) — in which Saint Peter persuades a reluctant Christ to give life to Judas's spittle — is one of the most striking pieces of Christian folk mythology in any tradition.

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

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Source Text: Käärmeen 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.

a.

Tieän sykkö synnyntäsi,
Maan kamala kasvantasi,
Mistä kyy kulohon synnyit,
Mato maalle siunattihin:
Sie oot sykkö synnytetty,
Maan kamala kasvateltu,
Karkealla kalliolla,
Matalalla maaemällä.

Hiisi juoksi maata myöten,
Juoksi Hiisi, maa hikoili,
Juoksi soita, juoksi maita,
Lapin laajoja saloja,
Hiki tippuvi tukasta,
Vaahti parrasta valuvi.
Uupui julma juostessansa,
Väsyi väännätellessänsä,
Vaipui vankamo kivelle,
Kaatui maahan kalliolle,
Menehtyi mäen nenälle,
Nurmipaaelle nukahti.

Viikon vuorella makasi,
Kauvan kallion nenällä,
Kovin korskui maatessansa,
Nukkuessansa nurisi,
Valui kuona konnan suusta,
Kina ilkeän kiasta,
Vaahti vankasta nenästä,
Tölkki Lemmon tölleröstä,
Ukon uuelle kivelle,
Karkealle kalliolle.
Kulki Syöjätär sivutse,
Söip' on kuolan kalliolta,
Kuola kulkussa kytevi,
Hakaroipi hampahissa,
Sylki suustansa vesille,
Laski kuolan lainehille.

Tuota tuuli tuu'itteli,
Meren läikkä läikytteli,
Selvällä meren selällä,
Lapovilla lainehilla;
Vesi sen pitkäksi venytti,
Ilma väänti värttinäksi,
Siitä tuuli maalle tuopi,
Vesi niemelle vetävi,
Viima viskoi kalliolle,
Korkean kiven kolohon;
Tuuli sen kovaksi tuuli,
Ahavainen kuivaeli,
Päivä paistoi käppyrähän
Rannalla kiven kolossa,
Kiven kirjavan kylellä,
Pahan paaen parmahalla.
Hiisi siihen hengen antoi,
Piru silmät siunaeli,
Lempo leukaluut sukesi,
Kehno hampahat keräsi.
Tuli tuosta tuonen toukka,
Tuonen toukka, maan matonen,
Syntyi synty käärmehelle,
Pahalle nimi panihe.

b.

Voi sinä paha pakana,
Tietähän sinun sukusi:
Läksi Juutas juoksemahan,
Väipäs väipöttelemähän;
Häijy häässä häimertynyt,
Pahan työn on tehtyänsä,
Juoksi päivän, juoksi toisen,
Juoksi kohta kolmannenki,
Ilkeä tuli iästä,
Konna päivän koitimesta.
Matkan pitkän tultuansa,
Päivän kolmannen perästä,
Uupui Juutas juostessansa,
Väsyi väipötellessänsä,
Kaatui maahan kalliolle,
Retkahti kiviroville,
Vaipui vaaran rintehelle,
Raukesi rapakivelle;
Maatessansa korskaeli,
Väkevästi vääntelihe.

Jesus tietänsä käveli,
Matkoansa mittaeli,
Kolmen poikansa keralla,
Kahen kielikumppalinsa,
Juutas tieltä loikahtihe,
Rajakenkä kalliolta,
Sai piru pirettämähän,
Pötkähti pakenemahan;
Läksi kuola konnan suusta,
Räkä räivän sieramista,
Tuon päivä kovaksi paahtoi,
Piru pitkäksi venytti.

Santta Pietari näkevi
Konnan kuolan kalliolla,
Rään pahan rapakivellä;
Katselevi, kääntelevi,
Mi on mytty kalliolla,
Sai tuosta sanelemahan:
"Mikä tuostakin tulisi,
Ja kuka kuvautuisi,
Jos sa Herra hengen loisit,
Silmät siunaisit Jumala?"

Niin sanovi suuri Luoja,
Puhuvi puhas Jumala:
"Pahasta paha tulisi,
Konna konnan siemenestä,
Ilkeä isottomasta,
Epatto emottomasta".

Santta Pietari sanovi,
Kerran toisen kerkeävi:
"Luoppas Herra henki tuolle
Siunoa Jumala silmät,
Anna kulkea kulossa,
Helähellen heinikossa,
Pujotella puien juuret,
Katsella kanervan varret!"

Äsken Herra hengen antoi
Silmät siunasi Jumala,
Pahan miehen oksentohon,
Konnan ilkeän kinahan.
Siitä sitten sykkö syntyi,
Liseni paha litikka,
Sai käärme kähäjämähän,
Mato musta muikomahan,
Mahan maata kulkemahan,
Vatsallahan vaeltamahan.

c.

Mist' on synty syysmaolla,
Tapa talvikäärmehellä?
Tuost' on synty syysmaolla,
Tapa talvikäärmehellä:
Kihokuola Aijön poika,
Tuo kiltto kivellä istui,
Nukkui kaltto kalliolla;
Tuop' on tuosta vierähtävi
Pohjaispuolelle kiveä,
Kino tippui kiian suusta,
Kuona konnan leukaluilta,
Senpä Syöjätär havaitsi,
Söi kinon kiven kylestä,
Sylkäisi kinon vesille,
Lapahutti lainehille.

Kuola kulkevi merellä,
Vieri laatta lainehilla,
Vaahti vankoilla vesillä,
Tuli tuuli, tuon kokosi,
Ajoi aalto kalliolle,
Putken rautaisen sisähän,
Paksun heinän paltehesen.
Siit' on synty syntynynnä,
Siitä kasvo kasvanunna;
Mist' on tuolle henki saatu,
Mistä viskattu vihoja?
Tuolt' on sille henki saatu
Sekä viskattu vihoja,
Tuolta helvetin tulesta,
Pahan vallan valkeasta.

d.

Mato musta maan-alainen,
Toukka tuonen karvallinen!
Tieän mä sinun sukusi,
Kanssa kaiken kasvantosi:
Syöjätär sinun emosi,
Vetehinen vanhempasi.
Souti Syöjätär vesiä,
Tulikulkku turjutteli,
Venehellä vaskisella,
Punaisella purjehella;
Sylki Syöjätär vetehen,
Laski laatan lainehille.

Tuota tuuli tuu'itteli,
Veen henki heilutteli,
Tuu'itteli vuotta kuusi,
Senki seitsemän keseä,
Selvällä meren selällä,
Lake'illa lainehilla,
Vesi sen pitkäksi venytti,
Päivä paistoi pehmeäksi,
Ve'en tyrsky tyyräeli,
Aalto rannalle ajavi,
Meren hyrsky hylkeävi,
Puun on paksun pallehille.

Kulki kolme Luonnotarta
Rannalla meren rapean,
Meren pauhun partahalla,
Ne tuon rannalla näkivät,
Sanoivat sanalla tuolla:
"Mipä tuostaki tulisi,
Kunpa Luoja hengen loisi,
Silmät päähän siunoaisi?"

Sattui Hiisi kuulemahan,
Mies häjy tähyämähän,
Itse luojaksi rupesi,
Antoi Hiisi hengen tuolle,
Syöjättären sylkemälle,
Konnan ilkeän kinalle;
Siitä kääntyi käärmeheksi,
Muuttui mustaksi maoksi.

e.

Kivun tyttö, kuolon neito,
Tuop' on nurmelle nukahti,
Kaatui maalle kaltosalle,
Kirjavan kiven kylelle;
Tuli suuri tuulen puuska,
Iästä vihainen ilma,
Teki neien tiineheksi,
Kostutti kohulliseksi.
Siitä syntyi syntyminen,
Sikisi paha sikiö,
Sai käärme kähisemähän,
Kusiainen kulkemahan,
Matamahan maan matonen,
Pienen neulan pistämähän
Joko ihmisen ihoa
Tahi karvoja kapehen.

f.

Kasvoi puu pyhällä maalla,
Putki maalla puhtahalla,
Nousi putki puuta vasten,
Sara sammalen varassa,
Piru putkehen puhalsi,
Solahutti sormuksehen,
Siitäpä mato sikesi,
Suikulainen, puikulainen,
Vääntyi siitä värttinäksi,
Siitä kääntyi käärmeheksi,
Maan päällä mateliaksi,
Tiellä teukalehtajaksi.

g.

Mato musta, kyy viherä,
Toukka tuonenkarvallinen,
Kyllä mä sukusi tieän,
Tieän kaiken kasvantosi,
Mist' olet kyhätty kyhjö,
Kusta sykkö synnytelty:
Tuonen akka rautahammas,
Koukkusormi, käykkäleuka,
Keträsi kesoisen päivän,
Sykysyisen yösyämen,
Veri kuorsi kuontalosta,
Vaskisesta värttinästä,
Siit' olet kyhätty kyhjö,
Siitä sykkö synnytelty.

h.

Kehnot käärmettä rakenti,
Kyhjöt kyytä keträeli;
Sai käärme rakennetuksi,
Kyhätyksi kyy vihainen,
Yhtenä kesäisnä yönä,
Sykysyisnä vietinkinä.

Mist' on pää pahalle pantu?
Pää pahan pavun jyvästä;
Mist' on aivot ankeloisen?
Virran vankan vaaluvista;
Mist' on silmät siitoalla?
Lemmon liinan siemenistä;
Mist' on korvat konnan päässä?
Lemmon koivun lehtosista;
Mist' on kuonoa kohettu?
Tuonen tuuran taittumasta;
Mist' on suuta suunniteltu?
Suu solesta Syöjättären;
Mist' on kieli keksittynä?
Keion keihä'än kärestä;
Mist' on hampahat haettu?
Neuloista Manalan neion;
Mist' on ilkeän ikenet?
Ikenistä Kalman immen;
Mist' on raatoa rakettu?
Pahan immen palmikosta;
Mist' on selkä seisotettu?
Hiien hiiliseipähästä;
Mist' on häntä häikiöllä?
Hiusletistä Hiien neien;
Mist' on suolet solmittuna?
Vyöltä Hiien vyöllisistä;
Mist' on henki heittiöllä?
Hiien hiiliahjoksesta;
Mist' on tunto turmiolla?
Kuohusta tulisen kosken;
Mist' on syyetty syäntä?
Syöjättären syänkävystä;
Mistä viskattu vihoja?
Vaahesta vihaisen virran.

Source Colophon

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

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