To the house of Ilmarinen the blacksmith, was sold by Untamoinen a slave,
Kullervo. He was a giant who had done naught but evil, until in despair
his master sold him to the blacksmith. Kullervo, or Kullerwoinen, was made
a shepherd and sent forth with the flocks. But rage at the blacksmith's
wife, who baked a stone in his bread on which he broke the magic knife of
his people, caused him to transform the flocks into wolves, who tore the
Rainbow Wife to pieces when she went to milk them.
Then Kullerwoinen fled from the blacksmith, and set out to find his
tribe-people, but on the way unknowingly corrupted his sister, and in
despair at his evil deeds, destroyed himself.
Ilmarinen was full of grief at the loss of his wife. Unhappy and restless,
he forged for himself a bride of gold; but the image failed to satisfy
him, and Wainamoinen, reproving him, forbade his people in the future to
worship any graven image. Then the blacksmith again sought the north to
win the sister of his former bride, but was met with bitter reproaches for
the sorrow he had brought upon the family. Nevertheless, he seized the
maiden to carry her away, but she was so angry and so unhappy that he
changed her to a seagull and came home wifeless and sad.
Wainamoinen and Ilmarinen soon conceived the idea of going to the
Northland to win back the Sampo.
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