In their struggle with her the
Sampo was broken and its fragments scattered on the ocean. Louhi left
them, uttering dire threats; and Wainamoinen, gathering up what fragments
of the Sampo he could find, buried them where they would bring prosperity
to his people.
Now Wainamoinen longed to sing to his harp to rejoice the hearts of his
people, but the magic instrument had been lost in the storm conjured by
Louhi. After raking the sea for it in vain, he constructed a new harp from
the birch-tree, and delighted the people with his songs.
In revenge for the theft of the Sampo, Louhi sent nine diseases upon
Wainamoinen's people,--colic, pleurisy, fever, ulcer, plague, consumption,
gout, sterility, and cancer, the offspring of the fell Lowyatar; but by
the use of vapor baths and balsams Wainamoinen healed his people. Then
Louhi sent Otso the Bear, the honey-eater, but he was slain by the hero,
who made a banquet of his flesh for the people. Enraged at her failures,
she stole the sun, moon, and fire, and left Kalevala in darkness. Ukko,
taking pity on his people, struck lightning from his fire-sword and gave
the fire-child to a virgin to be cared for. In an unguarded moment it
sprang earthward, fell into the sea, and was swallowed by a fish, that, in
the agonies of torment, was swallowed by another.
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