The head of the "golden rock" I assume means the top of the world mountain in Pohjola, which the world pillar is attached to. It's sooooo satisfying to find phrases like this in runosongs which build an understanding of the cosmology. Here, it says that frost is at the navel of the sky during winter; in Kainuu, this also appears as the frost being "at the navel of the sky goddesses" (Taivaan Navattaret).
"Freezing Ahti at the sea" is a reference to the runosong Ahdin meriretki "Ahti's Sea Voyage" in which the rich man (usually named) Ahti Saarelainen, living on Saari, goes on a war campaign but gets frozen at the sea. If the runo has some kind of a different ending, it's lost. Interestingly, it has only been collected from Ingria, so it seems that it was no longer known elsewhere in the 19th century, but this reference to it found from Kainuu implies it was once known in a wider area. (And also the fact that it was partially included in the White Karelian version of a different runo about Ahti. That runo usually depicts Ahti skiing instead. One Ingrian version of the sea voyage ends in Ahti's men looking for food and someone trying to slay the Great Ox.)
I translate pakkanen as "frost" here, but generally the word just means when temperature is below 0 degrees celsius.
    Kuolpa meillä musta ruuna Vaipu valkia hevoinen Pellon piähen männykköön Josta maksat matona tippu Keuhkot keltasirkkusina Höyry nousi taivoseen Siitä pakkanen pani Viluilma viskasi Mikä pakkasen imetti? Kyy kanto, käärme imetti Nännillä nisittömillä Utarilla uuttomilla Mato syötti, kyy imetti Latvalla lakan petäjän Kuivan kuusen huipukalla Kovin itki kyytöläinen Viholainen vingutteli Kyynel juoksi kyön silmästä Pirahti pisaran verran Toinen toisesta norahti "Mitäs itket, kyytöläinen Tihiässä tuomikossa Paksussa pajumetässä?" "Panin minä pakkasen pajuhun Kovan ilman konkelohon" Pakkanen, Puhurin poika Talvipoika hyyveröinen Jos olet sitä sukua Kuin on ennen Osman poika Pohjanmuan kylästä Kotoisin Vänkämöinen Älä kylmä kynsiäin Äläkä kohmo kopriain Älä piätäni palelek Kyllä on sulle kylmämistä Kylmä soita, kylmä maita Kylmä kovia kiviä Jäätä järven rantasia Kylmä puut puhtahiksi Heinet helpettömäks Pajun juuria pakota Koivun juuria kolotak Hypi hyhmeelle Tanssi tanterella Riska risuissa Seiso seipään nenässä Kesät läiky lähtehissa Talvet taivaan navoilla Vilun poika Ilmolasta Joko nyt kysyt kynsiäin Alta varpaita anelet? Tungen tulen sukkiin Kekäleet kenkihini Hienot hiilet helmoihin Panun alle paulainen Pakkaisen palelemata Kovan ilman koskematak Vien suus suven syliin Kieles kesän kotiin Sepän hiilin sekaan Alle ahjon Ilmarisen Tiiämmä sun sukus Tiiän kaiken kasvatis Joko nyt sanon sukus Kuuluttelen kunnias: Pakkanen pajulla synty Kova ilma koivukolla Paholla pajupurolla Ikiturmasta isosta Emästä epättömästä Pohjan eukoll' ol' poikoa yheksän Yhen pani pakkaiseksi Toisen rauaksi rakensi Kolmas tunki tulen tekijäks Tuli poika pahan tapanen Tuli turmion alanen Poika ristiin vietäneen Alle kasteen kannettaneen Lähteelle hopeaiselle Kultakallion navalle Panivat nimen pahalle Panivat pakkaseksi Kynsien kivistäjäksi Vaatijaksi varvaspäitten Ennen kylmät kyisen pellon Palelet pahan petäjän Ennenku minua kylmät Sillon kylmit täyen kylmän Sillon pakkasen palelit Kun Ahin merelle kylmit Kylmit rautasen korennon Sepän Ilmarin pajassa Aivan alle ahjoksesa Liehtimissään liepehillä Kylmä Vuoksen koskia kovia Meren Rutjan partahia Äärettömän äprähiä Kurimuksen kulkun suuta Kinahmia ilkiätä |
Our black gelding died A white horse withered At the end of the field in a pine forest From it, its liver fell down as worms Its lungs as yellowhammers Steam rose to the sky From there, came frost Cold air [was thrown out?] What nursed frost? A viper carried, a snake nursed it With teatless breasts With [non-dripping?] udders A snake fed, a viper nursed In the top of a flat pine At the peak of a dry spruce Kyytöläinen (= viper) cried so much A villain whined A tear ran down from the eye of a viper One drop fell Another from the other eye "What are you crying for, kyytöläinen In a dense bird cherry forest In a thick willow forest?" "I put frost onto the willow A harsh weather into a fallen tree (that is leaning against another one)" Pakkanen (frost), son of gale Winter son Hyyveröinen (= freezing) If you are of the same family As once was the son of Osma From a village in Northlands Vänkämöinen was from Do not freeze my nails And don't numb my hands Don't make my head cold There are plenty of things for you to freeze Freeze swamps, freeze lands Freeze hard rocks Freeze the coasts of lakes Freeze trees clean Hays to be without lodicules Hurt the roots of willows Ache the roots of birches Jump on slush Dance on the open field Rampage in twigs Stand on the tip of a pole During summers, glimmer in springs During winters, on the navel of the sky Son of cold from Ilmola Are you asking for my nails now Begging for my feet from below? I will shove fire into my socks Embers into my shoes Fine coals at the brims A shoelace under Panu To be unfrozen by frost Untouched by harsh weather I'll take you mouth into the arms of a wolf Your tongue into the home of summer Amongst the coals of the smith Beneath the forge of Ilmarinen I know your family origin I know all of how you were raised Will I pronounce your family origin now Announce your honour: Frost was born on a willow Harsh weather in a birch forest At an evil willow streamlet From an eternal ruin father From a [?]less mother The Lady of the North had nine sons One, she named frost Another, she built to be iron A third pushed to be a maker of fire From that came a bad-mannered son One subjected to ruin A son was to be taken to be christened To be carried under baptism To a silver spring At the top of a golden rock They gave the name to the evil one Named it frost The one who hurts nails The one who demands the ends of toes Sooner you will freeze a field of vipers Chill an evil pine Before you will freeze me Then you sent a total freezing Then you chilled with frost When you froze Ahti to the sea You froze an iron cowlstaff In the forge of smith Ilmari Totally beneath his furnace Near his bellows Freeze the harsh rapids of Vuoksi The verges of the sea of Finnmark Neverending shorelines The brink of the throat of a maelstrom An evil abyss |
Contemporary folk song on this topic: Pakkanen puhurin poika by Hurja Halla.
Contemporary folk song on this topic: Pakkanen, puhurin poika by Mikko Heikinpoika.
For children, a fairytale song where the son of winter can summon winter with an icy horn: Puhuri Pakkasen poika by Mimmit.