  Oli ennen neljä neittä Koko kolomet morsionta Istuivat itähän rinnon Etelähän päin elivät Lypsit moalle maitojansa Niitylle nisuksiansa Yksi lypsi mustan maijon Toinen valkean valutti Kolomasi tulipunasen Joka lypsi mustan maijon Siit’ on tehty kuonarauta Joka valkean valutti Siit’ on tehty meltorauta Joka puotti punasen Siit’ on tiettävät teräkset Hölmä Tuonelta tulovi Maan alta Manalan poika Löyti suosta ruosteheinän Teräsheinän hetteestä Veipä Ilmarin pajaan Suolle hyllymättömälle Maalle liehumattomalle Herhiläinen hiien lintu Se kahto katon rajasta Alla tuohen tuijotteli Teräksiä tehtäessä Rautoja rakettaessa Kanto vettä kielellään Seppo Ilimarin pajaan Seppo koetti kielellään: ”Kas, ei nämät ole hyvät minulle Teräksen tekovesiksi Rautojen rakennusmaiksi” Mehiläinen iliman lintu Lenti tuonne lieputteli Yli kuun, alati päivän Otavan olokapäite Lenti soita, lenti maita Ylitse meren yheksän Meri puolen kymmenettä Otti mettä kielellänsä Seitsemästä heinänpäästä Kuuven ruokosen nenästä Kasto siipesä simaan Kasto kaapusa meteen Kanto seppo Ilimarin pajaan Koetti seppä kielellään: ”Kas, nämät on hyvät minulle Rautain rakennusmaiksi Teräksiin tekovesiksi” Niin silloin valasi vannot Kuin sa maitona makasit Alla ahjon Ilmarisen Jott’: ”en veistä veljeäni Sukuani suin pitele Luontoani loukkaele” Ei rauta paha olisi Ilman keärmehen kähytä Maon mustan muijehita Herhiläinen hiien lintu Toipa keärmehen kähyjä Maon mustan muijehita Seppäin pajan ovelle Ovelta alasimelle Kanto karkasuvetehen Tuostapa vilkuna sukesi Kasvoi rauta kalpistuva Jopa suureksi rupesit Kasvoit aivan kauheaksi Aloit syyvä veikkoasi Sukuansa suin piellä Lastuta emoisen lasta Kyllä ma sukusi tiiän Heikko heimokuntasii Yksi on juuri sukumme Sekalutta siemenemme Mikäs sun raivohon nosti Terän tervettä rikkomaan Varren verta vuotamaan? Oli akka villikerta Joka rauvan raivohon rakensi Terän hienon hilpomaan Terän lihaa syömään Ja varren verta lakkimaan |
Once, there were four maidens A whole three brides Who sat with their breasts towards the east Lived towards the south They milked their milk onto the ground Their teats onto the meadow One milked black milk Another trickled white milk The third one, fire red milk Who milked black milk It was made into slag Who trickled white milk It was made into malleable iron Who dropped red milk Steel is made out of it Hölmä comes from Tuoni A son of Manala from underground Found a rusted hay from a swamp A steel hay from a quagmire Took it to Ilmari's forge On an unshaken swamp On unwaving ground Hornet, the bird of Hiisi It looked from the ceiling Stared from under birchbark As steel was being made As iron was being built Carried water on its tongue Into the forge of Smith Ilmari The smith tried it with his tongue: "Oh, this is not good for me To be the making water of steel The building ground for iron" Bee, the bird of the sky Flew and fluttered there Over the Moon, below the Sun Through the shoulders of the Big Dipper Flew through swamps, flew through lands Over nine seas A ten half-seas / Half of a ten of seas? Took honey with its tongue From seven hay tips From the ends of six reeds Wet its wing into the mead Wet its cloak into the honey Carried it to the forge of Smith Ilmari The smith tried it with his tongue: "Oh, this is good for me To be the building ground of iron The making water of steel" Thus, you swore your oath then When you lied as milk Beneath Ilmarinen's forge That: "I will not cut my brother Scratch my relative Harm someone of my nature" Iron wouldn't be bad Without snake poison Acid of a black worm Hornet, the bird of Hiisi Brought snake poison Acid of a black worm To the door of the smith's forge From the door to the anvil Carried it into the quenching water From there, a (??) rose Grew sword iron You sure got big Grew to be horrifying Began to eat your brother Scratch your relative Cut your mother's child I sure know your family origin Your tribe, weak one Our family is one Our seed mixed What rose you to such rage The blade to break a healthy one The handle to bleed? There was a woman with a wild strand Who grew the iron to become enraged The file blade to tear The blade to eat blood And its handle to lap blood |
As far as myths go, this is honestly probably the most widespread and best known incantation in Finland (in addition to the Origin of Fire) even in the west, even after centuries of Christian influence. Turns out that wounds caused by iron objects and tools remained an issue!
Here we can see that the iron ore that can be found from swamps came from luonnottaret. This, where a son of Tuoni finds it, is quite rare. Often it could also be that the ore comes to surface in the footprints of wolves and bears. In either case, Ilmarinen is the one who creates iron. Iron's "brother" is us humans, of course. Iron swore it wouldn't hurt us but broke this oath since a hornet brought snake poison into its quenching water. From the end we can see it was the "woman with a wild strand" or death goddess Louhi who was in control of the hornet. Though she is not mentioned, from many other runosongs, we could assume that the one in control of the bee was the sun goddess Päivätär.