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Messages 1 - 62 of total 62 in this topic
Sredni Vashtar

Social climber
The coastal redwoods
Dec 6, 2012 - 01:20pm PT
I like them Finns, very smart, independent, hard drinkers. they have high school kids that volunteer as tour guides and they have badges with flags representing the languages they speak. these kids speak like 7, 8 languages. over achievers. helsinki also has europes biggest drunk tank.

and the moomins man, i had the books and watched the animated series. freaky stuff.
Darwin

Trad climber
Seattle, WA
Dec 6, 2012 - 01:41pm PT

And a Finn organized and largely wrote the best operating system in the world: Lunix. I give Linus Torvalds credit for getting the OpenSource software movement going. I keep waiting for him and Dennis Ritchie (posthumously) to get the Nobel Prize for economics for changing the economic landscape of the world while nobody noticed.
survival

Big Wall climber
Terrapin Station
Dec 6, 2012 - 01:53pm PT
Feliz Indrpants Dagayum Olf Der Finlander dag hiel!!!!


healyje

Trad climber
Portland, Oregon
Dec 6, 2012 - 01:54pm PT
They are tango fanatics, which always struck me as odd for a country not particularly known for passion or intimacy.
Wayno

Big Wall climber
Seattle, WA
Dec 6, 2012 - 02:19pm PT
Unique language origins. Finno-ugric.
bookworm

Social climber
Falls Church, VA
Dec 6, 2012 - 02:27pm PT
read Storm of War, a history of ww2 by Andrew Roberts...who knew the Finns kicked the shite out of the soviets early in the war?
survival

Big Wall climber
Terrapin Station
Dec 6, 2012 - 02:38pm PT
I did, but thanks anyway George W JR.
Brandon-

climber
The Granite State.
Dec 6, 2012 - 02:43pm PT
Why do Scandanavians seem to speak English really really well? Do Scandanavians languages lend themselves to a good accent,do Scandanavians just travel a lot, or is English taught from an early age?

Happy Independence Day, Finland.
hb81

climber
Dec 6, 2012 - 03:14pm PT
Why do Scandanavians seem to speak English really really well? Do Scandanavians languages lend themselves to a good accent,do Scandanavians just travel a lot, or is English taught from an early age?

A lot of it actually has to do with the fact that they don't get any dubbed movies but watch everything in english with subtitles. (even on TV if i remember correctly) Unlike for example Germany, where people seem to think we need horrible german dubs, ja!

Sounds kinda odd, but I've heard this numerous times from different guys from scandinavia.
Marlow

Sport climber
OSLO
Dec 6, 2012 - 03:33pm PT
Finnish proverbs

•Ei kaikki kultaa mikä kiiltää eikä kaikki hopeata kuin mikä hohtaa.
•Translation: All that shines is not gold, nor is all silver that gleams.

•Ei kannata mennä merta edemmäs kalaan.
•Literal translation: "One should not go farther than the sea to fish."

•Ei savua ilman tulta.
•Translation: "There's no smoke without fire."

•Ei vahinko tule kello kaulassa.
•Literal translation: "An accident won't arrive with a bell on its neck."
•Translation: "Accidents happen unexpected."

•Ei vanha koira valetta hauku.'
•Idiomatic translation: ”An old dog barks not in vain.”

•Haukkuva koira ei pure.
•Translation: "A barking dog does not bite."

•Helposti saatu on helposti menetetty
•Translation: "What is acquired easily is lost easily"

•Isoja kaloja kannattaa pyytää vaikkei saisikaan.
•Translation: "Big fish are worth of fishing even if you don't catch one"

•"Joka menneitä muistelee, sitä tikulla silmään"
•Translation: "A poke in the eye for those, who dwell on the past"

•"Joka paljon lupaa, se vähän antaa"
•Translation: "Who promises a lot, gives a little"

•Kun menee sutta pakoon, tulee karhu vastaan.
•Literal translation: "When you flee from a wolf, you run into a bear."

•Lika maahan maidostakin.
•Idiomatic translation: "Too much of a thing is good for nothing."

•Maassa maan tavalla.
•Literal translation: "In a country according to its customs."

•Niin makaa, kuin petaa.
•Literal translation: "One sleeps like one makes his bed."
•Translation: "Actions have consequences."

•Niin metsä vastaa kuin sinne huudetaan.
•Literal translation: "The forest answers in the same way one shouts in it."

•"Oma apu paras apu."
•Literal translation: "Own help [is the] best help."
•Translation: "Helping yourself is the best way to help yourself."

•"On taottava silloin kun rauta on kuuma."
•Translation: "Iron must be forged when it is hot."

•"On vähäkin tyhjää parempi."
•Translation: "Little is better than nothing."

•"Paha saa palkkansa."
•Translation: "Evil will get its share(/pay)."

•"Parempi karvas totuus kuin makea valhe."
•Translation: "Better a bitter truth than a sweet lie."
•Swedish equivalent: "An honest 'no' is better than an insincere 'yes'."

•"Parempi pyy pivossa, kuin kymmenen oksalla."
•Literal translation: "Better one hazel grouse in the bag, than ten on the branch."

•Sitä niittää mitä kylvää
•Translation: "You reap what you sow"

•"Suu valehtelee, silmät puhuvat totta."
•Translation: "The mouth lies, but the eyes tell the truth."

•"Tyvestä puuhun noustaan"
•Translation: "A tree is climbed from its base."

Wikiquote

Finns are known for their pragmatism.
Marlow

Sport climber
OSLO
Dec 6, 2012 - 03:47pm PT
Try diamonds instead, girl.

Raikkonen was once asked by a journalist why his car broke down and answered "I dunno, ask someone".

Another legendary Finn: Urho Kekkonen
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Urho_Kekkonen

And then a climber: Nalle Hukkataival Ninja Skills (8B+) - from 3:15
[Click to View YouTube Video]
this just in

climber
north fork
Dec 6, 2012 - 03:48pm PT
Kimi Raikkonen is probably the coolest person ever.
Fat Dad

Trad climber
Los Angeles, CA
Dec 6, 2012 - 04:02pm PT
Finland is a pretty interesting place. I dated a Finnish woman for about 4 yrs. and got to go back and visit when a friend of hers married a friend of mine. The people are very nice, but very, very reserved and, well, interesting...Lots of drunk people, which the culture really kind of enables, maybe because it's pretty prevalent.

Some are pretty outgoing and friendly, but most others appear to be terminally morose. Social events and bars are kind of wild because every stands around looking glum but at the end of the evening the women will approach a guy if she's interested in some after hours fun. Plus, I think it's probably the only country in the world where you can meet your girlfriend's dad for the first time and the next minute be sitting naked next to him in a sauna. It's a really odd dichotomy.

Ask any Finn about the Winter War (the Finnish assault on Russia at the start of WWII) and they'll tell you loads (in a terse Finnish way). It is way ballsy in the best sort of way war stories are. The general of that assault is even on the currency.

I had a great time visiting. The women in Helsinki are very attractive. Nice musically heritage. Then you get those long summer evenings where everyone is hanging out drinking beer or cider by the lake enjoying the fine weather and birches. It's pretty good.
Marlow

Sport climber
OSLO
Dec 6, 2012 - 04:12pm PT
The Winter War - Talvisota - in my view one of the two best war films ever made. The other one being Idi I Smotri.

[Click to View YouTube Video]
Marlow

Sport climber
OSLO
Dec 6, 2012 - 04:17pm PT
And the drinking - no smoke without fire - here in a cartoon by Albert Engström
hb81

climber
Dec 6, 2012 - 04:18pm PT
My ex-mother-in-law was German, she had one about God punishing the small things first, or something.

Die kleinen Sünden bestraft der liebe Gott sofort.

translates loosely to "small sins get punished immediately by god"

ususally said when somebody does something minor wrong and then hits his head on something a minute later or stuff like that... you get the idea.
It's not ment too serious.
zBrown

Ice climber
chingadero de chula vista
Dec 6, 2012 - 04:22pm PT
This is a transplanted Finlander in my family, William Carlson. He is the son of my mom's uncle, therefore one of my cousins (I can't remember how to calculate which).

My grandparents emigrated from Finland at the end of the 1800's and my grandfather Jakob was planning to move the whole family back when he died from so-called miner's consumption. I coulda been a native (son).

http://www.udel.edu/research/polar/carlson.html


Brandon-

climber
The Granite State.
Dec 6, 2012 - 04:29pm PT
Lets discuss the second half of Lollis thread; 'And Other Countries'.

I like Panama. Great people, not too much hype, they run on the USD. Possibly one of the more slept on (underrated, to foreigners who read this) countries I've visited.
Marlow

Sport climber
OSLO
Dec 6, 2012 - 04:49pm PT
Donald: Kalevala?
[Click to View YouTube Video]
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kalevala

Language: Runes?
Marlow

Sport climber
OSLO
Dec 6, 2012 - 04:53pm PT
Finnish composer Jean Sibelius was inspired by Kalevala
[Click to View YouTube Video]
Reilly

Mountain climber
The Other Monrovia- CA
Dec 6, 2012 - 04:55pm PT
My first evening in Helsinki I was really jonesing for a good meal after
months in the Soviet Union. I walked all over Helsinki wondering why there
were so many Italian restaurants. WTF? Then I found out 'Ravintola' is not
Finnish for 'ravioli' - it means restaurant. By then I was so tired I just
went to a store and bought some herring and vodka like the rest of the Finns.
Marlow

Sport climber
OSLO
Dec 6, 2012 - 05:08pm PT
Leningrad Cowboys - These Boots
[Click to View YouTube Video]
Marlow

Sport climber
OSLO
Dec 6, 2012 - 05:19pm PT
Aki Kaurismäki
[Click to View YouTube Video]
[Click to View YouTube Video]
Marlow

Sport climber
OSLO
Dec 6, 2012 - 05:25pm PT
Erja Lyytinen
[Click to View YouTube Video]
[Click to View YouTube Video]
Marlow

Sport climber
OSLO
Dec 6, 2012 - 05:47pm PT
Rally Finland - Marcus Grönholm
[Click to View YouTube Video]
Road trip during winter
[Click to View YouTube Video]
Marlow

Sport climber
OSLO
Dec 6, 2012 - 06:06pm PT
Yes both rally - with Mäkinen and Grönholm - and F1 - with Häkkinen and Raikkonen - as examples.

"Michelin food" (**) in Finland: http://chezdominique.fi/home
Marlow

Sport climber
OSLO
Dec 6, 2012 - 06:20pm PT
Nice view... LOL...

Virpi Kuitonen
[Click to View YouTube Video]

Janne Ahonen
[Click to View YouTube Video]

The Land of the 1000 Lakes
[Click to View YouTube Video]
Borut

Mountain climber
Ljubljana, Slovenia
Dec 7, 2012 - 12:15am PT
Here are some news (in English) from the General Consulate of Nepal in Ljubljana, Slovenia: http://nepconsulate.si/

Borut

Mountain climber
Ljubljana, Slovenia
Dec 7, 2012 - 12:39am PT
I have good friends from Finland, living in Berlin. Aulikki and her family are great people, very friendly and warm hearted. She comes from way up North in Finland, places one can apparently sometimes only reach by plane. Heard a lot about pike fishing - they bite -, and sometimes too many mosquitoes when the temps are high.

Borut
Reilly

Mountain climber
The Other Monrovia- CA
Dec 7, 2012 - 12:49am PT
How come nobody has pointed out that Finland is the UFO Capitol of Europe?
Borut

Mountain climber
Ljubljana, Slovenia
Dec 7, 2012 - 01:01am PT
I'd sometimes argue with Aulikki about Santa Claus and skis. Both Finland and Slovenia consider Santa Claus and skis as their own discovery.

Borut

(edit: link)
Sparky

Trad climber
vagabond movin on
Dec 7, 2012 - 03:06am PT


What we can learn from Finland’s successful school reform
Finland came from behind to become the world leader in student achievement. Their strategy is the opposite of what we’re doing in America.


By Linda Darling-Hammond

http://www.nea.org/home/40991.htm
wallyvirginia

Trad climber
Stockholm, Sweden
Dec 7, 2012 - 03:24am PT
[Click to View YouTube Video]

This is Finland for me. By the way this movie is awesome from start to Finnish. Pun intended..

@Borut

Everybody knows who invented the skis, and it was neither of you guys.. ;-)
Borut

Mountain climber
Ljubljana, Slovenia
Dec 7, 2012 - 07:37am PT
Night on Earth
http://ia.media-imdb.com/images/M/MV5BMTY0NTkxOTQwMF5BMl5BanBnXkFtZTcwNzQ4MzA1MQ@@._V1._SY317_CR5,0,214,317_.jpg
Finland bottom right
Jaybro

Social climber
Wolf City, Wyoming
Dec 7, 2012 - 08:32am PT

Park Rat

Social climber
CA, UT,CT,FL
Dec 7, 2012 - 08:50am PT





My mother's family came from Finland. My grandmother came from the Swedish side of Finland, a little town called Kokkola, she spoke Finnish, Danish, Swedish, and later English. My grandfather was born in a small village, called Parkkala on the Finland, Russian border. He spoke both Finnish and Russian before he immigrated to Oregon at the turn-of-the-century.

In 1972 I visited Finland, we flew north to the small town of Savonlinna. I was driven by a guide to the Russian border. I did not know at that time that I was within a few miles of my grandfathers farm. I will never forget what the guide told me as we stood looking out at the border. It was a chilly almost snowy May morning. We were looking at a scene that very much resembled a Christmas card with pine trees, lakes and some small stone buildings. She started telling me a little about World War II.

My guide pointed to a pine tree and said to me, we stopped the Russians at that tree!

I was speechless. Not we stopped the Russians in this area or at this building, but at this very tree. It was so poignant I've never forgotten.

It was clear to me that in 1972 that the Russians were very much a threat to Finland. They were bombarded with propaganda via radio at that time. Finnish people I spoke to were all pro-American, they wanted to know everything I can tell them about my country. They especially wanted to know what was happening on their favorite American television programs.


Oh, I left out one other fun tidbit. Late in the afternoon I was taken to the factory my husband was visiting. My female guide took me into a large indoor swimming pool. We went into a small dressing room, where she proceeded to take off all of her clothes. I had no choice but to follow suit, so to speak.

She was telling me that this was going to be a great treat, I would be experiencing a real sauna. What she meant was that I was going to be roasted slowly at a very high temperature, chuckle. It was extremely hot, to say the least. When I was lobster red, we showered, and jumped into the pool, swam a lap, then she handed me a drink called cloudberry wine. We returned to the sauna and repeated the process two more times. The whole time I'm hoping, no praying that no one joins us in this fun treat. I'm also thinking that I'm going to kill my new husband for getting me into this situation.

That night we attended a dinner in our honor. I was given a certificate saying I had endured a proper Finnish sauna.
The dinner lasted for over four hours with more courses that I can remember. What I can remember was that there was a different wine or alcohol served with every course. Somewhere in the first or second hour I realized I was never going to make it through the evening if I tried to keep up with my hosts.

It is very true that the Fins love their vodka. Actually they love all things alcohol. It's amazing they get any work done, considering their drinking habits.
Marlow

Sport climber
OSLO
Dec 7, 2012 - 10:14am PT
Parkrat

Thanks for sharing the story!

Jaybro

Ah, the artificial Panda world
[Click to View YouTube Video]
justthemaid

climber
Jim Henson's Basement
Dec 7, 2012 - 10:38am PT
I grew up next door to this guy: http://eino.org/ The view out our house was a landscape littered with his marble sculptures. His ex was also an artist and I definitely credit them as early influences on my professional artist career.

Not your typical Finn. His normal-sounding bio there minimizes his wild personality considerably.


mojede

Trad climber
Butte, America
Dec 7, 2012 - 10:56am PT


The Helsinki Yacht Club and Bar--Finntown/Butte, Montana

Where the annual naming of St. Urho takes place...


edit: Yes, there are saunas in there:-)
sempervirens

climber
Dec 7, 2012 - 11:58am PT
Two long-time co-workers, one a Swede and one a Finn, who had never before socialized decided to have a drink together one evening.

Swede pours vodka for each of them.

Swede: skol!
Finn: ungh.

Swede pours a second vodka for each
Swede: skol!
Finn: ungh.

Swede pours a third time.
Swede: skol!
Finn: did we come here to talk or did we come here to drink?
Reilly

Mountain climber
The Other Monrovia- CA
Dec 7, 2012 - 12:04pm PT
Semper, true dat!

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _


The morning after the Swedish Faceplant, er, Facelift.
I don't remember if any Finns showed up, but it looks like they might have...
brotherbbock

Trad climber
Alta Loma, CA
Dec 7, 2012 - 12:13pm PT
Marlow

Sport climber
OSLO
Dec 7, 2012 - 12:16pm PT
Nice building!

Two Finnish designers and architects

Alvar Alto: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alvar_Aalto

Eero Saarinen: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eero_Saarinen
Marlow

Sport climber
OSLO
Dec 7, 2012 - 12:21pm PT
The WW2 wound: http://www.nordicway.com/search/Continuation%20War.htm
michaeld

Sport climber
Sacramento
Dec 7, 2012 - 01:14pm PT
Finland is awesome!
AKTrad

Mountain climber
AK
Dec 7, 2012 - 11:19pm PT
Finland...full of beautiful women! A very fascinating digression from an otherwise (except for politics) blog about climbing. I spent 1962-1964 in Finland. Near Kuopio, I found an outcrop of boulders and kept up my skills when I could. In those days, Finland was home to only one climber I knew of: Matti A. Jokinen, who had written two books on climbing: "Alppien Seinamilla" (On Alpine Walls) and "Himalayan Valloitus". I bought and read them both. He was a dentist and later professor of dentistry in Helsinki. I made a point of meeting him and talking with him and friends about American climbing. He was fascinated by Yosemite where the cutting edge climbing of the late 50's and early 60's was taking place.

For a diversion, check out some of these fine blogs:

Fashion
http://www.hel-looks.com/

Finns on bicycles
http://www.flickr.com/groups/helsinkicyclechic/
Marlow

Sport climber
OSLO
Dec 8, 2012 - 04:54pm PT
Finnish tango on the snow @ Tampere
[Click to View YouTube Video]
Fat Dad

Trad climber
Los Angeles, CA
Dec 10, 2012 - 01:30pm PT
It's interesting that Park Rat mentioned her grandmother being from Kokkola since that's where we visited since my then girlfriend was from there. Nice little place.

I always wanted to go back to do some more exploring, especially up north, where it resembles the tundra and you're north of the Artic Circle. We did some good, shortish hikes thru the woods, though the flies and other biting insects were intense. Being from the West I'm not used to anything more aggressive than a mosquito. Still, it's not every place where you can finish your hike with a nice serving of reindeer and cloudberry liqueur.
mouse from merced

Trad climber
The finger of fate, my friends, is fickle.
Dec 10, 2012 - 02:40pm PT
Two Irishmen walk out of a bar.

It could happen...

Up the Irish from Galway Bay!

Looky here, Locker!
cliffhanger

Trad climber
California
Dec 10, 2012 - 04:11pm PT
Here's the ancient Finnish poem the Kalevala:

http://www.sacred-texts.com/neu/kveng/kvrune00.htm

Part of the introduction:

There are many other legends,
Incantations that were taught me,
That I found along the wayside,
Gathered in the fragrant copses,
Blown me from the forest branches,
Culled among the plumes of pine-trees,
Scented from the vines and flowers,
Whispered to me as I followed
Flocks in land of honeyed meadows,
Over hillocks green and golden,
After sable-haired Murikki,
And the many-colored Kimmo.
Many runes the cold has told me,
Many lays the rain has brought me,
Other songs the winds have sung me;
Many birds from many forests,
Oft have sung me lays n concord
Waves of sea, and ocean billows,
Music from the many waters,
Music from the whole creation,
Oft have been my guide and master.
Sentences the trees created,
Rolled together into bundles,
Moved them to my ancient dwelling,
On the sledges to my cottage,
Tied them to my garret rafters,
Hung them on my dwelling-portals,
Laid them in a chest of boxes,
Boxes lined with shining copper.
Long they lay within my dwelling
Through the chilling winds of winter,
In my dwelling-place for ages
rottingjohnny

Sport climber
mammoth lakes ca
Dec 10, 2012 - 04:25pm PT
Reilly...Swedish facelift....? You sure that wasn't the germanic beer bust with nudie flicks at choss creek...? RJ
Marlow

Sport climber
OSLO
Dec 10, 2012 - 05:32pm PT
Bears in northern Finland
[Click to View YouTube Video]
[Click to View YouTube Video]
Marlow

Sport climber
OSLO
Dec 10, 2012 - 05:44pm PT
Ireland some years ago
http://nd.edu/~archire/sites2005/KilmalkedarMonastery2.html
zBrown

Ice climber
chingadero de chula vista
Dec 20, 2012 - 05:36pm PT
Was just going through some papers. The first relative that my cousin has been able to trace in the family was Heikki Olavinpoika (Isotalo), who appears to have died some time in 1686.

I must have quite a few relatives in Finland.
Marlow

Sport climber
OSLO
Dec 30, 2012 - 01:10pm PT
The Kalevala's Contents

Poems 1-2
Ilmatar (the Virgin of the Air) descends to the waters. A pochard lays its eggs on her knee. The eggs break and the world is formed from their pieces. The mother of the water then gives birth to Väinämöinen. Sampsa Pellervoinen sows the forest trees. One of the trees, an oak, grows so large that it blots out both the sun and the moon. A tiny man rises from the sea and fells the giant oak. The sun and moon can shine once again.

Poems 3-4
Joukahainen challenges Väinämöinen to a contest of wisdom and is defeated. With his singing, Väinämöinen causes Joukahainen to sink into a swamp. In order to save himself, Joukahainen promises his sister' s hand in marriage to Väinämöinen. Upon learning of the bargain, the sister Aino mourns her fate and finally drowns herself.

Poems 5-7
Väinämöinen searches the sea for Aino and catches her (she has been transformed into a fish) on his fishing hook. However, he loses her again and sets out to woo the maiden of Pohjola, the daughter of the North Farm. Meanwhile, eager for revenge, Joukahainen watches out for Väinämöinen on the way to Pohjola and shoots Väinämöinen's horse from underneath him as he rides across a river. Väinämöinen falls into the water and floats out to sea. There an eagle rescues him and carries him to Pohjola's shores. The mistress of Pohjola, Louhi, tends Väinämöinen until he recovers. In order to be able to return home, Väinämöinen promises that Ilmarinen the smith will forge a Sampo for Pohjola. The maiden of Pohjola, Louhi's daughter, is promised to the smith in return for the Sampo.

Poems 8-9
On his way home, Väinämöinen meets the maiden of Pohjola and asks her to marry him. She agrees on the condition that Väinämöinen carry out certain impossible tasks. While Väinämöinen carves a wooden boat, his axe slips and he receives a deep wound in his knee. He searchers for an expert blood-stauncher and finally finds an old man who stops the flow of blood by using magic incantations.

Poem 10
Using magic means, Väinämöinen sends the unwilling Ilmarinen to Pohjola. Ilmarinen forges the Sampo. Louhi shuts it inside a hill of rock. Ilmarinen is forced to return home without his promised bride.

Poems 11-12
Lemminkäinen sets off to woo Kyllikki, a maiden of Saari Island. He makes merry with the other maidens and abducts Kyllikki. He later abandons her and leaves to woo the maiden of Pohjola. With his singing he bewitches the people of Pohjola to leave the farmhouse at North Farm. Only one person, a cowherd, does not fall under his spell.

Poems 13-15
Lemminkäinen asks Louhi for her daughter, but Louhi demands that he first hunt and kill the Demon's elk, then the Demon's fire-breathing gelding, and finally the swan in Tuonela River, which is the boundary between this world and the next. There the vengeful cowherd kills Lemminkäinen and throws his body into the river. Lemminkäinen's mother receives a sign of her son's death and goes out in search of him. She rakes the pieces of her son's body out of Tuonela River, puts them back together and brings her son back to life.

Poems 16-17
Väinämöinen begins to build a boat and visits Tuonela in order to ask for the magic spells need to finish it. He does not find them. He then seeks the missing spells from the stomach of the ancient wise man, Antero Vipunen, who has long been dead. He finds them and finishes his boat.

Poems 18-19
Väinämöinen sets off in his boat to woo the daughter of Pohjola, but she chooses instead Ilmarinen, the forger of the Sampo. Ilmarinen successfully performs the three impossible tasks set before him: he plows a field full of vipers, hunts down the bear of Tuonela and the wolf of Manala and finally fishes the Great Pike out of the Tuonela River. Louhi promises her daughter to Ilmarinen.
Marlow

Sport climber
OSLO
Dec 30, 2012 - 01:11pm PT
Poems 20-25
In Pohjola, preparations are made for the wedding and invitations are sent to all except Lemminkäinen. The groom and his folk arrive in Pohjola, and there is great feasting. Väinämöinen entertains the wedding guests with his singing. The bride and groom are given advice concerning marriage, and the bride bids farewell to her people and departs with Ilmarinen for Kalevala. There a banquet is also ready for the guests. Väinämöinen sings the praises of the wedding guests.

Poems 26-27
Lemminkäinen shows up at the banquet in Pohjola uninvited, and demands food and drink. He is offered a tankard of beer filled with vipers. Lemminkäinen engages the master of Pohjola in a singing contest and a swordfight and kills him.

Poems 28-30
Lemminkäinen flees the people of Pohjola who are rising up in arms against him and hides on Saari Island, living among the maidens of the island until he is forced to flee once again, this time from the island's jealous menfolk. Lemminkäinen finds his home in ashes and his mother hiding in a cottage in the forest. Lemminkäinen sets out to seek revenge on Pohjola, but is forced to return home because a cold spell cast by the mistress of Pohjola has frozen his ships in the sea.

Poems 31-34
Brothers Untamo and Kalervo quarrel violently, Kalervo's troop is slain, and of his kin only his son Kullervo remains. Because of his superhuman powers, Kullervo fails in every task he is given. Untamo sells the boy to Ilmarinen as a serf. The wife of Ilmarinen send Kullervo out to be a cowherd and out of spite bakes a stone into the bread which is his only provisions. Kullervo breaks his knife on the stone while trying to cut the bread, and in revenge drives the cows into the swamp and brings home a pack of wild animals instead. The mistress, intending to milk the cows, is mauled to death. Kullervo flees. He finds his family in the forest, but hears that his sister has disappeared.

Poems 35-36
Kullervo's father sends him to pay the taxes. On his return trip, Kullervo unwittingly seduces his sister, who then drowns herself in the rapids upon discovering the truth. Kullervo sets out to seek revenge from Untamo. Having killed Untamo and his family, Kullervo returns home to find his own family dead. Kullervo commits suicide.

Poem 37
Ilmarinen mourns the death of his wife and decides to forge a woman of gold. The golden maiden remains, however, lifeless and cold. Väinämöinen warns the young people against worshipping gold.

Poem 38
Ilmarinen is rejected by the youngest daughter of Pohjola and carries her off in his sleigh. The girl reviles Ilmarinen and so offends him that he finally turns her into a seagull with his singing. Ilmarinen tells Väinämöinen of the wealth and prosperity that the Sampo has brought the people of Pohjola.

Poems 39-41
Väinämöinen, Ilmarinen and Lemminkäinen set out to steal the Sampo from Pohjola. In the course of the journey, their boat runs aground on the shoulders of a giant pike. Väinämöinen kills the pike and fashions a kantele from its jawbone. No one else is able to play the instrument, but Väinämöinen holds all living things spellbound with his playing.
Marlow

Sport climber
OSLO
Dec 30, 2012 - 01:12pm PT
Poems 42-43
Väinämöinen puts the people of Pohjola to sleep with his kantele playing and the Sampo is taken to the travellers' boat and rowed away. The people of Pohjola awaken and Louhi, the mistress of Pohjola, sends obstacles in the path of the raiders to hinder their escape. The seafarers survive, but the kantele falls into the sea. Louhi sets off in pursuit and transforms herself into a giant bird of prey. In the ensuing battle the Sampo is smashed and falls into the sea. Some of the fragments remain in the sea, but others wash ashore and bring Finland good fortune and prosperity. Louhi is left with only the worthless lid of the Sampo and an impoverished land.

Poem 44
In vain, Väinämöinen seeks the kantele which fell into the sea. He makes a new kantele from birchwood and his playing once again delights the whole of creation.

Poem 45-46
Louhi sends diseases to destroy the people of Kalevala, but Väinämöinen cures the sick. Louhi sends a bear to attack the Kalevala cattle, but Väinämöinen slays the bear. The people of Kalevala organize a bear-killing feast.

Poems 47-48
The mistress of Pohjola hides the sun and the moon inside a hill and steals the fire as well. Ukko, the supreme god, makes a new sun and moon by striking fire, but the fire falls to earth, into the belly of a giant fish. Väinämöinen asks Ilmarinen to go fishing with him. They catch the fish and place the fire in the service of humankind.

Poem 49
Ilmarinen forges a new sun and moon, but they do not shine. After battling the people of Pohjola, Väinämöinen returns to ask Ilmarinen to fashion a set of keys with which to release the sun and moon from Pohjola's mountain. While Ilmarinen is forging, Louhi sets the sun and moon free to return to their places in the sky.

Poem 50
Marjatta conceives a child from a whortleberry. Her baby boy is born in the forest, but soon disappears, to be found finally in a swamp. Väinämöinen condemns the fatherless child to death, but the child speaks out against the sentence and is christened King of Karelia. Väinämöinen departs in a copper boat with the prediction that he will be needed again someday to make a new Sampo for the people, to bring new light and play new songs.
Marlow

Sport climber
OSLO
Dec 30, 2012 - 02:43pm PT
Thanks Donald. The text is taken from this web-site: http://www.finlit.fi/kalevala/index.php?m=162&l=2
Toker Villain

Big Wall climber
Toquerville, Utah
Dec 30, 2012 - 02:55pm PT
Yeah, but he's not on dial up. I'm still waiting.

But yesterday I put my Suomi 9mm through its paces.

It is big, ugly and heavy, but damn if it didn't rock and roll.
I put 200 rounds through it in under 3 minutes and it barely got hot.
I could still grasp the end of that big ugly heat shield.

The thing is like 70+ years old.
I wonder how many Soviets it killed in the Winter War.
Marlow

Sport climber
OSLO
Dec 30, 2012 - 02:59pm PT
[Click to View YouTube Video]

Simo Häyhä
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Simo_H%C3%A4yh%C3%A4
Marlow

Sport climber
OSLO
Jan 11, 2013 - 03:26pm PT
Viborg/Viipuri - Finland's Lost City
[Click to View YouTube Video]
Marlow

Sport climber
OSLO
Jan 11, 2013 - 03:36pm PT
The horses of Finland 1938-1955
[Click to View YouTube Video]
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