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Väinämöinen and the Sampo
• What is the Sampo cycle? • Par cipants in the Sampo Cycle • Väinämöinen, Ilmarinen and Lemminkäinen • Louhi at North Farm (Pohjola) • Birds and Animals • The Sampo – What is it? • Features • Etymology • Theories
What is the Sampo Cycle?
• Narra ve • Story • ” Beginning, middle, end’ • More than one hundred variants recorded • What are the parts of the Sampo Cycle? • Need for the Sampo • Väinämöinen shot, falls into the sea, and dri s • Return to Kaleva • Crea on of the Sampo • Ilmarinen • Magical forging • Sampo remains at North Farm (Pohjola) • The of the Sampo • War party • Journey by sea • Ba le for the Sampo • Sea ba le • Destruc on
Who Par cipates in the Sampo Cycle?
• Väinämöinen • Poem always begins with Väinämöinen’s wound and fall into the sea • Crea on poems • Always Väinämöinen • Lönnrot separate crea on elements of many Sampo variants, emphasizing Väinämöinen’s human characteris cs in Sampo cycle • Väinämöinen leads the expedi on to North Farm • Ilmarinen • Forges the Sampo • Magical powers • Acquisi on of materials for Sampo • Transforma on of materials into Sampo • Foil to Väinömöinen • Lemminkäinen • Foil to Väinämöinen • ’ Islander’ heightens associa on with the sea
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Who Par cipates in the Sampo Cycle?
• Louhi, Maid of North Farm • Farm wife • Matriarch of North Farm • Matriarchy stands in contrast to Kaleva • Scheming figure, who tricks Väinämöinen and Ilmarinen • Rescues and aids Väinämöinen • Posessor of objects of desire to people of Kaleva • Daughter • Magical powers • Sampo • Transforma on into enormous bird of prey • Birds and Animals • Crane (284) • Migratory waterfowl • Symbol of spring • Link to plan ng season (spring) • Along with other waterfowl make small island nests, similar to crea on mo fs • Eagle, ducks, swans (Variants)
Features of the Sampo
• The sampo is associated with Väinämöinen • The Sampo carries posi ve associa ons – it produces wealth • The sampo’s epithet is ’lid of many colors’ • The sampo is an object (forged, carried away, and broken to pieces) • The Sampo is associated with the shores of North farm and the sea •The Sampo has roots, which need to be detached to take the Sampo • The Sampo grinds • The sampo has a handle and a cover • The sampo is forged from an amalgam of organic materials • The sampo is valuable – it is stored in a cavern at North Farm behind nine locked doors • The sampo is some mes called ’new’ and ’big’
Etymology of the word Sampo
• The word sampo is related to sammas, an old Finnish word meaning statue or pillar • Many non‐Finnish words have been suggested as cognates of sampo • sam bog (Slovenian) means ’self god’, as pointed out by Lönnrot • sangfu (Tibetan and Mongolian) can mean ’temple’ and ’secret source of happiness’ • sam‐bú (old Icelandic) means a shared household, which carries an associa on with economy • Samboo (Sanskrit) means ’greatest wisdom’ • Sancto (La n) means holy
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Theories of the Sampo • An image of God (Lönnrot, 1839) • A talismanic image (1841) • A mill or mortar (Jakob Grimm, 1845) • An image of the sun (1850) • A decorated treasure trunk (1854) • A shaman’s drum (1868) • A metal shield (1902) • The world pillar, culmina ng in the North Star (1918) • A fer lity symbol (1945) • Ancient totem transformed into na onal symbol
Conclusion
• Analysis of the Sampo cycle helps make clear the rela onships and imagined world on which the Kalevala rests • Par cipants in Sampo cycle are both ’slo ed’ into place and defined by their rela onship to the Sampo • Sampo itself is a ’riddle’ as scholars have all acknolwedged • Kalevala’s vitality arises in part from the many layers that do not fully cohere, and thus create mystery • Sampo is an example of such mystery
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