Parts 1 and 2 Summary

This epic poem is a compilation of several Finnish folk tales, including a creation myth and several stories of the hero Vainamoinen, reckless Lemminkainen, and the witch Louhi. In the tradition of other epic poems, there are lessons and morals to be gleaned from each story.

Part 1 - In several introductory stanzas, the Storyteller speaks of his need to tell his story, his desire to pass on ancient legends the way his father and his mother did, and how he collected and preserved the tales he heard. He begins by telling how the world was made.

The Daughter of the Air comes to Earth and is renamed the Water-Mother, impregnated by the sea but unable to give birth. She swims all over the world in search of relief from her painful, protracted pregnancy. Shortly after uttering a prayer for help, she...