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Bee! thou little mundane bird! Fly away to where I bid thee; O'er the moon, beneath the sun, Behind the lofty heaven's stars, Close by the Wain's axle--fly To the great Creator's court. Finnish Rune
Of the mythology of the Finnish race, the first, probably that appeared in Europe, and one fo the most widely spread in the world, our knowledge is very slight. It appears, however, either to have influnced that of the Gothic race, or to have been affected by it.
The Finlanders, Laplanders, and other nations of this race, who are neighbours of the Scandinavians and Germans, believe, like them, in Dwarfs and Kobolds. The former they describe as having a magnificent region under the ground, to which mortals are sometimes admitted and are there sumptuously entertained, getting plenty of tobacco and brandy, and other things esteemed by them delicious.
The kobold of Finland is called Para (from the Swedish Bjara); he steals the milk from other people's cows, carries and coagulates it in his stomach, and then disgorges it into the churn of his mistress. There is a species of mushroom, which, being fried in tar, salt, and sulphur, and then beaten with a rod, the woman who owns the kobold will quickly appear, and entreat to spare him (note 1).
The Hungarians, or Magyaren, as they call themselves, are a portion of the Finnish race. A collection of their popular tales has been lately published (note 2). The editor assures us that he took them from the lips of an old Hungarian soldier, who knew no language but his own. We therefore cannot but regard the tales as genuine, though the mode and tone in which they are narrated by the editor are not always the best. They contain no traits of popular mythology,--a circumstance not a little remarkable; they rather resemble the French and Italian Fairy tales. Several of them are very pleasing; and it was our intention to have inserted speciments of them in this place, but our limits have forbidden it.
Note 1: Ruhs, Findland und seine Bewohner.
Note 2: Gaal, Marchen der Magyaren. Wien, 1822.