I really like digging up old stuff like mythology and folk tradition. There is this collection called Suomen kansan vanhat runot (Ancient poems of the Finnish people) that has thousands of Finnish poems, songs, spells, etc. from different regions. And the place where the poem is collected is always marked. I, of course, decided to go and see what I could find from my hometown and, well... Let's just say that a demon summoning spell wasn't something I expected.

Nouse saatana savesta, // Rise, Satan, from clay
Musta perkele Murasta // Black Perkele[1] from mud
Miehen ainoan avuksi, // To be the only help of a man
Yksinäisen ystäväksi! // Friend of a lonely one
Tule tänne tuumimahan, // Come here to ponder
Anna neuvoa nepolle, // Give advice to the cousin[2]
Apuasi anojalle! // Your help to the one begging for it!
Jos et itse irti liene, // If you yourself aren't free
Laita sittä lapsiasi, // Then send your children
Jos ne on rualle ruvennut, // If they have begun their feast[3]
Niin pane paras palkollinen, // Then send your best employee
Joka tulis tuttavana, // Who would come as a friend
Että puutteeni puhuisi, // To speak what I'm lacking
Syntysanat sylkemällä! // By spitting out the words of origin[4]!

Translation notes:
[1] Perkele is an ancient word that originates from Perkunas, a name of a Baltic thunder god. However, it wasn't really a name of a thunder god in Finland (regardless of what someone might claim online), but it was loaned to Finnish as a swear word in the first place. After the arrival of Christianity, it became one name for the Devil or a demon.
[2] I am not sure what "nepo" means, it's not a word in modern Finnish. But at least at some point in history, in this region it has meant "cousin".
[3] Again, I am not sure what "rualle" means. It sounds like food though. Could also be "work". Point is, the children are occupied with something.
[4] Words of origin are an important concept in Finnish mythology. Anything could have origin words, like fire or iron or the world. They were like powerful magical words that gave you the power to control something. Knowing the origin words of fire gave you control over the väki (power) in fire and you could use that to heal a burn wound, for example.

Um, so old language is hard. Still, I found it quite funny when I discovered this text. Something to note I'd say is how the spellcaster seems to be very lonely and in desperate need of help. I guess summoning demonic forces is anyone's last resort.

<< back to translations