Lemminkainen (lover boy) In the Finnish epic poem The Kalevala, handsome hero noted for his romantic and heroic exploits.
Lemminkainen’s love life forms a good deal of the narrative in The Kalevala. One of Lemminkainen’s first feats was to find a wife among the women on the island of Saari. At first they mocked him, so Lemminkainen, in anger, carried off Kyllikki to be his wife. She, obviously a woman who liked to have a good time, reproached him for his fighting, and he reproached her for her loose life. The two agreed, however, that he would not go to war and she would not go to the village dances. Howeer, Kyllikki forgot her promise. Lemminkainen then left her and went in search of another wife.
Lemminkainen went to the land of Pohjola, the Northland, where he wooed the Maiden of Pohjola. Her mother, Louhi, the evil mistress of Pohjola, set tasks for the hero. He accomplished all of them, except for killing the swan floating on the River of Death. While he was attempting to kill the swan, a partly blind cattle herder, Markahattu, murdered Lemminkainen because earlier the hero had insulted him. Lemminkainen’s body was cut into pieces by the son of Tuoni (Death).
Lemminkainen’s mother learned of her son’s death when his comb began to bleed. She hastened to Pohjola, asking Louhi what had happened. Louhi told her the tasks she had set Lemminkainen. Paiva (the sun) then told her how Lemminkainen had died. She went with a long rake in her hand under the cataract in the River of Death and raked the water till she had collected all of the fragments of her son’s body. She then joined them together through magic charms and salves.
The Maiden of Pohjola was then given to the smith hero, Ilmarinen, who had forged the magic sampo for Louhi. Enraged at not being invited to the marriage, the resurrected Lemminkainen went to Pohjola and entered the castle by force, killing the husband of Louhi.
When he returned to his home, he discovered his house burned down by raiders from Pohjola, though his mother was still alive. Lemminkainen again went to Pohjola with his companion, Kurra, though they were defeated by the cold. He joined Vainamoinen and Ilmarinen on their adventure to steal the magical sampo, which, however, was lost in the lake, with only fragments coming to the top of the water.
Lemminkainen is often called Lieto (reckless) and Kaukomieli (handsome man with a farroving mind). He is also called Ahto, the name of the sea god in The Kalevala, perhaps indicating that once he was a god.
These adventures appealed to Sibelius, who composed Four Legends for Orchestra based on Lemminkainen’s romantic and heroic exploits. The symphonic suite consists of four movements: (1) “Lemminkainen and the Maidens of Saari,” dealing with Lemminkainen’s seduction of all of the women on the island; (2) “The Swan of Tuonela,” which captures the majestic swan floating on the River of Death; (3) “Lemminkainen in Tuonela,” the hero’s mother restoring her son to life after his murder; and (4) “Lemminkainen’s Homeward Journey.” Sibelius also composed three piano pieces called Kyllikki, evoking the legend of Lemminkainen’s marriage to Kyllikki.
SOURCE:
Encyclopedia of World Mythology and Legend, Third Edition – Written by Anthony S. Mercatante & James R. Dow– Copyright © 2009 by Anthony S. Mercatante