hunter, even though many had thought she should have been the witch’s apprentice. It was true that she saw visions and omens, and often she was seen staring into nothingness with a sad look on her face. She had also only taken one man, which was considered odd. Nevertheless, she was the chieftain’s sister and an able woman in her affairs. It was considered even stranger that after her husband died, she didn’t take a new man to help her care for her little girl, Vierra.
Awakening from her memories, Vierra finally ended up wandering towards a low hill. Its top, bare save for a few trees, loomed as a landmark from afar. When approaching it, she noticed faint deer tracks that headed up to the top of the hill. Vierra knew the deer were up there for a reason. The wind would carry away the insects that were harassing them and give them a moment of relief.
Vierra considered her point of approach for a moment. Below wind was obvious, otherwise, the summer breeze would carry her scent to the deer and expose her. She also had to be aware of boulders and small rocks, moving one of those would scare the whole herd away, scattering them everywhere in the forest. Slowly and carefully, she moved forward, one sneaky step at a time, toward the animals.
It was deer that Vierra had hunted with her mother on their last hunting trip as well. Even though Vierra had scared them away with her clumsiness, her mother had not been angry. She just laughed at her blundering. Maybe she had seen beforehand that she was together with her child for the last time.
Vierra angrily drove away the memory of her mother’s death. She wanted to remember her as she was when they hunted together: brave, beautiful, mysterious, standing on the top of a hill, looking in the distance. And it didn’t matter anymore--not when she had Vaaja and Vaalo. They filled the days of her life.
From between the trees, she saw one big and three small deer. From this small herd Vierra chose a fawn, which was scrabbling for withered grass in between the rocks near its mother, nostrils trembling keen on the wind. The fawn instinctively tried to stay near the safety of her mother, and Vierra waited for the moment that they would separate, even for a bit. She cocked an arrow on the bowstring and slowly, as in a dream, drew it back near her ear. So good was she with a bow that they didn’t allow her to participate in the winter camp shooting competitions. Sometimes Vierra even closed her eyes and shot instinctively. Often, she felt a close relationship with the arrow, like it was a part of herself, an extension of her hunting will. She had considered telling Eera about this but had decided not to bother the witch with a matter that only brought her joy and good hunting. Even the bows had to have their own spirits, and she just happened to be in their favor.
Her instincts brought her luck once again, and the arrow reached its goal unerringly. The young animal fell at the spot, and the rest of its kind escaped the hill, scattering with the speed of the wind. Vierra ran to her catch and turned the young animal’s neck with all her strength until she felt it give away under her knee. After that, she cut open the fawn’s neck artery. As the bright red blood flowed to the rocky ground, she spoke her words of thanks to Mielikki, the mistress of the forest.
Mielikki, mother of forest
Take this offering of blood
Dripping in your holy ground
Luck and game for me let flood
Mielikki please give me prey
Let not your servant starve
Bring your hunter broader pack
Let me thrive, my fortune carve
After the words had faded away, Vierra opened the deer’s stomach, took out its gall bladder, and poured the sour fluid on top of the blood that had soaked into the ground.
Tapio, ruler of the forest
Catcher of the strongest gall
Grant for me now the largest game
Fill my stock now for the fall
Now were the holy words said and the sacrifice given. Vierra lifted the carcass on her shoulders and
Awakening from her memories, Vierra finally ended up wandering towards a low hill. Its top, bare save for a few trees, loomed as a landmark from afar. When approaching it, she noticed faint deer tracks that headed up to the top of the hill. Vierra knew the deer were up there for a reason. The wind would carry away the insects that were harassing them and give them a moment of relief.
Vierra considered her point of approach for a moment. Below wind was obvious, otherwise, the summer breeze would carry her scent to the deer and expose her. She also had to be aware of boulders and small rocks, moving one of those would scare the whole herd away, scattering them everywhere in the forest. Slowly and carefully, she moved forward, one sneaky step at a time, toward the animals.
It was deer that Vierra had hunted with her mother on their last hunting trip as well. Even though Vierra had scared them away with her clumsiness, her mother had not been angry. She just laughed at her blundering. Maybe she had seen beforehand that she was together with her child for the last time.
Vierra angrily drove away the memory of her mother’s death. She wanted to remember her as she was when they hunted together: brave, beautiful, mysterious, standing on the top of a hill, looking in the distance. And it didn’t matter anymore--not when she had Vaaja and Vaalo. They filled the days of her life.
From between the trees, she saw one big and three small deer. From this small herd Vierra chose a fawn, which was scrabbling for withered grass in between the rocks near its mother, nostrils trembling keen on the wind. The fawn instinctively tried to stay near the safety of her mother, and Vierra waited for the moment that they would separate, even for a bit. She cocked an arrow on the bowstring and slowly, as in a dream, drew it back near her ear. So good was she with a bow that they didn’t allow her to participate in the winter camp shooting competitions. Sometimes Vierra even closed her eyes and shot instinctively. Often, she felt a close relationship with the arrow, like it was a part of herself, an extension of her hunting will. She had considered telling Eera about this but had decided not to bother the witch with a matter that only brought her joy and good hunting. Even the bows had to have their own spirits, and she just happened to be in their favor.
Her instincts brought her luck once again, and the arrow reached its goal unerringly. The young animal fell at the spot, and the rest of its kind escaped the hill, scattering with the speed of the wind. Vierra ran to her catch and turned the young animal’s neck with all her strength until she felt it give away under her knee. After that, she cut open the fawn’s neck artery. As the bright red blood flowed to the rocky ground, she spoke her words of thanks to Mielikki, the mistress of the forest.
Mielikki, mother of forest
Take this offering of blood
Dripping in your holy ground
Luck and game for me let flood
Mielikki please give me prey
Let not your servant starve
Bring your hunter broader pack
Let me thrive, my fortune carve
After the words had faded away, Vierra opened the deer’s stomach, took out its gall bladder, and poured the sour fluid on top of the blood that had soaked into the ground.
Tapio, ruler of the forest
Catcher of the strongest gall
Grant for me now the largest game
Fill my stock now for the fall
Now were the holy words said and the sacrifice given. Vierra lifted the carcass on her shoulders and
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