Stories: The Great Oak of the Kalevala
When the world was new, the land was bare, and no trees grew. Old man Vainamoinen called upon the seeds to be sown. All the trees took, except for the one: the hallowed Oak. For three days and nights old man Vainamoinen swore and shouted, frustrated by the seashore, but still the Oak would not grow. Then out of the waves came Turisas, the mighty sea monster. He took some grass of the shore and burned it into ash. And Into the ash he placed an acorn and from that acron a seedling grew. The seedling waxed and grew, it became the Great Oak. The Oak grew so big that it blocked out the sun & moon, it seized the clouds and winds in their paths. The world became dark, still, void of light. Old man Vainamoinen wondered; Who would be as mighty to cut down the Great Oak? No one could do it, try as they might. So old man Vainamoinen spoke, called upon mother Nature to send forth many a strong man from the Water Folk. It was then that out of the sea a tiny man came forth, al...