A somewhat tragic tale from the The Kalevala that is a catalyst for later events in the Finnish national epic. It is a story of youthful pride, arrogance, revenge and hubris, as well as judging by appearances and disrespect for wisdom and tradition. Dark nights of the soul and redemption through compassion. Also that too have power does not make one all powerful. I have been inspired by The Kalevala more than once in my work but I wished in this to avoid the beautiful shadow of Akseli Gallen Kallela’s masterful paintings in my interpretation.
It is worth noting that the hero Vainamoinen most likely was the inspiration for JR Tolkien’s Gandalf and Tom Bombadil.