Midsummer 2007
At home again to experience it. 2 years ago I longingly wrote something like that about it. This time, another story. From Estonian sort of pseudo-mythology, but rather nice nevertheless : )
* *
A brief time of joy, the time of short nights, full of songs and flowers compensates for the long-lasting duration of hard winter months for us, the peoples of the Northern lands. In this feast time of the North when the Dawn and the Dusk give their hands to each other, an old man told the love story of the Dawn and the Dusk to his grandchildren who had gathered around him - and I will tell you here what I heard.
Do you know the source of light at the Old Father's House? It is asleep right now and at the place of it’s fading it’s gleam still glitters in the sky. The light is shifting already to the East, where it must greet all nature in brilliance. Do you know whose is the hand that takes the Sun and leads it to rest when the day is finished? Do you know whose is the hand that makes the extinguished Sun to fire up again and to begin each day it’s new walk in the sky?
Well, the Old Father had two faithful servants, kin to whom everlasting youth had been given, and when the source of light had ended its way in the very first evening, Father told the Dusk: 'To you, sweet daughter, I will entrust the care of the extinguishing sun. Put it out and hide the fire so that no accident can happen.' And when the sun had to start its new course the morning after, he told the Dawn: 'Your duty, sweet son, will be to turn on the source of light and to prepare it for each new day.' The pair fulfilled their duties faithfully and there was no day when the source of light was missed in the celestial vault. When it moves across the edge of the sky in winter times, it fades out earlier in the evening and begins its way later in the morning, but when the sun wakes up the flowers and songs in spring and makes crops ripen by its hot sheen in summer, then only a short rest is given to it. Dusk hands the extinguisher to the Dawn who sends it off to new life again at the same instant.
That beautiful time had arrived now when flowers were flourishing and fragrant, and while mankind was filling the earth with songs. Both caretakers had looked too deeply into each other's golden-brown eyes, and when the extinguishing Sun went from the hands of Dusk to Dawn, their hands touched and their lips, too, reached for each other.
One eye that is never closed had noticed what was happening secretly in midnight silence. And the next day the Old Father called the pair to him and said: 'I am pleased with your work and I want you to be completely happy. Therefore you may belong to each other and do your duties as a married couple from this time.'
But both answered him at the same time: 'Old Father, do not spoil our happiness. Let us remain bride and bridegroom forever, because in that way we find our joy and our love is always young and new.' And the Old Father agreed to their request and blessed their decision. Only once a year for four weeks can both of them meet in sky at midnight, and, when the Dusk puts the extinguishing sun into her lover's hands, the touching of hands and the kiss follow. The cheeks of Dusk flush a rosy colour that reddens and suffuses the sky, until Dawn lifts the source of light again and a yellowish light in the dim sky announces that the Sun is rising.
* *
A brief time of joy, the time of short nights, full of songs and flowers compensates for the long-lasting duration of hard winter months for us, the peoples of the Northern lands. In this feast time of the North when the Dawn and the Dusk give their hands to each other, an old man told the love story of the Dawn and the Dusk to his grandchildren who had gathered around him - and I will tell you here what I heard.
Do you know the source of light at the Old Father's House? It is asleep right now and at the place of it’s fading it’s gleam still glitters in the sky. The light is shifting already to the East, where it must greet all nature in brilliance. Do you know whose is the hand that takes the Sun and leads it to rest when the day is finished? Do you know whose is the hand that makes the extinguished Sun to fire up again and to begin each day it’s new walk in the sky?
Well, the Old Father had two faithful servants, kin to whom everlasting youth had been given, and when the source of light had ended its way in the very first evening, Father told the Dusk: 'To you, sweet daughter, I will entrust the care of the extinguishing sun. Put it out and hide the fire so that no accident can happen.' And when the sun had to start its new course the morning after, he told the Dawn: 'Your duty, sweet son, will be to turn on the source of light and to prepare it for each new day.' The pair fulfilled their duties faithfully and there was no day when the source of light was missed in the celestial vault. When it moves across the edge of the sky in winter times, it fades out earlier in the evening and begins its way later in the morning, but when the sun wakes up the flowers and songs in spring and makes crops ripen by its hot sheen in summer, then only a short rest is given to it. Dusk hands the extinguisher to the Dawn who sends it off to new life again at the same instant.
That beautiful time had arrived now when flowers were flourishing and fragrant, and while mankind was filling the earth with songs. Both caretakers had looked too deeply into each other's golden-brown eyes, and when the extinguishing Sun went from the hands of Dusk to Dawn, their hands touched and their lips, too, reached for each other.
One eye that is never closed had noticed what was happening secretly in midnight silence. And the next day the Old Father called the pair to him and said: 'I am pleased with your work and I want you to be completely happy. Therefore you may belong to each other and do your duties as a married couple from this time.'
But both answered him at the same time: 'Old Father, do not spoil our happiness. Let us remain bride and bridegroom forever, because in that way we find our joy and our love is always young and new.' And the Old Father agreed to their request and blessed their decision. Only once a year for four weeks can both of them meet in sky at midnight, and, when the Dusk puts the extinguishing sun into her lover's hands, the touching of hands and the kiss follow. The cheeks of Dusk flush a rosy colour that reddens and suffuses the sky, until Dawn lifts the source of light again and a yellowish light in the dim sky announces that the Sun is rising.
Labels: estonia
posted by triin 德琳 at 9:06 PM
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