Sampo
In Finnish mythology, the Sampo (pronounced [ˈsɑmpo])[1] is a magical device or object described in many different ways that was constructed by the blacksmith Ilmarinen and that brought riches and good fortune to its holder, akin to the horn of plenty (cornucopia) of Greek mythology. When the Sampo was stolen, Ilmarinen's homeland fell upon hard times. He sent an expedition to retrieve it, but in the ensuing battle it was smashed and lost at sea.
In the Kalevala
The Sampo is a pivotal element of the plot of the Finnish epic poem Kalevala, compiled in 1835 (and expanded in 1849) by Elias Lönnrot based on Finnish oral tradition.
In the expanded second version of the poem, the Sampo is forged by Ilmarinen, a legendary smith, to fulfill a task set by the witch queen of Pohjola, Louhi, in return for her daughter's hand.
- "Ilmarinen, worthy brother,
- Thou the only skilful blacksmith,
- Go and see her wondrous beauty,
- See her gold and silver garments,
- See her robed in finest raiment,
- See her sitting on the rainbow,
- Walking on the clouds of purple.
- Forge for her the magic Sampo,
- Forge the lid in many colors,
- Thy reward shall be the virgin,
- Thou shalt win this bride of beauty;
- Go and bring the lovely maiden
- To thy home in Kalevala."[2]
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Ilmarinen Forges the Sampo, Berndt Godenhjelm, 19th century
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The Forging of the Sampo, Väinö Blomstedt , 1897
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The Forging of the Sampo, Akseli Gallen-Kallela, 1893
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The Forging of the Sampo, Joseph Alanen , 1910–1911
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The Forging of the Sampo, fresco in the National Museum of Finland by Akseli Gallen-Kallela, 1928
Ilmarinen works for many days at a mighty forge until he finally succeeds in creating the Sampo:
- On one side the flour is grinding,
- On another salt is making,
- On a third is money forging,
- And the lid is many-colored.
- Well the Sampo grinds when finished,
- To and fro the lid in rocking,
- Grinds one measure at the day-break,
- Grinds a measure fit for eating,
- Grinds a second for the market,
- Grinds a third one for the store-house.[2]
Later, Louhi steals the Sampo, and then Ilmarinen and Väinämöinen enter her stronghold in secret and retrieve it. Louhi pursues them and combats Väinämöinen. In the struggle, Louhi is vanquished but the Sampo is destroyed.
Interpretation
The Sampo has been interpreted in many ways: a
According to the archaeologist Elena Kuz'mina the Sampo mill myth originates from the
Similar devices
In the
The Cornucopia of Greek mythology also produces endless goods, and some versions of the Grail myth emphasize how the Grail creates food and goods.
The Sanskrit epic the
Influences
- The 1959 Soviet-Finnish film Sampo is loosely based on the story.
- The Finnish TV series Rauta-aika (The Iron Age, 1982), based on Kalevala, has an extended sequence where Ilmarinen and his smiths build the Sampo, which is a Byzantine coin die.
- In Disney cartoonist Don Rosa based on the Kalevala, Scrooge McDuck, Donald Duck and Huey, Dewey, and Louie travel to Finland trying to reveal the location of the remains of the Sampo, a mythical machine that can produce gold.[7]
- In 1933, A. A. Öpik named a genus of fossil brachiopod Sampo.[8]
- Asteroid 2091 Sampo is named after the artifact.
- The Finnish heavy metal band Amorphis has a song called Sampo on their 2009 album Skyforger.
- The Finnish symphonic power metal band Amberian Dawn has a song called Sampo on their 2010 album End of Eden.
- The Semantic Computing Group at Aalto University has used Sampo as a generic name for their cultural heritage Web services, most recently BiographySampo (2018).[9]
See also
- Quern-stone
- Cornucopia
- Uchide no kozuchi
- Bag of Holding
References
- ^ Sometimes known as Sammas (pronounced [ˈsɑmːɑs]) or Kirjokansi (pronounced [ˈkirjoˌkɑnsi])
- ^ a b Kalevala, Rune X Archived 3 December 2005 at the Wayback Machine. Translated by John Martin Crawford (1888).
- ^ Heikura, Pasi (23 September 2014). "Aristoteleen kantapää ja Sammon selitykset". Yle. Archived from the original on 6 July 2020. Retrieved 6 July 2020.
- ^ )
- ^ Erdodi, J. (1932), "Finnische Sampo, ai. Skambha", Indogermanische Forschungen, 3
- ^ "565: The Magic Mill", mftd.org, archived from the original on 13 August 2018, retrieved 13 August 2018
- ^ "Don Rosa and The Quest for Kalevala". Archived from the original on 12 October 2010. Retrieved 18 August 2010.
- ^ "Genus Sampo Öpik, 1933", fossiilide.info, archived from the original on 13 August 2018, retrieved 13 August 2018
- ^ "BiographySampo". Archived from the original on 12 October 2018. Retrieved 12 October 2018.