Rune XXIII-a

THE BRIDE-ADVISER Now the bride must be instructed, Who will teach the Maid of Beauty, Who instruct the Rainbow-daughter? Osmotar, the wisdom-maiden, Kalew's fair and lovely virgin, Osmotar will give instructions To the bride of Ilmarinen, To the orphaned bride of Pohya, Teach her how to live in pleasure, How to live and reign in glory, Win her second mother's praises, Joyful in her husband's dwelling. Osmotar in modest accents Thus the anxious bride addresses; "Maid of Beauty, lovely sister, Tender plant of Louhi's gardens, Hear thou what thy sister teaches, Listen to her sage instructions: Go thou hence, my much beloved, Wander far away, my flower, Travel on enwrapped in colors, Glide away in silks and ribbons, From this house renowned and ancient, From thy father's halls and court-yards Haste thee to thy husband's village, Hasten to his mother's household; Strange, the rooms in other dwellings, Strange, the modes in other hamlets. "Full of thought must be thy going, And thy work be well considered, Quite unlike thy home in Northland, On the meadows of thy father, On the high-lands of thy brother, Singing through thy mother's fenlands, Culling daisies with thy sister. "When thou goest from thy father Thou canst take whatever pleases, Only three things leave behind thee: Leave thy day-dreams to thy sister, Leave thou kindness for thy mother, To thy brother leave thy labors, Take all else that thou desirest. Throw away thine incantations, Cast thy sighing to the pine-trees, And thy maidenhood to zephyrs, Thy rejoicings to the couches, Cast thy trinkets to the children, And thy leisure to the gray-beards, Cast all pleasures to thy playmates, Let them take them to the woodlands, Bury them beneath the mountain. "Thou must hence acquire new habits, Must forget thy former customs, Mother-love must be forsaken, Thou must love thy husband's mother, Lower must thy head be bended, Kind words only must thou utter. "Thou must hence acquire new habits, Must forget thy former customs, Father-love must be forsaken, Thou must love thy husband's father, Lower must thy head be bended, Kind words only must thou utter. "Thou must hence acquire new habits, Must forget thy former customs, Brother-love must be forsaken, Thou must love thy husband's brother, Lower must thy head be bended, Kind words only must thou utter. "Thou must hence acquire new habits Must forget thy former customs, Sister-love must be forsaken, Thou must love thy husband's sister, Lower must thy head be bended, Kind words only must thou utter. "Never in the course of ages, Never while the moonlight glimmers, Wickedly approach thy household, Nor unworthily, thy servants, Nor thy courts with indiscretion; Let thy dwellings sing good manners, And thy walls re-echo virtue. After mind the hero searches. And the best of men seek honor, Seek for honesty and wisdom; If thy home should be immoral, If thine inmates fail in virtue, Then thy gray-beards would be black-dogs In sheep's clothing at thy firesides; All thy women would be witches, Wicked witches in thy chambers, And thy brothers be as serpents Crawling through thy husband's mansion; All thy sisters would be famous For their evil thoughts and conduct.