Bird Gods in Ancient Europe 



of the various gods in writing for the benefit 

 of Europe in after ages. 



It is a characteristic of folk- tales and ballads 

 by the people's bards to ring the changes on 

 some few notes, to revamp the same plot, re- 

 tell with superficial variations the same story. 

 In the Finnish legends the doings of Vaino, 

 the old and the sage, of Ilma- 

 rinen, the inventive and firm- 

 spirited, of Lemminkainen and 

 Youkahainen, the young and 

 flighty, often overlap, so that 

 it is plain they are but variations on one origi- 

 nal godhead. Vaino has won the right to the 

 hand of Youkahainen's sister Aino by van- 

 quishing that young upstart of a Druid in 

 wizardry ; but Aino shows her relationship to 

 the various luckless sisters of cuckoo gods 

 by drowning herself rather than marry him. 

 In the ballads as we have them the reason is 

 no longer a discovery of unlawful closeness of 

 blood ; it is incompatibility of age. We have 

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