The Theft Of The Sampo
‘The Theft Of
The Sampo’ is
part of an
ancient legend
from Finland.
The story was
written down in
the 19th
century, as
part of an epic
poem called
‘The Kalevala’,
by a man called
Elias Lönnrot.
Väinämöinen is the main
hero in The Kalevala. He
had magic powers and could
play wonderful music.
Finland is to the
north and east of
Scotland. Can you
find it on a map
or on your
classroom globe?
Here is the
Finnish flag. What
do you notice
about it?
The Kalevala
tells the story
of the battle of
wits between
three wizard
brothers and
the witch
goddess, Louhi.
The brothers
were
Väinämöinen,
Ilmarinen and
Lemminkainen.
In the story
Väinämöinen falls in
love with the witch
of the north’s
daughter Pohjan.
The witch,Louhi,
promises Väinämöinen
her daughter’s hand
in marriage if he will
make a magic mill to
help her and the
people of Pohjala,
survive the cruel
winters of the north.
Ilmarinen, Väinämöinen’s brother makes a magic
mill. This mill is the famous Sampo. It makes flour,
salt and money. Whoever has the Sampo has great
good fortune.
The witch goddess
Louhi tricks the
brothers. She keeps
the Sampo for
herself and the
people of Pohjala, and
Väinämöinen returns
home without a bride.
The Sampo helps to
make the lives of all
the people of Pohjala
comfortable.
Väinämöinen becomes upset
when he sees what an easy
life the people of Pohjala
have.
The Sampo does all the
work for them. They can
make bread from the
flour, buy food and
clothing with the money
and use the salt to help
them cook and store their
food.
Väinämöinen decides to
steal the Sampo back. He
calls for his brothers
Ilmarinen and Lemminkainen
and together they set sail
for Pohjala.
On the journey to
Pohjala, Väinämöinen
and his brothers row
across the water.
In the middle of the
sea loch, the boat
becomes stuck and will
move no farther.
The men discover that
they have hit an
enormous pike and their
boat is sitting, stuck
on the shoulder of the
giant fish.
Väinämöinen’s brothers try to move the boat off the giant
fish but cannot. Väinämöinen kills the giant pike and the men
tie it to their boat and row to the shore.
The men make camp and cook the fish over a fire. They eat a
delicious fish supper that night.
Väinämöinen takes the jawbone from the great pike and makes
a magical, musical harp called a kantele from it.
When Väinämöinen
arrives in Pojala he
asks Louhi, the
witch of the north,
for half of the
Sampo so that he
too can use it to
make flour, salt and
money.
The evil Louhi
refuses and
Väinämöinen decides
that he will have to
steal it from her!
Väinämöinen puts the
witch of the north and
the people of Pojala to
sleep using his magic harp.
While the people sleep
Ilmarinen, Väinämöinen’s
brother, manages to open
the nine locks on the door
of the room where the
Sampo is held.
Väinämöinen and his
brothers escape in their
boat with the precious
Sampo.
When Louhi, the
witch, wakes up
from her sleep she
is furious. The
Sampo and
Väinämöinen and his
brothers are far,
far away across the
water in their boat.
She sends a
monstrous sea
monster called the
Iku-Turso to attack
their boat.
Iku-Turso the
water monster
attacks
Väinämöinen’s
boat.
Väinämöinen
grabs
Iku-Turso by
the ears and
sends him back
to his underworld
sea-castle in the
depth of the
waters.
Louhi the sea witch is furious that the
Iku Turso has failed to sink Väinämöinen’s
boat.
She turns herself into a monstrous eagle and
attacks the ship.
There is a great
battle between
Louhi and
Väinämöinen.
The eagle grabs
the Sampo in its
talons and during
the fight it drops
the magic mill into
the water.
The Sampo sinks
down and breaks up
in to many pieces.
At the end of the story
pieces of the Sampo
remain at the bottom of
the sea.
Louhi the sea witch is
left with only the
worthless lid of the
Sampo. The people of
Pohjala are left
struggling in the cold
lands of the north
without the help of the
Sampo to make their
lives easier.
Some pieces of the
Sampo are washed up on
the shore and to this
day it is said that they
bring Finland good luck
and prosperity.
The ‘The Theft Of
The Sampo’ is one of
the tales and legends
we are learning about
at Chirnsyde Primary
this term as part of
our Comenius ‘Tales
and Legends Are On
The Way’ input.
The other tales and
legends this term
come from Italy,
Spain, Ireland and
Scotland.