Karhunkaatolaulu

Karkahautti karhiainen Mylleröitti messän herra Kaatu maahan kuninkaana Lävistyipi leppäsille Kuusikoilla kankahilla Keväsellä mehtilöillä Kontioista kaaetahan Kouvalaista pyyetähän Kotoansa kassotahan Sijoansa syynätähän Seiväsvartta viillellähän Keihäasvartta kokkeillahan Karkahautti karhiainen Mylleröitti messän herra Kaatu maahan kuninkaana Lävistyipi leppäsille Pejihaiset pijetähän Messäläistä muistetahan Ukolleki uhratahan Poikoansa palvotahan Karkahautti karhiainen Mylleröitti messän herra Kaatu maahan kuninkaana Lävistyipi leppäsille [English translation:] Bear Hunt Song Among the spruce trees In the springtime We're hunting a bear We're chasing a big one We're waiting around it's nest We're lurking at it's front door We're sharpening our spears We're testing our weapons The savage one tried to escape The king of the forest raged out The bear went down as a king Impaled by alder stakes Now we're having the feast Remembering the forest's king We make sacrifice to Ukko And we worship his son [Korpiklaani note: The bear has always played an important role in the Finnish and Finno-Ugric mythology. Finns always used euphemisms when speaking of a bear, as it was believed to cause bad luck if the true name of bear was actually spoken. The word for bear in modern Finnish, karhu, is actually one of those euphemisms. Bear hunt was a sacred rite which was celebrated with a several days long feast which was called "karhunpeijaiset", in which the spirit of the bear was sent back to heaven, to its father: the supreme god.]