The first is a scene from Runo XV of the Kalevala. Lemminkainen has died, but his mother is making a charm that will raise him from the death. To get the ingredients, she sends a little bee out to gather ingredients in increasingly difficult tasks. The last, and hardest task, is to fly to heaven to bring the unction of God, the final ingredient in resurrection.
The Bee
The bee from earth arose,
from dust its honey-wing;
with flutter, flicker, flight,
it zipped and rose and soared.
The bee beside the moon,
around the sun, did ring;
it tickled starry bear
and crossed the seven stars
and thus to cellar came,
the cellar of the Lord.
There unction overflows,
the ointments, unguents, salves,
in silver kettle-pots,
in jars of precious gold;
and honey was distilled,
and butter poured with cream;
the ale was flowing south,
and north the balsam flowed.
The little bee then toiled,
the sweetest balm it took,
the living unction bore,
and, weary, hovered home.
Brief Prayer
Most holy God, with thunder shake
the valleys, make the mountains quake
that form in human hearts, and wake
the sunrise; all the darkness break,
and all our hopes and lives remake
with force of love, and for your sake.
