Pajarin poika : Karjalaisia kansantaruja by Eino Leino
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Pajarin poika by Eino Leino is a narrative poem cycle rooted in Karelian folklore, written in the early 20th century. The book follows a tyrannical manor heir who abuses his power over village brides, a community’s appeal to distant authority, and a doomed love that ends in violent retribution. Set between two Karelian lakes, the people groan under the Pajari’s son, who claims the “first night” of every bride. Ilja, a proud
farmer betrothed to Sonja, gathers messengers to plead with Ukko Kruunu, the personified sovereign, but finds little help; he slips away and returns home. A grave-side interlude gives the dead Pajari’s remorseful voice, haunted by the son he set loose. By the shore, three swans foretell Sonja’s sweet youth and near death; Ilja reaches her, and after a tender pledge to flee into the forest, they share one night of love. On a great Sunday, as the pair kneels to wed, the lord’s son rides into church and, thwarted, kills Sonja. Ilja and the villagers pursue him across straits and islands; he offers gold, but Ilja refuses, and the mob stones and buries the murderer with his horse. In summer’s white nights, the villain returns as a restless rider above the waters, a lingering cry of guilt and grief. (This is an automatically generated summary.)
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About this eBook
| Author | Leino, Eino, 1878-1926 |
|---|---|
| LoC No. | 67118649 |
| Title | Pajarin poika : Karjalaisia kansantaruja |
| Original Publication | Helsinki: Otava, 1922. |
| Credits | Tapio Riikonen |
| Language | Finnish |
| LoC Class | PH: Language and Literatures: Finno-Ugrian and Basque languages and literatures |
| Subject | Poetry |
| Category | Text |
| eBook-No. | 78621 |
| Release Date | May 6, 2026 |
| Copyright | Public domain in the USA. |
| Downloads | 737 downloads in the last 30 days. |
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