Note 55 — THE MOON-PAINTER.

Ilmarine or Ilmarinen is the Vulcan of the Finnish and Esthonian legends. He is represented in the Kalevala as a young and handsome hero, but deficient in courage. In Esthonian tales he generally appears as a demigod. In the Kalevala he plays a part second only to that of Väinämöinen himself, but fails in many of his undertakings; for though he is said to have forged the sky, he cannot confer speech or warmth on the bride of gold and silver whom he forges for himself after his first wife has been given to the wolves and bears by Kullervo; and when he forges a new sun and moon, after the old ones have been stolen by Louhi, they turn out miserable failures.