Thursday, February 18, 2010

Becoming Inviolable

Steeling the self against magical harm: bodily 'hardness':

"... Give to me an iron coat,
Iron coat, iron cap,
Iron mantle for my shoulders,
Iron mittens for my hands,
Iron boots for my feet,
With which I shall enter the Hiisi's lands,
Move about in Evil's realm,
So that the sorcerer's arrows will not penetrate,
Nor the wizard's knives,
Nor the shooter's weapons,
Nor the tietaja's blades
"

(SKVR Kiimasjarvi. 1888. Merilainen 52 - Risto Nikitin)