The Forging of the Sampo

Väinämöinen, the wise sage, had promised Louhi, the powerful Mistress of Pohjola, a gift of unimaginable wealth in exchange for his safe return home and the hand of her daughter. He declared that only Ilmarinen, the eternal smith who had hammered out the dome of the sky, could forge the Sampo—a magical mill that would grind out grain, salt, and gold from nothingness. Tricked by Väinämöinen's magic, Ilmarinen was whisked away to the dark, frozen lands of the North. Reluctantly, the smith set to work. For days, he stoked a fire of immense heat, drawing from the bellows. On the first day, he forged a golden crossbow, but it was evil and demanded a head every day. On the second, a metal boat, but it was war-hungry. On the third, a golden-horned cow, but she was ill-tempered. Finally, Ilmarinen called upon the winds to blow for three days. From the white-hot core of the furnace, the Sampo emerged: a three-sided mill with a lid of many colors. It immediately began to grind—one side for flour, one for salt, and one for money. Louhi, delighted, seized the artifact and locked it deep within a copper mountain, securing eternal prosperity for Pohjola while leaving the smith to return home empty-handed.