The Hunter In Hades

: MISCELLANEOUS TALES.
: Aino Folktales

A handsome and brave young man, who was skilful in the chase, one day

pursued a large bear into the recesses of the mountains. On and on ran

the bear, and still the young fellow pursued it up heights and crags

more and more dangerous, but without ever being able to get near enough

to shoot it with his poisoned arrows. At last, on a bleak

mountain-summit, the bear disappeared down a hole in the ground. The

young man fol owed it in, and found himself in an immense cavern, at the

far end of which was a gleam of light. Towards this he groped his way,

and, on emerging, found himself in another world. Everything there was

as in the world of men, but more beautiful. There were trees, houses,

villages, human beings. With these, however, the young hunter had no

concern. What he wanted was his bear, which had totally disappeared. The

best plan seemed to be to seek it in the remoter mountain district of

this new world underground. So he followed up a valley; and, being tired

and hungry, picked the grapes and mulberries that were hanging to the

trees, and ate them as he trudged along.



Happening suddenly, for some reason or other, to look down upon his own

body, what was not his horror to find himself transformed into a

serpent! His very cries and groans, on making the discovery, were turned

into serpent's hisses. What was he to do? To go back like this to his

native world, where snakes are hated, would be certain death. No plan

presented itself to his mind. But, unconsciously, he wandered, or rather

crept and glided, back to the entrance of the cavern that led home to

the world of men; and there, at the foot of a pine-tree of extraordinary

size and height, he fell asleep.



To him then, in a dream, appeared the goddess of the pine-tree, and

said: "I am sorry to see you in this state. Why did you eat of the

poisonous fruits of Hades? The only thing you can do to recover your

proper shape is to climb to the top of this pine-tree, and fling

yourself down. Then you may, perhaps, become a human being again."



On waking from this dream, the young man,--or rather snake, as he still

found himself to be,--was filled half with hope and half with fear. But

he resolved to follow the goddess' advice. So, gliding up the tall

pine-tree, he reached its topmost branch, and, after hesitating a few

moments, flung himself down. Crash he went. On coming to his senses, he

found himself standing at the foot of the tree; and close by was the

body of an immense serpent, ripped open so as to allow of his having

crawled out of it. After offering up thanks to the pine-tree, and

setting up the divine symbols in its honour, he hastened to retrace his

steps through the long, tunnel-like cavern, through which he had

originally entered Hades. After walking for a certain time, he emerged

into the world of men, to find himself on the mountain-top, whither he

had pursued the bear which he had never seen again.



On reaching his home, he went to bed, and dreamt a second time. It was

the same goddess of the pine-tree, that appeared before him and said: "I

have come to tell you that you cannot stay long in the world of men

after once eating the grapes and mulberries of Hades. There is a goddess

in Hades who wishes to marry you. She it was who, assuming the form of a

bear, lured you into the cavern, and thence to the under-world. You must

make up your mind to come away."



And so it fell out. The young man awoke; but a grave sickness

overpowered him. A few days later he went a second time to Hades, and

returned no more to the land of the living.--(Written down from memory.

Told by Ishanashte, 22nd July, 1886.)