Tänään on Kalevala-päivä, joten 'Eläköön ja kippis!'

Sammon taonta

Tänään on Kalevala-päivä, joten minä annan teille neuvoa oluenpanosta, viisaus, jonka antoi Osmotar, kaunis impi, luvussa kaksikymmentakolme:

''Keitä ohraiset oluet, makujuomat maltahiset
yhen ohrasen jyvästä, puolen puun on poltakselta!
Kun sa ohria imellät, ma'ustelet maltahia,
elä koukulla kohenna, kärryksellä käännyttele:
aina kourilla kohenna, kämmenillä käännyttele!
Käypä saunassa use'in, elä anna iun paheta,
kissan istua ituja, kasin maata maltahia!
Eläkä sure susia, pelkeä metsän petoja
saunahan samotessasi, kesken yötä käyessäsi!''

Ja tietysti, muistakaa Lia Fail ja Blackfriar teidän juhlastanne ja mietiskelystä saunassa pois metsästä eläimet!

Eläköön ja kippis!

Ken

A wee prècis for the non-Finnish speakers - Today (28 February) is Kalevala Day in Finland, a celebration of the great epic of Finnish oral folklore, compiled by Elias Lönnrot and first published on this day in 1835. It played a major role in the movement towards Finnish independence and has inspired Finns ever since.

The first picture is 'Forging the Sampo' by Aksel Gallen-Kallela, who painted many scenes from the Kalevela. The Sampo is the stuff of legends, a fantastic prize, a talisman, a magical quern with 'its bright lid' with a salt-mill on one side, a grain-mill on the next and a money-mill on the third.

What follows are some of the words of wisdom from the Fair Maid Osmotar to a young bride in how to brew beer ''from one barleycorn and half a tree's burnt wood...when you malt it with its honey-sweetness, do not turn it with a hook, but use your hand cleverly...go to the sauna often and keep the cats off the floor of malt...fear not the hungry wolves nor beasts of the forest as you go to the sauna at midnight!''

Still sound advice in these modern times.

Then finally, I counsel minding of the Lia Fail and Blackfriar for celebration and contemplation in the sauna.

Long Live and Slàinte! Ken

Bridalezillas Wedding Extravaganza...

There was a wedding a few weeks back, which gave rise to that proud and noble institution, the bridale or wedding-ale.

As the tale goes in that great Finnish epic 'The Kalevala', the bridale must be brewed before the wedding feast - (Chapter 20, Slaughtering an Ox and Brewing), so at the beginning of August, our last brew of Inkie Pinkie for this summer was decreed as the Bridale for your humble correspondent's wedding to the Lovely Lady Arlene.

On the Day Itself, There was The Exchange of Vows, The Cutting of The Cakes (Dundee Cake on the flashing cake-stand and a Chocolate Sponge for the youngsters)  and perhaps the most vital ceremony of all, since there is brewing in the blood - The Tapping of The Cask, complete with tap-bearing bride and mallet-wielding groom being marched around the hall by the Pipe-Major before the happy deed was done.

With a certain ivory dress in close proximity it's a good thing I've had plenty of experience at putting in cask taps...

A Bonnie Bride, a Delicious Bridale and a Great Cèilidh!

Slàinte

Ken