Andrejs Pumpurs

“ Bearslayer must not tell what he had seen!
Now Kangars spoke: "Oh Spidala, you tell
Of young Bearslayer in the pit, and show
The gods protect him now and guard him well;
This makes him even stronger as our foe."
"For his defeat we need a different scheme,
To let this rash young man himself betray,
And seek out death, pursuing fame's sweet dream;
Example I will show you of the way.
For years upon our hills our foes no more
The giant, Kalapuisis, employ. ”

“ She gives from bubbling springs a cooling sip.
Since time began, one task she loves of all:
She seeks chaste maids born on propitious days,
And gives them shelter in her palace hall.
She guards their virtue with her wisdom's ways,
And teaches them, gives gifts, and clothes to wear.-
Good fortune stands upon the mother's side,
Into whose hearth there comes, surpassing fair,
From "Staburadze's maidens" now a bride.
Bearslayer's senses woke apace:
He lay in Staburadze's bed,
And gazed in wonder round the place,
And pondered whence his path had led. ”

“ They come closer and sight the Hill of Diamonds, its peak glowing brilliantly. The ship docks and the sailors rush on shore. Despite Bearslayer's warning, a sailor climbs to the peak and vanishes. A second does the same. A third ties himself to a rope and is pulled back by his comrades as he is vanishing. He is saved, but never speaks again.
They sail away and encounter fair winds and weather. Fog obscures the course and they suddenly emerge close to a beautiful island. Bearslayer realizes that this is the Enchanted Isle the North Wind's Daughter warned against, from which no ship can escape. ”

“ But later with the Devil's poison reek;
They serve but evil and-at length-destroy."
"The Latvian people on their own fair shore
Do not bow down to lords high-born as sage;
They choose themselves their chiefs in time of war-
The magistrates in older, peaceful age.
The people know of those who earned great fame
By toiling hard in mighty labours long;
To these come lasting praise and honoured name,
As heroes known they live in endless song."
With earnest soul Bearslayer heard his lord,
The heartfelt words of life's wise teachings large. ”

“ Much strove Laimdota, for upon this night
Old Burtnieks departed souls would greet,
And dear ones' spirits lost to death requite.
Bearslayer worked as did Koknesis too:
They cleaned the barn, the drying rack made sound,
Raked smooth the yards and cleaned the oven's flue,
Pine needles strewed with sand upon the ground.
The barn for spirits is the favoured place:
Behind the fireplace household gods safe dwell,
Within live dwarves, while on the roof's broad space,
There stands a dragon, neighbours' spite to quell. ”

“ The old man spoke of Lielvarde's fame:
"Our ancient clan throughout the folk is known;
No shameful stain attaches to our name,
Our fathers past their heroes' worth have shown.
And you, my son Bearslayer, at your birth,
By Destiny's will were marked for honour too;
If you pursue his plan and show your worth,
The gods will guard you well and cherish you."
"The world's seductions young men's minds soon reach,
While youths, unwitting, oft themselves deceive,
So hasten not to do what others teach,
But let them seek your counsel to receive. ”

“ At this, a whirlwind springs up and the seven evil spirits return, led by Spidala. They attack Bearslayer and he is about to be defeated when he remembers the mirror that Staburadze gave him. He pulls it out and holds it in Spidala's face. A howling fills the air and all the evil spirits turn to dust and are whirled round the room in the whirlwind. The spirit of Viduveds, a wise man of ancient times, appears in human form and greets Bearslayer, saying that the young hero will save the Latvian people. Viduveds's handmaidens make a bed for Bearslayer, and he falls into a deep sleep. ”

“ With the help of the beautiful and virtuous maiden, Laimdota, Staburadze nurses Bearslayer back to health. She reveals to him that he has been chosen by the gods to fight against evil, especially Spidala and Kangars, who are plotting in secret. Staburadze gives him a talisman, a magic mirror, and Laimdota gives him a ribbon decorated with an oak-leaf pattern. He leaves the Crystal Palace and is duly turned to stone, as are all mortals, but is restored to life by Perkons. ”

“ This wakes them, they see that the water has turned to blood, and they hasten to bring Bearslayer the mirror. In the nick of time he shows the demon the mirror, and it falls down frozen. Bearslayer climbs out of the ground and kills it.
To be sure that the island is safe they search it, and discover a beautiful valley in which is a well of clear water, alongside it a leafy apple tree with magnificent fruit. The men want to drink, but first Bearslayer thrusts his sword into the water, marking a triangle. There are screams and the water turns to blood, but soon clears and they drink in safety. ”

“ God grew furiously angry at seeing His creation ruined, and banished the Devil to Hell. There the Devil created evil demons and with them rose up from Hell and fought against God and all good spirits. Eventually, the Devil was defeated and driven back to Hell, after Perkons intervened in the fight
Later Laimdota reads from the teachings of the guardian of the Latvian race, in which he listed the tasks of worthy human beings: to seek perfection of the human race, to fight against evil by obeying the ancient teachings, to make just laws and drive out bad rulers, and to love nature. ”

“ Once they have their fortress the Germans begin to plunder everything they can get their hands on, to pillage and to destroy. Full of bitterness, the Latvians realize that they have been tricked.
Meanwhile, in Germany Laimdota is being held captive in a convent. Spidala had tricked her into leaving her father's castle back in Latvia by pretending to be her mother. Laimdota was then seized by Spidala's minions, brought to Riga, and placed on the ship to Germany as a prisoner. During the journey Dietrich tries to calm her and tells her that she will soon be the Bride of Christ. ”

“ The Baltic gods have gathered to consult the Father of Destiny about their own fate and that of the Latvian people. Both are under threat from invading German knights, who have been sent by the Pope to christianize the Baltic region, under the command of Bishop Albert. Perkons, the God of Thunder, calls on all the gods to guard and nurture the Latvians, and they promise to do so, each in his or her own way. ”

“ Three times Bearslayer lifts up the Black Knight, but each time the German kicks free. Finally, Bearslayer throws him over the cliff into the river's depths, but the Black Knight drags Bearslayer with him. Weighed down by the knight's heavy armour, they sink to the bottom. At this moment the waves roar and an island rises up in the river. In the castle, Laimdota, who had had a premonition of disaster, shrieks and ends her own life.
Soon, the Latvian heroes are defeated one by one by the Germans, for whom they are no match without Bearslayer. ”

“ The sailors set off in the nick of time: The North Wind has woken up and they are involved in a fearsome storm, from which they barely escape.
They reach the island of the Dog-Snout Ogres, where they tie up. Bearslayer goes ashore with a party of men to cut up and share the meat of some deer he has already killed. They are at work when suddenly the Dog-Snouts pour out of a cave and attack them. They tear the men apart with their teeth and even Bearslayer is scarcely able to save himself. He is wounded and seems doomed, until he notices that no more Dog-Snouts are coming out of their cave. ”

“ Bearslayer re-establishes himself at Lielvarde
Meanwhile, Albert has returned to Germany to recruit more knights. He leaves Kaupa in charge in Riga, to where most Germans have now retreated. All seems well for the Latvians, and Bearslayer and Laimdota settle down to married life together. The others too return to their homes, thinking to live out their lives in peace.
Springtime comes, and the Latvians have little thought of war. Even Kangars is working in his garden. His life is bitter: He receives no honour from any one, any more. ”

“ Word we will send to Peipus Lake's far shore,
The time is ripe, in Latvia to destroy."
"The Latvians I will urge to go to war.-
I know Bearslayer bold will not delay,
But in a fearless mood will go once more,
With Burtnieks to struggle in the fray,
Although they know that death will follow sure,
If Kalapuisis they meet and fight.
On Latvian soil no warrior can endure
Against the dread Estonian giant's might."
Perkons sends a storm to kill the Germans, but they are rescued
Then Spidala would thank him, but all round
The whole room glowed with fire, and thunder crashed. ”

“ Bearslayer and Koknesis study hard in the Castle of Burtnieks. Bearslayer has a special reason to seek perfection: Laimdota is the daughter of Burtnieks and has returned home to the castle from Staburadze's Crystal Palace, where she and Bearslayer met. They fall in love, but just as Bearslayer is about to ask for her hand news arrives that Kalapuisis has entered Latvia and is killing and laying waste. Burtnieks offers Laimdota's hand to any warrior who can rid them of Kalapuisis, and Bearslayer rides out to face him: The plot seems to be succeeding! ”

“ On the way to Burtnieks's Castle, Bearslayer visits the castle of the Latvian Lord Aizkrauklis, where he is stunned by the beauty of Aizkrauklis's daughter, Spidala. However, he watches her and discovers that she is a witch. He follows her by hiding in a hollow log on which she flies to the Devil's Pit, and witnesses evil rites, as well as seeing the false holy man, Kangars, promise to serve the Devil by working against the ancient gods and supporting Christianity, because Christians are easier prey for the Devil. ”

“ The ship sails. Just then Bearslayer rides up. He knows full well that Kangars and Spidala have kidnapped Laimdota, and demands that they give her back. Spidala tells him that she is on the ship just vanishing over the horizon. Kangars says that she and Koknesis are lovers. Bearslayer does not believe this lie, although he experiences some doubts, and rides off in deep despair. Spidala gloats over his sorrow. She has her revenge, and Bearslayer's life is worse than death.
Bearslayer returns to Lielvarde, his home. He is greeted warmly, but his father sees that something is wrong. ”

“ Still man's corruption seeks the demon pack,
Trapped in the web of evil they have spun.-
But Perkons sees them, strikes and drives them back."
The tasks of humankind
One evening, thus Laimdota spoke in turn:
"Bearslayer, now the Guardian's words well heed,
He wrote them that we understand and learn;
These ancient wisdom's teachings I will read."
Aloud Laimdota read to him this view:
"Time is eternal. Thus it brings no peace
To seek beyond, and endless life pursue.
Time comes, time goes, and rolls on without cease." ”

“ Perhaps Laimdota loves him still and will yet be saved. Bearslayer spends his days roaming the cliffs above the Daugava brooding, and longing to go with the waters down to the sea to fight against the North Wind and meet the North Wind's Daughter. One day he vanishes, and no-one knows where he has gone.
Canto IV opens with Kaupa in Rome. He is seduced by the wealth and power he sees, doubts the old gods, and decides to embrace Christianity and convert the Latvians. Back in Latvia, the people labour long building a walled city for the Germans, who are now present in large numbers-Riga. ”

“ On another occasion, Laimdota reads to Bearslayer the story of the creation. In eternal space there was once nothing except a celestial light. In it lived God and a second mighty spirit-the Devil. At that time the Devil still obeyed God, although he was already growing rebellious. God decided to create the Earth and sent the Devil to fetch a handful of slime. The Devil was curious and kept a second handful for himself, hiding it in his mouth. When he brought the slime to God, God commanded the slime to form the Earth, throwing it down. ”

“ He knows that death will bring him the torments of Hell, while his remaining days of life are wracked with the knowledge of his own wickedness. One day Dietrich comes to him and asks him to communicate with evil spirits to discover the source of Bearslayer's strength. Kangars says that it is no concern of his that Bearslayer is killing Germans, but that he has his own reasons for wanting to destroy the young man. He wrestles with demons for three days and nights without sleep, and they reveal to him the secret of Bearslayer's strength-his bear's ears. ”

“ She yearns to help, but is trapped in a pact with the Devil. Bearslayer realizes that she is truly repentant and wants to help her. Suddenly he remembers the little package that he brought with him as a souvenir of the Devil's Pit, and orders some sailors to fetch it and give it to her. When Spidala sees it she is overjoyed: It is her contract with the Devil, and she is now free! They go to the beach, where Spidala releases the ships and sailors trapped on the shore. Suddenly, among the people released, Bearslayer sees Koknesis and Laimdota! ”