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Ahtivala

Ahtivala

Ahtivala is the Hilyic national epic by Kaarle Fristen. Third edition, 1853.
Author	Kaarle Fristen
Original title	Ahtivala (or Achtiwala, first edition, 1837)
Country	Lhedwinic Empire
Language	Hilyic; translated multiple times
Genre	Epic poetry, National epic
Publisher	Uusisatama Publishing, among others
Publication date	1837: First Ahtivala 1848: Second Ahtivala 1853: Third Ahtivala
Pages	First Ahtivala: 542pp Second Ahtivala: 731pp Third Ahtivala: ~600pp.

The Ahtivala is the national epic of the Hilyic people and a recognized work of cultural importance in X and X. It is based on West Hilyic and Liemska folk poetry collected during the travels of Kaarle Fristen starting from 1826 in Lhedwin. The first edition of the Ahtivala, known as the First Ahtivala (Hilyic: Ensimmäinen Achtiwala) was published in 1837 followed by two other editions being published in 1846 and 1853 known as the Second Ahtivala (Hilyic: Toinen Ahtivala) and Third Ahtivala (Hilyic: Kolmas Ahtivala) respectively. What is today known as simply Ahtivala refers to the Third Ahtivala.

The Ahtivala is a collection of poems in the Ahtivalan metre. The poems are not directly written as they were first recorded rather they have been altered with their vocabulary and grammar having been centralised into a more unified form of Hilyic. The peoms have also been restructured and recontextualized with even some poems having been written by Fristen himself to connect similar storylines.

The Ahtivala begins with the Hilyic creation myth where the world was created from the corpse of Kekko, the storm god, by the sage hero Valtari and the great smith Rautia at the behest of Kokko the goddess of birds. The Ahtivala depicts conflicts between the people of Ahtivala and the people of Tuonela as well as conflicts, revenge trips and proposal trips between its various protagonists. The Ahtivala ends in the death of Valtari and the creation of the early Hilyic kingdoms.

The Ahtivala has been one of the most significant pieces of Hilyic literature helping to centralize the language as well as being instrumental in the creation of a distinctive Hilyic identity. It contributed greatly to the Hiloman Movement as well as having influenced the arts and sciences significantly.

Etymology

The name Ahtivala comes from the land of Ahtivala that is the homeland of the heroes of the national epic of the same name. The name originates from the Hilyic word for oath, Vala and Ahti Ylijumala (Ahti the Supreme God) who is depicted as the original creator of the world as well as the quintessential force of evil in the world and sea. Thus the name Ahtivala means the oath to/of Ahti. The oath refers to the agreement made by Ahti, Kokko, Rautio, and Valtari that one day the sea shall fully claim the body of Kekko taking with it the world and all who live in it.

Ahtivalta is also alternatively refered to as Valtarila coming from the name of the sage hero Valtari.

The story

World creation myth

The world is created by the Supreme God Ahti (Hilyic: Ahti Ylijumala) who creates a lifeless and desolate world of ocean and wind. Two siblings, Kekko and Kokko, the Storm God (Hilyic: Ukkosjumala) and Goddess of Birds (Hilyic: Linnutar) respectively are born from the wind. One day, invited by Ahti, Kekko steps into the ocean resulting in his demise. The griefstricken Kokko asks two sons of Ahti, Valtari and Rautio, the Hero Sage (Hilyic: Sankaritietäjä) and the Great Smith (Hilyic: Suuriseppä) respectively, to build a world above the sea from Kekko's corpse. Together the three create the living world.

First part of Valtari

The First part of Valtari takes place long after the creation of the world with Valtari being an old and bitter man who has never had a wife. Three stories are told where Valtari attempts to get married. In the first story, Valtari gives Tiera, a poor homeless woman, a golden harp (Hilyic: Kultakantele) the sound of which brings creat fortune to those who hear it. She promises him her first daughter as a wife when she reaches the proper age. Years later as Valtari returns, he finds out that the woman's only daughter had run off after finding out her fate. In the second story Valtari uses his magic to turn a swamp into fertile farm land for Toivo by singing a song. In return, Toivo promises him his sister Ilta as a bride. When Valtari comes to take his bride, Toivo runs off into the north leaving everything behind.

In the final story, Valtari asks Kokko to find him a bride. Kokko informs Valtari of Lempo, a man who is looking for a worthy souse to his beautiful daughter, Kaunitar, on the western island of Kaunila. Valtari gathers great riches from the world and goes to Kaunila on a boat. Lempo is impressed with Valtari's riches and wisdom and decides to allow him to marry Kaunitar, however on the way back to the mainland, a great storm surrounds the boat and despite Valtari's best efforts, Kaunitar is swept by the waves and dies. Valtari curses Ahti for taking his bride and decides to retreive her from the Underworld, Manala. In the Ahtivala, the only way to go to Manala is to ride the White Boat (Valkoinen Vene) that is sailed by Venemies. Valtari with his old age and appearance convinces Venemies that he is dead and thus is taken to Manala. In Manala he finds Kaunitar but is angered when she does want to become his bride despite his great offerings. The final story ends as Valtari returns from Manala without Kaunitar greatly embittered towards the world he helped create.