Morning Myth

Ilmarinen

A Finno-Ugric deity whose tale is... as all tales filled with woe and wonder and explanation.

Ilmarinen is a smith. He created the heavens and the pillar that holds up the earth. He also created the sampo. The sampo was a magical device that produces grain, gold, and salt - endlessly. the story of the sampo is interesting. 

But that is not what grabbed my attention. Ilmarinen failed on his first four attempts to fashion the sampo. At first he produced a crossbow, then a boat, then a cow, then a plow. All were evil or not useful. The crossbow needed a sacrifice every day, the boat wanted war, the cow was easily angered, and plow would cut down anything and everything. All were destroyed or cast back into the fire. 

And thus we are warned.

The sampo was made on the fifth effort. It could produce all man needed. But it was hidden, wars were fought to retrieve it, and it was destroyed.