Tiny man from the ocean

“Then a man arose from ocean,

From the waves a hero started;

Not the hugest of the hugest,

Nor the smallest of the smallest;

As a man´s thumb was his stature,

Lofty as the span of a woman.

Decked his head a helm of copper,

On his feet were boots of copper,

On his hands were copper gauntlets,

Gloves adorned his copper tracings;

Round his waist his belt was copper;

In his belt his axe was copper;

And the haft thereof was thumb-long,

And the blade thereof was nail-long.”

Except from Kalevala, the Land of Heroes, book 1

Väinämöinen´s sowing, 2^nd poem of Kalevala

Read book, 2008, ISBN 1408670526

Translation by W.F. Kirby

The very first entry to Kalevala painting challenge is this tiny man from the sea by TL. I´m yet to receive the model but was mailed the first two pictures of him. Not sure what the model is but by the looks of it I think it is 15mm dwarf. Have to confirm the manufacturer and other facts at some stage. Better pictures will be made available when I get the figurine.

Väinämöinen´s sowing is a part of the world creation story in Finnish national epic Kalevala. In this poem Väinämöinen who is a powerfull shaman summons Sampsa Pellervoinen the architect of the forests to sow the land with trees. He sows many trees and in time they grow and flourish; however, the oak will not grow.

The water giant Iku-Turso then rises and burns a haystack and in the ashes he plants an acorn and it begins to grow. It grows taller than any other tree in the land, growing up to heaven and blocking out the sun and moon. Väinämöinen calls the Water-mother to send him someone who can fell the great tree. Presently a man appears from the water, clad in copper from head to toe, a man no taller than a man's thumb.

Väinämöinen mocks the man, but the man grows so large his head in among the clouds. He swings his great copper axe and the great oak is felled on the third stroke. (Wikipedia)

 A size comparison between the tiny man and a 28mm dwarf.