ABSTRACT
Rauta-Rekhiwassurroundedbyaretinueofrelations correspondingwiththeprincipaloperationsusedin workingthatmetal:andthelegendofthebirthof ironisoneofthemostremarkableandoriginalinthe Kalevala.IButthisapplicationofallthemetallurgic mythstoironwascertainlynotalwaystobefound amongsttheFinns;itresultedfromthepeculiar conditionsoftheirsojourninthecountryfromwhich theywerefinallyexpelled,whereironabounded,and thelackofcopperandbronzerendereditlesslikely thattheywouldremembertheancienttraditions whichtheirLivonianbrethrenkeptsojealously. TheAccadians,onthecontrary,althoughtheyhad alreadyworkediron,weremuchmoreabundantly suppliedwithbronze;itwasthecommonmetal whichtheyusedfortheirinstrumentsandutensils.• Atthispointphilologydrawsourattentiontoafact, theexactparallelofthatshowninthemythology. Theword(windu)whichdesignatescopperinthe Accadian,isidenticalwiththatsignifyingiron amongsttheFinns(rauta),andtheLaps(rude),and whichpassedthencetotheSclavoniansandLithuaniansasthenameofthesamemetal(ruda).Thus intheAryanlanguagesawordthatoriginallymeant "metal"inageneralsense,becameinSanscritthe nameofironespecially(ayas),andinLatinthatof bronze(ces).
