Kalevipoeg's journey to the end of the world

Kalevipoeg’s Journey to the End of the World and Return to His Home Shores

Kalevipoeg and his companions decided to set out in search of the edge of the world. He had a silver ship built that almost flew over the waves. This is how the ship received its name: Lennuk (“The Plane”).

The travellers embarked on a journey filled with unprecedented adventures: warlocks hurled the ship through raging winds, a whale helped them escape a hellish maelstrom, pillars of fire on the Island of Sparks threatened to scorch the ship’s sides, northern lights battled across the sky, and dog-faced men prowled the shoreline. They also reached a distant land “where roosters ate gold, hens ate tin, and geese ate pure silver,” and witnessed countless wonders.

Upon returning from the journey, Kalevipoeg had to admit that he had not yet reached the end of the world, but he had gained much new knowledge and valuable wisdom.

“No regret, golden brothers,
Should arise within our hearts!
For beyond silver treasures
And more precious than gold itself,
Wisdom and knowledge must be valued.”*

The ship’s new home shore became Tamula Beach in Võru, the birthplace of the epic Kalevipoeg. Miraculously, Lennuk became a toy ship for children, where future globetrotters could prepare for adventures of their own.

A wooden toy ship could not truly fly over the waves, so the young people of Võru looked around, saw Roosisaar Island and its magnificent bridge, and decided to rename the ship Rosilla.

— Fr. R. Kreutzwald, Kalevipoeg, Sixteenth Tale: Building the Ship, The Voyage to the End of the World, Lappish Country and the Sage Varrak.
Translated by Triinu Kartus.