EMMU LAKE AND VIRTS LAKE. (KREUTZWALD.)

Sacred-Texts Legends & Sagas   

SOON after the Creation, Vanaisa¹ formed a beautiful lake, called the Emmu Lake, which was intended to furnish men with refreshing water at all times, but owing to the wickedness of men, he caused all the water to be absorbed by a waterspout. Now men had nothing but rain-water, and although rainwater and melted snow sometimes filled the old Emmu Lake, it was dirty and unrefreshing, and people called it the Virts Lake. But at length Vanaisa, took pity on the people, who had somewhat improved, and formed narrow channels in the earth, through which the waters of the old Emmu lake flow as springs. But to prevent their being too warm in summer and too cold in winter, a cold stone is put into the springs in spring, and replaced by a warm one in autumn.

Footnotes

p. 144

¹ Cod is frequently called Vanaisa, the Old Father, just as the Devil is frequently called Vanapois, the Old Boy.