The Swan sings a song of lament while admonishing us to keep on the side of the living

Lemminkäinen was ordered by his king to kill the swan, but he hears its sad song and fails. Instead, Lemminkäinen gets killed, but later on he is resurrected. The Swan of Tuonela is a sacred bird from the Finnish epic folklore, “Kalevala." The swan swims on the coal-black Tuonela River, which separates our world from the land of the dead. As we all flow toward that river and afterlife, this painting is a solemn and stark reminder to be happy and enjoy what has been given to us in life. There is no need to hold grudges or hate in our hearts, and definitely no need to be hesitant of what we want to accomplish in our relatively short lifespans. What is on the other side of the river? What is the mist hiding? Our relatives? Our ancestors? What lies beyond those peaks of mountains? For now, we can only imagine. Until then, the Swan sings a song of lament while admonishing us to keep on the side of the living. — Ben Garrison