the holy mountain

heavy earth falls from the stars

I will speak to you in stone-language
(answer with a green syllable)
I will speak to you in snow-language
(answer with a fan of bees)
I will speak to you in water-language
(answer with a canoe of lightning)
I will speak to you in blood-language
(answer with a tower of birds)

i heard his sap quicken, beating like blood

the spit of the north wind

sacred waters that no frost could harden

the mountains suckle men

where pines were growing and bird-cherry trees and rowans 

Many of the hillfolk believe that they can make general forecasts about the weather by examining the breastbone of a wild goose killed in the fall. If the bone is thin and more or less transparent, the winter will be mild; if the bone is thick and opaque, the winter will be severe. If the bone is white, there will be a great deal of snow; if the bone is red, or has many red spots, the winter will be very cold but the snowfall unusually light.