The first kantele is made from the jawbone of a giant pike.
In the Kalevala, Väinämöinen creates the first kantele after the heroes kill a gigantic pike that blocks their boat. He uses the fish’s jawbone for the instrument’s body, its teeth for tuning pegs, and hair from Hiisi’s horse for the strings. The result is a supernatural instrument rather than an ordinary crafted object.
At first, other characters try to play it but cannot produce beautiful music. When Väinämöinen finally plays, the sound is so enchanting that people, animals, spirits, and elements of nature gather to listen. The episode connects music with magical knowledge and with the power of the skilled singer-hero.
The pike-bone instrument is not the only kantele in the epic. After the first one is lost, Väinämöinen makes a second kantele from birch wood, using a willing maiden’s hair for its strings. This later wooden instrument helps explain why the pike jawbone is the answer for the first kantele, while birch belongs to its successor.