Kalevala

The Kalevala is an epic poem which Elias Lönnrot in the 19th century said that he had compiled from Finnish folk sources. It is commonly called the Finnish national epic and is one of the most significant works of Finnish-language literature. The Kalevala is credited with inspiring the nationalism that ultimately led to Finnish independence from Russia in 1917. The name means "land of Kaleva". The text of the Kalevala consists of 22,795 verses, divided into 50 poems or chapters (finnish runot, singular runo, from Germanic rune).

Influence of the Kalevala

The effect of the Kalevala upon later art in Finland has been tremendous, inspiring composer Jean Sibelius, modern poet Paavo Haavikko, painter Akseli Gallen-Kallela, and many others.

Related Topics:
Art - Jean Sibelius - Paavo Haavikko - Akseli Gallen-Kallela

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Besides the local Estonian legends, Kalevala was a major source of inspiration for, and shares several analogous characters with, the Estonian national epic Kalevipoeg (compiled and written by Friedrich Reinhold Kreutzwald, first version completed 1853).

Related Topics:
Estonian - Estonian - Kalevipoeg - Friedrich Reinhold Kreutzwald - 1853

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There are several English translations of the Kalevala. The older translations e.g. by John Martin Crawford (1888) and W.F. Kirby (1907), as well as the Eino Friberg translation (1988), follow the original rhythm (Kalevala meter) of the poems (may sound cumbersome to English ears). Poet Keith Bosley has written another version (1989) in a more fluid linguistic style.

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Finnish rock band Amorphis based several concept albums on the Kalevala using the original translation as lyrics.

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J.R.R. Tolkien claimed the Kalevala as one of his sources for the writings which became the Silmarillion. For example the story of Kullervo has been extensively used in Silmarillion (including the sword that speaks when the (anti)-hero uses it for a suicide). Echoes of Kalevalan characters, Väinämöinen in particular, can also be found in the wizards of The Lord of the Rings. The epic was an inspiration for Longfellow's 1855 poem, The Song of Hiawatha, which is written in the same metre (trochaic tetrameter), and also inspired the British science fiction writer Ian Watson to write the Books of Mana duology: Lucky's Harvest and The Fallen Moon.

Related Topics:
J.R.R. Tolkien - Silmarillion - The Lord of the Rings - Longfellow - 1855 - The Song of Hiawatha - Trochaic tetrameter - Ian Watson

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The Finnish cartoonist Mauri Kunnas drew a children's cartoon version of the Kalevala, called Koirien Kalevala (The Canine Kalevala). This, in turn, inspired the American cartoonist Keno Don Rosa (who enjoys widespread popularity in Finland) to draw a Donald Duck story about Kalevala, called The Quest for Kalevala.

Related Topics:
Mauri Kunnas - Keno Don Rosa - Donald Duck - The Quest for Kalevala

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