Kalevala
19th-century Finnish epic compiled from oral folklore.
The Kalevala is a 19th-century compilation of epic poetry, compiled by Elias Lönnrot from Finnish, Karelian and Ingrian folklore and mythology. It tells a story about the Creation of the Earth, describing the controversies and retaliatory voyages between the peoples of the land of Kalevala called Väinölä and the land of Pohjola and their various protagonists and antagonists, as well as the construction and robbery of the mythical wealth-making machine Sampo. The Kalevala is regarded as the national epic of Finland and Karelia, and is one of the most significant works of Finnish literature.
- Field
- Epic poetry, folklore, national identity
- Nationality
- Finnish
- Known for
- National epic of Finland and Karelia
Lore & Background
Elias Lönnrot, a physician, botanist, linguist, and poet, compiled the Kalevala while serving as district health officer in Kainuu. He made eleven field trips over fifteen years, collecting poems from Finnish, Karelian, and Ingrian oral traditions.
Reader's Guide
It is one of the most significant works of Finnish literature, alongside J. L. Runeberg's The Tales of Ensign Stål and Aleksis Kivi's The Seven Brothers. Internationally, the Kalevala partly influenced J. R. R. Tolkien's legendarium, especially The Children of Húrin. The poetry tradition, known as runic song, was common throughout Finland and Karelia before the 18th century but declined due to European rhymed poetry and Reformation-era prohibitions. Collecting efforts in the 19th century became systematic, with almost half a million pages of verse archived. The oldest themes, such as the origin of Earth, may be as old as 3,000 years, while newer events like the arrival of Christianity date to the Iron Age (until c. 1300 CE). Finnish folklorist Kaarle Krohn proposed that 20 of the 45 poems have possible Ancient Estonian origin.
Did You Know?
- The Kalevala was compiled by Elias Lönnrot, who was a physician, botanist, linguist, and poet.
- Lönnrot made eleven field trips over fifteen years to collect the poems.
- The Kalevala partly influenced J. R. R. Tolkien's legendarium, especially The Children of Húrin.
More in Poetry Collections And Epic Poems 1-22
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