Kalevala: The Epic of the Finnish People

by Elias Lönnrot (Editor), Jukka Korpela (Introduction), Eino Friberg (Translator)

Overview

'One of the great mythic poems of Europe' The New York Times

Sharing its title with the poetic name for Finland - 'the land of heroes' - Kalevala is the soaring epic poem of its people, a work rich in magic and myth which tells the story of a nation through the ages from the dawn of creation. Sung by rural Finns since prehistoric times, and formally compiled by Elias Lönnrot in the nineteenth century, it is a landmark of Finnish culture and played a vital role in galvanizing its national identity in the decades leading to independence. Its themes, however, reach beyond borders and search the heart of human existence.

Translated with an Introduction by Eino Friberg

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780241403075
Publisher:	Penguin UK
Publication date:	04/29/2021
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	656
Sales rank:	849,366
File size:	921 KB

About the Author

Elias Lönnrot (1802-1884) was a Finnish physician, philologist and collector of traditional Finnish oral poetry. Lönnrot created the Kalevala, Finland's national epic, by recording and compiling fragments of folk tales, ballads, and other oral poems. Following the publication of the Kalevala, Lönnrot served as Professor of Finnish Language and Literature at the University of Helsinki. He tirelessly promoted the Finnish language and is credited with paving the way for modern Finnish literature.

Jukka Korpela is Professor of History at the University of Eastern Finland. He has published ten monographs and more than 150 scientific articles on East European culture and history, including The World of Ladoga (Lit. Verlag: Berlin, 2008).

Eino Friberg (1901-95) was a Finnish-born American author, noted for his 1989 translation the Kalevala.