About this ebook
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
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.
