Book Cover of Kalevala, The Land of the Heroes

Kalevala, The Land of the Heroes

by Elias Lonnrot

The Kalevala is a 19th-century work of epic poetry compiled by Elias Lönnrot from Karelian and Finnish oral folklore and mythology. It is regarded as the national epic of Karelia and Finland and is one of the most significant works of Finnish literature. The Kalevala played an instrumental role in the development of the Finnish national identity, the intensification of Finland's language strife and the growing sense of nationality that ultimately led to Finland's independence from Russia in 1917. The first version of The Kalevala (called The Old Kalevala) was published in 1835. The version most commonly known today was first published in 1849 and consists of 22,795 verses, divided into fifty songs. The title can be interpreted as "The Land of Kaleva" or "Kalevia." If the rhythm of the poetry sounds familiar to American readers, it is probably because Henry Wadsworth Longfellow borrowed its trochaic tetrameter form for his famous "Song of Hiawatha." Of the five complete translations of the Kalevala into English, it is only the older translations by John Martin Crawford (1888) and William Forsell Kirby (1907) which attempt strictly to follow the original rhythm (Kalevala meter) of the poems. Modern writers influenced by the Kalevala include J. R. R. Tolkien, whose epic "Lord of the Rings" trilogy make use of both style and content from the Finnish work.

Book Details

Language

English

Original Language

Finnish

Published In

1835

Authors

Elias Lonnrot image

Elias Lonnrot

United State

Elias Lönnrot was a Finnish physician, philologist and collector of traditional Finnish oral poetry. He is best known for creating the Finnish national epic, Kalevala, (1835, enlarged 1849), from...

Books by Elias Lonnrot

Listen/Download Audiobook

Read by:
00:00
Playback Speed 1.0
00:00
  • Select Speed

Related books

Dulcamara Cover image

Dulcamara by Howard Saxby

This collection encompasses a myriad of literary genres including poetry and prose. Unlike traditional children's literature, these whimsical and humo...

Folk Tales from Many Lands  Cover image

Folk Tales from Many Lands by Lilian Gask

A collection of poetic folk tales from all over the world.

Song of the Wave, and Other Poems Cover image

Song of the Wave, and Other Poems by George Cabot Lodge

This volume of poetry explores a range of themes, with a particular focus on the majesty and power of the sea. The first part of the book features poe...

Pearl Story Book: Stories and Legends of Winter, Christmas, and New Year's Day Cover image

Pearl Story Book: Stories and Legends of Winter, Christmas, and New Year's Day by Ada M. Skinner

This book, compiled by Ada M. Skinner and Eleanor L. Skinner, presents a collection of stories and poems related to the winter holidays. It delves int...

September Cover image

September by Michael Field

“September” is a collection of poems and verse dramas written by Michael Field, the shared pseudonym of Katharine Harris Bradley and Edith Emma Cooper...

Violin Cover image

Violin by Rose Hawthorne Lathrop

This collection of poems by Rose Hawthorne Lathrop, a Dominican nun and social worker, explores themes of faith, vocation, and the search for meaning...

Freshness of Poetic Perception Cover image

Freshness of Poetic Perception by Paul Hamilton Hayne

This volume, *Freshness of Poetic Perception*, showcases the literary criticism and essays of Paul Hamilton Hayne, a prominent figure in 19th-century...

Zero Cover image

Zero by Madison Cawein

“Zero” by Madison Cawein is a collection of poems that explore themes of nature, love, life, death, and the passage of time. Cawein’s poetry is charac...

Charm Cover image

Charm by Rupert Brooke

Rupert Brooke's poetry, particularly his collection "1914 and Other Poems," explores themes of love, youth, beauty, and sacrifice, often through the l...

Job Work Cover image

Job Work by James Whitcomb Riley

This collection of poetry by James Whitcomb Riley, known as the "Hoosier Poet," showcases his signature style. Riley's poems often feature dialect, c...

Reviews for Kalevala, The Land of the Heroes

No reviews posted or approved, yet...