Customer Reviews

The Kalevala: Epic of the Finnish People

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Friberg does a good job of translating the Kalevala into a readable English form. The Kalevala is a collection of 'Runos' or poems that were sung by storytellers. Friberg's translation is of the spirit of the stories. Some translations have tried to translate both the verse and the story making both dry and uninteresting. Frieberg concentrates on making the story read well in current English.

This translation if folksy and sensitive to the feel of the original. Although not encumbered with scholarly precision, it is right on the mark for continuing the ancient tradtions of the Finns. This was a major resource for me in the writing of my book Finnish Magic. The illustrations too are delightful

I read Friberg's translation, along with every other available one in English, as research for my picture book retelling "The Maiden of Northland." Friberg's was simply the best, by far.

My grandmother gave this book to be years ago and it sat in my closet for a long time. I never realized how interested I would become in stuff like this until the last few years. This collection of Finish folktales, mythology, and magic and the such is a very interesting read. Not a whole lot is known about this. Most of the tales and legends were spread by word of mouth throughout the snowy and forest filled country throughout time. I love reading these translations alooking at the pictures. I came upon this book again while searching through my closet the other day and I started to look at it again instead of finding what I was looking for. I wish my grandmother was still alive so I could thank her for this.

The extras to this edition make it worth the price. It is beautifully illustrated by Bjorn Landstrom--ALMOST, but not quite, comparable to the old edition illustrated by Gallen-Kallela. In the preface Friberg describes the impact the publication of the Kaleva had on the the development of a national identity for the Finnish people. A separate section describes the structure of the epic poem and the underlying motifs. The introduction details a history of the English translations (Porters [2], Crawford, Magoun, Kirby). Friberg's translation is in a freer form which does not follow the traditional numbering of the runes, BUT there are corresponding numbers to the traditional which refer to a "Notes" section which also includes explanatory notes. There is a glossary with many Finnish translations of individual English words. Remarkably, due to an accident, Friberg had a gradual loss of sight. He attended a school for the blind, then a public high school and then Harvard. He spoke Finnish as a second language and had committed to memory much of the Kaleva. Unlike earlier editions which were translated from the German, he was able to translate his work directly from the Finnish language. All these "extras" make this book well worth the price.

The Kalevala is beloved by Finns worldwide. This presentation with charming illustrations is an ideal introduction to a the lore of a people sorely neglected in western minds. Greek and Roman gods are common currency with frequent reminders from English literature. Perhaps the closest one can come to any idea of Northern myths is the trilogy by R.R.Tolkien, The Lord of the Rings. The mystery and foreboding sense of nature, both of earth and men's nature, permeates a world where men strive to keep body and soul together.