Kalevala Mythology (Folklore Studies in Translation) [Hardcover]

Juha Pentikainen (Author), Ritva Poom (Translator)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 1990 | Series: Folklore Studies in Translation

The Kalevala, created during the 1830s and 1840s, is based on folklore collected and compiled by Elias Lonnrot (1802-1884). It initiated the process leading to the foundation of Finnish identity during the 19th century and was one of the factors in the formation of Finland as a nation. The Kalevala also sheds light on the general process involved in the formation of other epics, such as the Niebelungenlied, the Edda, the Vedic books, and Homer's works.

Pentikainen's contribution to the study of international epic is an important contribution to the fields of classics, comparative literature, social history, and, of course, anthropology and folkloristics.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Pentik einen's exceptional interdisciplinary study will richly reward those interested in the dynamics of artistic creation and cultural construction, ethnic emergence and political nationalism, and shamanistic belief systems." - American Anthropologist " ... a splendid contribution to the literature on folk epics ... " - The Scandinavian-American Bulletin --This text refers to the Paperback edition.

Language Notes

Text: English, Finnish

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 288 pages
• Publisher: Indiana Univ Pr (April 1990)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0253343259
• ISBN-13: 978-0253343253
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 5.6 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #876,206 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

24 of 24 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars An interesting behind-the-scenes look at Kalevala, February 28, 2003

By 

Matthew Anderson "A well-read and -traveled o... (Lame Deer, MT United States) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Kalevala Mythology (Folklore Studies in Translation) (Paperback)

It's been 11 years since I read this book, so forgive me if I'm vague; someone's gotta write these reviews, though.

Kalevala Mythology is a multifaceted work that looks both at Elias Lonnrot's compilation of mainly Karelian folk songs and stories, both in its final form and in the Old Kalevala, and at the shamanic tradition from which the stories first sprang forth.

The chapters on the compilation and revision of the published Kalevala serve as a brief overview of Lonnrot's biography and reveal the political motives that helped drive the 19th Century interest in Finnish ethnography. Consideration is given to the singers who were Lonnrot's sources and of how the work evolved from Lonnrot's notes to the Old Kalevala to the final form of the epic. This leads to an analysis of the songs, looking at the three main characters and what they can be thought to represent along with inclusions such as the Kullervo story and Runo 50 concerning Marjatta and her son. This analysis then leads to an examination of the tribal Finnish culture that still existed after the introduction of Christianity to Finland, using parallels between Finnish and Sami and other Finnic cultures' shamanic traditions to add depth to the picture.

All told this would be a boring book to most people. Chances are that if you've actually read Kalevala, though, you already have a vested interest in the origins of Finnish culture. I found that the book did much to help me understand Kalevala as a mirror of my ancestors' tradition, as a catalyst to the formation of the modern state of Finland, and as a source of the identity to Finns throughout the world today.

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars excellent information on the kalevala, November 4, 2005

By 

Kalle - See all my reviews

This review is from: Kalevala Mythology (Folklore Studies in Translation) (Paperback)

This book is an inspiration, not only in its dealing with mythical themes in the Kalevala, but also with the life and experiences of Elias Lonrrot, its creator. Pentikainen draws important parallels between Lonnrot's life: his bored existence in remote Kajaani, his relative old age at the time of his marriage, the death of his nephew and a girl from drowning on the way to church. Anyone who knows the Kalevala will see how they might impact on his recording of Finnish folktales in the 19th century. The result is a book that gives one renewed respect, not only for the achievement of the Kalevala itself, but also for its personal elements, that help emphasise how Lonnrot was both a precursor and an inspiration to Tolkien.

I do have one nitpick, which I have not allowed to detract from my rating, since I may be missing something. Ritva Poom's otherwise excellent translation consistently translates "poem" (in Finnish, "runo") as "rune" throughout. This seems like such a strange affectation that I can't help but wonder if it is not an outright error. But this is only a minor issue with a very informative book.