The Kalevala: An Epic Poem after Oral Tradition by Elias Lï¿1/2nnrot (World's Classics) [Paperback]

Elias Lï¿1/2nnrot (Author), Keith Bosley (Translator)

Book Description

Series: World's Classics | Publication Date: September 14, 1989

The Finnish language belongs to a non-Indo-European group of languages whose origins have been traced to a region just west of the Urals. During the first milennium of our era, Uralic-speakers in the Baltic region developed the oral poetry which is the basis of the Kalevala, the epic poem of Finland which was assembled only 150 years ago as a portrait of an ancient people in war and peace. This poem, which has often been compared with the epics of Homer, played a central role in the process towards Finnish independence and inspired the classical composer Sibelius. This version of the Kalevela has been translated by Keith Bosley, who has been awarded the first Finnish State Prize for Translators for his work on the anthology "Finnish Folk Poetry".

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Lively, true to the spirit of the original. Having taught the course several times, I find this translation to be excellent for our students."--Aili Flint, Columbia University

"Thank you for the complimentary copy! It was a difficult decision but in the end I decided to go with Magour's more literal translation for the course. I will, however, consider Bosley's translation for my own work. I especially admire Bosley's Introduction and your choice of Gallen-Kallela's painting for the cover. Thanks again!"--Leslie Taylor, Southern Illinois University at Carbondale

--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Language Notes

Text: English, Finnish

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 736 pages
• Publisher: Oxford University Press, USA (September 14, 1989)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0192817000
• ISBN-13: 978-0192817006
• Product Dimensions: 7.3 x 4.6 x 1.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12.8 ounces
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,738,087 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)