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The Old Kalevala and Certain Antecedents

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There are actually two Finnish works which go by the name "Kalevala." Both are based on songs collected in Finnish-speaking regions, including the politically and religiously Russian Karelia district. This is a translation of the first, shorter, version, which Elias Lonnrot substantially revised and expanded in the light of new materials which he and his associates collected in the aftermath of the success of this version. F. P. Magoun's English version, a sequel to his similar prose translation of the "New" Kalevala some years earlier, includes samples of the old songs, and early attempts to reconstruct a cycle of Finnish heroic legends.

For those who know and love the better-known "Kalevala," and for those interested in how authentic folklore was transformed into a major work of literature, "The Old Kalevala" will be fascinating reading. It may also be of interest to Tolkien's more devoted readers, who are aware of his early love of the Kirby translation of the Kalevala, his studies of Finnish, and the effect of both on the development of both the Elvish languages and the "Silmarillion."