Kalevala

Informationen zum Autor Elias Lönnrot (1802-84) was a Finnish physician, philologist and collector of traditional Finnish oral poetry. Klappentext The great epic poem of Northern Europe, born deep in the heart of ancient Karelian forests Sharing its title with the poetic name for Finland-"the land of heroes"-Kalevala is the soaring epic poem of the Finnish people. Born of an ancient tradition of folklore and song, Kalevala is a work rich in magic, cosmic mystery and myth, presenting a story of a people through the ages, from the dawn of creation. Sung by rural Finns since prehistoric times, and formally compiled by Elias Lönnrot in the nineteenth century, it is a landmark of Finnish culture and it played a vital role in galvanizing Finland's national identity in the decades leading up to independence. And yet its tales of tragedy and triumph, adventure and ambition, hope, lust, death and birth, reach far beyond the region's borders, searching the heart of human existence. Leseprobe Runo 1 Creation and the Birthof Väinämöinen Prelude I am wanting, I am thinking To arise and go forth singing, Sing my songs and say my sayings, Hymns ancestral harmonizing, Lore of kindred lyricking. In my mouth the words are melting; Utterances overflowing To my tongue are hurrying, Even against my teeth they burst. Come good brother, little brother, Pretty playmate of my childhood, Start now with me for the singing Sit together for the speaking, Now that we have met together, After separate pathways travelled; Seldom do we come together, Rarely do we have each other In these ragged border regions, These benighted northern marches. Strike we now hand into hand, Fingers into curve of fingers, So that we may sing good songs, Voice the best of all our legends For the hearing of our loved ones, Those who want to learn them from us, Those among the rising young ones Of the growing generation. Magic verses we have gathered, Kindled by the inspiration From the belt of Väinämöinen, Under forge of Ilmarinen, Sword blade of the man far- minded, Aim of Joukahainen's crossbow, From the way- back fields of Northland, From the heaths of Kalevala. Long ago my father sang them As he carved his ax's handle And my mother also taught me Though she kept her spindle spinning, As I, milk- bearded mischief maker, Clabber- mouthed and tiny tumbler, Rolled about the floor before her: Magic never failed the Sampo, Louhi never lacked for spells; Old in story grew the Sampo, In her spells old Louhi vanished, In his singing Vipunen, Lemminkäinen in his capers There are other words of magic, Incantations I have learned, Plucked in passing from the wayside, Some I broke off from the heather, Some I gathered from the bushes, Others pulled from tender saplings, Rubbed from haytips, snatched from hedges Where I roamed about the cowpaths As a youngster herding cattle, Minding cows in cattle pastures On honeyed hills and hillocks golden By the side of spotted Frisky, Trailing Muurikki, the black one. Then the frost was singing verses, Many a rhyme the rain recited, Other poems the winds delivered, On the seawaves songs came drifting, Magic charms the birds have added And the treetops incantations. These I rolled up in a ball, Made a fitting yarnball of them, On my sled I put the yarnball, On my sleigh I hauled it home Right up to the threshing barn, Hid it in a copper casket On a shelf- end in the storehouse. Long and lone in the darkness, In the cold my verses lie. Shall I take my verses out, Save my songs from freezing weather, Bring the casket to the cottage, Set it on the bench- end there Underneath this famous rooftree And beneath ...

Autorentext

Elias Lönnrot (1802-1884) was a Finnish physician, philologist and collector of traditional Finnish oral poetry. Lönnrot created the Kalevala, Finland's national epic, by recording and compiling fragments of folk tales, ballads, and other oral poems. Following the publication of the Kalevala, Lönnrot served as Professor of Finnish Language and Literature at the University of Helsinki. He tirelessly promoted the Finnish language and is credited with paving the way for modern Finnish literature.

Jukka Korpela is Professor of History at the University of Eastern Finland. He has published ten monographs and more than 150 scientific articles on East European culture and history, including The World of Ladoga (Lit. Verlag: Berlin, 2008).

Eino Friberg (1901-95) was a Finnish-born American author, noted for his 1989 translation the Kalevala.

Klappentext

The great epic poem of Northern Europe, born deep in the heart of ancient Karelian forests

Sharing its title with the poetic name for Finland-"the land of heroes"-Kalevala is the soaring epic poem of the Finnish people. Born of an ancient tradition of folklore and song, Kalevala is a work rich in magic, cosmic mystery and myth, presenting a story of a people through the ages, from the dawn of creation. Sung by rural Finns since prehistoric times, and formally compiled by Elias Lönnrot in the nineteenth century, it is a landmark of Finnish culture and it played a vital role in galvanizing Finland's national identity in the decades leading up to independence. And yet its tales of tragedy and triumph, adventure and ambition, hope, lust, death and birth, reach far beyond the region's borders, searching the heart of human existence.

Zusammenfassung

'One of the great mythic poems of Europe' The New York Times

Sharing its title with the poetic name for Finland - 'the land of heroes' - Kalevala is the soaring epic poem of its people, a work rich in magic and myth which tells the story of a nation through the ages from the dawn of creation. Sung by rural Finns since prehistoric times, and formally compiled by Elias Lönnrot in the nineteenth century, it is a landmark of Finnish culture and played a vital role in galvanizing its national identity in the decades leading to independence. Its themes, however, reach beyond borders and search the heart of human existence.

Translated with an Introduction by Eino Friberg

Leseprobe
Runo 1

Creation and the Birthof Väinämöinen

Prelude

I am wanting, I am thinking
To arise and go forth singing,
Sing my songs and say my sayings,
Hymns ancestral harmonizing,
Lore of kindred lyricking.
In my mouth the words are melting;
Utterances overflowing
To my tongue are hurrying,
Even against my teeth they burst.
Come good brother, little brother,
Pretty playmate of my childhood,
Start now with me for the singing
Sit together for the speaking,
Now that we have met together,
After separate pathways travelled;
Seldom do we come together,
Rarely do we have each other
In these ragged border regions,
These benighted northern marches.
Strike we now hand into hand,
Fingers into curve of fingers,
So that we may sing good songs,
Voice the best of all our legends
For the hearing of our loved ones,
Those who want to learn them from us,
Those among the rising young ones
Of the growing generation.
Magic verses we have gathered,
Kindled by the inspiration
From the belt of Väinämöinen,
Under forge of Ilmarinen,
Sword blade of the man far- minded,
Aim of Joukahainen’s crossbow,
From the way- back fields of Northland,
From the heaths of Kalevala.
Long ago my father sang them
As he carved his ax’s handle
And my mother also taught me
Though she kept her spindle spinning,
As I, milk- bearded mischief maker,
Clabber- mouthed and tiny tumbler,
Rolled about the floor before her:
Magic never failed the Sampo,
Louhi never lacked for spells;
Old in story grew the Sampo,
In her spells old Louhi vanished,
In his singing Vipunen,
Lemminkäinen in his capers
There are other words of magic,
Incantations I have learned,
Plucked in passing from the wayside,
S…