Kalevala, Part 2

Lönnrot, Elias, 1802-1884Project Gutenberg · United StatesDec 2019

4.3

Word count: 255K words
Chapters: 26

Summary

Project Gutenberg was the first provider of free electronic books, or eBooks. Michael Hart, founder of Project Gutenberg, invented eBooks in 1971 and his memory continues to inspire the creation of eBooks and related technologies today.Kalevala (1835) 2. Osa by Elias LönnrotAuthor: Lönnrot, Elias, 1802-1884,Language: Finnish, Class: PH: Language and Literatures: Finno-Ugrian and Basque languages and literatures, Release Date: Feb 28, 2015

Editor's review

Kalevala, Part 2 is the continuation of the Finnish national epic compiled by Lönnrot, in Finnish, consisting of cantos assembled from folk-poetry materials. Its value lies first in being a key text of Finnish literature and oral tradition, displaying the distinctive features of northern mythology, heroic songs, and folk belief; it is relevant to the study of Finno-Ugric literature, folklore, and the construction of epics within nationalist movements. The work should be approached as a compilation of poetry and folk materials rather than a tightly plotted modern novel: characters and events recur across cantos, and the rhythm depends on chant-like repetition and meter. For readers learning Finnish or comparing epics, it is an irreplaceable primary source; for Chinese readers who simply want the story, a translation or introductory guide is needed to enter it smoothly.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Language learners of Finnish who wish to engage with the original epic text
Scholars and students of folklore, oral tradition, and national epics
Advanced readers with a strong interest in Norse mythology and Finnish culture
Researchers in comparative literature concerned with epic compilation

Not a good fit for

Chinese readers without Finnish who want to read the story easily
General novel readers expecting linear plot and complete character arcs
Beginners who need modern annotations and a detailed background introduction

Reading tips

First read a Chinese or English translation to grasp the overall framework, then return to the Finnish original to compare key cantos.
Read in thematic groups of cantos, attending to repetitive formulae and metrical features to appreciate the performative nature of oral poetry.
While reading, note variants of characters and events across cantos to understand the epic as a compilation rather than the work of a single author.
Supplement with background on Finnish history and folklore to understand the nineteenth-century context of national epic compilation.

About the publisher

Project Gutenberg United States · Founded in 1971

Project Gutenberg is a digital publishing project focused on public-domain ebooks. Its publishing direction centers on classic literary works whose copyright has expired, covering genres such as poetry, drama, fiction, and epic. Representative books include Lyrical Ballads by Wordsworth and Coleridge, Proust's Du côté de chez Swann, Shakespeare's Macbeth and The Complete Works of William Shakespeare, Homer's The Iliad, Dante's La Divina Comèdia: Purgatòri, Cervantes's The History of Don Quixote, Volume 2, and Grahame's The Wind in the Willows. Its author resources consist mainly of classic Western writers such as Wordsworth, Proust, Shakespeare, Homer, Dante, Cervantes, Grahame, and Tolstoy. Its publishing feature is the provision of freely accessible ebooks in EPUB and Kindle formats; it is not a traditional publisher, and publicly available information is limited.

FAQ

Is this book in Finnish? Can I read it without knowing Finnish?

This is a public-domain ebook in the original Finnish. Readers with no Finnish will find the main text hard to read directly; it is advisable first to use a Chinese or English translation to grasp the framework, then use this book for comparison with the original or as language-learning material. If you only want the story of the epic, a translation is the better choice.

What is the relationship between Kalevala, Part 2 and Part 1?

The Kalevala was compiled by Lönnrot in the nineteenth century from Finnish folk poetry and is usually arranged in cantos. Part 2 continues the subsequent cantos of the same epic system; it is not an independent novel-like sequel. Readers may read the cantos in order or select them by theme; the two parts need not be treated as a continuous plot.

Does this electronic edition include annotations and an introduction?

This edition comes from Project Gutenberg and mainly provides the public-domain text; it generally does not include modern scholarly annotations, an introduction, or a glossary. When encountering archaic words, place names, and mythological allusions, you will need other reference works or studies; for language learners, a Finnish dictionary will be especially helpful.

Comments

Find this book

This site is an index: you start “Search all sources” in your browser, and the entries it lists all point to third-party sites; please judge their availability yourself.

About the author

Lönnrot, Elias, 1802-1884 Author

Elias Lönnrot (1802–1884) was a Finnish folklorist and writer best known for compiling the Finnish national epic, the Kalevala. The library holds 15 of his works, including the first and second parts of the Kalevala, several volumes of the Kantele, or Old and Newer Poems and Songs of the Finnish People, ancient Finnish incantation poems, a collection of his Swedish writings, and travel notes from 1828–1839 and 1841–1844. These works draw largely on Finnish oral tradition and span epic, lyric poetry, incantations, and folk songs, written in a plain, rhythmic style with a strong ethnographic character. Lönnrot's work preserved a vast body of folk poetry and had a profound influence on Finnish language, literature, and national identity. Public information on his education, posts, and detailed biography is limited, so no speculation is offered here.