The Kalevala – the national epic of the Finns

The first edition of the Kalevala appeared in 1835. The Kalevala is based on folk poetry collected and written down by Elias Lönnrot from Finnish and Karelian singers from the 1820s up until the 1840s. Inspired by his later collecting trips and the folk poetry recorded by others, Lönnrot decided to broaden his epic to create a more extensive whole. The second edition of the Kalevala appeared in December 1849. The work contains 22 795 lines of verse divided into 50 distinct cantos. To distinguish between the two editions, the expanded version was referred to as the New Kalevala and the earlier version came to be known as the Old Kalevala

The Kalevala is made up of metric folk poems: epic and lyric poetry, as well as incantations and wedding poetry. The metre of the poetic language, generally known as the kalevala-metre, is trochaic tetrametre, the prevailing poetic metre north of the Gulf of Finland and in Ingria.

The Kalevala also owes its existence to influences from epics around the world. In turn, the Kalevala has also acted as a model for the creation of other epics. Upon its release, the Kalevala awakened great interest, although initially only among the intelligentsia. All of a sudden, the Finns, who essentially had no written literature to speak of, now had an epic in their own language. The Kalevala demonstrated that the Finnish people had their own history and culture after all. As a national epic, the Kalevala acquired a significant role in the construction of a Finnish nation, nation-state and national identity.

Although the Kalevala has already been studied and interpreted for 150 years, scholars continue to plumb its depths for new perspectives on Finnish and other cultures. The epic has left a lasting impression on Finnish art and cultural life, music, visual art, architecture, literature and dance. Drawing upon the mythical world of the Kalevala, contemporary artists continue to examine the eternal questions: life, death, love and survival.

Both the Old and the New Kalevala are celebrated on their respective jubilees. Indeed, a fascinating series of significant moments have arisen from such jubilee celebrations, for through these happenings it has been possible to gauge the epic's status and significance. Every generation has reinterpreted the epic and thus the jubilee celebrations have also reinvigorated Finnish cultural life and sharpened cultural self-awareness.