Facts about The Kalevala

1. 05

   Elias Lönnrot published an expanded version of the Kalevala in 1849, increasing the poem's length significantly from the original 1835 edition.

   The KalevalaJun 6shareliteraturefinnishhistory
2. 04

   Central character Väinämöinen is an ancient, wise shaman-singer whose magical songs and kantele playing drive much of the Kalevala's narrative.

   The KalevalaJun 6sharemythologyfinnishfolklore
3. 03

   Finland's national epic, the Kalevala, consists of 50 cantos totaling nearly 23,000 lines of trochaic tetrameter verse.

   The KalevalaJun 6shareliteraturefinnishpoetry
4. 02

   J.R.R. Tolkien drew significant inspiration from the Kalevala, particularly its hero Kullervo, when developing his mythological writings.

   The KalevalaJun 6shareliteraturemythologyinfluence
5. 01

   Compiled by Elias Lönnrot from Finnish oral folk poetry, the Kalevala became a foundational text of Finnish national identity after its publication in 1835.

   The KalevalaJun 6sharefolkloreliteraturemythology