What exactly is the Kalevala?
The Kalevala is epic poetry based on old oral folk songs, compiled and edited by the Finnish scholar Elias Lönnrot. First published in its final form in 1849, it is regarded as the national epic of the Finns and Karelians.
Rather than being written from scratch, the Kalevala is based on centuries-old Finnish and Karelian oral-tradition folk songs. Karelia is a geographical and cultural area that now lies partly in eastern Finland and partly in northwestern Russia.
Lönnrot collected verses during journeys across eastern Finland and Karelia, especially White Sea Karelia, stitching together songs and myths into a single narrative. An earlier version, known as the Old Kalevala, was published in 1835. The expanded New Kalevala of 1849 consists of 50 poems or chapters and totals more than 22,000 verses.
All the poems are presented in a distinctive trochaic rhythm (a stressed syllable followed by an unstressed syllable), called Kalevala metre after the Kalevala.
Finland celebrates Kalevala Day on February 28, also known as Finnish Culture Day.
Who created the Kalevala?
Portrait of Finnish physician and philologist Elias Lönnrot around 1850. Photo: Finnish Heritage Agency
The Kalevala was compiled by Elias Lönnrot (1802–84), a physician, linguist, editor, poet and later professor of the Finnish language.
Born into a poor family in the village of Sammatti in southern Finland, Lönnrot raised his station in life through education. He wrote his master’s thesis on Väinämöinen, one of the epic’s central heroes, and qualified as a medical doctor.
Lönnrot developed a great passion for folk poetry. Beginning in 1828, he undertook collecting journeys through eastern Finland, Karelia, the Kola Peninsula and the area north of the Arctic Circle.
Although he presented the Kalevala as a recovery of ancient poetry, Lönnrot did more than record and edit. He modified, rearranged and, in places, composed linking passages to create narrative coherence. Even so, only around 3 percent of the final text was written by Lönnrot himself. The result is both a work of folklore and a constructed literary epic.
Promoting the Finnish language was central to his work. In 1831, he helped to found the Finnish Literature Society, which became crucial in preserving Finland’s cultural heritage.
How did the Kalevala come into being?
Anders Ekman: Väinämöinen Stringing his Kantele, 1855 (Finnish National Gallery Collection/Ateneum Art Museum)Photo: Finnish National Gallery/Lauri Asanti
Lönnrot’s original aim was to preserve Finnish-language poetry and strengthen the status of Finnish as a literary language. At the time, Romantic nationalism was sweeping through Europe’s intellectual circles, encouraging nations to seek validation in their folklore and oral traditions. The idea of a unified epic emerged gradually during his collecting trips.
At the time, Finland was not an independent nation. Having been part of Sweden for centuries, it became an autonomous Grand Duchy within the Russian Empire in 1809. Throughout the 19th century, a growing national movement sought to strengthen a distinct Finnish identity.
Familiar with works such as Homer’s Iliad and Odyssey, Lönnrot began to see how fragmented folk poems could be shaped into a coherent, story-driven whole. Across Europe, interest in national epics and folk traditions had been growing since the late 18th century. Influences ranged from the Nibelungenlied and the Edda to James Macpherson’s Poems of Ossian. Earlier collectors of Finnish and Karelian folklore, such as Christfrid Ganander and Zacharias Topelius, also paved the way.
In this climate, the Kalevala became emblematic of a people with their own history, mythology and voice, although most of its source material was gathered in Karelia.
The language of the Kalevala originally blends southeastern Finnish dialects with Karelian language. Through editing and harmonisation, Lönnrot introduced new plotlines and characters, altered the language of the poems and standardised their metre. His work involved selection, censorship, moral refinement and creative invention. He also adapted the language of the poems to make them more accessible to Finnish readers of his day.
All in all, Lönnrot helped forge a shared literary language at a time when Finnish was still establishing its place.
What is the Kalevala about?
Joseph Alanen: The Defence of the Sampo, 1910–1912 (Finnish National Gallery Collection/Ateneum Art Museum)Photo: Finnish National Gallery/Jenni Nurminen
The Kalevala is a sprawling and dramatic cycle of myths and adventures.
It opens with a creation story: The world is born when a wild duck lays its eggs on the knee of the primeval maiden of the air. When the eggs fall and break, their fragments form the earth, sky, sun and moon.
At the heart of the epic are rivalries between the land of Kalevala and the northern realm of Pohjola. Central to their conflict is the Sampo – a mysterious object said to bring prosperity. Often imagined as a magical mill, it is forged by the blacksmith Ilmarinen and later fought over at sea.
The epic features magic, feuds, love, revenge and loss. Yet its themes also feel strikingly modern: it explores, for instance, a woman’s right to choose her spouse (Aino) and the fraught bond between parent and child (Kullervo). Its narrative arc culminates in the symbolic arrival of Christianity, marking the end of the mythic age.
Who are the main characters?
Akseli Gallen-Kallela: Kullervo Cursing, 1899 (Finnish National Gallery Collection/Ateneum Art Museum)Photo: Finnish National Gallery/Hannu Pakarinen
The cast of the Kalevala is rich and varied. Some of the main characters are:
- Väinämöinen, the wise old singer and culture hero whose songs wield magical power
- Ilmarinen, the master blacksmith who forges the Sampo
- Lemminkäinen, a reckless adventurer and charismatic womaniser
- Lemminkäinen’s mother stands out as a powerful figure of selfless devotion, tirelessly aiding her son.
- Louhi, the formidable matron of Pohjola
Other notable figures include Aino, whose tragic fate sets early events in motion, and Kullervo, a tormented youth driven by revenge.
Kullervo’s dark and psychologically complex story, involving betrayal, violence and tragedy, later fascinated J.R.R. Tolkien. Before writing about Middle-earth, Tolkien studied Finnish and produced his own retelling, The Story of Kullervo.
What happened after the Kalevala was published?
Robert Wilhelm Ekman: Ilmatar, 1860 (Finnish National Gallery Collection/Ateneum Art Museum)Photo: Finnish National Gallery/Aleks Talve
The Kalevala was embraced as Finland’s and Karelia’s national epic and became a catalyst for cultural and academic activity. It strengthened the status of the Finnish language and contributed to the broader nation-building process that culminated in Finland’s independence in 1917.
Its influence extended beyond literature. The imagery of the Kalevala shaped national romantic art and architecture. Painter Akseli Gallen-Kallela’s depictions of its heroes became iconic, while composer Jean Sibelius drew musical inspiration from its themes.
Why does the Kalevala still matter today?
Carl Eneas Sjöstrand: Lemminkäinen, 1872 (Finnish National Gallery Collection/Ateneum Art Museum)Photo: Finnish National Gallery/Henri Tuomi
The epic continues to inspire artists. In popular culture, it resurfaces in comics and children’s books – including Mauri Kunnas’s Canine Kalevala – as well as in films and music. One of the most recent screen adaptations is Kalevala: The Story of Kullervo, directed by Antti J. Jokinen.
Bands such as the folk ensemble Värttinä and the metal group Amorphis have mined its mythic themes.
Kalevala-inspired names live on in Finnish streets such as Sammonkatu (Sampo Street), neighbourhoods such as Tapiola (Tapio is the god of the forest) and given names such as Aino, Väinö and Ilmari.
Can you read the Kalevala in other languages?
Akseli Gallen-Kallela: The Aino Myth, triptych, 1891 (Finnish National Gallery Collection/Ateneum Art Museum)Photo: Finnish National Gallery/Aleks Talve
Yes. The Kalevala has been translated into more than 60 languages, including several English versions, making it accessible to readers around the world.
The Kalevala at a glance
Akseli Gallen-Kallela: Lemminkäinen’s Mother, 1897 (Finnish National Gallery Collection/Ateneum Art Museum)Photo: Finnish National Gallery/Hannu Pakarinen
What is it?
The Finnish and Karelian national epic – a volume of mythological poems based on oral tradition.
Who compiled it?
Elias Lönnrot (1802–1884), a physician, linguist and folklore collector.
When was it published?
- Old Kalevala: 1835
- New Kalevala (definitive version): 1849
How was it created?
Elias Lönnrot collected the centuries-old oral poems across eastern Finland and Karelia and edited them into a unified epic narrative.
What is it about?
Creation myths, rival realms, magic, heroes and tragedy.
Why does it matter?
The Kalevala helped to shape the Finnish national identity, inspired generations of artists and influenced figures such as J.R.R. Tolkien.
Can you read it in English or other languages?
Yes, in more than 60 languages worldwide.
More information about the Kalevala can be found on the Kalevala Society website.
By Emilia Kangasluoma, February 2026
