Kalevala

Sharing its title with the poetic name for Finland - 'the land of heroes' - Kalevala is the soaring epic poem of the Finnish people. Borne 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 Loennrot in the nineteenth century, it is a landmark of Finnish culture and it played a vital role in galvanising 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, into the searching heart of human existence.