Kalevala Guide will provide you with the basics of the Kalevala, in a nutshell - what you need to know about the most widely translated work of Finnish literature. The Kalevala, by Elias Lönnrot, is probably the best known and the most translated work of Finnish literature. How is it possible that this book, honoured by the solemn epithet ‘the national epic of the Finns', continues to fuel the creative imagination? What is it about the Kalevala that keeps on attracting and inspiring new generations of readers and artists?
The revised edition offers insights to the Kalevala both as ambivalent and living Finnish and Karelian cultural heritage, and its relations to European cultures and identities.