THE KALEWALA. THE HE subject of this paper is the great national epic of Finland, the Kalewala. Until about the Until about the period of the annexation of Finland to Russia, its literature was unknown, and even its language, regarded as barbarous by its masters, the Swedes, was fast dying out. But about the beginning of the century attention was called to the language and the national songs of Finland by certain professors of the University of Abo, and vigorous efforts were made to collect the Volkslieder. The chief result of much research was that Dr. Lönnrot, to whom the foremost place in Finnish literature must be assigned, collected the songs handed down by oral tradition among the people about Vainamoinen, his brothers Ilmarinen and Lemminkainen, and other principal persons of the Kalewala, into one great poem, now regarded by the Finns, Hungarians, and Germans, as the national epic. In the years 1828 and 1831, he collected a considerable number of Runes (i.e., Cantos), in the course of his journeys through Finland; and in 1832 he gathered still more important results in a journey through the districts of Archangel, inhabited by Finns. In 1835 he published his collection of the epic poems of the Finns, in two volumes, with the title "Kalewala," in thirty-two Runes or Cantos, containing more than 12,000 lines; and finally, after an exhaustive search of every corner of the land, conducted by a number of young students, the work was largely extended, and a new edition published by Dr. Lönnrot, in 50 cantos, with 22,800 lines. This epic has been well translated into German by Anton Schiefner, and more loosely into French; and a brief notice of it appeared in a work by Mr. Andrew Lang, published by Messrs. Longman, in 1884; but I am not aware that any adequate account of it has appeared in English. I have therefore thought that the readers of this REVIEW may well be disposed to give attention to a somewhat more detailed account of the contents of this remarkable poem, not only from the literary point of view, but on account of its singular interest in reference to the history of religion. The work, it has been said, consists of fifty Runes. In the first Rune, the poet gives a striking and highly original account of the circumstances under which he wrote, and of the main object which he kept before him. This Preface, so to speak, occupies about a hundred lines. It is of importance, both as indicating the unity of the composition-inasmuch as here, and as will be seen at the close, the poet intimates some of its main features-and as showing the true position and circumstances under which it was composed. He speaks of himself as having learned the songs from his father, who sang them while carving the handle of his hatchet, and from his mother while turning her spindle. It must be remembered, however, that in that country, and at the time when the poem was composed, occupations of this kind were assigned to persons of high rank. In fact the combination of domestic and mechanical work with a considerable amount of mental cultivation and high position, is one of the most striking features of the whole poem. In the next place, the writer marks out very distinctly the contents of the Kalewala, which he calls the "Song of the Race," produced under an irresistible internal impulse. He names at once the great personages of the whole poem, the ancient Vainamoinen, the chief hero; Ilmarinen, his brother, the ideal smith;* and the third brother, Lemminkainen, whose character is at once pointed out by the epithet assigned to him, "wielding a sword." Some general notions are needed in order at all to understand the character of the book. All the chief personages belong to the period between the mythology which deals entirely with deities and that which speaks simply of human heroes. They are not indeed Gods, but they are of divine origin, demi-gods; in fact, coming nearer to the deities than Hercules, Theseus, and other Grecian heroes. There are sudden and striking alternations in the description of their acts and feelings. But for the most part, we are brought into the presence of beings who, in the imagination of the earliest Turanian families, occupied a high place in the supernatural region. One distinguishing point is the magic power which is attributed to all these persons, especially to Vainamoinen. He is represented not only as mastering all the evil forces of the universe, and controlling the course of Nature by words of supernatural power, but the magic differs altogether from that of the Shamans, the pricet 1 sorcerers of the Tartar and Mongolian tribes. Vainaponding to the Wayland of Anglo-Saxon and Scandinavian poetry. moinen is, in fact, the ideal of calm majestic wisdom, as comprehended by the greatest spirits of the race. His magic power is exerted in antagonism to moral and physical evil. It is so closely connected with knowledge of the highest truth that when his memory or powers of thought are in a state of confusion he loses altogether the mastery over antagonistic influences (see especially Runes viii. ix.). The evil works of magic are, on the contrary, attributed to the inferior and more superstitious races of the extreme north, the country, as it is called in the Kalewala, of darkness and confusion. We must now consider the exact course of the narrative. In the first Rune, we begin with the birth of Vainamoinen. His mother, a divine being, called a daughter of the air, is one of the living agencies by whom the Creation (itself the work of the Supreme Deity, called Ukko, that is, the ancient one, and Jumala, the exact equivalent of the Elohim of the Hebrews, the absolute personal Deity) was moulded into its actual state. She is described as descending upon the waters, borne along by mighty rushing winds, moulding islands, promontories, &c., and, in fact, acting the part of a subordinate Demiurge. After a period of preternatural duration and pangs of terrific severity, during which she invokes the Supreme Being, she gives birth to Vainamoinen (who is, however, represented as self-acting in this crisis, in a passage that reminds us strangely of the birth of Indra in the Rig-Veda). He enters upon existence in full possession of supernatural powers. After long tossing to and fro upon the waters he is cast upon the earth, as yet a barren, woodless and desolate solitude. In the second Rune, we have a singularly interesting account of the process by which the earth was reclaimed and fitted for the habitation. of man. Points of great interest, for which we cannot now find space, are dwelt upon. One, however, of the highest importance, the invocation of Ukkoor Jumala, the Supreme Being, must not be passed over. "Ukko, thou, O God, who dwellest, To the clouds their course assigning." Then follow special prayers for winds and fructifying showers, prayers which are at once answered by the Deity. One curious point must also be noticed, as it bears upon a crisis in the history of Vainamoinen. In order to prepare the earth for the reception of grains, Vainamoinen, with the assistance of a divine messenger, hews down the trees of the forest which had come into existence. But he leaves one tree standing, a birch, "for a resting-place for the birds," as he says, and as he repeats to an eagle, *This exactly represents the process by which the Finns at present clear and fertilize their soil. A good account is given by M. Léovzon Le Duc-“La Finnlande," vol. ii. p. 124 f. English. I have therefore thought that the readers of this REVIEW may well be disposed to give attention to a somewhat more detailed account of the contents of this remarkable poem, not only from the literary point of view, but on account of its singular interest in reference to the history of religion.. The work, it has been said, consists of fifty Runes. In the first Rune, the poet gives a striking and highly original account of the circumstances under which he wrote, and of the main object which he kept before him. This Preface, so to speak, occupies about a hundred lines. It is of importance, both as indicating the unity of the composition-inasmuch as here, and as will be seen at the close, the poet intimates some of its main features-and as showing the true position and circumstances under which it was composed. He speaks of himself as having learned the songs from his father, who sang them while carving the handle of his hatchet, and from his mother while turning her spindle. It must be remembered, however, that in that country, and at the time when the poem was composed, occupations of this kind were assigned to persons of high rank. In fact the combination of domestic and mechanical work with a considerable amount of mental cultivation and high position, is one of the most striking features of the whole poem. In the next place, the writer marks out very distinctly the contents of the Kalewala, which he calls the "Song of the Race," produced under an irresistible internal impulse. He names at once the great personages of the whole poem, the ancient Vainamoinen, the chief hero; Ilmarinen, his brother, the ideal smith; and the third brother, Lemminkainen, whose character is at once pointed out by the epithet assigned to him, "wielding a sword." Some general notions are needed in order at all to understand the character of the book. All the chief personages belong to the period between the mythology which deals entirely with deities and that which speaks simply of human heroes. They are not indeed Gods, but they are of divine origin, demi-gods; in fact, coming nearer to the deities than Hercules, Theseus, and other Grecian heroes. There are sudden and striking alternations in the description of their acts and feelings. But for the most part, we are brought into the presence of beings who, in the imagination of the earliest Turanian families, occupied a high place in the supernatural region. One distinguishing point is the magic power which is attributed to all these persons, especially to Vainamoinen. He is represented not only as mastering all the evil forces of the universe, and controlling the course of Nature by words of supernatural power, but the magic differs altogether from that of the Shamans, the priests and sorcerers of the Tartar and Mongolian tribes. Vaina*Corresponding to the Wayland of Anglo-Saxon and Scandinavian poetry. moinen is, in fact, the ideal of calm majestic wisdom, as comprehended by the greatest spirits of the race. His magic power is exerted in antagonism to moral and physical evil. It is so closely connected with knowledge of the highest truth that when his memory or powers of thought are in a state of confusion he loses altogether the mastery over antagonistic influences (see especially Runes viii. ix.). The evil works of magic are, on the contrary, attributed to the inferior and more superstitious races of the extreme north, the country, as it is called in the Kalewala, of darkness and confusion. In the His mother, a We must now consider the exact course of the narrative. first Rune, we begin with the birth of Vainamoinen. divine being, called a daughter of the air, is one of the living agencies by whom the Creation (itself the work of the Supreme Deity, called Ukko, that is, the ancient one, and Jumala, the exact equivalent of the Elohim of the Hebrews, the absolute personal Deity) was moulded into its actual state. She is described as descending upon the waters, borne along by mighty rushing winds, moulding islands, promontories, &c., and, in fact, acting the part of a subordinate Demiurge. After a period of preternatural duration and pangs of terrific severity, during which she invokes the Supreme Being, she gives birth to Vainamoinen (who is, however, represented as self-acting in this crisis, in a passage that reminds us strangely of the birth of Indra in the Rig-Veda). He enters upon existence in full possession of supernatural powers. After long tossing to and fro upon the waters he is cast upon the earth, as yet a barren, woodless and desolate solitude. In the second Rune, we have a singularly interesting account of the process by which the earth was reclaimed and fitted for the habitation of man. Points of great interest, for which we cannot now find space, are dwelt upon. One, however, of the highest importance, the invocation of Ukkoor Jumala, the Supreme Being, must not be passed over. "Ukko, thou, O God, who dwellest, To the clouds their course assigning." Then follow special prayers for winds and fructifying showers, prayers which are at once answered by the Deity. One curious point must also be noticed, as it bears upon a crisis in the history of Vainamoinen. In order to prepare the earth for the reception of grains, Vainamoinen, with the assistance of a divine messenger, hews down the trees of the forest which had come into existence. But he leaves one tree standing, a birch, "for a resting-place for the birds," as he says,* and as he repeats to an eagle, This exactly represents the process by which the Finns at present clear and fertilize their soil. A good account is given by M. Léovzon Le Duc-"La Finnlande," vol. ii. p. 124 f. |