The Project Gutenberg eBook, Kalevala, Volume I (of 2), by Anonymous,
Translated by W. F. Kirby

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Title: Kalevala, Volume I (of 2)
The Land of the Heroes

Author: Anonymous

Release Date: July 2, 2008 [eBook #25953]

Language: english

Character set encoding: ISO-646-US (US-ASCII)

***START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK KALEVALA, VOLUME I (OF 2)***

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Everyman's Library
Edited by Ernest Rhys

Romance

KALEVALA

Translated from the Finnish by

W. F. KIRBY, F.L.S., F.E.S.

In 2 Vols. Vol. 1

KALEVALA

The Land of the Heroes

VOLUME ONE

London: J. M. Dent & Sons Ltd.
New York: E. P. Dutton & Co. Inc.

All rights reserved
Made in Great Britain
at The Temple Press Letchworth
and decorated by Eric Ravilious
for
J. M. Dent & Sons Ltd.
Aldine House Bedford St. London
First Published in this Edition 1907
Reprinted 1914, 1923, 1936

INTRODUCTION

The _Kalevala_, or the Land of Heroes, as the word may be freely
rendered, is the national epic of Finland, and as that country and its
literature are still comparatively little known to English readers, some
preliminary explanations are here necessary.

On reference to a map of Europe, it will be seen that the north-western
portion of the Russian Empire forms almost a peninsula, surrounded,
except on the Norwegian and Swedish frontiers, by two great arms of the
Baltic Sea, the Gulf of Bothnia and the Gulf of Finland; the two great
lakes, Ladoga and Onega; the White Sea, and the Arctic Ocean. In the
north of this peninsula is Lapland, and in the south, Finland.

The modern history of Finland begins with the year 1157, when the
country was conquered from the original inhabitants by the Swedes, and
Christianity was introduced. Later on, the Finns became Lutherans, and
are a pious, industrious, and law-abiding people, the upper classes
being highly educated.

During the wars between Sweden and Russ