Synopsis
The Finnish language belongs to a non-Indo-European group of languages whose origins have been traced to a region just west of the Urals. During the first milennium of our era, Uralic-speakers in the Baltic region developed the oral poetry which is the basis of the Kalevala, the epic poem of Finland which was assembled only 150 years ago as a portrait of an ancient people in war and peace. This poem, which has often been compared with the epics of Homer, played a central role in the process towards Finnish independence and inspired the classical composer Sibelius. This version of the Kalevela has been translated by Keith Bosley, who has been awarded the first Finnish State Prize for Translators for his work on the anthology "Finnish Folk Poetry".
Review
The original sense Ýof the Kalevala¨ breaks through in a refreshing new way...The philologist and folklorist will welcome the new precision of thought and expression. For English students of Kalevala...this is an indispensable book...Dr. Magoun's re-appraisal of this museum piece from Finland brushes off some of the dust and helps us to see anew something of its originality and distinction. -- W. R. Mead "Folklore"
What distinguishes this work from other Kalevala translations is the fact that Professor Magoun presents a prose translation of the national folk epic of Finland, a translation which is accurate and scholarly in every detail...The translator makes his translation agree line for line with the original; the result is that this translation makes readily apparent the parallelisms, the poetic images, and the wry humor as well as the homely realism of the Finnish original.
language..."The Kalevala" is a monumental work.
significant to students of European folklore...Both Professor Magoun and the Harvard University Press have placed many generations of folklorists in their debt.
indispensable book...Dr. Magoun's re-appraisal of this museum piece from Finland brushes off some of the dust and helps us to see anew something of its originality and distinction.
Louhi, and old woman who can change into an avenging dragon...This...version, expertly...translated by Francis Magoun and recently issued by Harvard University Press, is probably the best translation readily available in English today.
Into the shifting of tone from lyrically tragic poems to those about warfare, from wedding lays to sheer horseplay, Magoun has infused the unmistakable speech rhythm and diction of our own language..."The Kalevala" is a monumental work. -- John Godfrey "Christian Science Monitor"
This authoritative new translation of the Kalevala, together with the materials the volume contains relating the poetic style of the Finnish songs to the style of other orally composed poetry, is especially significant to students of European folklore...Both Professor Magoun and the Harvard University Press have placed many generations of folklorists in their debt. -- Robert Kellogg "Journal of American Folklore"
The original sense [of the Kalevala] breaks through in a refreshing new way...The philologist and folklorist will welcome the new precision of thought and expression. For English students of Kalevala...this is an indispensable book...Dr. Magoun's re-appraisal of this museum piece from Finland brushes off some of the dust and helps us to see anew something of its originality and distinction. -- W. R. Mead "Folklore"
Thanks to a...clear, accurate version by Francis Magoun, "Kalevala" is accessible to interested readers everywhere...The kaleidoscopic "Kalevala" opens with the creation of the world and the birth of the ancient hero, Vainamoinen, a being of supernatural origins. The work then turns to the relations between two communities: "Kalevala" ("Land of the Kaleva"--the poetic name for Finland), led by Vainamoinen, and "Pohjola" ("Land of the North"), ruled by Louhi, and old woman who can change into an avenging dragon...This...version, expertly...translated by Francis Magoun and recently issued by Harvard University Press, is probably the best translation readily available in English today. -- Donald V. Mehus and Thomas J. Martin "Western Viking" (04/13/2001)
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