Zusammenfassung
Zusammenfassung von Kalevala: Das finnische Epos – vollständig
Go deeper: the whole of Kalevala: Das finnische Epos – vollständig
About 9 h 30 min to read.Für wen es gedacht ist
You will enjoy this if you love myth, magic and heroes, songs you can hear aloud, and the story of how a people keeps its oldest tales alive.
Worum es in diesem Buch geht
What happens when a lonely sky maiden sinks into the sea and a duck lays eggs on her knee? A world is born, and a singer with it. The Kalevala is the Finnish national epic, gathered from folk songs by Elias Lönnrot. It follows the old singer Wainamoinen, the smith Ilmarinen and the reckless Lemminkainen as they court, quarrel and fight over a magic mill called the Sampo. You begin with the making of the earth.
In dieser Zusammenfassung
- 1A maiden, a duck and the making of the worldFree
- 2Wainamoinen sows the land and wins a singing duel
- 3Aino's choice and the old singer's loss
- 4The Sampo is forged for the northern mistress
- 5Songs of the boat, the swallowed singer and the rival suitors
- 6The wedding, the bride's farewell and Kullervo's dark tale
- 7Magic, work and the voices of nature
- 8What the Kalevala is about and how it is told
Punkt 1 von 8
A maiden, a duck and the making of the world
The poem opens before the world exists. Ilmatar, the daughter of the air, grows weary of her loneliness and sinks into the ocean, where she wanders for seven hundred years after the storm winds fall asleep.
A duck searches the waves for a nesting place and mistakes the maiden's raised knee for a grassy hillock. She lays six golden eggs and one of iron. The heat burns the maiden, who shakes the nest into the sea, and the broken eggs become the sky, the sun, the moon, the stars and the clouds.
Only one thing is missing, the singer Wainamoinen, who waits unborn inside her for thirty years. In the end he breaks free and climbs onto the bare shore. The story of the land begins with a birth and a song, and that is the idea the rest of the poem keeps returning to.
That’s 1 of 8 key points.
The rest of the summary, written and spoken, and the whole book: free to start.
- Nothing to pay today · Renews every year
- We email you before you pay
- Cancel online in two clicks
Go deeper: the whole of Kalevala: Das finnische Epos – vollständig
About 9 h 30 min to read.Who’s who
- Väinämöinen
- The ancient singer and sage is Ilmatar's son, Ilmarinen's companion, and Joukahainen's rival in a contest of song.
- Ilmarinen
- The master smith is Väinämöinen's companion and hopes to win Louhi's daughter by forging the wondrous Sampo.
- Lemminkäinen
- A handsome young adventurer, he loves feasts and fights while his mother warns him against rushing into danger.
- Louhi
- The shrewd mistress of Pohjola bargains with the visiting heroes and wants the Sampo for her own people.
- Ilmatar
- The maiden of the air is Väinämöinen's mother and helps shape the world while floating upon the sea.
- Joukahainen
- A proud young challenger, he sets himself against the ancient Väinämöinen in a contest of knowledge and song.
- Kullervo
- A strong, angry young man shaped by hardship, he contrasts with the poem's wise singer and patient smith.
About this edition
Every format is free to start, and print and large print are at cost.
- LengthAbout 143,000 words
- Reading timeAbout 9 h 30 min
- FormatseBook, large-print eBook, audiobook, 15-minute summary
- LanguagesEnglish and 11 other languages
Questions about Kalevala: Das finnische Epos – vollständig
What is the Kalevala about?
It follows heroes of the land of Kalevala, chiefly Wainamoinen, Ilmarinen and Lemminkainen. It tells of the creation of the world, the courtship of a northern maiden and the fight with Louhi over the magic Sampo.
What is the Sampo in the Kalevala?
The Sampo is a magic mill forged by Ilmarinen at Louhi's request. It grinds out flour, salt and money, and brings prosperity to whoever holds it.
How does the Kalevala introduce its songs?
The opening singer remembers songs learned in childhood from his parents. He also hears lessons in birds, wind and water, and wants to pass this wisdom to younger listeners.
Is the Kalevala easy to read?
Its short, repeated lines read like songs, and the story moves quickly from adventure to adventure. Reading aloud brings out the rhythm, and each rune stands well on its own.
Who is Wainamoinen?
Wainamoinen is the old singer and wise enchanter at the center of the epic. Born of the sea maiden Ilmatar, he helps the land flourish and works magic through songs.