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vala. Only it would seem proper to state, that while the incantations and some other portions of the text are certainly very old, some of them no doubt dating from a period prior to the separation of the Finns and Hungarians, yet, as Professor Yrjö Koskinen remarks, "The Kalevala in its present state is without doubt the work of the Karelian tribe of Finns, and probably dates from after their arrival in Northern and North-Western Russia." This will of itself largely justify the making Kalevala synonymous with the present Finland, Pohjola with the present Lapland, Karjala with the present Karjala (Anglice, Karelia) in South-Eastern Finland, etc. But even if this were not so, yet the advantage of such localisation in a book for children is of itself obvious.
As the land and people with which the stories are concerned is so unknown to English children, it has seemed best to have some sort of introduction and framework in which to present them, and therefore "Father Mikko" was chosen as the story-teller.
If this little volume may in any degree awake some interest in the Finnish people its author will be amply satisfied, and its end will have been attained.
R. EIVIND.
April 1893.
[Illustration]
CONTENTS
PAGE FATHER MIKKO 1
THE WORLD'S CREATION AND THE BIRTH OF WAINAMOINEN 8
THE PLANTING OF THE TREES 11
WAINAMOINEN AND YOUKAHAINEN 15
AINO'S FATE 21
WAINAMOINEN'S SEARCH FOR AINO 28
WAINAMOINEN'S UNLUCKY JOURNEY 32
WAINAMOINEN'S RESCUE 36
THE RAINBOW-MAIDEN 41
ILMARINEN FORGES THE SAMPO 50
LEMMINKAINEN AND KYLLIKKI 59
KYLLIKKI'S BROKEN VOW 64
LEMMINKAINEN'S SECOND WOOING 69
LEMMINKAINEN'S DEATH 73
LEMMINKAINEN'S RESTORATION 77
WAINAMOINEN'S BOAT-BUILDING 86
WAINAMOINEN FINDS THE LOST WORDS 93
THE RIVAL SUITORS 99
ILMARINEN'S WOOING 106
THE BREWING OF BEER 111 < previous next >
Finnish Legends for English Children, page 2
by R. Eivind