Release date is 2025-04-24

Jari Koivisto

"Nuorten Kalevala" by Pekka Ollilainen is a retelling or adaptation of the national Finnish epic, presented as a literary collection for younger readers and written in the early 20th century. The book narrates the traditional stories of the Kalevala, spotlighting legendary figures such as Väinämöinen, Ilmarinen, Lemminkäinen, and Kullervo. The content is likely focused on the major mythological tales from Finnish folklore, told in a way that is accessible and engaging for youth or educational purposes. The opening of the work introduces Väinämöinen, portraying him as a wise, ancient hero involved in the genesis of growth and nature, including the magical origins of plants and trees. The narrative quickly moves from Väinämöinen’s mythical birth to a poetic duel with the prideful Joukahainen, which results in dramatic consequences for both characters and sets the stage for the tragic story of Aino, Joukahainen’s sister. The summaries are concise, telling the arcs of central characters in flowing, direct language, and covering a number of traditional folkloric episodes—including contests of wisdom, heroic quests, and themes of fate, loss, and perseverance—as they unfold in a sequence aligned with the original kaleidoscope of the Kalevala epic. (This is an automatically generated summary.)

Originally published: Helsinki: Kansanopettajain Osakeyhtiö Valistus, 1915