The Kalevala. Volume I

by John Martin Crawford

A deeper and more esoteric meaning of the Kalevala, however, points to a contest between Light and Darkness, Good and Evil; the Finns representing the Light and the Good, and the Lapps, the Darkness and the Evil. Like the Niebelungs, the heroes of the Finns woo for brides the beauteous maidens of the North; and the similarity is rendered still more striking by their frequent inroads into the country of the Lapps, in order to possess themselves of the envied treasure of Lapland, the mysterious Sampo, evidently the Golden Fleece of the Argonautic expedition. Curiously enough public opinion is often expressed in the runes, in the words of an infant; often too the unexpected is introduced after the manner of the Greek dramas, by a young child, or an old man.

388 pages, Paperback

First published June 29, 2014

Reviews

[Shawn]

Wow! Amazing mythology.

[Jim]

If you're into epics and sagas this one is quite readable. Try to find a print copy. The one I read had been scanned and uploaded to Bartleby. I had to guess at far too many words.