The Magic Storysinger: A Tale from the Finnish Epic Kalevala

by M.E.A. McNeil

The marvelous, fast and furious adventures of the great mythic hero Vaino (Vainamoinen) are delightfully retold here. From his mysterious birth as the old-man son of the air maiden to his wooing of the daughter of Louhi the witch, great feats are accomplished and great feuds settled by means of magic songs and spells. Humor, adventure and magic abound in this classic tale with a lyrical simplicity that casts its own spell.

Genres: Childrens

112 pages, Hardcover

First published October 1, 1993

Reviews

[Ruut DeMeo · Rating 4 out of 5]

"The Magic Storysinger", an Aesop Accolade recipient, is a collection of stories extracted and retold from Finland's epic folktale "Kalevala". Though illustrated and very much simplified, it is not appropriate for children under the age of 9, because of its gory descriptions and images. It follows the mythic god-like creatures, Vainamoinen, Joukahainen and Ilmarinen from Kaleva, and the Northern sorceress, Louhi from Pohjola, as they cast spells and fight battles over love and possessions among each other. The original stories have been paraphrased to entertain young readers, but the author still succeeded in capturing the essence of each mythic character. The original Finnish epic poem contains the story of the beginning of the world, and it is also explained shortly in this book.

Despite some misspellings and continuity errors, the stories are captivating, the characters believable and the setting reminiscent of other ancient tales from Nordic countries, such as in Norse mythology. By the end of the book, the reader will probably want Vainamoinen, (whose magic power is not to destroy but to tell stories through song), to get what he wants: a family of his own. This, of course, is an altered ending from the actual epic, as McNeil took liberties to make it more accessible for young readers.

If students are learning about ancient European and Scandinavian cultures, this is a great introduction to Finland's national epic poetry. As with most folklore, the elements are similar to ancient tales from other lands: fighting for love and homeland drive forward the hero in his quest, and the battle between life and death is a central theme. Comparing this to other such retellings, McNeil's is as captivating as many retellings that have been published in the 20th century. Being one of the very few that are based on the Kalevala, however, it could use a reprinting with corrected mistakes and additional tales.

[Jaide · Rating 2 out of 5]

Good, but with some creative liberties.

For an introduction to the Kalevala I would rather recommend “The Sampo: Hero Adventures From the Finnish Kalevala” by James Baldwin and “The Kalevala: Tales of Magic and Adventure” by Kirsti Mäkinen.