The Songs of Power: A Northern Tale of Magic, Retold from the Kalevala

Ancient Fantasy #2

by Aaron Shepard

Not so long ago, in the tiny, isolated villages of Finland, where prolonged summer days gave way to endless winter nights, people would pass the time by singing the many adventures of their favorite heroes: the mighty, magical men and women of ancient days.  They sang of old Vainamoinen, greatest of sages and magicians, who helped create the world but never could find a woman to wed him. They sang of his friend and ally Ilmarinen, first among craftsmen, the blacksmith who forged the dome of the heavens.  They sang of Louhi, the ancient lady of Northland, whose crafty wit and magical powers made her a worthy opponent for Vainamoinen himself. And they sang of Aila, Louhi's lovely daughter, who captured the hopes of the two old friends and drew them as rivals to the shores of Northland.  And while these songs could still be heard, there came along a rural doctor, a scholar, who gathered and wove them together in a book he called the Kalevala. And so he created for Finns a national epic, and for the rest of the world, a work of wonder.  The songs endure, the heroes live. . . . For ages 10 and up. Not illustrated! ///////////////////////////////////////////////// Aaron Shepard is the award-winning author of "The Baker's Dozen," "The Sea King's Daughter," "Lady White Snake," and many more children's books. His stories have appeared often in Cricket magazine, while his Web site is known internationally as a prime resource for folktales, storytelling, and reader's theater. Once a professional storyteller, Aaron specializes in lively retellings of folktales and other traditional literature, which have won him honors from the American Library Association, the New York Public Library, the Bank Street College of Education, the National Council for the Social Studies, and the American Folklore Society. Cover artist Carol Schwartz is the award-winning illustrator of over 45 picture books. ///////////////////////////////////////////////// "Well written and valuable. . . . Shepard's use of free verse allows him more flexibility than the traditional poetic meter. [The text] retains a sense of majestic rhythm and is most effective when read aloud. Supporting information is detailed." -- Donna L. Scanlon, School Library Journal, Apr. 1996 (reviewing an older edition) "Shepard's free verse telling has power and sparkle." -- Glenn Giffin, Denver Post, May 12, 1996 (reviewing an older edition) "The language of Shepard's story, the way [the characters'] magic is performed -- all is bigger than life, as the mythic tale should be. It is a book to read aloud -- to an older child, to an appreciative adult." -- Kate Frankel, Storyline, Winter 1997 (reviewing an older edition) "The [free] verse reads aloud particularly well. -- Notes from the Windowsill, Dec. 15, 1996 (reviewing an older edition) ///////////////////////////////////////////////// SAMPLE Vainamoinen chantedand Joukahainen sank in the marshy ground,up to his waist in the s

Genres: Fantasy, Mythology, Fiction, Classics, Fairy Tales, Young Adult, Folklore

50 pages, Kindle Edition

First published September 1, 2007

About the author

Aaron Shepard is the author of many books, stories, and scripts for young people, as well as professional books and resources for writers and educators. He has also worked professionally in both storytelling and reader's theater, as a performer, director, and teacher trainer. Aaron's lively and meticulous retellings of folktales and other traditional literature have found homes with more than a dozen children's book publishers, large and small, and with the world's top children's literary magazines, winning him honors from the American Library Association, the New York Public Library, the Bank Street College of Education, the National Council for the Social Studies, and the American Folklore Society. His extensive Web site, visited by thousands of teachers and librarians each week, is known internationally as a prime resource for folktales, storytelling, and reader's theater, while his stories and scripts have been featured in textbooks from publishers worldwide, including Scholastic, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, SRA, The College Board, Pearson Education, National Geographic, Oxford University Press, Barron's, Hodder Education, and McGraw-Hill.

Reviews

[Terence · Rating 3 out of 5]

I like Finland, and while I'm happy enough to be descended from Celts on both sides of the family, I could wish to have some Finnish sap running through the family tree.

This is a quickly readable English translation (in free verse) of Vainamoinen's

and Ilmarinen's

wooing of Louhi's

daughter (sorry, no picture of the maid).

Louhi's daughter, Aila, is surprisingly astute - she'll have neither suitor - though whether this is because she's a willful 14-year-old or canny enough to know what it's like to be married to a hero is up to the reader to decide.

Free (or only a penny) on the Kindle, this was more than worth it.

[Cortney Smith · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting

this was an interesting little short story. I actually quite enjoyed it! if you like the real fairy tales you might like this.

[Kevin · Rating 4 out of 5]

I don't really know enough about the Kalevala to offer much judgement about how Aaron Shepard handles this classic Finnish tale. But I did find it to be an engaging and imaginative introduction to this epic story. Shepard lays out the characters and is able to keep some sense of the poetry and magic of the story while not overwhelming younger readers. Short and easy but enjoyable and evocative. A great way to introduce the literature and folktales of other cultures.

[Edwina Book Anaconda · Rating 1 out of 5]

A retelling of an old Finnish fable.
If you like a happily-ever-after ending then avoid this one.
Also, 2 old men chasing after a 14 year old girl just has the *Ewww Factor* going on way too strong for me to be able to enjoy this one.

[Christine · Rating 4 out of 5]

A selection of the Kalevala retold in verse. Lovely.

[Katie · Rating 5 out of 5]

A lovely retelling of a story from the classic Kalevala. It's a nice quick read, but very vividly detailed.

[Hazey · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lovely wee story.

[Sir Strong · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great but cheat n jump to end for terms meanings then read

Great but cheat n jump to end for terms meanings then read, as it helps understand more the prose. I'd also like if this book was an Audible version to actually hear the prose by the author so wr get the same feeling the author meant. However I recommend and have returned to this a few times.

[Virginia · Rating 4 out of 5]

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

[Addison · Rating 4 out of 5]

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ - Highly recommend!

[Anusha Narasimhan · Rating 3 out of 5]

A light short story that gives an introduction to the Finnish classic, Kalevala. The pronunciation guide was helpful. The ending was different. I did not see that coming.