Kalevala (Cyclopedia of Literary Characters)
At a glance:
- Author: Elias Lonnrot
- First Published: 1835
- Type of Work: Poetry
- Type of Plot: Saga
- Time of Work: Mythological antiquity
- Setting: Finland and Lapland
- Genres: Poetry, Epic, Narrative poetry
- Subjects: Folkloric or magical people, Magic or magicians, Mythology or myths, Legends, Folklore, Witches or witchcraft, Heroes or heroism, Scandinavia or Scandinavians, Fables
- Locales: Finland, Lapland
Characters Discussed
Kaleva, the ancestor of all heroes. Although he never appears in the poem, he is one of the unifying principles of this saga, which is put together from the Finnish folk tales of many generations.
Väinämöinen, the singer- hero, who is the Son of the Wind and the Virgin of the Air. Seeking a daughter of Louhi, the witch, for his wife, Väinämöinen is required to furnish the mother with a magic Sampo that grinds out riches. He provides the Sampo, but the daughter chooses another man for a husband. A large part of Väinämöinen’s story is then...
[The entire page is 664 words long]
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