The Kalevala inspires interpretations
The appearance of the Kalevala caused a Kalevala boom in various art fields. The most notable Kalevala enthusiasm was dated to the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries. The period is called Karelianism, when the Kalevala motif became prominent in various arts. The enthusiasm for Karelia as the birthplace of the Kalevala also led many travelers to wander in Lönnrot's footsteps.
The central artist of Karelianism was Akseli Gallen-Kallela. Gallen-Kallela also took a trip to Vienna's Karelia in 1890, after which Karelia across the border began to attract artists on a pilgrimage to Lönnrot's poetry springs. Gallen-Kallela's influence can be seen in the Kalevala-themed artworks of many later visual artists.
One of those who deeply admired the Kalevala and Karelia was the photographer and explorer IK Inha. He made a trip to Viena Karelia across the border in 1894, photographing the local population. You can view Inha's photos in the archives of the Finnish Literature Society or in the book IK Inha: Kalevala laulumaitta (1911/1999).
The Kalevala enthusiasm was also visible in literature. Immediately after the publication of the New Kalevala in 1849, Fredrik Cygnaeus wrote the work Kalevala tragillinen aines (Det tragiska elementet i Kalevala) 1852−1853, inspired by the story of Kullervo in the Kalevala. Zachris Topelius wrote the play The Princess of Cyprus (Prinsessan af Cypern) in 1860 and Aleksis Kivi won the SKS writing competition with the play Kullervo (published in 1864).
Later, for example, Juhani Aho, Eino Leino and Aino Kallas dealt with themes based on the Kalevala and folk poems in their works. Among contemporary authors, for example Johanna Sinisalo, Juha Ruusuvuori, Johanna Venho and Mikko Karppi have written works based on the Kalevala and folk poetry. The comics made from the Kalevala form a long continuum that inspires readers and the media. One of the newest interpretations is Sami Makkonen's comic novel Kalevala, published in 2019.
For many readers today, the most familiar version of the Kalevala is probably Mauri Kunnas' Kalevala of Dogs (1992/2006) or Don Rosa's Aku Ankka cartoon Sammon's secret (1999).
Artists, such as writers, visual artists, theater makers, create their own adaptations of the epic again and again, usually with the desire to clarify and clarify what Lönnrot failed to do; what the Kalevala actually is and what it speaks to us. The Kalevala is thus not one work or only Lönnrot's interpretation of folk poems, but many epic versions, numerous interpretations and artistic adaptations.
Kalevala and the Bible
During the time of Lönnrot and the Kalevala, Christianity had a significant impact on society. According to the purest Christians, folk poetry, its collection or publication did not belong to a good Christian life, because the poems originated from pagan times. Lönnrot was also criticized for working with songs and stories that were perceived as pagan.
Lönnrot responded to the criticism in his own dryly humorous way, writing that if only Christianity is accepted, and no other forms of culture, it is better to forbid even birds from singing - after all, they do not chirp in praise of God, but more often go on song trips looking for a mating partner.
Although Lönnrot was a Christian, he removed the Christian elements of folk poetry from the Kalevala. Namely, he wanted the Kalevala to give an authentic image of the pre-Christian era in Finland. The centuries-long influence of Christian culture was strongly visible in poetry. Many people and events from the Bible had been adopted into folk poems, but Lönnrot thought they were later additions and tried to restore the poems closer to their original form.
At the end of the Kalevala, however, he placed a story about how Christianity arrived in the north. The last poem is a version of the Bible's story about the birth of Jesus. In the Kalevala Marjatta becomes pregnant as a virgin after eating a lingonberry. Väinämöinen would like to kill a fatherless child. However, the child starts talking, accusing Väinämö of worse crimes than fatherlessness. The new, more human Christian moral code prevails, Väinämöinen leaves the material world and the child is crowned king.
Esotericism and the Kalevala
At the beginning of the 20th century, the Kalevala also aroused interest in theosophical and anthroposophical movements emphasizing secret teachings and spiritual growth. According to them, an esoteric doctrine could be found in the Kaleva, which was consistent with their own worldview: the modern world has covered up the true spiritual knowledge of the early times, but the characters of the Kalevala still convey it to the people of today. To the chagrin of practitioners of the occult, their theories did not resonate with the general public or the scientific community.