Golden Age

Based on archeological discoveries, the last flourishing period of The Kalevala Heritage took place during the Merovingian era 550 - 800 A.D. There are clear thematic similarities between the decorations on the artefacts from that time and the content of the myths in the poems. The earliest roots of these myths can even be found in the Stone Age rock paintings in several parts of Finland and Karelia. 

The Iron Age began in Finland areas around 500 B.C. but the cultural transition from Bronze Age to Iron Age extended further to the so-called Early Metal Age period. The ancient Finnish tribes lived in societies free from oppressive hierarchies. In the oral tradition women and men are described as having equal status. Their heroes were the seekers of knowledge and wisdom and the same cosmic laws guided humans, Nature and heavenly bodies alike.

In our KALEVALA TV Series story this cosmic law is called The Ancient Law: ”The Ancient Law directs everything – Only the Wise know its Magic Power”

Cosmos

In ancient times this world and the Otherworld were inseparable, and the “Tuonela river” (“River of the Underworld”) between them was crossed with the help of the sages' spiritual techniques. The presence of bygone generations and the spirits of Nature were a part of everyday experience. The balance between humans and Nature was maintained by seasonal and other rituals.

Symbols

Elements of Nature

In the imaginations of the ancestors all things in Nature – such as plants, minerals, the elements of nature, celestial bodies, forests, hills, swamps, lakes and rivers – had deeper hidden meanings in addition to those in their everyday life. The “alphabets” of this multifaceted symbolic language also included everyday utensils, metals, tools, weapons, means of transportation etc. Here are two examples of the symbols’ use in our KALEVALA TV Series’ story.

The Golden Knife

Kullervo’s inherited Golden Knife is a symbol of higher wisdom. The Finnish verb “grasping” (“käsittää”) is derived from the word “hand” (“käsi”), meaning that an idea is really understood when it is put into practice through the hands. That’s why the origin of the Golden Knife is said to be the heavenly relms. The Golden Knife plays an important role in the story of the TV Series’ 1st Season.

The Mythical Sampo

The mythical "Sampo" in Finnish mythology is a wonderful invention of the Golden Age, which produces well-being and abundance for all out of next to nothing. Building the Sampo requires the best skills and ancestral wisdom. The Sampo's riches are coveted by both the forces of light and darkness. Who will succeed in building it and who will eventually get hold of it?  The Sampo's secrets will unfold during the TV Series’ 2nd Season.

* * *

Below the English excerpts from Douglas Hardy's studies on the texts of Longfellows from 1854 - University of Birmingham

This item is part of a JSTOR Collection.

KALEVALA - past, present and future

The Finnish Literature Society’s Archive has one of the world’s largest collection of folk poems. One of the collectors in the 19th century was Dr. Elias Lönnrot, who wrote the Kalevala Epic (1st edition 1835, 2nd edition 1849). The second edition includes 50 poems and 22 795 verses and has been translated into about 60 languages. Lönnrot’s ideal was to create an epic story like the Homer’s Iliad and Odyssey.

The name “Kalevala”, Dr. Lönnrot picked from one of the in total 100 000 collected poems. This word has later given name to the whole Finnish oral tradition to be The Kalevala Heritage, even though Mr. Lönnrot himself said he could have written seven different Kalevala Epics of the collected poems.

The Kalevala Heritage paved the way, in many ways for the national independence of Finland in 1917, from over 100 years of the Russian empire’s rule. Before that the area of Finland had been under the Swedish kings' rule for more than 500 years. Today’s Finnish language has received much of its grammar and form from the oral tradition. In the end of 19th and beginning of 20th century The Kalevala Heritage inspired many Finnish artists and the cultural elith, among them painter Akseli Gallen-Kallela and composer Jean Sibelius.

The Paris World Fair in 1900

The Paris World Fair in 1900 was visited by 50 million people. Finland got vast recognition with its exclucive Finland Pavilion that had been designed by the leading Finnish architects like Eliel Saarinen and painters like Akseli Gallen-Kallela. The design, frescos and sculptures were based on the Kalevala’s myths.

J. R. R. Tolkien and H. W. Longfellow

19 year old J. R. R. Tolkien found the Kalevala Epic’s English translation in 1911. This changed his life. He drew heavily from the Finnish mythology when writing his best-selling novels such as “The Lord of The Rings”. Also H. W. Longfellow was inspired by the Kalevala in writing The Song of Hiawatha.

(See the picture of a book page on the left side column.)

Millennials and Generation Z

Today, The Kalevala Heritage lives a new renaissance, especially among the young adults “generation Z and millennials”. They are looking for exciting mythical stories and also for hope and examples to learn the ancestors’ ways of a life in harmony with Nature and each other. The Kalevala World™ educational concepts and the KALEVALA – Return of The Golden Age TV Drama Series has a lot to offer them.

BELOW YOU WILL FIND A RECENT BBC PODCAST - “The Kalevala: the Finnish epic that inspired a nation”