JL Runeberg

Transcription

1 Thomas Percy ( ) Reliques of Ancient English Poetry (1765) Johann Go<ried Herder ( ) Volkslieder ( ) James MacPherson () Fragments of Ancient Poetry Collected in the Highlands of Scotland (1760) A doctor, a linguist, a journalist and a scholar of mythology A man of Enlightment, Lutheran faith and Romantic enthusiasm 1822 Turku Academy 1832 dissertation Om Finnarnes magiska Medicin 1833 County doctor in Kainuu 1840 Kanteletar 1842 The Proverbs of the Finnish People 1844 The Riddles of the Finnish People Swedish-Finnish- German dictionary 1847 married Maria Piponius 4 of their 5 children died, 3 foster children 1847 Honorary Doctor JL Runeberg Elias Lönnrot Zacharias Topelius We are no longer Swedes; we cannot become Russians; we must become Finns. 1

2 One man by running rescued the cause for us. (Linden, 1847) Singers Iivana Misukka, Iivana Onoila, Konstantin Kuokka, and kantele Kalevala verses: 50 % modified (orthography, dialects) 33 % loyal to the folk verse 14 % Lönnrot combined lines from 2+ folk verse versions 3 % of verses composed by Lönnrot (segues, introductions) POEMS 1, 2 POEM 50 Birth of the world and Väinämöinen (pre- Christian world view) Birth of King of Karelia and Christian world view (in Kalevala) Impregnation by natural forces (air, water) Impregnation by natural forces (a berry) Creation of a new world Creation of a new world 2

3 There are still other songs, plucked from the wayside, Thus I will sing a really fine lay, Lines 1-102: included to simulate to the reader the transition from everyday reality to the reality of Kalevalastory-telling. Reveals the origins of songs. Some come from the exploits of great heroes such as Väinämöinen, Lemminkäinen, and the Sampo cycle. Others, however, come from somewhere else altogether: broken off from the heather, torn from thickets, dragged from saplings, rubbed off the top of hay, ripped from lanes on honeyed hillocks, on lovely knolls. The cold recited me a lay, the rain kept bringing me songs. The winds brought another song, the waves of the sea drove some to me. Ilmatar the Air Spirit s offering of her body to the bird for a nest; Väinämöinen s gift of the tree to the eagle; The horse magically creating a sauna with its breath. The gift of beer or water to the singer: An exchange between one party and another; specifically between humans and the non-human natural world. intone a beautiful one out of rye bread, barley beer. If no one happens to bring any beer, serves no table beer, I will sing from a leaner mouth, intone on water to gladden this evening of ours. The birds added songs, the treetops magic sayings. A spirit of the air Wise man, magician, singer Made pregnant by wind and waves two primal forces of nature Half nature-spirit, half human Has difficulty giving birth, and it is not until she offers her body to the bird looking to make a nest that she can begin to relieve her labor pains. These labor pains bring about the creation of various forms of land which support life. The various habitats then support human life. Oversees the preparation of the world of Kalevala for human population by planting trees and grains humans are dependent upon the natural world for their survival Cuts down the trees necessary for cropland, but leaves enough also for the needs of non-human animals: All creative power is locked up in the image of pregnancy, birth, and women. Cannot grow food crops until nature rewards his sacrifice with the fire that fertilizes the ground 3

4 One of many charms that appear in Kalevala Contains knowledge of what plants need in order to grow (rich soil, rain). Also reveals the animistic nature of the Kalevala-world view: all aspects of the world have a living spirit The natural world can be interacted with through special rituals Marja: Maria (Mary) Marja (berry) Mother of new hero Similar characteristics to Ilmatar Similar trials during labor Not quite the same Mary as in Christian tradition: she is very much a Finn, and thoroughly connected to the natural world (even through her name) Suvetar Goddess of Spring Similar to Ilmatar, she grew up on a farm Virginal Curiosity lead her away from safety of the home Natural forces impregnate her mysteriously Must seek out a place to deliver her child Once she bears her son, she loses him to the natural world, and must go find him again in the wilderness Takes Väinämöinen s place in Kalevala: the two world views cannot coexist. Though baptised by a priest, he must also go through a baptism in nature (being lost in the wilderness, found in a swamp) Emblematic of how stories from outside the Karelian/Finnish tradition were adopted and adapted to fit the Kalevalaworld 4

5 Väinämöinen Ilmatar Marjatta Lönnrot Karelianism Animism Creation story Sacrifice Myth 5