The Kalevala is the national epic of Finland, compiled by the physician and philologist Elias Lonnrot from oral poetry collected from singers in Finland and the Russian region of Karelia. He traveled through the countryside in the 1820s and 1830s writing down runes, and arranged them into a continuous narrative. The first version appeared in 1835, and an expanded edition followed in 1849. Its stories revolve around the sage and singer Vainamoinen, the smith Ilmarinen and the magical Sampo, which brings prosperity, and the rivalry between the people of Kalevala and of the northern land Pohjola. The work helped build Finnish national identity during Russian rule, inspired artists like Jean Sibelius and influenced J. R. R. Tolkien.
Before and after
- 1834Construction of Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv
- 27 January 1834Birth of Dmitri Mendeleev
- 16 February 1834Birth of Ernst Haeckel
- 19 July 1834Birth of Edgar Degas
- 1835Publication of Kalevala
- 1835Coriolis force
- 2 June 1835Birth of Pius X
- 27 July 1835Birth of Giosuè Carducci
- 30 August 1835Founding of Melbourne
More in Art, literature & culture
- 1792Publication of Dream of the Red Chamber
- 5 May 1821Founding of The Guardian
- 7 April 1837Publication of The Little Mermaid
- 21 February 1848Publication of The Communist Manifesto
- 18 September 1851Founding of The New York Times
- c. 1860sImpressionism
The era
This moment belongs to the Industrial era (1760 CE to 1914 CE), steam, factories and revolutions. You can also browse everything in the 19th century.