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This book explores J. R. R. Tolkien's unique and warm relationship to the Kalevala, a poem usually hailed as the Finnish and Karelian national epic, compiled, edited and partly revisioned from older folk poetry by Finnish scholar Elias Lönnrot in the 19th century. J. R. R. Tolkien, an Oxford academic and the greatest author of the 20th-century fantasy, creator of The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings, was fascinated from early on by the Kalevala. Tolkien himself described the Kalevala as "a germ" of his fantasy fiction.
List of contents
Preface
Acknowledgements
1. Introduction
2. From folk tradition to fantasy
On J. R. R. Tolkien
On role models, ancient heroes
The Kalevalas of Lönnrot
The Kalevala Tolkien knew
Tolkien's works
What did Tolkien think of the Kalevala?
The merging of Finnish language and the Kalevala in Tolkien
3. The story of the Kalevala and Tolkien's fantasy world
World creation and world order
Song battles and quests before marriage
The Sampo and the Silmarils
Interludes
The end of the tale
4 The Kalevalaic parts of Tolkien's world
The might of singing, music and words
Nature and the elements
On Väinämöinen
On Louhi
On Ilmarinen
On Kullervo
5. Conclusion
Bibliography
Index
About the author
Jyrki Korpua, PhD, is a researcher of literature at the University of Oulu. His books include
Alussa oli Sana - Raamattu ja kirjallisuus ("The Bible and Literature", 2016, in Finnish),
New Perspectives to Dystopian Fiction (2020, edited with Saija Isomaa & Jouni Teittinen) and
The Mythopoeic Code of Tolkien: A Christian Platonic Reading of the Legendarium (2021). His research interests include theological literary history, utopian and dystopian studies, Tolkien studies and mythopoetic game studies.
Summary
This book explores J. R. R. Tolkien’s unique and warm relationship to the Kalevala, a poem usually hailed as the Finnish and Karelian national epic, combiled, edited and partly revisioned from older folk poetry by Finnish scholar Elias Lönnrot in the 19th century.
Report
"Jyrki Korpua brings new depth to Tolkien's world-building with his delightful introduction to the song-built world of the Kalevala, which both inspired Tolkien's earliest stories and resonates throughout his legendarium from the music of Creation to the songs of Tom Bombadil."
Rachel Fulton Brown, Associate Professor of Medieval History, Fundamentals, and the College, The University of Chicago, USA
