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The national folk epic of Finland is here presented in an English translation that is both scholarly and eminently readable. The lyrical passages and poetic images, the wry humor, the tall-tale extravagance, and the homely realism of the 'Kaevala' come through with extraordinary effectiveness.
1. Lönnrot's prologue; the creation of the world and the birth of Väinämöinen
2. Väinämöinen's sowing of the primeval wilderness; a sower's charm
3. Väinämöinen's defeat of Joukahainen in a contest of wisdom; the pledging of Aino; maxims
4. Väinämöinen's ill-fated wooing of Aino; Aino's drowning
5. Väinämöinen's unsuccessful fishing for Aino; his mother's advice to woo the maiden of North Farm
6. Joukahainen fells Väinämöinen's horse
7. Väinämöinen and Louhi of North Farm; his promise of a Sampo
8. Väinämöinen and the maiden of North Farm; his wounded knee
9. The origin of iron; blood-stanching charms; the healing of Väinämöinen 's knee
10. Ilmarinen forges the Sampo
11. The marriage of Lemminkäinen and Kyllikki of the Island
12. Lemminkäinen bewitches North Farm; protective charms
13. Lemminkäinen woos the maiden of North Farm; he fails to catch the Demon's elk, assigned as a qualifying task
14. Huntsmen's charms; a ransom charm; Lemminkäinen captures the Demon's elk and bridles the Demon's gelding; while going to shoot the swan of Death's Domain he is shot dead by Soppy Hat
15. At home blood on his brush reveals Lemminkäinen 's death; his mother finds and reassembles the pieces of his body and restores him to life; vein, bee, and cowbane charms
16. Väinämöinen's boat-building and his visit to Death's Domain
17. Väinämöinen exacts charms from tortured Antero Vipunen; banishment charms and charms against disease and misadventure
18. Väinämöinen and Ilmarinen sue for the maiden of North Farm
19. The maiden of North Farm accepts Ilmarinen; IImarinen's three qualifying tasks; a snake charm, a huntsman's charm
20. The slaughtering of the big Karelian steer; preparations for the wedding feast at North Farm; the origin of beer
21. The wedding feast at North Farm; wedding lays
22. Wedding lay: Tormenting and consoling a bride
23. Wedding lays: The government of a bride; The lay of an abused daughter-in-law
24. Wedding lays: The government of a groom; Lay of a bride's going away; Ilmarinen and the maiden of North Farm set out for home
25. At home Ilmarinen and his bride are ceremoniously received
26. Lemminkäinen intrudes upon the wedding at North Farm; snake charms; the origin of snakes
27. The duel at North Farm
28. Lemminkäinen's hasty return from North Farm
29. Lemminkäinen's self-exile on an island
30. Lemminkäinen's and Snowfoot's wild goose chase and the big freeze; charms against Jack Frost and wizards
31. The feud between Untamo and Kalervo; Kullervo's unfortunate upbringing; an antifertility charm
32. Kullervo as a herdsman; cattle, milk, and bear charms
33. The death of Ilmarinen's lady
34. Kullervo's homecoming
3. The unhappy meeting of Kullervo and his sister
36. Kullervo's revenge on Untamo; his suicide
37. Ilmarinen's gold and silver bride
38. Ilmarinen's new bride from North Farm; a report on the Sampo
39. The expedition of Väinämöinen, Ilmarinen, and Lemminkäinen to North Farm to steal the Sampo
40. Väinämöinen's pikebone harp; rapids charms
41. Väinämöinen plays the pikebone harp
42. The theft of the Sampo from North Farm
43. The sea and air battle for the Sampo; the lucky preservation in the Kaleva District of some fragments of the Sampo; a soldier's protective charm
44. Väinämöinen 's new birchwood harp
45. Magically induced diseases in the Kaleva District; the origin of pestilences; charms against pain
46. The slaying of the bear at North Farm and the great feast in the Kaleva District; a bear-hunter's charm; the origin of bears
47. The mistress of North Farm steals the sun and the moon; the disappearance of Ukko's fire
48. The difficult recovery of Ukko's fire; a fisherman's charm; a charm against burns
49. Ilmarinen's silver sun and golden moon; Väinämöinen's duel at North Farm; the mistress of North Farm releases the true sun and moon; divining charms
50. The virgin Marjatta's immaculate conception; her son is designated King of Karelia; Väinämöinen 's discomfiture and flight; Lönnrot's epilogue
Appendices
I. Materials For The Study of The Kalevala
A. "Elias Lönnrot," by Aarne A. Anttila
B. "The Kalevala," by Vaino W. Salminen and Viljo Tarkiainen
C. Concordances: Old and New Kalevala
D. Lönnrot 's Prefaces to the Kalevala
E. Henrik Gabriel Porthan on Ceremonial Peasant Singing
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