Tolkien and the Kalevala
1st Edition
Published on 19. August 2024
Book
Hardback
108 pages
978-1-032-85227-0 (ISBN)
Description
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 Loennrot 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.
Reviews / Votes
"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
More details
Series
Language
English
Place of publication
London
United Kingdom
Publishing group
Taylor & Francis Ltd
Target group
College/higher education
Postgraduate
Dimensions
Height: 222 mm
Width: 145 mm
Thickness: 10 mm
Weight
295 gr
ISBN-13
978-1-032-85227-0 (9781032852270)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Other editions
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Jyrki Korpua
Tolkien and the Kalevala
Book
01/2026
1st Edition
Routledge
€33.30
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Jyrki Korpua
Tolkien and the Kalevala
E-Book
08/2024
1st Edition
Routledge
€31.49
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Jyrki Korpua
Tolkien and the Kalevala
E-Book
08/2024
1st Edition
Routledge
€31.49
Available for download
Person
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.
Content
Preface
Acknowledgements
1. Introduction
2. From folk tradition to fantasy
On J. R. R. Tolkien
On role models, ancient heroes
The Kalevalas of Loennrot
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 Vaeinaemoeinen
On Louhi
On Ilmarinen
On Kullervo
5. Conclusion
Bibliography
Index
Acknowledgements
1. Introduction
2. From folk tradition to fantasy
On J. R. R. Tolkien
On role models, ancient heroes
The Kalevalas of Loennrot
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 Vaeinaemoeinen
On Louhi
On Ilmarinen
On Kullervo
5. Conclusion
Bibliography
Index