The Kalevala is Finland’s national epic, compiled from traditional Karelian and Finnish poetry.
Elias Lönnrot assembled the work from oral poems he collected during journeys through Finland and Karelia. The first edition appeared in 1835, while the expanded version commonly read today was published in 1849. Its central figures include the wise singer Väinämöinen, the smith Ilmarinen, and the reckless hero Lemminkäinen.
The Kalevala helped strengthen Finnish cultural identity during a period when Finland was an autonomous grand duchy of the Russian Empire. It also influenced Finnish art, music, and literature, including works by composer Jean Sibelius. The epic is not a single ancient manuscript written by one author; it is a literary compilation based on older oral traditions.