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Ellias LenrotFinnish folklorist, creator of the Karelian-Finnish epic "Kalevala".
Date of Birth: 09.04.1802
Country:  Finland |
Content:
Biography of Elias Lönnrot
Elias Lönnrot, a Finnish folklorist and the creator of the Kalevala, was born on April 9, 1802, in the parish of Sammatti in southwestern Finland. His father, Johan Fredrik Lönnrot, was a tailor. At the age of five, Elias learned how to read, and books became his passion. Despite their poverty, his parents decided to send him to school. In 1822, Lönnrot enrolled in the University of Turku, where he became part of a small circle of teachers and students dedicated to the development of the Finnish language. Lönnrot made sure to stay up to date with the latest publications on folklore. In 1827, the capital of Finland, Turku, was destroyed by fire, and the university did not hold classes in 1827-1828. During this time, Lönnrot worked as a private tutor in Vesilahti. It was during this period that the idea of a trip to Karelia to collect runes took shape.
Lönnrot's Decision
In the summer of 1828, Lönnrot made the decision to travel to Karelia and the province of Savo to record folk poetry. The runes collected in his first trip were published as the Kantele notebooks between 1829 and 1831. This compilation consisted of a poem with 5,000 lines, which later came to be known as the "Original Kalevala." However, in Lönnrot's thoughts, Karelia and Vienna once again occupied his mind. In his fifth expedition in April 1834, he met Archibald Perttunen, who turned out to be the greatest rune singer he encountered. The "Kalevala" was ready in early 1835, and Lönnrot signed the preface on February 28.
Continued Work and Travels
The publication of the "Kalevala" did not cool Lönnrot's passion for collecting. In April and October 1835, he continued his work in the White Sea Karelia. His significant journey in search of runes took place in 1836-1837 when he traveled through Vienna to Lapland and returned from there, continuing his journey from Kainuu to southern Finnish Karelia. In 1835-1836, the "Kalevala" was published in two books with a very modest print run of 500 copies. However, Lönnrot continued working on the poem for another fourteen years. The final version was published in 1849. By this time, the "Kalevala" had gained European recognition and rightfully became part of the world's heritage in the 20th century.
