The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1881-02-22
KALEVALA.
The Mythology of the Finnic Race.

Last evening Selma Borg delivered the last
lecture in her course at Y. M. c. A. Hall, on
''The Mythology of the Finnic Race to a
highly delighted and cultivated audience.
The Kalevala was first given to the world as
aconnected whole in 1S49, and at the memora-
BILE celebration held by the Finnish Literary
Society in honor of the publication the Presi-
dent said "This treasure of ancient Finnish
rune-songs is so valuable that not only has our
own nationallliterature been thereby greatly l.
riched but the publication of Kalevala must be
considered matter of universal Interest He
continued by saying that the nation could
justly be proud of its birthplace, and claim,
with other nations, that Finland also had
history. Max Miller in an article published
in London inllS54 said Transmitted by verbal
tradition these poems still live among the hum
blest of the people and have every feature of a
perfect Cosmos, and very ancient form of po-
etical structure" He then goes on to say that
national ambition has caused the Firms to
collect from the lips of aged persons an epic
poem in breadth and completeness equal to
the Iliad. To be sure Firms is not Greek
and Wainemoinen was not Homer, but If
the poet is to take his colors from the nature
about him Kalevala claims its place as the
fifth Epic poem side-by-sde with the Ionian
sons, the Mahabarata, the Schanameh and the
Niebeungen.
The origin of many of these rune-songs is
buried in antiquity. Castren trayersed Siberia
to discover traces of the old songs relating to
the Finnic race Their meaning has puzzled
the learned, and it is this meaning, as repre-
ra1iuiouc nd Jao1o
dicating the mental and moral condition of the
people, that gives the runes their exact value.
Of course in their verbal transmission for CEN
turtles from generation to generation, with the
constant changes from infusion of new ideas in
the telling, it becomes all the more difficult to
draw correct conclusions At all events we
have in the Kalevala connected cycle or
cycles of heroic songs and bearing an originate
ty which gives them value new land unique
in literature 1t was not until the last CEN
fury that Percy in England, MCPHERSON in
Scotland, Goethe and Herder in Germany and
Portan in Finland collected the runes of their
respective peoples. In 1920 Prof. R. Won
Becher, at Abo, suggested connected Ma
tional Epic might be discovered among the
peasant songs about Wainemoinen and other
mythical personages. DIR. u. Topelius under
took the work but it remained for Elias Lonn-
rot, the distinguished patriot, to complete it
and give it to the world. Topeius took the
songs from the travelling Ministries that came
to his vicinity, and L0nnrot visited Archangel
where he collected runes pure and unpolluted
with modern imaginings.
The name Kalevala is from Kava, mighty,
and signifies the "Home of the Mighty or
land of the Finnish demigods, whence they
continually made war upon their enemies the
people OF Pohjola, the land of darkness and
witchcraft ruled over by the powerful Louhi,
a woman whose beautiful daughter is the prize
which the three brother heroes of Kalevala are
continually striving to obtain. AS stated in
the previous lecture the first rune describes
the creation and tells the story of Imatar, the
daughter of the air. Another majestic rune con-
tains the story and describes how Wainemoinen
creates kantele, the national instrumental
kind of zither-and charms the whole world
with its magical tones. Throughout he repre-
sents all that the people conceived of wisdom,
grandeur and power. Ilmarinen is the brother
of Wainemoinen, his inspired and faithful
helper typical of the material forces that wait on
the mind and soul. Louhi is promised to Waine-
moinen if he will forge for her the mythical
instrument Sampo which will bring all kinds of
prosperity and happiness. Ilmarinen FORCES
this instrument and is rewarded with Louhi's
hand. Louhi is malicious and works evil
against the heroes of Kaevala but, in her
maternal aspect, she presents lovely picture
of motherly solicitude and goodness, and
restores to life her hero son by means of witch
craft. 1t was this generation of the superna-
tural in which the people of Finland clothed
their primitive conceptions of every kind, and
that mythical form of thought and awe of the
supernatural still exists in the Christian nations
of to-day. Lemminkainen, third of the Kale-
vala race, represents the bold warrior and adj
venturer, typifying heroism. Lemminkainen,
third brother, possesses neither Wainemoinen's
wisdom, or Ilmarinen's skill. 1t will thus be
seen that the first brother represents the
spiritual nature of mankind, the second the
material forces, the third, the warrior and man
of passions. Wainemoinen is invested almost
with the attributes of Deity, and governs by
means of harmony rather than physical force
new and unique convention as coming from
a primitive people. The third rune is
tribute to the true dignity of old age Thence
the lecturer goes on to describe the Kalevala
as picture of national manners and customs
with most beautiful illustrations The idea of
personal evil power does not seem
to have existed among this people. Hisi was
the exponent of i'll luck aud of Ia forest
monster who represented natures dark side.
Satan's name was not introduced until the
18th century, when the Firms were conquered
and baptized. The lecture then continues
with the history of the underground deities of
the genii, the forest deities, and the relation
they held to the religious conception of the
people. In fact, all the runes are steady
progression towards Christianity. transition
that is perfectly pictured in the last rune, en-
bracing the entire story of Herod, the Virgin
and the Christ Child, as the Firms gathered it
from their Latin teachers. The Christ Child
is brought before Wainemoipen, who baptizes
the youth as spiritual king of Finland, calls
ship and sails away into the unknown never
to return to his people till all joy shall have
departed, and leaving them the Kantele as a
remembrance and consolation. Thus pagan
ism departs but Christianity remains.
OF course the above description is necessari-
ly fragmentary and imperfect, and is stripped
of all the charming imagery with which Miss
Borg surrounds.
Wednesday evening Miss Borg will give a
lecture illustrative of trip across the Baltic,
and description of Finland with its cities
and towns, their cathedrals and places of his
toric interest. Abo, the birthplace of Frede-
rika Bremen Helsingfors, the new capital OF
Finland, Wiborg, with the magnificent Imatra
Falls, lake scenery, peasant costumes, and
many varied views of the people in their rural
life. Also large number of views of Stock
holm and its surroundings. Black, of Boston,
will bring down his stereopticon and the lee
ture will be given in Reception Hall.