SOURCE: "The Kalevala and Finnish Culture," in The Finns in North America: A Social Symposium, edited by Ralph J. Jalkanen, Michigan State University Press, 1969, pp. 46-52.

In the following excerpt, originally published in 1960, Honko discusses the cultural milieu in which the Kalevala was compiled and reviews the course of its subsequent study.

Few works have had so pervasive an effect upon a nation's life as the epic Kalevala. Its influence upon Finnish music, art, and poetry is recent enough to be remembered by everyone; its unique place in Finnish literature is recognized by all.

Two characteristics of the age, romanticism and the awakening of the Finnish national consciousness, prepared the way for an enthusiastic reception of the Kalevala. Admiration for the undefiled "folk," a basic trait of romanticism, led to attempts to preserve folk literature. The publication of folk poetry and literature by Thomas Percy in England and...