The Kalevala is the great Finnish epic which like the Iliad & the Odyssey grew out of a rich oral tradition with prehistoric roots During the first millenium of our era speakers of Uralic languages (those outside the Indo-European group) who had settled in the Baltic region of Karelia that straddles the border of eastern Finland & north-west Russia developed an oral poetry that was to last into the nineteenth century This poetry provided the basis of the Kalevala It was assembled in the 1840s by the Finnish scholar Elias Lonnrot who took 'dictation' from the performance of a folk singer in much the same way as our great collections from the past from Homeric poems to medieval songs & epics have probably been set down Published in 1849 it played a central role in the march towards Finnish independence & inspired some of Sibelius's greatest works This new & exciting translation by poet Keith Bosley prize-winning translator of the anthology Finnish Folk Poetry Epic is the first truly to combine liveliness with accuracy in a way which reflects the richness of the original ABOUT THE SERIES For over 100 years Oxford World's Classics has made available the widest range of literature from around the globe Each affordable volume reflects Oxford's commitment to scholarship providing the most accurate text plus a wealth of other valuable features including expert introductions by leading authorities helpful notes to clarify the text up-to-date bibliographies for further study & much more