Kalevala in prose

[koteko]

I'd like to get more into Finnish mythology, but I find it hard to read poems. I loved Neil Gaiman's retelling of the Norse myths, and was wondering if there was something similar for the Kalevala, in English?

Even some good narrative could be interesting, actually. Any suggestions?

[PoisonPen]

Estonian mythology is similar in some ways to Finnish and even uses some of the same names, but is fascinating.  The great hero of Estonian legend is Kalevide (sound familiar?), which means "Son of Kalev."  Like a lot of Scandinavian mythology, the story of Kalvide is quite dark and fatalististic.  He murders a blacksmith for a magic sword, and the dying blacksmith curses the sword to eventually kill Kalevide as a result.  Eventually, after many adventures, Kalevide loses the sword.  While trying to cross a stream, the sword turns up under the water and cuts off his legs, killing him.  The gods punish Kalevide for his treachery by forcing Kalevide's legless spirit to sit on his immortal horse with his hand trapped in a rock cleft, facing the gates of Hell.  There is his cursed to sit for eternity, guarding the gates, unable to leave.

[koteko]

That sounds interesting. Is there a prose version that you would recommend?

[PoisonPen]

Unfortunately, no.  I read it in dead tree edition decades ago.  The fact I remember it so many years later should tell you how unusual the story was, though.

[Tervaskanto]

"The Story of Kullervo" from Tolkien (yes, that Tolkien) might be something you are looking for.
It's retelling of one of the "main" stories of Kalevala of Kullervo, son of Kalervo,

Spoiler: because spoilers • show

who is sold as a slave to the smith-god-hero Ilmarinen after his father was murdered. After much abuse Kullervo kills Ilmarinen's wife by summoning pack of wolves and bears and enchanting them into cows that turn back and tear her apart when she tries to milk them, forcing Kullervo to run away to escape the wrath of Ilmarinen. He later sleeps with his own sister (without knowing it was her), wages war that kills rest of his relatives against his uncle Untamo (who killed his father) and dies by his own magic sword, after asking if it would kill him (it had killed men both better and worse than him so why not, sword answered).
Obvious resemblance to Estonian folklore is obvious.

Tolkien later developed "The Story of Kullervo" into the character of Túrin Turambar in "The Children of Húrin" which is also worth reading.

[koteko]

Wow THANK YOU! Did not expect to Tolkien to have done that. Also interesting about the TCoH, will buy that too

[PoisonPen]

The Story of Kullervo sounds remarkably like Völundarkviða (The Lay of Volund).