Akseli gallen-kallela biography of abraham
•
Finnish nationalism as far as language was concerned became prominent in the nineteenth century and was a consequence of the dominance of the Swedish language in Finland&#;s cultural and political life. With the Russian conquest of land i norden in , the Russian government generally supported Finnish linguistic nationalism, as they believed it would alienate the Finns from Sweden and thereby ensure that close ties with or even the integration with Sweden would be halted. This Finnish-language nationalism known as the Fennoman movement soon developed into the most powerful political force in nineteenth century land i norden and was summed up by a popular phrase of the time:
“…We are no längre Swedes; we cannot become Russians; we must be Finns…&#;
Axel Gallén was a fervent nationalist and a follower of the Fennoman movement. It was this passion which was to alter the course of both his personal and artistic life. His interest in Finnish nationalism brought him in contact with Kaarlo Sl
•
The Kalevala: the Finnish epic that inspired a nation
When the Kalevala was published in , Finland had a distinct cultural and linguistic identity but it had always been part of either the Swedish or the Russian empire. Neither did Finland have much of a literary tradition, but as the 19th-century progressed the Kalevala took on a symbolic role as the representation of a Finnish identity that fed into the movement for Finnish independence. Rooted in the folk culture of the Karelia region, a travelling doctor shaped the song texts into a story in a way which is still being debated today.
Joining Bridget Kendall to discuss how the Kalevala underscored the search for Finnish national identity are Dr Niina Hämäläinen, executive director of the Kalevala Society in Helsinki; Professor Tom DuBois from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, the author of Finnish Folk Poetry and the Kalevala; and the award-winning British musician, playwright and storyteller, Nick Hennessey.
Produced by Fio
•
&#;The Defense of the Sampo&#;
My father loaned me his copy of this book to read when I was younger, and I loved it. This fantastic image graced the cover, and I remember staring at it to try and find a glimpse of the Sampo.
This is a tempera on canvas painting that was made in by the Finnish Symbolist and Romantic artist, Akseli Gallen-Kallela. It serves as the frontispiece to Kalevala. Kalevala is the Finnish national epic that was only compiled and officially written down by Elias Lönnrot in the nineteenth century.Kalevala comprises mythology and folklore from both Finnish and Karelian origins. This helped fuel Finnish national identity, which ultimately led to the creation of the country of Finland in
This painting depicts the 43rd song in the epic poem, where Väinämöinen, the hero of the story, has stolen the Sampo from Louhi, the witch. Louhi has taken the form of a giant bird in her attempt to take the Sampo back. She was defeated and the Sampo was lost at Samp