i finally read a version of the kalevala. i’m a bit ashamed, since i should have read this years ago. and i wimped out and read a re-write version in modern language. this is the version i read:

to be honest, i don’t have too much to say about this book, except for one thing. the re-write made the stories very accessible, but it also removed the mystic elements in a way. for instance, most of the creationism is now removed. it became very much a prose tale of heroes, battles, and magic. while that is entertaining, it only tells half of the story. you have to know that there are deeper implications to read the earth origin out of this version, for instance. i’ll have to make the commitment to reading the original now. but still, it was good to get my feet wet and remove the embarrassment of not having read any of it.