The Kalevala Day

The Kalevala Day, known also as the Finnish Culture Day, is celebrated each February 28 in honor of the Finnish national epic The Kalevala. Elias Lönnrot, a collector of traditional Finnish oral poetry, completed the manuscript of the Kalevala at the beginning of 1835. The Kalevala made a significant contribution to the development of the Finnish national identity and the intensification of Finland's language strife.


The first poem:

Mastered by desire impulsive, 
By a mighty inward urging, 
I am ready now for singing, 
Eeady to begin the chanting 
Of our nation's ancient folk-song 
Handed down from by-gone ages. 
In my mouth the words are melting, 
From my lips the tones are gliding, 
From my tongue they wish to hasten; 
When my willing teeth are parted, 
When my ready mouth is opened, 
Songs of ancient wit and wisdom 
Hasten from me not unwilling. 

Golden friend, and dearest brother, 
Brother dear of mine in childhood, 
Come and sing with me the stories, 
Come and chant with me the legends, 
Legends of the times forgotten, 
Since we now are here together, 
Come together from our roamings. 
Seldom do we come for sino-ing, 

Seldom to the one, the other, 
O'er this cold and cruel country, 
O'er the poor soil of the Northland, 


Ensimmäinen runo:

Mieleni minun tekevi,
aivoni ajattelevi
lähteäni laulamahan,
saa'ani sanelemahan,
sukuvirttä suoltamahan,
lajivirttä laulamahan.
Sanat suussani sulavat,
puhe'et putoelevat,
kielelleni kerkiävät,
hampahilleni hajoovat.
Veli kulta, veikkoseni,
kaunis kasvinkumppalini!
Lähe nyt kanssa laulamahan,
saa kera sanelemahan
yhtehen yhyttyämme,
kahta'alta käytyämme!
Harvoin yhtehen yhymme,
saamme toinen toisihimme
näillä raukoilla rajoilla,
poloisilla Pohjan mailla.


I visited the Art Centre Mältinranta in the afternoon and saw two exhibitions: Simo Saarikoski's and a group exhibition called Inkarnaatio (Mira Heija, Heini Hiltunen, Joanna Lamberg, Ilkka Piirainen ja Jerker Ramberg).


-12,2°C in the morning, -1,5°C in the afternoon, sunny