Kalevipoeg (, Kalev's Son) is a 19th-century epic poem by Friedrich Reinhold Kreutzwald which has since been considered the Estonian national epic.
Origins
In pre-Christian ancient Estonia there existed an oral tradition, known as runic song, of legends explaining the origin of the world. Within old Estonian folklore, a benevolent giant by the name of Kalev, Kalevine, Kalevipoiss, Kalevine poisikine and Kalevin poika appears, battling with other giants or enemies of the nation. Early written references are found in Leyen Spiegel in 1641 as "Kalliweh", and in a list of deities published by Mikael Agricola in 1551 as "Caleuanpoiat".
The earliest remaining written reference to Kalevipoeg – also known as Kaleva in Finland – is by many experts considered to be one found in Widsith, also known as The Traveller's Song, which also provides the earliest known written usage of the name Viking, with the spelling wicing. Widsith is a 6th or 7th century Anglo-Saxon poem – or song – of 143 lines, which became copied into the Exeter Book, a manuscript of Old English poetry compiled in the late 10th century. Widsith is for the most part a survey of the people, kings and heroes of Europe in the Germanic Heroic Age.
The following is stated in Widsith: "Caesar ruled the Greeks, Caelic the Finns ... I was with the Greeks and Finns and also with Caesar ...".
Many historians and folklorists believe Widsith's "Caelic" to be a reference to the ancient Finnic ruler Kaleva/Kalevi, discussed in both the Finnish epic Kalevala and the Estonian epic Kalevipoeg."Widsith: Anglosaksinen muinaisruno". Authors: Osmo Pekonen and Clive Tolley. Published in Jyväskylä, Finland, by Minerva in 2004,
History The main material is taken from Estonian folklore of a giant hero named Kalevipoeg ("Kalev's son"). These tales mainly interpret various natural objects and features as traces of Kalevipoeg's deeds and have similarities with national epics from neighbouring regions, especially the Finnish Kalevala.
In 1839, Friedrich Robert Faehlmann read a paper at the Learned Estonian Society about the legends of Kalevipoeg. He sketched the plot of a national romantic epic poem. In 1850, after Faehlmann's death, Kreutzwald started writing the poem, interpreting it as the reconstruction of an obsolete oral epic. He collected oral stories and wove them together into a unified whole.
The first version of Kalevipoeg (1853; 13,817 verses) could not be printed due to censorship. The second, thoroughly revised version (19,087 verses) was published in sequels as an academic publication by the Learned Estonian Society in 1857–1861. The publication included a translation into German. In 1862, the third, somewhat abridged version (19,023 verses) came out. This was a book for common readers. It was printed in Kuopio, Finland.
Characters
In Estonian (mainly East Estonian) legends, Kalevipoeg carries stones or throws them at enemies, and also uses planks edgewise as weapons, following the advice of a hedgehog. He also forms surface structures on landscape and bodies of water and builds towns. He walks through deep water. Kalevipoeg eventually dies after his feet are cut off by his own sword owing to his own priorand fatally ambiguousinstructions.
Kalevipoeg was the youngest son of Kalev and Linda, born after his father's death and surpassed his brothers in intelligence and strength. It is often thought that Kalevipoeg's real name was Sohni/Soini, but it actually means simply 'son' and he never had other name than Kalevipoeg. Alevipoeg, and Sulevipoeg were his brothers.
The character only rarely appears in folk songs. In literature, he was first mentioned by Heinrich Stahl in the 17th century.
Synopsis
Kalevipoeg travels to Finland in search of his kidnapped mother. During his travel he purchases a sword but kills the blacksmith's eldest son in an argument. The blacksmith places a curse on the sword. On returning to Estonia, Kalevipoeg becomes king after defeating his brothers in a stone hurling competition. He constructs towns and forts and tills the land in Estonia. Kalevipoeg then journeys to the ends of the earth to expand his knowledge. He defeats Satan in a trial of strength and rescues three maidens from hell. War breaks out and destruction visits Estonia. Kalevipoeg's faithful comrades are killed, after which he hands the kingship to his brother Olev and withdraws to the forest, depressed. Crossing a river, the sword cursed by the Blacksmith and previously lost in the river attacks and cuts off his legs. Kalevipoeg dies and goes to heaven. Taara (Thor), in consultation with the other gods, reanimates Kalevipoeg, places his legless body on a white steed, and sends him down to the gates of hell where he is ordered to strike the rock with his fist, thus entrapping hell in the rock. So Kalevipoeg remains to guard the gates of hell.
Structure
Poetic structure The epic is written in old Estonian alliterative verse. Approximately one eighth of the verses are authentic; the rest are imitation.
Contents and synopses
The Kalevipoeg consists of twenty cantos.
Canto I - The marriages of Salme and Linda
Three brothers travel to different places. The youngest is Kalev. He is taken to Estonia on the back of a great eagle. He becomes king of the land. A widow walks alone and finds a hen, a grouse's egg and a crow on her travels. She takes them home and the former 2 grow into the maidens Salme and Linda. The crow--which she discarded--grows into a servant girl. Many suitors come to the girls, Salme and Linda. Salme is wooed by the sun, moon and stars themselves. Linda is also wooed by them, but she chooses Kalev, the frightening giant, as her husband. Salme and Linda leave with their respective husbands to complete their lives with them.
Canto II - The death of Kalev
Kalev dies, but before his death prophesies the greatness of his unborn sons. Linda weeps for seven days and nights over her husband's death. Her tears create Lake Ülemiste, situated in what is now Tallinn. She then prepares him for his funeral and buries him, constructing, as his burial mound, what is now known as the hill of Toompea in the process. Linda feels the birth of her son approaching and asks the gods for help. Uku (Taara, Thor) comes to her aid with bedding and comfort. When her son is born, he cries for months and proceeds to tear his clothes and cradle. He grows quickly, learns the trades of the land and plays games.
Canto III - The fate of Linda
The 3 sons of Kalev go on a hunting trip, leaving their mother to attend to her duties at home. While the men are off hunting, a Finnish sorcerer (who had previously tried to win the hand of Linda and failed), "Tuuslar", sneaks up on Linda and steals her away. She fights hard and manages to get away. She is turned into stone by the gods. The brothers return and search in vain for their mother. Kalevipoeg asks for help from his father's grave.
Canto IV - The island maiden
Kalevipoeg swims to Finland. He stops off at an island where he meets and seduces a beautiful maiden. The maiden hears the name and origin of Kalevipoeg and is horrified. She loses her footing and plunges into the water. Kalevipoeg jumps in after her but is unable to find her so he carries on to Finland. The maiden's parents check the sea and find an oak and fir tree and other trinkets, but not their daughter. A song rises up from the sea telling the story of how the maiden was seduced down into the deep.
Canto V - Kalevipoeg and the Finnish sorcerer
The parents of the maiden plant the oak tree they found at the bottom of the sea. In a short time it grows to the sky. The mother finds a small man hiding in the wings of an eagle, he is asked to fell the tree, he agrees on the condition he is let free. Kalevipoeg reaches Finland and finds the sorcerer in his house. The sorcerer creates a huge army to fend off Kalevipoeg, but he fells them all with his mighty strength and proceeds to question the sorcerer about his mother. When he fails to answer, Kalevipoeg crushes his head with his club and proceeds to weep for his crime.
Canto VI - Kalevipoeg and the swordsmiths
Kalevipoeg visits Ilmarinen, the famous Finnish blacksmith, and asks him to create a sword. He presents various swords. He tests them by striking them against the cliff walls of the smithy, itself. None are adequate, so Ilmarinen presents a sword created at the bequest of Kalev, which pleases Kalevipoeg greatly. This sword, imbued with magical properties and having taken 7 years to forge, Kalevipoeg tests by striking against the anvil upon which it was forged, which it splits in two. This proves the sword's worthiness and he agrees to pay a rich price for it to Ilmarinen. A great feast and drinking bout is held. Unfortunately, Kalevipoeg argues with, gets angry and fells the head of Ilmarinen's eldest son (who is also intoxicated at this point, as is Kalevipoeg) with the very sword he helped create. Ilmarinen curses the sword. He leaves and later realises his second great crime and weeps. The great oak tree of the maiden of the island is felled to create a bridge, ships and a hut.
Canto VII - The return of Kalevipoeg
Kalevipoeg takes the sorcerer's boat and returns home. The brothers tell their stories. Kalevipoeg visits his father's grave again.
Canto VIII - The contest and parting of the brothers
Kalev's 3 sons go to a lake's edge and throw stones to decide who will stay and rule the land. Kalevipoeg wins and the brothers part. Kalevipoeg tends to the land and falls into a deep sleep. During this time, his horse is eaten by wolves.
Canto IX - Rumours of war
Kalevipoeg wakes from a terrible dream that his horse was killed by wolves only to find it is true. He runs through the land, killing all the wild beasts his can find in vengeance. He becomes tired and sleeps again. A messenger comes to Kalevipoeg and informs him of a battle against his people.
Canto X - The heroes and the Water-Demon
While Kalevipoeg and his cousin Alevipoeg are walking through the country they come across a pair of demons arguing over the ownership of a pool. Alevipoeg drains the pool, but the host water-demon asks him to desist. Alevipoeg tricks the water-demon out of his riches. Alevipoeg sends his cousin's servant to the water-demons lair. He is teased and runs away. Kalevipoeg wrestles the water-demon and wins. Kalevipoeg decides to fortify towns for protection, he goes to Lake Peipus to fetch wood. He meets the Air-maiden in a well.
Canto XI - The loss of the sword
Kalevipoeg walks across Lake Peipus but a sorcerer spies him and decides to drown him. His efforts fail.
The sorcerer steals Kalevipoeg's sword. After an attempt to take it away, he is forced to drop it in a stream. When Kalevipoeg awakes he goes hunting for his sword. When he finds it, he consults it and finds it is happier in the stream. He leaves it there, but orders it to cut off the feet of the sorcerer should he ever return. Kalevipoeg carries on in this journey and meets a man of human stature who regales him with a story of giants. Kalevipoeg is amused and offers his protection. He places the man in his wallet.
Canto XII - The fight with the sorcerer's sons
The three sons of the sorcerer attack Kalevipoeg while he is walking on his way. He fights hard but gains no ground until he hears and heeds the advice of a small voice from the underbrush. He defeats the sorcerer's sons and asks his helper to show himself. After some persuasion, his helper comes out of the underbrush and Kalevipoeg cuts some of his coat for the small creature to cover himself up, but only cuts enough to cover his back. Kalevipoeg discovers that man in his wallet is dead and grieves. He falls asleep and is enchanted by the sorcerer. He sleeps for 7 weeks and dreams about Ilmarine's workshop.
Canto XIII - Kalevipoeg's first journey to Hell