Kalevala

[ kah-luh-vah-luh; Finnish kah-le-vah-lah ]

noun

1. (italics) the national epic of Finland (1835, enlarged 1849), compiled and arranged by Elias Lönnrot from popular lays of the Middle Ages.
2. the home or land of Kaleva; Finland.

Kalevala

/ ˈkɑlɛvɑlɑ; ˌkɑːləˈvɑːlə /

noun

1. the land of the hero Kaleva, who performed legendary exploits
2. the Finnish national epic in which these exploits are recounted, compiled by Elias Lönnrot from folk poetry in 1835 to 1849

Word History and Origins

Origin of Kalevala¹

From Finnish

Word History and Origins

Origin of Kalevala¹

Finnish, from kaleva of a hero + -la dwelling place, home

Example Sentences

In the Kalevala we meet with no kings, but only patriarchs, or chiefs of clans.

From Project Gutenberg

Kuningas (king) is a Teutonic word, which rarely occurs in the Kalevala.

From Project Gutenberg

Both in subject and in metre the poem is a conscious imitation of the Finnish "Kalevala."

From Project Gutenberg

Kulta, "golden," here rendered "dearest," is a term constantly applied in the Kalevala to anything dear or precious.

From Project Gutenberg

Weeping appears no more disgraceful to the heroes of the Kalevala than to those of the Iliad.

From Project Gutenberg