Songs of the Sampo: The Finnish Kalevala Retold

Enter the world of the Kalevala, where songs can settle a duel, a mother searches the river of death, and a forged treasure sets a struggle in motion.Songs of the Sampo retells Finland's national epic in modern English prose for adult readers. Follow the old singer Väinämöinen, the smith Ilmarinen, the restless Lemminkäinen, and the formidable Louhi through courtship, impossible tasks, journeys to the land of the dead, and the struggle for the Sampo. Alongside their adventures unfold Aino's refusal, a mother's rescue, and Kullervo's tragic search for belonging.Drawing on Elias Lönnrot's 1849 Kalevala, this literary retelling follows the story from the world's beginnings to the arrival of a new song. A glossary, an author's note, and selected notes on the stories provide context for readers encountering the Finnish epic for the first time.A tale of creation, desire, grief, and the power-and limits-of song.