The Kalevala, collection of epic folk poetry, collected by Finnish folklorist Elias Lönnrot (1802-1884), was first published by The Finnish Literature Society in 1835 and the second enlarged edition in 1849. The Kalevala is based on poems Lönnrot collected during his three journeys to Archangel Karelia in 1831-1835.

The Kalevala was a part of a patriotic movement as an example of the heroic past of the people and it was the prime mover of Karelianism. After its publishing, The Kalevala inspired many writers abroad, such as W.B. Yeats, C.S. Lewis and J.R.R. Tolkien.

The main characters in The Kalevala are; Väinämöinen, Ilmarinen, Lemminkäinen, Louhi and Kullervo. The Kalevala has been translated into at least 45 different languages, and it has been a source of inspiration to many Finnish artists such as, Akseli Gallen-Kallela and Jean Sibelius.

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