Mythology of the Baltic Finns - Anna-Leena Siikala

The imagery of the songs about the world's egg, sambo, birdhouse, virgin who gives birth to heroes, feasts of the gods and Tuonen's girl are ancient and fascinating.

The mythology of the Baltic Finns leads its readers, in addition to the Kaleva poem, to the Samanist concept of the soul, the genetic inheritance of Finns and the diverse interaction of ancient cultures. Many Finnish myths unfold with the help of, for example, Mordva poetry, Ob and Altai traditions, or old Scandinavian stories.

Kalevala-style poetry was not only the property of Finns and Karelians. Almost half of the Kalevala's ingredients can also be found in Estonian folklore. In addition, these songs were sung by the people of Inger and Vatja. They form a tangle of Baltic Finns' myths and explanations of the world.

Academician Anna-Leena Siikala has compiled the results of her significant life's work into a synthesis of the Baltic Finns' poetry, Samanism and orally inherited religion.

Anna-Leena Siikala's works on oral tradition and religions move across a geographically and historically wide area. His work combines field research and a comparative perspective, as well as a theoretical-methodical emphasis and strong materials.

In addition to the rituals of the native inhabitants of Northern Eurasia, Siikala has looked at oral narratives, kalevale-sized poetry and Finno-Ugric mythologies. He has done fieldwork in Finland, the Cook Islands in Polynesia and Russia among the Udmurts, Komi and Khanty of Siberia.

Hardcover. 6th edition. 539 pages.