Greater Finland of the Theosophists - Minna-Maria Fyrqvist

Did the Kalevala people build the Egyptian pyramids? Does keeping the intellect in the head make a person fair-skinned and blue-eyed? Did Väinämöinen attend Jesus' secret school? Has eating potatoes made Europeans stupid and materialistic?

These and many other poignant questions have been seriously considered in Finland, especially in the first half of the 20th century. The esoteric teachings that spread to our country, above all Theosophy and Rudolf Steiner's anthroposophy, inspired the cultural people of the early part of the century to search for higher spiritual spheres and to depict their wisdom in both theory and art.

An important "integrating" factor was the Kalevala, whose nationalist-theosophical interpretations gave rise to a very special idea of ​​a spiritual Greater Finland. Minna-Maria Fyrqvist, who has been studying the subject for a long time, has published a book called Teosofien Suur-Suomi, which opens up the history of esoteric movements in Finland in a unique way. Theosophy and anthroposophy have had a strong influence on the development of modern Western art, including in Finland, and their echoes are still present in the 21st century.