Finnish Literature: Traditions and Trends

Researcher Toni Lahtinen The School of Language, Translation, and

Literary Studies toni.lahtinen@uta.fi

A Finn A Finn is someone who answers when he is not asked, asks when he is not answered, does not answer when he is asked, someone who strays off the road, shouts on the shore and on the opposite shore someone else like him shouts: the forest rings, resounds, the pine trees sigh. From there a Finn comes and groans, he is here and groans, that way he goes and groans, he is like someone in the sauna and groans when someone else throws water on the stones. Such a Finn always has a chum, he is never alone and the chum is a Finn. Nothing can part a Finn from a Finn, nothing expect death and the police. (“Suomalainen” by Jorma Etto, 1964; trans. Keith Bosley, 1997)

Dikter I-III (1830-1843) by Johan Ludwig Runeberg (1804-1877) [inc. Farmer Paavo]

The Book of Our Land (1875) by Zachris Topelius (1818-1889)

The Kalevala (1849) by Elias Lönnrot (1802–1884)

[At that] Väinämöinen was angry–

he was angry and ashamed

and he stepped away

towards the shore of the sea

and there he started singing

sang for the last time –

sang a copper boat

a coppery covered craft

and he sits down in the stern

he casts off on the clear main

and he uttered as he went

declared as he departed:

‘Just let the time pass

one day go, another come

and again I’ll be needed

looked and longed for

to fix a new Sampo, to

make new music

convey a new moon

set free a new sun

when there’s no moon, no daylight

and no earthly joy.’

(The Kalevala, trans. Keith Bosley)

The Curse of Kullervo (1899) by Axel Gallen-Kallela (1865–1931)

Kullervo (1892) by Jean Sibelius (1865–1957)

Kullervo by Axel Gallen-Kallela

Kullervo (2009, graphic novel) by Gene Kurkijärvi (1967-)

The Kalevala Graphic novel (2000) by Kristian Huitula

The Lord of the Rings (1954–1955) by J. R. R.Tolkien (1892–1973)

Above: The Defense of the Sampo (1896) by Axel Gallen-Kallela

Below: The Secret of the Sampo (1999) by Don Rosa (1951-)

Heroes (2003) by Johanna Sinisalo (1958-)

The Canine Kalevala (1992) by Mauri Kunnas (1950-)

Finnish poet Pentti Saarikoski (1937–1983)

Seven Brothers (1870) by Aleksis Kivi (1834–1872)

Simeoni: Tell me about it. Maybe it’s an omen for us. Juhani: I dreamed there was a hen’s nest on the fireplace with seven eggs in it. Simeoni: Jukola’s seven sons! Juhani: But one of them was ridiculously tiny. Simeoni: That was Eero! [the youngest of the brothers, a loudmouth] Juhani: The rooster died. Simeoni: That was our Father! Juhani: The hen died. Simeoni: That was our Mother! Juhani: Then a horde of mice, rats, and weasels attacked the nest. What do those animals mean? Simeoni: Sins and lusts and worldly desires. Juhani: That could be. On came the weasels, rats, and mice, and they turned and rolled and bumped and banged the eggs until they were all broken. The little egg gave of an awful stink. Simeoni: Pay close attention, Eero. Juhani: When the eggs were all broken, a horrible voice, like the roar of a thousand rapids, thundered in my ears from fireplace: “All is broken and the ruins are great.” That’s what the voice said. But anyway, we began to gather up the mess and make some sort of omelet of it. And then we feasted on it and even gave some to our neighbours. (Seven Brothers, trans. Richard A. Impola)

Seven Brothers illustrated (1906–1908) by Axel Gallen-Kallela

Seven Brothers (1980) by Riitta Nelimarkka (1948-)

The Seven Dog Brothers (2002) by Mauri Kunnas

The Seven Brothers (2008, theater adaptation) by Mikko Roiha (1971-)

I Wasn’t With You (2007) by Finnish thiller writer Leena Lehtolainen (1964-)

The Great Tradition

Traditional Finnish novel is close to nature. Nature can be either a friend or a foe Idea of man is democratic: the main characters are often common people or poor people. The main character is often an antihero The human worth of the characters is not measured by their social status, wealth or education Traditional Finnish novel has a strong sense of justice. Authors often depict the conflict between an individual and the society Despite their social status main characters are strong individuals and unsocial personalities. They don’t always raise the sympathy of the reader A traditional Finnish novel is often a mixture of realism and humour

Suomen kirjallisuuden historia (The History of Finnish Literature) by Kai Laitinen, 1997

”Your [men’s] laws and your sense of justice (…) Those are what I was about to shoot anyway.” The Wife Of The Working Man (1885) by Minna Canth (1844–1897)

The Wolf’s Bride (1928) by Aino Kallas (1878–1956)

And a bliss beyond measure, too great for mortal enjoyment, came over Aalo, and into her soul was poured an overflowing entrancement whereof no word in all the tongue of Man can tell, so keen and marvellous is the joy wherewith it refresheth the thirsting. And in this moment she was one with the Forest Daemon, the mighty daemon who, in the form of a wolf, had chosen her and taken her into his power, and all boundaries between them fell away, and they melted each into other, like two dewdrops, and no one could have know which was which, or told the one from the other. And she melted away into murmur of the forest spruce, was pressed in golden drops of resin from the red sides of the pines, and vanished into the green dampness of the marsh moss, for she was the property of the Diabolus sylvarum and the pray of Satan. (The Wolf’s Bride, trans. Alex Matson)

Left: Pirkko Saisio (1949-) Above: Pirkko Saisio as Jukka Larsson (pseudonym)

The Purge (2008) by Sofi Oksanen (1977-)

The Unknown Soldier (1954) by Väinö Linna (1920–1992)

The Unknown Soldier (1955, film adaptation) by Edwin Laine (1905–1989)

The Unknown Soldier (2007, theater adaptation) by Kristian Smeds (1970-)

The Trench Road (2002) by Kari Hotakainen (1957-). A film adaptation (2004) by Veikko Aaltonen (1955-) with English subtitles

The Moomin books (1945–1970) by Tove Jansson (1914–2001)

The Complete Tove Jansson Comic Strip, Book One

The Moomins, japanese TV series (1990)

Moomins and the Comet Chase (2010), stop motion film

Moominworld in Naantali

The Moomin merchandise

Tradition Trend

Finnish novel is close to nature. Nature can be either friend or foe

The main characters are often common people and poor people. The main character is often an antihero

Emerging of ecological problems, environmental issues, global threats. End of national seclusion?

Urbanization, city culture, middle class. Antiheroes are still popular.

Tradition Trend

The human worth of the characters is not measured by their social status, wealth or education

Traditional Finnish novel has a strong sense of justice. Authors often depict the conflict between an individual and the society

The democratic ideal is still very strong. Also: growing criticism of capitalism and degeneration of Finnish well fare state etc.

In the 1980s private life became more popular theme than social issues. However, social themes very common in detective stories

Tradition Trend

Despite their social status main characters are often strong individuals and unsocial personalities

A common element of traditional Finnish novel is a mixture of realism and humour

Unsympathetic main characters are still common. BUT: a broad variety of characters

Autofiction, mixture of fact and fiction, fiction as reconstruction of history.

AND: ”realism” in the detective stories and thillers

Recommended Finnish literature (mentioned in the lecture): Hotakainen, Kari: The Trench Road (2002; film version with English subtitles 2004; Latvian translation Ierakumu cels) Jansson, Tove: The Muumin Series (1945–1970) Kallas, Aino: The Wolf’s Bride (1928; also in the anthology Three Novels) Kivi, Aleksis: Seven brothers (1870) Kunnas, Mauri: The Seven Dog Brothers (2002), The Canine Kalevala (1992), The Book of Finnish Elves (1979) etc. Lehtolainen, Leena: Numerous detective stories translated in various languages. Linna, Väinö: The Unknown Soldier (1954), Under the Northern Star I–III (1959–1962) Lönnrot, Elias: The Kalevala (1849) Oksanen, Sofi: The Purge (2008) Saarikoski, Pentti: Poems 1958–1980, Trilogy (1977 – 1983) Saisio, Pirkko: No english translations available; Sappho küsst Europa: Geschichten von Lesben aus 20 Ländern (ed. Madeleine Marti and Marianne Ulmi; includes work by Tove Jansson, Pirkko Saisio etc.) Sillanpää, F.E: The Maid Silja: The History of the Last Offshoot of an Old Family Tree, Meek Heritage (1919), People in the Summer Night: An Epic Suite (1934) Sinisalo, Johanna: Not Before Sundown (2000), Birdbrain (2008) Find more translations of Finnish literature: http://www.booksfromfinland.fi/