The lyrical passages and poetic images, the wry humor, the tall-tale extravagance, and the homely realism of the 'Kalevala' come through with extraordinary effectiveness.

    Indispensable for students and scholars of folklore, cultural history, and literature, this work remains the definitive basis for further research into the field.

    The four-volume set includes:VOLUME I: Introduction; God; Worship; Temples: Priests; Gods; Wuotan; Wôdan; Donar; Thunar; Zio; Frô (Freyr); Balder; Phol; Other Gods; Goddesses; Conditions of Gods; Heroes; Wise-women.VOLUME II: Wights and Elves; Giants; Creation; Elements; Trees and Animals; Sky and Stars; Day and Night; Summer and Winter; Time and World; Souls; Death; Destiny and Well-being; Personifications.VOLUME III: Poetry; Spectres; Translation; Devil; Magic; Superstitions; Sicknesses; Herbs and Stones; Spells and Charms.VOLUME IV: Supplement (collected from Grimm's posthumous notes) to the text and the the author's Preface in Volume III; Appendix by the author; Anglo-Saxon Genealogies; Superstitions; Spells; Index.The most exhaustive compendiums of Germanic and Norse mythology and a milestone in the study of comparative mythology and religion, Teutonic Mythology still remains the definitive basis for research into the field. It is indispensable for students and scholars of folklore, cultural history, and literature.

    Created in the 1830's and 1840's and based on authentic folklore, the Kalevala initiated the process leading to the foundation of Finnish identity.