So as in my last reading haul, this time I have gobbled up quite a few books at once too. All of them concerning Finnish mythology and shamanism. Why? Because it interests me and I actually also might’ve started a blog about Finnish mythology and folklore, just for the fun of it. Feel free to go and take a look at it if you will. I publish at least one text a week there, it’s my precious little baby which I hope will some day grow to something even greater.
But without further ado, lets get into these books shall we?
BOOK: Luentoja suomalaisesta mytologiasta (Lectures on Finnish Mythology)
AUTHOR: M.A. Castrén
RATING: ★★★☆☆
EDITION: Finnish (2016)
LENGTH: 334 pages
TIME: around a week
The book is fascinating and still relevant to this day even though it was first published in Swedish in 1857. The problem with it is that Castrén based mostly all of his research on Kalevala, the Finnish national epic, which is not even nearly all there is to Finnish mythology. Therefore just the name of the book is misleading, it should be Lectures on Kalevala’s mythology.
Nevertheless, Castrén provides great etymologies and comparisons to other similar mythologies and myths around the world, which makes it a great reading experience. Even though sometimes the comparisons seem to take up more pages than the Finnish myths, so it’s a bit tricky at times. All in all, it sheds light onto Finnish mythology and is therefore quite worth a read in my opinion. Just bear in mind that these are mythologies taken mostly from the Kalevala.
BOOK: Mythologia Fennica
AUTHOR: Kristfrid Ganander
RATING: ★★★☆☆
EDITION: Finnish (1995)
LENGTH: 217 pages
TIME: a week
Originally published in Swedish in 1789, Mythologia Fennica set the base for the study of Finnish Mythology and it’s still considered as a founding stone for the research done today. It’s an encyclopedia, consisting of about 430 search terms about Finnish mythological creatures and words. As brilliant as it is, it also deserves some criticism for over 30 search terms are sámi mythology, 40 terms are historical events, 43 are Finnish place-names and about 8 are names of people, Finnish landowners and such. Mythologia Fennica is also a captive of its time in that many search terms are just the work of imagination of Ganander himself, or misconceptions due to the different principles of research inGanander’s times.
Should we blame the book for its many flaws then? Maybe? The principles for research have indeed changed a lot to this day and it’s quite clear that Mythologia Fennica would not pass the criteria to be published these days. The lack of proper sources, the misleading search terms and poorly checked poem sources. It’s full of mistakes! But nevertheless it’s important, as a historical milestone and as a research book. At least we can now read it with more knowledge and therefore spot the mistakes and not let them misguide us.
BOOK: Suomalaiset taruolennot (Finnish Mythical Creatures)
AUTHOR: Eero Ojanen
RATING: ★★☆☆☆
EDITION: Finnish (2017)
LENGTH: 153 pages
TIME: couple hours
In my last reading haul I rated Johan Egerkrans’ Nordiska Väser, Nordic mythical creatures, a beautifully illustrated yet informational book, and this I just had to buy for myself when I saw it in a bookstore. It’s quite similar to Egerkrans’ book, with the difference that the illustrations aren’t made by the writer but by very talented Sirkku Linnea.
First time reading through this I was just utterly fascinated by the drawings mostly but when I actually read about the mythical creatures introduced in the book things started to take the wrong track. The book makes many same mistakes as Ganander’s Mythologia Fennica, most likely because Mythologia Fennica was a source for this book, and that’s probably where my troubles with it come from.
It gives little to no new information about the creatures and might even give false information here and there, so my advice would be to read it critically. Two stars for the beautiful illustrations though!
BOOK: Mustakirja (Black Book)
AUTHOR: Aaprami Pöyrynen ?
RATING: ★★★★☆
EDITION: Finnish (2014)
LENGTH: 32 pages
TIME: 1-2hours
This is a true one-of-a-kind book, it’s highly likely that another will not be found. There is so much myths just surrounding the book itself that it just screams uniqueness. The origins of the book itself are worthy of a story of their own if I may be honest. In 1862, Tuomas Taittonen moved to the town of Perho and soon found out that his neighbour was the “village crazy man”, 70-year-old Juha Kellokoski, who was known as the mightiest witch and healer of the area. Taittonen too heard the rumours that Kellokoski had gained his knowledge from the Black Book written by Aaprami Pöyrynen, which Kellokoski stored carefully in a chest in his home.
Taittonen’s interest towards the Black Book was apparently so huge that he persuadedKellokoski’s maid to steal the book. The theft however was noticed and led into a heated confrontation between Taittonen and Kellokoski. In the end, Taittonen indeed got the book for himself with one Finnish markka (markka was the currency in Finland before euro) and went on to send it to the Finnish Literature Society. For 46 years the book was lost in the mail, but finally got to the hands of the Finnish Literature Society in 1908. It was first published for everyone to read in 1909, and the newer edition was released in 2014.
Most of the text remains in its original written form, so it’s quite hard to decipher and I would definitely think that the sales of the book would benefit if there was an added guide or some research surrounding the book or I don’t know, something. If there was just something more than the alleged writings of old Aaprami Pöyrynen.
To Kill A Booknerd 