Sofi Oksanen's work, The Purge, first appeared successfully as a play before it was published as a novel. It soon became a runaway bestseller in Finland, and was translated into 38 languages. Her latest work, When The Pigeons Disappeared, is also a bestseller. Her subjects are usually dramas about misery, terror, and hopelessness which readers seem to enjoy. Oksanen has put Finland on the literary map along with other greats, such as Mika Waltari and Tove Jansson.
Back in the 16th century Mikael Agricola, the first Lutheran bishop of Finland, was looking for a grueling, severe sacrifice that would prove his devotion to the church, and he found it: inventing the written Finnish language. Then, to give the Finnish people their own grueling, severe sacrifice, he invented the Finnish grammar. Still, until the 19th century, most Finnish literature was written in Swedish or Latin. Finnish language folklore and heritage was mainly preserved in songs and poems. Thereafter, Finnish writers began a productive period of rich literature in both Swedish and Finnish.
J.L. Runeberg (1804 - 77) wrote patriotic ballads, composed the lyrics of Finland’s national anthem, became known as the national poet, and was a heck of a nice guy.
Zacharias Topelius (1818 – 98) wrote creative fairy tales and was loved by all children, except for naughty little Paavo.
Aleksis Kivi (1834 – 72) is credited with being the founder of modern Finnish literature. His classic epic, Seven Brothers, has been widely translated. And like many creative geniuses, he died in extreme poverty.
Juhani Aho (1861 – 1921) had the gift of being able to write humorous stories about non-humorous things…and there were lots of non-humorous things in those days.
The poetry of Eino Leino (1878 – 1926) combined folk poetry and symbolism. It exerted great influence on the written word at the beginning of the 20th century, and allowed him to be invited to countless wild parties.
Frans Emil Sillanpää (1888 – 1964), a novelist and short story writer, was the only Finn to ever win a Nobel Prize for literature…Doesn’t anyone remember his works?!
Mika Waltari (1908 – 1979) was famous for his historical novels, of which The Egyptian was made into a Hollywood movie (most people say the book was better). And by the way, he never set foot in Egypt.
In recent years, Finland’s writers have produced great numbers of novels, short stories and poems. Arto Paasilinna, Kjell Westö, Riikka Pullkkinen, Monica Fagerholm Rosa Liksom are some of the contemporary authors getting the written word out to Finland and abroad. For more on this subject, Books From Finland is a quarterly magazine that keeps the reader informed on the latest Finnish literature, including extracts in English. Who knows what hidden gems you might find there?
Perhaps the most commercially successful writer in Finland was Tove Jansson. Her troll characters, Moomin and friends, are known in over 30 languages. You can also see them on DVDs, computers and web sites…not to mention the Moomin World amusement park in the town of Naantali. Moomin must be the world’s richest troll.
The old bearded man (Väinämöinen) is racing along the narrow path in his snowmobile when suddenly he collides into another vehicle. A young man (Joukahainen) in the latest cool attire stares at the old man angrily.
Väinämöinen: Hey Kid, show some manners and let a senior citizen through!
Joukahainen: You old fart! You shouldn’t be driving at your age! Get off the path!
Väinämönen: No way, you little slime ball!
Joukahainen: Oh yeah, let’s see how well you can use that fancy knife of yours, Beardo Weirdo!
Väinämönen: I wouldn’t dream of sticking that fine instrument in your filthy gut. You Dirty Punk!
Joukahainen: So, you won’t fight, eh? Then I’ll just magically chant you into a pig, strike you dead and throw you on a dunghill.
Väinämönen: Okay. That does it!
Väinämöinen is so angry he starts singing depressing, melancholy tangos, nonstop, for hours. Finally, Joukahainen is begging and pleading, “STOP! STOP!! I’ll do anything. You can have my sister, Aino. The cutest girl in the North.”
Väinämöinen: You’ve got a deal, Kid.
Later:
Aino: Who are you to give me away? I’m an independent woman! I know my rights!
Joukahainen: I’m so sorry. It was a big mistake. Don’t kill yourself over it!
Aino: Kill myself?! This guy is loaded. I’ll marry him alright. Then I’ll divorce him and sue for everything he’s got. When I’m done he’ll…
Culture Police: Stop in the name of good taste! You’re making a mockery of our national epic. Shame on you!!
The writer: Sorry, I got carried away. Let’s get serious here.
The area in Finland with the richest oral folklore traditions is in the east. That doesn’t surprise me a bit, because the Karelians have always been known as big talkers. However, it was just a matter of time, with all the yellow journalism and cheap novels around, that the stories of yore would be lost forever.
Fortunately, a doctor and poet, and perhaps a man who knew a good potential market, did something about it. Elias Lönnrot (1802-84) wandered around remote districts of eastern Finland and collected stories, poems, songs and perhaps shopping lists. From these he created a masterpiece of poetry that has become the national epic. He published his first version in 1835 and another version (the one used today) in 1849.
The stories in the Kalevala are about two imaginary countries: Pohjola (the bad guys) and Kalevala (the good guys). Some of the main characters are: Väinämöinen – a bearded old wisecracker, who sings, is a good raconteur and looks a bit like Moses. Aino – a good-looking blond who commits suicide to avoid marrying Väinämöinen (did he have bad breath or what?). Joukahainen – a young punk who is quick to shoot off his mouth. Kullervo – suffers from some kind of curse or maybe he needs to see a psychiatrist. Ilmarinen – created the Sampo, which contains mystical powers and can provide anything you need, because they didn’t have a Stockmann department store in those days.
The Kalevala became an international success, and has been translated into over 40 languages. It has been the stimulus for famous Finnish artists and composers. They say it is the foundation of Finnish history, culture and literature. There is even a Kalevala Day celebrated on February 28th.
Nowadays, every Finnish pupil must learn about the Kalevala, but don’t ask them for too many details. Everyone seems to have his own vague ideas about what it really says and means. The best thing is to go to a bookstore and get your own copy. Finns would love to hear your opinion of the great epic.