Finnish literature
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Finnish literature refers to
After becoming a part of the Russian Empire in the early 19th century the rise in education and nationalism promoted public interest in
Other works known worldwide include
Pre-nineteenth century
During the European early
Written Finnish was established by Bishop and Finnish
Until 1800, most of the literature published in Finnish was religious.[2]
Nineteenth century
After becoming a part of the Russian Empire, known as the
The most famous collection of folk poetry is by far the Kalevala. Referred to as the Finnish "national epic" it is mainly credited to Elias Lönnrot, who compiled the volume. It was first published in 1835 and quickly became a symbol of Finnish nationalism. Finland was then politically controlled by Russia and had previously been part of Sweden. The Kalevala was therefore an important part of early Finnish identity. Beside the collection of lyric poems known as the Kanteletar it has been and still is a major influence on art and music, as in the case of Jean Sibelius. It is a common misconception that Lönnrot merely "collected" pre-existing poetry. It is now widely accepted that the Kalevala represents an amalgam of loosely connected source materials, freely altered by Lönnrot to present the appearance of a unified whole.
The first
Among Finland's prominent female writers in the nineteenth century was Minna Canth (1844–1897), best known for her plays Työmiehen vaimo (The Worker's Wife) and Anna Liisa.[6]
Twentieth century
At the end of the Grand Duchy of Finland, literature consisted largely of romance and drama, such as novel The Song of the Blood-Red Flower (1905) by Johannes Linnankoski (1869–1913), but then Finland gained its independence in 1917 and soon after a civil war broke out. As with other civil wars it was to be depicted many times in literature, as in Meek Heritage (1919) by Frans Eemil Sillanpää (1888–1964). Sillanpää was a strong leader of literature in the 1930s in Finland and was the first Finnish Nobel Prize winner.[7] The theme was taken up by Väinö Linna (1920–1992), already phenomenally successful because of his novel The Unknown Soldier (1954).[8] In this and other cases the very strangeness of the Finnish environment and mentality have been major obstacles to international renown.
Other works known worldwide include
Beginning with Paavo Haavikko and Eeva-Liisa Manner, Finnish poetry in the 1950s adapted the tone and level of the British and American – T. S. Eliot and Ezra Pound were major influences and widely translated. Traditionally German and especially French literature have been very well known and sometimes emulated in Finland. Paradoxically the great Russian tradition might have been less known, possibly because of a political aversion.
The most famous poet was
Timo K. Mukka (1944–1973) was the wild son of Finnish literature. During a period of less than a decade in the 1960s, Mukka sprang virtually from nowhere to produce nine novels written in a lyrical prose style. His two greatest masterpieces are the novel The Song of the Children of Sibir and the novella The Dove and the Poppy – after which he ceased writing until his early death.
Twenty-first century
After a successful year as the Guest of Honor at the Frankfurt Book Fair in 2014, Finland was able to rebrand itself – internationally, too – as a literary country. "Obscurity became Finland's calling card", writes Kalle Oskari Mattila in The Paris Review, noting that, "Finland had largely fallen off the trend of Nordic noir and crime writing, but that exclusion provided a new kind of branding opportunity: ambitious literary fiction".[12]
By 2018, Finnish literary exports had more than tripled in size. Anglo American markets have surpassed Germany as the leading source of export revenue.[12]
Prominent writers of this century include Sofi Oksanen, Pajtim Statovci, Laura Lindstedt and Mikko Rimminen, noted for his irreverent portrayals of life in Helsinki and winner of the 2011 Finlandia Prize. Finnish writing has also become internationally noted for its fantasy and science fiction, having gained momentum in the late twentieth century, partly through a thriving fandom scene. Leading exponents include Leena Krohn (Finlandia Prize 1992) and Johanna Sinisalo (Finlandia Prize 2000).
Swedish-language literature
Even after the establishment of Finnish as the primary language of administration and education, Swedish remained important in Finland.
Johan Ludvig Runeberg (1804–1877) was the most famous Swedish-speaking writer of the nineteenth century. The opening poem Our Land (from The Tales of Ensign Stål) was dedicated as the national anthem as early as seventy years before Finnish independence. During the early 20th century, the Swedish-language modernism emerged in Finland as one of the most acclaimed literal movements in the history of the country. The best-known representative of the movement was Edith Södergran.
The most famous Swedish-language works from Finland are probably the
Other prominent twentieth-century Swedish-language writers of Finland are Henrik Tikkanen and Kjell Westö, both noted for their often (semi)-autobiographical realist novels. The rise of Finnish-language fantasy and science fiction has been paralleled in Swedish, for example in the work of Johanna Holmström.
See also
- Finnish folklore
- Finnish language
- Culture of Finland
- Finlandia Prize
- Project Runeberg
References
- ^ Heikkilä, Tuomas (2010). "Kirjallinen kulttuuri keskiajan Suomessa, Historiallisia tutkimuksia 254". Suomalaisen kirjallisuuden seura. Retrieved 30 August 2016.
- ISBN 9781135787578. Retrieved 15 April 2017.
- ^ Cf. Derek Fewster, Visions of Past Glory: Nationalism and the Construction of Early Finnish History. Studia Fennica Historica 11 (Helsinki: Suomalainen Kirjallisuuden Seura, 2006).
- ^ Sihvo, Hannes. "Kivi, Aleksis (1834 - 1872)". The National Biography of Finland. SKS. Retrieved 30 August 2016.
- ^ "Juhani Aho". Encyclopædia Britannica. Retrieved 30 August 2016.
- ^ Krogerus, Tellervo. "Canth, Minna (1844 - 1897)". The National Biography of Finland. Suomalaisen Kirjallisuuden Seura. Retrieved 4 September 2016.
- ^ Rajala, Panu. "Sillanpää, Frans Emil (1888 - 1964)". The National Biography of Finland. Suomalaisen Kirjallisuuden Seura. Retrieved 4 September 2016.
- ^ Nummi, Jyrki. "Linna, Väinö (1920 - 1992)". The National Biography of Finland. Suomalaisen Kirjallisuuden Seura. Retrieved 4 September 2016.
- ^ Envall, Markku. "Waltari, Mika (1908 - 1979)". The National Biography of Finland. Suomalaisen Kirjallisuuden Seura. Retrieved 4 September 2016.
- ^ Nevala, Marja-Liisa. "Leino, Eino (1878 - 1926)". The National Biography of Finland. Suomalaisen Kirjallisuuden Seura. Retrieved 4 September 2016.
- ^ Liukkonen, Petri. "Pentti Saarikoski (1937-1983) - wrote also humorous columns under the name 'Nenä' (the nose); see Gogol". Authors' Calendar. Retrieved 4 September 2016.
- ^ a b Mattila, Kalle Oskari (16 July 2018). "How Finland Rebranded Itself as a Literary Country". The Paris Review Daily. Retrieved 8 September 2018.
Further reading
- ThisisFINLAND - Finnish Literature Today
- George C. Schoolfield 1998: A History of Finland's Literature. 877 pages. University of Nebraska Press. ISBN 9780803241893.