The Kalevala
Failed to add items
Add to Cart failed.
Add to Wish List failed.
Remove from wishlist failed.
Adding to library failed
Follow podcast failed
Unfollow podcast failed
Get 2 free audiobooks during trial.
Buy for $25.70
No default payment method selected.
We are sorry. We are not allowed to sell this product with the selected payment method
-
Narrated by:
-
Keith Bosley
About this listen
The Kalevala provides a compelling insight into the myths and folklore of Finland. Compiled by Elias Lönnrot in the 19th century, this impressive volume follows a tradition of oral storytelling that goes back some 2000 years, and it is often compared to such epic poems as Homer's Odyssey. However, The Kalevala has little in common with the culture of its Nordic neighbors: It is primarily poetic, it is mythical rather than historic, and its heroes solve their problems with magic more often than violence.
This version uses the acclaimed translation by Keith Bosley, who is one of the acknowledged experts on The Kalevala. Highly popular and accessible, his is widely regarded to be the authoritative text.
Download the accompanying reference guide.©1989 Keith Bosley (P)2013 Naxos AudioBooksListeners also enjoyed...
-
The Lay of the Nibelungs
- By: Alice Horton - translator
- Narrated by: David Rintoul
- Length: 11 hrs and 7 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
One of the finest German medieval epic poems, The Lay of the Nibelungs is perhaps best known now as one of the principal sources for Wagner’s four-part music drama The Ring of the Nibelung. It is easy to see how Wagner was enthralled by the story and the poetry for the power of the tale drives the narrative: intense love, loyalty, jealousy, murder, duty, honour and massacre are all interwoven into a classic.
-
-
Another Fabulous Grab Bag
- By John on 02-03-20
-
The Mabinogion
- By: Charlotte Guest
- Narrated by: Richard Mitchley
- Length: 10 hrs and 12 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The Mabinogion, the earliest literary jewel of Wales, is a collection of ancient tales and legends compiled around the 12th and 13th century deriving from storytelling and the songs of bards handed down over the ages. It is a remarkable document in many ways. From an historical perspective, it is the earliest prose literature of Britain. But it is in its drama that many surprises await, not least the central role of King Arthur, his wife, Gwenhwyvar, and his court at Caerlleon upon Usk.
-
-
A Wonder Whose Origin is Unknown
- By John on 07-28-17
By: Charlotte Guest
-
Shahnameh
- The Epic of the Persian Kings
- By: Ferdowsi
- Narrated by: Marc Thompson, Francis Ford Coppola - introduction
- Length: 12 hrs and 1 min
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The new, impeccable translation and adaptation of the Epic of Persian Kings by Ahmad Sadri brought to life a host of heroic characters and wove their adventures into a thrilling story spanning thousands of years. Containing four grand tragedies and four beautiful love stories, the audiobook is currently going into its fifth edition. It has been a smashing success. We are delighted to present a 12-hour audio experience of this text (performed by the award-winning voice actor, Marc Thompson) against the backdrop of evocative sound design and music editing of Hamid Rahmanian the creator of the Shahnameh project.
-
-
Learn about Persian culture through epic tales
- By Anonymous User on 01-23-19
By: Ferdowsi
-
The Book of Taliesin
- Poems of Warfare and Praise in an Enchanted Britain
- By: Rowan Williams - translator, Gwyneth Lewis - translator
- Narrated by: Gwyneth Lewis, Rowan Williams
- Length: 6 hrs and 16 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Taliesin's is one of the most important names in all Welsh literature - and one of its greatest mysteries. He has fascinated and inspired some of our greatest poets, including Tennyson and Robert Graves. He is a poet; a shape-shifter; a seer; a chronicler of battles fought, by sword and with magic, between the ancient kingdoms of the fifth- and sixth-century British Isles; a bridge between old Welsh mythologies and the new Christian theology; and a figure whose literary legend culminated with the compilation in 13th-century North Wales of The Book of Taliesin.
-
-
Great book and explanation
- By John on 02-14-22
By: Rowan Williams - translator, and others
-
Norse Mythology Collection: The Prose Edda and The Poetic Edda (Complete Set) (Annotated)
- By: Snorri Sturluson, Anonymous
- Narrated by: Collin Moore
- Length: 10 hrs and 16 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The Prose Edda and the Poetic Edda are our oldest written sources for Norse mythology. When it comes to the norse myths, they are the closest thing we have to listening these stories as the vikings actually told them, around those ancient campfires so long ago. It is my hope that you will enjoy this collection, and that the two books will work in tandem to broaden and deepen your appreciation for these epic and mystical stories, and the enigmatic culture that spawned them.
-
-
the performance was very good
- By AMY YOUNT on 11-03-23
By: Snorri Sturluson, and others
-
Homer Box Set: Iliad & Odyssey
- By: Homer, W. H. D. Rouse - translator
- Narrated by: Anthony Heald
- Length: 25 hrs and 2 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Homer’s Iliad and Odyssey are unquestionably two of the greatest epic masterpieces in Western literature. Though more than 2,700 years old, their stories of brave heroics, capricious gods, and towering human emotions are vividly timeless. The Iliad can justly be called the world’s greatest war epic. The terrible and long-drawn-out siege of Troy remains one of the classic campaigns. The Odyssey chronicles the many trials and adventures Odysseus must pass through on his long journey home from the Trojan wars to his beloved wife.
-
-
Oddball Translation
- By Joel Jenkins on 05-11-17
By: Homer, and others
-
The Lay of the Nibelungs
- By: Alice Horton - translator
- Narrated by: David Rintoul
- Length: 11 hrs and 7 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
One of the finest German medieval epic poems, The Lay of the Nibelungs is perhaps best known now as one of the principal sources for Wagner’s four-part music drama The Ring of the Nibelung. It is easy to see how Wagner was enthralled by the story and the poetry for the power of the tale drives the narrative: intense love, loyalty, jealousy, murder, duty, honour and massacre are all interwoven into a classic.
-
-
Another Fabulous Grab Bag
- By John on 02-03-20
-
The Mabinogion
- By: Charlotte Guest
- Narrated by: Richard Mitchley
- Length: 10 hrs and 12 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The Mabinogion, the earliest literary jewel of Wales, is a collection of ancient tales and legends compiled around the 12th and 13th century deriving from storytelling and the songs of bards handed down over the ages. It is a remarkable document in many ways. From an historical perspective, it is the earliest prose literature of Britain. But it is in its drama that many surprises await, not least the central role of King Arthur, his wife, Gwenhwyvar, and his court at Caerlleon upon Usk.
-
-
A Wonder Whose Origin is Unknown
- By John on 07-28-17
By: Charlotte Guest
-
Shahnameh
- The Epic of the Persian Kings
- By: Ferdowsi
- Narrated by: Marc Thompson, Francis Ford Coppola - introduction
- Length: 12 hrs and 1 min
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The new, impeccable translation and adaptation of the Epic of Persian Kings by Ahmad Sadri brought to life a host of heroic characters and wove their adventures into a thrilling story spanning thousands of years. Containing four grand tragedies and four beautiful love stories, the audiobook is currently going into its fifth edition. It has been a smashing success. We are delighted to present a 12-hour audio experience of this text (performed by the award-winning voice actor, Marc Thompson) against the backdrop of evocative sound design and music editing of Hamid Rahmanian the creator of the Shahnameh project.
-
-
Learn about Persian culture through epic tales
- By Anonymous User on 01-23-19
By: Ferdowsi
-
The Book of Taliesin
- Poems of Warfare and Praise in an Enchanted Britain
- By: Rowan Williams - translator, Gwyneth Lewis - translator
- Narrated by: Gwyneth Lewis, Rowan Williams
- Length: 6 hrs and 16 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Taliesin's is one of the most important names in all Welsh literature - and one of its greatest mysteries. He has fascinated and inspired some of our greatest poets, including Tennyson and Robert Graves. He is a poet; a shape-shifter; a seer; a chronicler of battles fought, by sword and with magic, between the ancient kingdoms of the fifth- and sixth-century British Isles; a bridge between old Welsh mythologies and the new Christian theology; and a figure whose literary legend culminated with the compilation in 13th-century North Wales of The Book of Taliesin.
-
-
Great book and explanation
- By John on 02-14-22
By: Rowan Williams - translator, and others
-
Norse Mythology Collection: The Prose Edda and The Poetic Edda (Complete Set) (Annotated)
- By: Snorri Sturluson, Anonymous
- Narrated by: Collin Moore
- Length: 10 hrs and 16 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The Prose Edda and the Poetic Edda are our oldest written sources for Norse mythology. When it comes to the norse myths, they are the closest thing we have to listening these stories as the vikings actually told them, around those ancient campfires so long ago. It is my hope that you will enjoy this collection, and that the two books will work in tandem to broaden and deepen your appreciation for these epic and mystical stories, and the enigmatic culture that spawned them.
-
-
the performance was very good
- By AMY YOUNT on 11-03-23
By: Snorri Sturluson, and others
-
Homer Box Set: Iliad & Odyssey
- By: Homer, W. H. D. Rouse - translator
- Narrated by: Anthony Heald
- Length: 25 hrs and 2 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Homer’s Iliad and Odyssey are unquestionably two of the greatest epic masterpieces in Western literature. Though more than 2,700 years old, their stories of brave heroics, capricious gods, and towering human emotions are vividly timeless. The Iliad can justly be called the world’s greatest war epic. The terrible and long-drawn-out siege of Troy remains one of the classic campaigns. The Odyssey chronicles the many trials and adventures Odysseus must pass through on his long journey home from the Trojan wars to his beloved wife.
-
-
Oddball Translation
- By Joel Jenkins on 05-11-17
By: Homer, and others
-
The Homecoming of Beorhtnoth
- By: J. R. R. Tolkien
- Narrated by: Christopher Tolkien
- Length: 56 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The Homecoming of Beorhtnoth Beorhthelm’s Son was originally published in the 1953 edition of Essays and Studies. In December of that year, J.R.R. Tolkien took possession of a reel-to-reel tape recorder and, some time during the first few months of 1954, decided to record ‘the whole thing on tape’ as a way of ‘testing’ the performative quality of the dramatic dialogue between Tídwald and Torhthelm.
-
-
Short sweet and to the point
- By Anthony Baker on 04-04-23
By: J. R. R. Tolkien
-
Njál's Saga
- By: Anonymous
- Narrated by: Gunnar Cauthery
- Length: 13 hrs and 4 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Based on events that took place between 960 and 1020 AD, Njál 's Saga is a mesmerizing drama about a multigenerational cycle of violence and retribution, and the feuds and passions that perpetuate it. The eponymous sage Njál, known for his keen legal mind, is one of Iceland's pre-eminent men, along with Gunnar of Hlidarendi, a fierce and formidable warrior married to the diabolical Hallgerd, whose conniving instigates the interminable pattern of romance, action and brutality - until one unforgivable act ends it all.
-
-
censored version
- By Amazon Customer on 01-26-21
By: Anonymous
-
Four Arthurian Romances
- By: Chrétien de Troyes
- Narrated by: Nicholas Boulton
- Length: 16 hrs and 48 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The Arthurian Romances by Chrétien de Troyes form the wellspring of the legend of King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table. Stories of knightly valour in the Welsh Marches had existed before the 12th century, but it was the magnificent poetry and imagination of Chrétien, the 12th century French poet and trouvère, which brought alive the great characters of Arthur, his wife Guinevere, Lancelot and others.
-
-
Ukemi Audio: Doing the Lord’s Work
- By John on 09-29-17
-
The Decameron
- By: Giovanni Boccaccio
- Narrated by: Simon Russell Beale, Gunnar Cauthery, Alison Pettitt, and others
- Length: 28 hrs and 5 mins
- Original Recording
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The Decameron is one of the greatest literary works of the Middle Ages. Ten young people have fled the terrible effects of the Black Death in Florence and, in an idyllic setting, tell a series of brilliant stories, by turns humorous, bawdy, tragic and provocative. This celebration of physical and sexual vitality is Boccaccio's answer to the sublime other-worldliness of Dante's Divine Comedy.
-
-
Not Up to the Usual Naxos Standard
- By John on 11-15-17
-
The Poetic Edda
- By: Anonymous
- Narrated by: Gunnar Cauthery
- Length: 8 hrs and 4 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The Poetic Edda is the most important collection of Norse-Icelandic mythological and heroic poetry, covering the creation of the world and the coming of Ragnarok, The Doom of the Gods.
By: Anonymous
-
The Silmarillion
- By: J. R. R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien
- Narrated by: Andy Serkis
- Length: 19 hrs and 24 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The tales of The Silmarillion are set in an age when Morgoth, the first Dark Lord, dwelt in Middle-earth, and the High Elves made war upon him for the recovery of the Silmarils, the jewels containing the pure light of Valinor. Included on the recording are several shorter works. The Ainulindalë is a myth of the Creation and in the Valaquenta the nature and powers of each of the gods is described. The Akallabêth recounts the downfall of the great island kingdom of Númenor at the end of the Second Age, and Of the Rings of Power tells of the great events at the end of the Third Age.
-
-
TIPS when reading this book:
- By Anonymous User on 06-29-23
By: J. R. R. Tolkien, and others
-
Gilgamesh
- A New English Version
- By: Stephen Mitchell - translator
- Narrated by: George Guidall
- Length: 4 hrs and 5 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
This brilliant new treatment of the world's oldest epic is a literary event on par with Seamus Heaney's wildly popular Beowulf translation. Esteemed translator and best-selling author Stephen Mitchell energizes a heroic tale so old it predates Homer's Iliad by more than a millennium.
-
-
A defense of this "translation"
- By George on 07-16-08
-
The Faerie Queene
- By: Edmund Spenser
- Narrated by: David Timson
- Length: 33 hrs and 10 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
This remarkable poem, dedicated to Queen Elizabeth I, was Spenser's finest achievement. The first epic poem in modern English, The Faerie Queene combines dramatic narratives of chivalrous adventure with exquisite and picturesque episodes of pageantry. At the same time, Spenser is expounding a deeply-felt allegory of the eternal struggle between Truth and Error....
-
-
High Fantasy from the Renaissance
- By Jabba on 10-03-15
By: Edmund Spenser
-
The Arabian Nights Entertainments
- By: Louis Rhead
- Narrated by: Charlton Griffin
- Length: 14 hrs and 34 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The central core of the stories concerns a Persian king and his new bride. The king has a brother who is a vizier in faraway Samarcand, and he invites him to come to the palace for a visit. Just before his departure, the vizier is shocked to discover his wife's infidelity. Enraged, he kills her. Full of pain and grief, the vizier continues on to the court of his brother, the king. But, once arrived at his brother's palace, the vizier soon discovers the king's wife is also involved in an even more flagrant infidelity.
-
-
A PLEASURE NOT TO BE HURRIED
- By Marvin Brown on 09-21-16
By: Louis Rhead
-
The Prose Edda
- The Rasmus Björn Anderson Translation
- By: Snorri Sturluson
- Narrated by: Collin Moore
- Length: 3 hrs and 28 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Eight hundred years ago, an heir to the Vikings collected their myths and wrote them down. Here are those original tales of Odin and Thor, magic and might, presented for your listening enjoyment. The Prose Edda (also known as Snorri's Edda or The Younger Edda) is a manual of poetics written by Snorri Sturluson around the year 1220. In it, Snorri compiled the old myths and legends of the Norsemen, in order that poets from his time might draw on these stories to keep the Icelandic-Viking heritage alive.
-
-
Well-performed, but the names are tough going
- By Tad Davis on 11-12-21
By: Snorri Sturluson
-
The Water Margin
- Outlaws of the Marsh
- By: Shi Naian, J. H. Jackson - translator, Edwin Lowe - translator
- Narrated by: Jonathan Booth
- Length: 33 hrs and 41 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The Water Margin is one of the most popular classics of early Chinese literature. It tells the vigorous story of 108 characters who, falling foul of the established state authorities, are forced to become outlaws. They form a bandit community in Liangshan Marsh, becoming such a formidable force in their own right that they threaten the power of government itself.
-
-
Exciting! Each story entwined with one another!
- By Kananai on 04-03-24
By: Shi Naian, and others
-
Sir Gawain and the Green Knight
- By: J. R. R. Tolkien
- Narrated by: Terry Jones
- Length: 4 hrs and 25 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
A collection of three medieval English poems, translated by Tolkien for the modern-day reader and containing romance, tragedy, love, sex and honour.
-
-
An absolute delight!
- By Shannon Slee on 07-15-18
By: J. R. R. Tolkien
Related to this topic
-
The Song of Hiawatha
- By: Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
- Narrated by: William Hootkins
- Length: 3 hrs and 57 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Longfellow's great narrative poem has been unjustly neglected in recent years though it gives a sympathetic portrait especially of Hiawatha, reared by Nokomis, daughter of the Moon, and his bride Minehaha.
-
-
The narrator is amazing
- By Erez on 11-11-12
-
Jason and the Golden Fleece
- The Argonautica
- By: Apollonius of Rhodes, R. C. Seaton - translator, Nicolas Soames - translator
- Narrated by: Jonathan Keeble
- Length: 6 hrs and 17 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Jason and the Golden Fleece is one of the finest tales of Ancient Greece, an epic journey of adventure and trial standing beside similar stories of Perseus, Theseus and the Labours of Heracles. The finest classic account comes from Apollonius of Rhodes, the Greek poet of the 3rd century BCE and librarian at Alexandria. Though less well-known than Homer's Iliad and Odyssey, and much shorter, it is an epic poem which is both exciting and moving, with remarkably vivid portraits of the main characters, Jason and Medea.
-
-
Varied but unemotional
- By Tad Davis on 04-25-19
By: Apollonius of Rhodes, and others
-
Evangeline
- By: Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
- Narrated by: Leonard Wilson
- Length: 2 hrs
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
"Evangeline: A Tale of Acadie" is an epic poem by the American poet Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, published in 1847. The poem follows an Acadian girl named Evangeline and her search for her lost love Gabriel, set during the time of the expulsion of the Acadians. The idea for the poem came from Longfellow's friend, Nathaniel Hawthorne. Longfellow used dactylic hexameter, imitated from Greek and Latin classics, though the choice was criticized.
-
-
Excellent
- By Anonymous User on 05-23-23
-
The Georgics
- By: Virgil
- Narrated by: Charlton Griffin
- Length: 3 hrs and 17 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Virgil's Georgics ranks as one of the most precious pastoral poems ever written, and it has served as a model for its type ever since. Georgics means "of or relating to agriculture or rural life" and it comes from the Greek word, "georgicus". Virgil's main theme in this, his second great work after The Eclogues, was the importance of peace both in the spiritual and physical sense.
-
-
Translation by Smith Palmer Bovie (1956)
- By Alex Castro on 08-22-20
By: Virgil
-
Bulfinch’s Mythology
- The Age of Fable, or Stories of Gods and Heroes
- By: Thomas Bulfinch
- Narrated by: Jonathan Cowley
- Length: 13 hrs and 52 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
First published in three separate volumes from 1855 to 1863, Bulfinch's Mythology quickly became the standard source of classic tales from ancient Greece and Rome, the Norse tradition, and beyond. This edition contains the full text of The Age of Fable, or Stories of Gods and Heroes, the first volume of Bulfinch's seminal work. From stories of the Greek gods of Mt. Olympus to retellings of the Iliad and the Odyssey, from descriptions of mythological monsters to tales of Hindu and Egyptian deities, Bulfinch's versions of these classic stories bring their characters to life.
-
-
new stories, and covers alot.
- By Felisa Kay on 03-28-17
By: Thomas Bulfinch
-
The Aeneid
- By: Virgil
- Narrated by: Charlton Griffin
- Length: 15 hrs and 36 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The Aeneid represents one of the greatest cultural and artistic achievements of Western Civilization. Within the brooding and melancholy atmosphere of Virgil's pious masterpiece lies the mythic story of Aeneas and his flight from burning Troy, taking with him across the Mediterranean the survivors of the Greek onslaught. Aeneas, after many travails and adventures, including a love affair with Dido Queen of Carthage and a visit to the underworld to see his father, ends up in Italy.
-
-
An epic in every sense of the word
- By James on 01-06-05
By: Virgil
-
The Song of Hiawatha
- By: Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
- Narrated by: William Hootkins
- Length: 3 hrs and 57 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Longfellow's great narrative poem has been unjustly neglected in recent years though it gives a sympathetic portrait especially of Hiawatha, reared by Nokomis, daughter of the Moon, and his bride Minehaha.
-
-
The narrator is amazing
- By Erez on 11-11-12
-
Jason and the Golden Fleece
- The Argonautica
- By: Apollonius of Rhodes, R. C. Seaton - translator, Nicolas Soames - translator
- Narrated by: Jonathan Keeble
- Length: 6 hrs and 17 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Jason and the Golden Fleece is one of the finest tales of Ancient Greece, an epic journey of adventure and trial standing beside similar stories of Perseus, Theseus and the Labours of Heracles. The finest classic account comes from Apollonius of Rhodes, the Greek poet of the 3rd century BCE and librarian at Alexandria. Though less well-known than Homer's Iliad and Odyssey, and much shorter, it is an epic poem which is both exciting and moving, with remarkably vivid portraits of the main characters, Jason and Medea.
-
-
Varied but unemotional
- By Tad Davis on 04-25-19
By: Apollonius of Rhodes, and others
-
Evangeline
- By: Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
- Narrated by: Leonard Wilson
- Length: 2 hrs
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
"Evangeline: A Tale of Acadie" is an epic poem by the American poet Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, published in 1847. The poem follows an Acadian girl named Evangeline and her search for her lost love Gabriel, set during the time of the expulsion of the Acadians. The idea for the poem came from Longfellow's friend, Nathaniel Hawthorne. Longfellow used dactylic hexameter, imitated from Greek and Latin classics, though the choice was criticized.
-
-
Excellent
- By Anonymous User on 05-23-23
-
The Georgics
- By: Virgil
- Narrated by: Charlton Griffin
- Length: 3 hrs and 17 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Virgil's Georgics ranks as one of the most precious pastoral poems ever written, and it has served as a model for its type ever since. Georgics means "of or relating to agriculture or rural life" and it comes from the Greek word, "georgicus". Virgil's main theme in this, his second great work after The Eclogues, was the importance of peace both in the spiritual and physical sense.
-
-
Translation by Smith Palmer Bovie (1956)
- By Alex Castro on 08-22-20
By: Virgil
-
Bulfinch’s Mythology
- The Age of Fable, or Stories of Gods and Heroes
- By: Thomas Bulfinch
- Narrated by: Jonathan Cowley
- Length: 13 hrs and 52 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
First published in three separate volumes from 1855 to 1863, Bulfinch's Mythology quickly became the standard source of classic tales from ancient Greece and Rome, the Norse tradition, and beyond. This edition contains the full text of The Age of Fable, or Stories of Gods and Heroes, the first volume of Bulfinch's seminal work. From stories of the Greek gods of Mt. Olympus to retellings of the Iliad and the Odyssey, from descriptions of mythological monsters to tales of Hindu and Egyptian deities, Bulfinch's versions of these classic stories bring their characters to life.
-
-
new stories, and covers alot.
- By Felisa Kay on 03-28-17
By: Thomas Bulfinch
-
The Aeneid
- By: Virgil
- Narrated by: Charlton Griffin
- Length: 15 hrs and 36 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The Aeneid represents one of the greatest cultural and artistic achievements of Western Civilization. Within the brooding and melancholy atmosphere of Virgil's pious masterpiece lies the mythic story of Aeneas and his flight from burning Troy, taking with him across the Mediterranean the survivors of the Greek onslaught. Aeneas, after many travails and adventures, including a love affair with Dido Queen of Carthage and a visit to the underworld to see his father, ends up in Italy.
-
-
An epic in every sense of the word
- By James on 01-06-05
By: Virgil
-
Leaves of Grass
- The Original 1855 Edition
- By: Walt Whitman, American Renaissance Books
- Narrated by: Sam Torode
- Length: 4 hrs and 40 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
When Walt Whitman self-published "Leaves of Grass" in 1855, he rocked the literary world and forever changed the course of poetry. In subsequent editions, Whitman continued to revise and expand his poems - but none matched the raw power and immediacy of the first edition. This volume presents the 1855 "Leaves of Grass" in its entirety, unchanged, along with Ralph Waldo Emerson's famous letter to Whitman.
-
-
A brilliant classic
- By M.Biblioswine on 12-02-18
By: Walt Whitman, and others
-
Roman Mythology: Captivating Roman Myths of Roman Gods, Goddesses, Heroes and Mythological Creatures
- By: Matt Clayton
- Narrated by: Randy Whitlow
- Length: 3 hrs and 42 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
If you're looking for a collection of Roman myths that speaks to all ages then keep listening....Feats of strength and skill, monsters, magic, divine interventions, and the overcoming of impossible odds by larger-than-life figures all feature in this audiobook. The Roman myths contained in this collection will be brought to life so all the details are more than merely a bunch of dry facts. Not only does this audiobook offer captivating stories for you to enjoy, but it also gives you impressive knowledge about history.
-
-
I'm Happy With This
- By Autumn in Spring on 09-15-18
By: Matt Clayton
-
Gilgamesh: The New Translation
- By: Gerald J. Davis
- Narrated by: John Hanks
- Length: 3 hrs and 57 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The Epic of Gilgamesh relates the tale of the fifth king of the first dynasty of Uruk (in what is modern-day Iraq), who reigned for 126 years, according to the ancient Sumerian list of kings. Gilgamesh was first inscribed in cuneiform writing on clay tablets by an unknown author during the Sumerian era and has been described as one of the greatest works of literature in the recounting of mankind's unending quest for immortality.
-
-
Poetic translation of an epic story
- By K on 07-12-15
By: Gerald J. Davis
-
Daphnis and Chloe
- By: Longus
- Narrated by: Nicholas Boulton
- Length: 2 hrs and 47 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Daphnis and Chloe is a gem from the pen of the otherwise unknown second-century CE Greek writer Longus. It is the only work of his to survive, and little is known of him. Though perhaps overshadowed by the Roman magnificence of Ovid’s Metamorphoses (dating from a century earlier), Longus’ story entranced the choreographer Michel Fokine, who persuaded the French composer Maurice Ravel to write music for a ballet on the love story as part of the Ballets Russes’ season in Paris in 1912. Ravel, inspired, produced one of the most ravishing scores of the Impressionist period.
-
-
Exquisitely Constructed Ode to Love
- By Sonny Johnson on 08-22-24
By: Longus
-
Idylls of the King
- By: Alfred Tennyson
- Narrated by: Charlton Griffin
- Length: 12 hrs and 31 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The Arthurian legend of Camelot has been told many times, but never better than by Alfred Tennyson. Employing some of the most stirring and beautiful blank verse ever written, Tennyson crafted his version of the Knights of the Round Table over the course of nearly fifty years, completing it in 1885. Despite the length of time, Tennyson managed to maintain a high level of style and continuity throughout.
-
-
Beautiful poetry
- By Roger on 01-15-08
By: Alfred Tennyson
-
The Mabinogion
- By: Charlotte Guest
- Narrated by: Richard Mitchley
- Length: 10 hrs and 12 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The Mabinogion, the earliest literary jewel of Wales, is a collection of ancient tales and legends compiled around the 12th and 13th century deriving from storytelling and the songs of bards handed down over the ages. It is a remarkable document in many ways. From an historical perspective, it is the earliest prose literature of Britain. But it is in its drama that many surprises await, not least the central role of King Arthur, his wife, Gwenhwyvar, and his court at Caerlleon upon Usk.
-
-
A Wonder Whose Origin is Unknown
- By John on 07-28-17
By: Charlotte Guest
-
Leaves of Grass
- By: Walt Whitman
- Narrated by: Ed Begley
- Length: 43 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Walt Whitman's celebrated poetry collection, read by Ed Begley.
-
-
It is NOT unabridged.
- By Mark D Worthen PsyD on 09-19-15
By: Walt Whitman
-
Mythology
- By: Edith Hamilton
- Narrated by: Suzanne Toren
- Length: 14 hrs and 34 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Since its original publication by Little, Brown and Company, in 1942, Edith Hamilton's Mythology has sold millions of copies throughout the world and established itself as a perennial best-seller in its various available formats. Mythology succeeds like no other audiobook in bringing to life for the modern listener the Greek, Roman, and Norse myths and legends that are the keystone of Western culture - the stories of gods and heroes that have inspired human creativity from antiquity to the present.
-
-
Good reading of classical myths
- By Kathi on 03-18-13
By: Edith Hamilton
-
The Happy Prince
- By: Oscar Wilde
- Narrated by: Anton Lesser
- Length: 21 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
This is a story from the The Happy Prince and Other Stories collection.
-
-
It's Oscar Wilde enough said.
- By Tracy on 01-26-16
By: Oscar Wilde
-
Celtic Mythology
- Tales of Gods, Goddesses, and Heroes
- By: Philip Freeman
- Narrated by: Gerard Doyle
- Length: 7 hrs and 31 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Most people have heard of the Celts - the elusive, ancient tribal people who resided in present-day England, Ireland, Scotland and France. Paradoxically characterized as both barbaric and innocent, the Celts appeal to the modern world as a symbol of a bygone era, a world destroyed by the ambition of empire and the spread of Christianity throughout Western Europe. Despite the pervasive cultural and literary influence of the Celts, shockingly little is known of their way of life and beliefs, because very few records of their stories exist.
-
-
Scholarly yet fancifully told
- By Maestro F on 01-04-20
By: Philip Freeman
-
Night’s Master
- Tales from the Flat Earth, Book One
- By: Tanith Lee
- Narrated by: Susan Duerden
- Length: 8 hrs and 29 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Long ago when the Earth was flat, beautiful, indifferent Gods lived in the airy Upperearth realm above; curious, passionate demons lived in the exotic Underearth realm below; and mortals were relegated to exist in the middle. Azhrarn, Lord of the Demons and the Darkness, was the one who ruled the night, and many mortal lives were changed because of his cruel whimsy. And yet, Azhrarn held inside his demon heart a profound mystery which would change the very fabric of the Flat Earth forever.
-
-
A gothic fairytale
- By KH on 04-10-12
By: Tanith Lee
-
Andersen's Fairy Tales, Volume 1
- By: Hans Christian Andersen
- Narrated by: Emma Fenney, Phil Gigante, Erin Yuen
- Length: 6 hrs and 16 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Hans Christian Andersen's fairy tales, which have been translated into more than 125 languages, have become culturally embedded in the West's collective consciousness. Readily accessible by children, they present lessons of virtue and resilience in the face of adversity that appeal to mature listeners as well. This collection of 18 tales includes "The Emperor's New Clothes", "The Princess and the Pea", and "The Snow Queen".
People who viewed this also viewed...
-
Kalevala: The Ancient Epic of Finland
- By: Elias Lonnrot, John Martin Crawford - translator
- Narrated by: Robert Bethune
- Length: 14 hrs and 5 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The Kalevala is the signature work of traditional Finnish culture. In story after story, it explores the human and divine world as understood by the traditional runic singers of the north. It sings of how the universe came to be, how the natural world works, how divine and supernatural worlds relate to the world of humankind, how human beings relate to each other, how good and evil and life and death function in the world.
-
-
Beer Making, Heroic Wooing, and Magical Singing!
- By Jefferson on 01-20-13
By: Elias Lonnrot, and others
-
Shahnameh
- The Epic of the Persian Kings
- By: Ferdowsi
- Narrated by: Marc Thompson, Francis Ford Coppola - introduction
- Length: 12 hrs and 1 min
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The new, impeccable translation and adaptation of the Epic of Persian Kings by Ahmad Sadri brought to life a host of heroic characters and wove their adventures into a thrilling story spanning thousands of years. Containing four grand tragedies and four beautiful love stories, the audiobook is currently going into its fifth edition. It has been a smashing success. We are delighted to present a 12-hour audio experience of this text (performed by the award-winning voice actor, Marc Thompson) against the backdrop of evocative sound design and music editing of Hamid Rahmanian the creator of the Shahnameh project.
-
-
Learn about Persian culture through epic tales
- By Anonymous User on 01-23-19
By: Ferdowsi
-
The Mabinogion
- By: Sioned Davies - Translator
- Narrated by: James Cameron Stewart
- Length: 11 hrs and 14 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Celtic mythology, Arthurian romance, and an intriguing interpretation of British history - these are just some of the themes embraced by the anonymous authors of the eleven tales that make up the Welsh medieval masterpiece known as The Mabinogion. They tell of Gwydion the shape-shifter, who can create a woman out of flowers; of Math the magician whose feet must lie in the lap of a virgin; of hanging a pregnant mouse and hunting a magical boar.
-
-
The names and read-along
- By Tad Davis on 10-10-18
-
The Kalevala
- By: Elias Lönnrot
- Narrated by: Andrea Giordani
- Length: 18 hrs and 37 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The Kalevala is a 19th-century work of epic poetry compiled by Elias Lönnrot from Karelian and Finnish oral folklore and mythology. The Kalevala was instrumental in the development of the Finnish national identity and the sense of nationality that led to Finland's independence from Russia in 1917. Beginning with the traditional Finnish creation myth, the Kalevala branches out into stories of the creation of the earth, plants, creatures, and the sky. There are many stories of, romance, kidnapping, seduction, and magical spell casting and singing.
By: Elias Lönnrot
-
The Mabinogion
- By: Charlotte Guest
- Narrated by: Richard Mitchley
- Length: 10 hrs and 12 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The Mabinogion, the earliest literary jewel of Wales, is a collection of ancient tales and legends compiled around the 12th and 13th century deriving from storytelling and the songs of bards handed down over the ages. It is a remarkable document in many ways. From an historical perspective, it is the earliest prose literature of Britain. But it is in its drama that many surprises await, not least the central role of King Arthur, his wife, Gwenhwyvar, and his court at Caerlleon upon Usk.
-
-
A Wonder Whose Origin is Unknown
- By John on 07-28-17
By: Charlotte Guest
-
The Faerie Queene
- By: Edmund Spenser
- Narrated by: David Timson
- Length: 33 hrs and 10 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
This remarkable poem, dedicated to Queen Elizabeth I, was Spenser's finest achievement. The first epic poem in modern English, The Faerie Queene combines dramatic narratives of chivalrous adventure with exquisite and picturesque episodes of pageantry. At the same time, Spenser is expounding a deeply-felt allegory of the eternal struggle between Truth and Error....
-
-
High Fantasy from the Renaissance
- By Jabba on 10-03-15
By: Edmund Spenser
-
Kalevala: The Ancient Epic of Finland
- By: Elias Lonnrot, John Martin Crawford - translator
- Narrated by: Robert Bethune
- Length: 14 hrs and 5 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The Kalevala is the signature work of traditional Finnish culture. In story after story, it explores the human and divine world as understood by the traditional runic singers of the north. It sings of how the universe came to be, how the natural world works, how divine and supernatural worlds relate to the world of humankind, how human beings relate to each other, how good and evil and life and death function in the world.
-
-
Beer Making, Heroic Wooing, and Magical Singing!
- By Jefferson on 01-20-13
By: Elias Lonnrot, and others
-
Shahnameh
- The Epic of the Persian Kings
- By: Ferdowsi
- Narrated by: Marc Thompson, Francis Ford Coppola - introduction
- Length: 12 hrs and 1 min
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The new, impeccable translation and adaptation of the Epic of Persian Kings by Ahmad Sadri brought to life a host of heroic characters and wove their adventures into a thrilling story spanning thousands of years. Containing four grand tragedies and four beautiful love stories, the audiobook is currently going into its fifth edition. It has been a smashing success. We are delighted to present a 12-hour audio experience of this text (performed by the award-winning voice actor, Marc Thompson) against the backdrop of evocative sound design and music editing of Hamid Rahmanian the creator of the Shahnameh project.
-
-
Learn about Persian culture through epic tales
- By Anonymous User on 01-23-19
By: Ferdowsi
-
The Mabinogion
- By: Sioned Davies - Translator
- Narrated by: James Cameron Stewart
- Length: 11 hrs and 14 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Celtic mythology, Arthurian romance, and an intriguing interpretation of British history - these are just some of the themes embraced by the anonymous authors of the eleven tales that make up the Welsh medieval masterpiece known as The Mabinogion. They tell of Gwydion the shape-shifter, who can create a woman out of flowers; of Math the magician whose feet must lie in the lap of a virgin; of hanging a pregnant mouse and hunting a magical boar.
-
-
The names and read-along
- By Tad Davis on 10-10-18
-
The Kalevala
- By: Elias Lönnrot
- Narrated by: Andrea Giordani
- Length: 18 hrs and 37 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The Kalevala is a 19th-century work of epic poetry compiled by Elias Lönnrot from Karelian and Finnish oral folklore and mythology. The Kalevala was instrumental in the development of the Finnish national identity and the sense of nationality that led to Finland's independence from Russia in 1917. Beginning with the traditional Finnish creation myth, the Kalevala branches out into stories of the creation of the earth, plants, creatures, and the sky. There are many stories of, romance, kidnapping, seduction, and magical spell casting and singing.
By: Elias Lönnrot
-
The Mabinogion
- By: Charlotte Guest
- Narrated by: Richard Mitchley
- Length: 10 hrs and 12 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The Mabinogion, the earliest literary jewel of Wales, is a collection of ancient tales and legends compiled around the 12th and 13th century deriving from storytelling and the songs of bards handed down over the ages. It is a remarkable document in many ways. From an historical perspective, it is the earliest prose literature of Britain. But it is in its drama that many surprises await, not least the central role of King Arthur, his wife, Gwenhwyvar, and his court at Caerlleon upon Usk.
-
-
A Wonder Whose Origin is Unknown
- By John on 07-28-17
By: Charlotte Guest
-
The Faerie Queene
- By: Edmund Spenser
- Narrated by: David Timson
- Length: 33 hrs and 10 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
This remarkable poem, dedicated to Queen Elizabeth I, was Spenser's finest achievement. The first epic poem in modern English, The Faerie Queene combines dramatic narratives of chivalrous adventure with exquisite and picturesque episodes of pageantry. At the same time, Spenser is expounding a deeply-felt allegory of the eternal struggle between Truth and Error....
-
-
High Fantasy from the Renaissance
- By Jabba on 10-03-15
By: Edmund Spenser
-
Four Arthurian Romances
- By: Chrétien de Troyes
- Narrated by: Nicholas Boulton
- Length: 16 hrs and 48 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The Arthurian Romances by Chrétien de Troyes form the wellspring of the legend of King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table. Stories of knightly valour in the Welsh Marches had existed before the 12th century, but it was the magnificent poetry and imagination of Chrétien, the 12th century French poet and trouvère, which brought alive the great characters of Arthur, his wife Guinevere, Lancelot and others.
-
-
Ukemi Audio: Doing the Lord’s Work
- By John on 09-29-17
-
Le Morte d'Arthur
- The Death of Arthur
- By: Sir Thomas Malory
- Narrated by: Bill Homewood
- Length: 38 hrs and 4 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Of all the legends of Western civilization, perhaps the glorious adventures of King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table are the best known. The Quest for the Holy Grail, and the undying illicit love between Sir Launcelot and Queen Guenevere, have provided inspiration for storytellers and poets down the ages, and sparked so many films and books of our own time.
-
-
Brilliant and powerful
- By Tad Davis on 05-19-21
-
Njál's Saga
- By: Anonymous
- Narrated by: Gunnar Cauthery
- Length: 13 hrs and 4 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Based on events that took place between 960 and 1020 AD, Njál 's Saga is a mesmerizing drama about a multigenerational cycle of violence and retribution, and the feuds and passions that perpetuate it. The eponymous sage Njál, known for his keen legal mind, is one of Iceland's pre-eminent men, along with Gunnar of Hlidarendi, a fierce and formidable warrior married to the diabolical Hallgerd, whose conniving instigates the interminable pattern of romance, action and brutality - until one unforgivable act ends it all.
-
-
censored version
- By Amazon Customer on 01-26-21
By: Anonymous
-
The Lay of the Nibelungs
- By: Alice Horton - translator
- Narrated by: David Rintoul
- Length: 11 hrs and 7 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
One of the finest German medieval epic poems, The Lay of the Nibelungs is perhaps best known now as one of the principal sources for Wagner’s four-part music drama The Ring of the Nibelung. It is easy to see how Wagner was enthralled by the story and the poetry for the power of the tale drives the narrative: intense love, loyalty, jealousy, murder, duty, honour and massacre are all interwoven into a classic.
-
-
Another Fabulous Grab Bag
- By John on 02-03-20
-
The Song of Roland
- By: anonymous
- Narrated by: Bill Homewood
- Length: 4 hrs and 25 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
It is the year 778. The mighty French army, led by Emperor Charlemagne, confronts Saracen forces in the bloody Battle of Roncevaux Pass. In the course of this thrilling epic poem we follow the emperor’s hot-headed nephew Roland into battle. We are privy to the deal struck between the Saracen king Marsilie and Roland’s conniving stepfather Guene.
By: anonymous
-
Parzival
- By: Wolfram von Eschenbach
- Narrated by: Leighton Pugh
- Length: 18 hrs and 13 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The greatest of all the medieval romances about the Holy Grail, Parzival was written in the early 13th century. The narrative describes the quest of the Arthurian knight Parzival for the Holy Grail. His journey is filled with incident, from tournaments and sieges to chivalrous deeds and displays of true love.
-
-
This one didn’t work for me
- By Tad Davis on 11-01-21
What listeners say about The Kalevala
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Chris D. Stevenson
- 04-17-20
Finlands Beowulf
I grew up reading a very small sample of this saga - quest for the sampo, so I was curious about the rest of it. It did not disappoint. much like Shakespearean iambic pentameter, there is an art to reading saga poems, and the narrator did it perfectly.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
1 person found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Pelham
- 03-18-13
Like an ancient storyteller
If you could sum up The Kalevala in three words, what would they be?
Charming and engaging.
What about Keith Bosley’s performance did you like?
That it sounded like a storyteller of the original tales might have, had they been in English--declaimed and metrical but well paced. He conveyed what must have been the real meaning of the words--which as the translator from the Finnish, he knew.
Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?
No, the original was assembled from different, though related tales by a 19th-century collector.
Any additional comments?
Where other translated folk tales seem flat, this was lively, without the sense that anything had been added to make it so.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
15 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- suz
- 10-28-23
Hailsa!
What a fascinating collection of myths, read by a skilled narrator. I loved the things that recall other bodies of myth (the bardic repetition, for example) but loved even more how new and strange most of these stories are- not just echoes of the more well-known Greek, Norse and Celtic myths. Now I want to find a rewritten work featuring these tales that I can read to better understand the basic tales, then go BACK to this one and enjoy the beauty of the singing prose with a better grasp of what they're telling me. Highly recommend.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Rolando Roldan
- 11-02-21
A grand Epic.
A fun tale and read well. If you have time, give it a listen, if you can't...then make time for it.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
1 person found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- FinalFrontier
- 06-13-16
This was Meant to be Read Aloud
Anyone who has tried to read an epic like this would do well to remember that the Kalevala was meant to be read aloud.
It doesn't surprise me that there aren't to many recordings of this epic in audio form. And as for trying to use electronic voice technology along with a read-aloud type app, I wouldn't recommend it. The electronic voices are flat, and they can't deal with the names. After a while, I'd really freak out.
Fortunately, this version of the Kalevala is narrated by someone who totally gets it. Keith Bosley is both the translator and narrator of this version. In my book, this adds to his credibility.
Not only that, Bosley brings his background in radio to this performance. It's as if he really was planning to read this thing aloud, and since he knows the language, he is able to cope with the Finnish names.
As a bonus, I have to give Naxos Audio Books high marks. Naxos always puts out quality stuff, and this recording doesn't let me down.
In short, anyone looking for a good narration of the Kalevala would do well to check out this reading.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
21 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- aidan
- 09-20-18
an oddly clever combination
The characters in this tale are truly unique. They are their own mixtures of norse and christian characters and morals.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
4 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Bailisimo Bondo
- 12-12-24
Great reading of the Kalevala
This book has an interesting perspective to Finnish mythology. The reading is excellent and enticing.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- El Bruno tal
- 09-29-19
Good introduction to the Finnish classic
So much of what can make this title good is the translation. Not only are we trying to get a sense of the Kalevala's story, which after all represents a number of popular tales in the form of poetry, woven into a reasonably comprehensive sequence. We are also trying to get a sense of the poetry and metric themselves, which are essentially games and music where the main instrument is the Finnish language itself.
Such a book can only be an introduction. The only reading that will do "justice" is the reading with notes and references that help us understand the music of the original.
Besides that, Kalevala contains the original Rap Battle, just for that I think it's a worthy listen.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
2 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Daniel R Barnes
- 09-08-19
This inspired Tolkein? Seriously?
The Kalevala has a lot of superfluous, repetitive verbosity that does nothing for the spoken narrative in English, but Maybe this work is more musical when spoken in its original Finnish. I dunno. I'm interested in mythology from just about anywhere around the globe, but the saga I've hear so far (I'm about 13 cantos in,) is pointless, nonsensical, arbitrary, and uninspiring, so I'm eagerly awaiting my next monthly credit so I can get something else to listen to. I really wanted to like the Kalevala, but it's just flat soda to me. Greek mythology is MUCH better. J. R. R. Tolkein is MUCH better. Being utterly fictional, and, therefore, without much overt practical value, mythology and fantasy are inherently worthless wheel-spinning, unless they (1) inspire one's courage to perform heroic deeds (like waking up in the morning when that infernal alarm clock goes off), (2) delight the palate due to their aesthetic magnificence, (3) reveal something interesting about the psyche of the culture from which the mythos sprang, (4) etc., but the Kalevala strikes me as accomplishing none of that. The narrator is good. He strikes me as a motivated storyteller who, with a better work to speak from, would surely spread his contagious enthusiasm for the work to his listener, but I'm just about done with this. I bet a nonfiction account of the Finnish resistance against the 1939 Soviet invasion would be far more heroically inspiring . . . search box, where are you? . . .
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
2 people found this helpful