The Kalevala — Finland's Epic Tale, Retold
An Original Modern Retelling of the Finnish National EpicBy Kim Saroma
Length5h 26m
About this audiobook
Before there was land, before there was sky, there was only water, and the wind, and one woman falling through an empty heaven. So begins the Kalevala — the national epic of Finland, sung for thousands of years before it was ever written down.
This is the great saga retold as a full-length novel: the creation of the world from a duck's broken egg; the ancient singer Väinämöinen, born old and wise; the smith Ilmarinen, who forged the dome of the sky and the magic mill called the Sampo; the reckless Lemminkäinen, dragged back from the river of the dead by his mother's love; and the doomed Kullervo — the tragedy that inspired Tolkien and Sibelius. Magic and music, love and loss, a whole world sung into being — and an old singer who sails away at the end, leaving us only his songs.
Faithful to the runes, told for today.
Content note: one chapter (Kullervo) deals with tragedy, handled without graphic detail.
Audiobook details
Rating★★★★ 4.3 (28)
Includes Amazon, Goodreads
GenreFairy Tales and Folklore
Length5 hrs 26 mins
Narrated byListen with 1,000+ voices
FormateBook with Audio
Publish dateJul 9, 2026
LanguageEnglish
Table of contents
1A Note on This Retelling
2Introduction
3Chapter 1 — Creation and the Birth of Väinämöinen
4Chapter 2 — The Singing Duel and the Fate of Aino
5Chapter 3 — Väinämöinen’s Wound at Sea and the Voyage to Pohjola
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6Chapter 4 — The Maiden of the North and the Origin of Iron
7Chapter 5 — Ilmarinen Forges the Sampo
8Chapter 6 — Lemminkäinen and Kyllikki
9Chapter 7 — Lemminkäinen’s Death and Restoration
10Chapter 8 — The Lost Word and the Magic Boat
11Chapter 9 — The Rival Suitors and Ilmarinen’s Tasks
12Chapter 10 — The Great Wedding at Pohjola
13Chapter 11 — Lemminkäinen the Unwelcome Guest
14Chapter 12 — The Tragedy of Kullervo
15Chapter 13 — Ilmarinen’s Bride of Gold
16Chapter 14 — The Birth of the Harp and the Theft of the Sampo
17Chapter 15 — The Second Harp and Louhi’s Plagues
18Chapter 16 — The Theft and Restoration of Sun, Moon, and Fire
19Chapter 17 — Marjatta and the Departure of Väinämöinen
20Afterword
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