John Martin Crawford 1888

The actual breakthrough of the Kalevala in the English literature and among English readers occurred in 1888, when a complete English version of the Kalevala was published in New York and London. The translation was made by the American professor in Medicine, John Martin Crawford, who had taken an interest in the Kalevala during his studies. The translation, The Kalevala. The Epic Poem of Finland, was based on the German translation by Franz Anton Schiefner from 1852. Three editions of Crawford’s translations were published up until 1904. The book also included an index of names with comments.

In his very extensive preface, Crawford describes Finland, the Finnish people and their ethical, linguistic, social and religious life. His goal was to help the readers to understand the poems even better. Crawford depicts the Kalevala as an epic treasure chest and the Finnish people as very primeval. He writes about the beliefs and deities of the ancient Finnish animistic view of the world and he also presents the central characters in the Kalevala. This was also a way to keep the Finnish names of persons and places in the English text.

John Addison Porter and Crawford wished to introduce the Kalevala to the English speaking readers at the same time as the interest in folklore, mythology, mythical perceptions and folk culture was increasing within the English literary culture in the 19th century.

Crawford’s translation and depiction of the Kalevala was the standard work on this subject for about 20 years. Its description of the Kalevala primarily as a primeval Finland and of the Finnish people as primeval indigenous people was widely spread in the Anglo-Saxon world before William Forsell Kirby’s translation, which included a thorough introduction, was published in 1907.

 

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From Cecilia Af Forselles: “Englanninkieliset käännökset. Kalevalan muuttuvat ylikansalliset tehtävät” – Kalevala maailmalla. Helsinki: SKS. 2012.