Kalevala translations in Lönnrot’s lifetime
Elias Lönnrot. Image: Wikipedia.
It is somehow fascinating to think that Elias Lönnrot (1802–1884) himself was there to witness how the Kalevala, that he had collected and compiled, started its journey into different world languages. However, it was not anything that happened by chance. When the epic was first published, it was considered important that it was translated, and this aim was actively supported at the time.
The first complete translation of the first version of the Kalevala, that was ready for publication, was done by M. A. Castrén in 1841; the earliest complete translation of the New Kalevala is the one by A. Schiefner from 1852.
The Kalevala was translated into different languages during Lönnrot’s life. The translations were made in the following order: Swedish, Estonian, Hungarian, French, English, Russian, German and Italian.
| Year | Language | Translator | Translation |
| 1835 | Kalewala, taikka wanhoja Karjalan runoja Suomen kansan muinosista ajoista (nk. Vanha Kalevala) ilmestyy | ||
| 1835 | Swedish | C. N. Keckman | A raw translation of the Kalevala (not published) |
| 1840 | Estonian | N. D. H. Mühlberg | The first 20 verses of the 1st runo of the Kalevala |
| n. 1841 | Swedish | A. Poppius | A poetic translation of the Kalevala (not published) |
| 1841 | Swedish | M. A. Castrén | Kalevala |
| 1841 | Hungarian | A. Reguly | Translation drafts (not published) |
| 1845 | French | L. Léouzon Le Duc | La Finlande. Son histoire primitive, sa Mythologie, sa Poésie épique avec la traduction complète de sa grande épopée. |
| 1846 | English | C. F. Henningsen | Extracts from the Kalevala (not published) |
| 1847 | Russian | A. M. Öhman | An account of the content of the Kalevala |
| 1849 | Kalevala (the so called New Kalevala) is published | ||
| 1850 | Swedish | C. G. Borg | Kullervo-poems 31–36 |
| 1852 | Swedish | C. G. Borg | Lemminkäinen poems 11–15 ja 26–30 |
| 1852 | German | A. Schiefner | (the first whole translation of the New Kalevala) |
| 1857 | Swedish | K. Collan | Ilmarinens Bröllop, Episod ur Kalevala |
| 1864–1868 | Swedish | K. Collan | Kalevala. Efter andra original-upplagan ofversatt af K. Collan. I–II |
| 1867 | French | L. Léouzon Le Duc | A prose translation of the New Kalevala |
| 1868 | English | J. A. Porter | Selections from the Kalevala |
| 1871 | Hungarian | F. Barna | Kalevala: a finnek nemzeti eposza |
| 1875 | Swedish | R. Hertzberg | Kalevala berättad för ungdom |
| 1879 | Hungarian | K. E. Újfalvy von Mezőkövesd | Partial translation (not published) |
| 1880 | Russian | S. W. Hellgren | Pesni o Kullerve |
| 1881 | Italian | Tozzetti | Translation of the 37th poem of the Kalevala |
| 1881 | Russian | S. W. Hellgren | Pesni pro Aino |
| 1881 | Russian | E. Granström | An account of the plot of the Kalevala |
| 1883 | Estonian | M. J. Eisen | A short account of the plot of the Kalevala |
| 1884 | Swedish | R. Hertzberg | A poetic translation of the Kalevala |