The history of Swedish translations of the Kalevala from the 20th century to the 21st century
There are both published and unpublished Swedish translations of the Kalevala, the national epic of Finland. The first unpublished manuscript was written by the Finnish language university teacher, philologist and author Carl Niclas Keckman (1793–1838). The history of the published translations of the Kalevala dates back to the early years of the 1830’s, in other words before the publication of the Old Kalevala (1835–1836). The first Swedish translations were translations of single poems and assortments of poems, which were published in newspapers and journals in our country. The translations were done by some of the leading cultural personas during this time, as for example Carl Gustaf Borg, Erik Alexander Ingman, Elias Lönnrot, Johan Ludvig Runeberg and Johan Vilhelm Snellman.
Three translations were published as books in the 19th century: The Swedish translation of the Old Kalevala by Matthias Alexander Castrén was the one that started the Kalevala’s journey out into the world (J. Simelii Enka, Helsinki 1841), Karl Collan continued in Castrén’s footsteps with the Swedish translation of the New Kalevala, which was published in two parts (Theodor Sederholms boktryckeri, Helsinki 1864 and 1868). Rafael Hertzberg considered, in his translation, new target groups for the text (K. E. Holm’s förlag, Helsinki 1875 and G. W. Edlund, Helsinki 1884). M. A. Castrén (1813–1852), who later was appointed professor of Finnish language and literature, translated the Old Kalevala, whereas the composer, author and librarian at the university library, Collan (1828–1871), translated the New Kalevala. Hertzberg (1845–1896), on the other hand, who was a journalist, author, critic and inventor translated the Kalevala and targeted it to young readers and, obviously, also to be used in schools (Kalevala berättad för ungdom – The Kalevala for young people) and he did a more free formed translation as well (Kalevala. Fri öfversättning – The Kalevala. Free translation).
Swedish translations of the Kalevala were published both in Finland and Sweden during the 20th century. The first translation that was published in another country than Finland was done by the author Elsa Dalström (later Söderberg, 1880–1972). This was also the first translation done by a woman and it was published in Stockholm by the publishing company Albert Bonnier in 1902. Her translation was an adapted new version for young readers, ny bearbetning för ungdomen. Dalström had used the translations by Collan and Hertzberg as source material for her own work. The translation also included illustrations by Sigfrid August Keinänen (1841–1914). In the beginning of the 20th century “an excerpt of a trial of a translation into Swedish” by the painter Akseli Gallen-Kallela (1865–1931) came out. Gallen-Kallela had translated the first poem of the Kalevala in this work. The translation by Gallen-Kallela (he used the pseudonym A. G.-K.) was published in the Yearbook of the Kalevala Society in 1923.
Three translations of the Kalevala were published in the 1940’s. The first translation was done by Olaf Homén (1879–1949), a professor of literature, whose abridged Swedish version was published both in Finland and in Sweden in 1944. The publishing company in Finland was Förlaget Bro in Turku and in Sweden Natur och Kultur in Stockholm. New printings of these editions have been published later. Also in the same year, a selection of translations by author, university teacher of the Finnish language and radio journalist Vilhelm (Ville) Zilliacus (1914–2000), was published by Albert Bonnier. As the source text, Zilliacus used the second edition of the translation by Collan from 1922. Björn Collinder (1894–1983), who was a professor of Fenno-Ugric linguistics at the university in Uppsala, translated the Kalevala into Swedish in 1948 and his translation has been reprinted as late as in the 1980’s. Characteristic for Collinder’s translation is that it is an interpretation in the Swedish language as it is spoken in Sweden. The translation that is regarded as a classic was published in Sweden and it also contained illustrations by Gallen-Kallela. The first edition was published by Aktiebolaget Bokverk in Stockholm, but Collinder’s translation has later been published by other publishing companies as well both in Sweden (Forum) and in Finland (Holger Schildts förlag).
After this, the Kalevala was not translated into Swedish until in the 1980’s. The reason may have been that Collinder’s translation was very popular and several reprints were done of it. Eli Margareta Wärnhjelm (1894–1985) was a Swedish speaking Finn and teacher, who was born in Vyborg, and she translated a version of the Kalevala that was meant for children Kalevala berättad för barn (in English: The Kalevala for children), which was published in 1985. As stated above, it was meant for children and it was published by Svenska Läromedel, which was a publishing company for Swedish schoolbooks based in Espoo. On the cover is a painting by Joseph Alanen (1885–1920), who died at a young age and was known for his Kalevala illustrations.
In 1999, which was the 150th anniversary of the Kalevala, two Swedish translations of the Kalevala were published. The first one was a result of a collaboration of two translators, Lars and Mats Huldén. Lars Huldén (1926–2016) was a Swedish speaking Finnish author, professor of Nordic philology and translator. His son Mats (b. 1949) is a Swedish speaking Finnish musician, lyricist and translator. Their translation was published both in Finland (Söderström & Co, Helsinki) and in Sweden (Atlantis, Stockholm) and it has been reprinted several times. The translators worked independently but they did read and comment on their respective preliminary translations. The idea of creating a new translation had come from the Finnish Literature Society, the Kalevala Society and FILI, the Finnish Literature Exchange. The translation is regarded as the first complete Swedish translation since Collan’s translation.
The perhaps most peculiar Swedish translation in the history of Kalevala translations was published in 1999: Anders Larsson‘s (b. 1952) Kalevala för lata (Schildts, Helsinki), was, according to its title, “the Kalevala for lazy people”. Another printing of it was published in 2017. Larsson used the fourth edition of Collinder’s translation from 1970 as his source text. Larsson is a Swedish author who was born in Sweden. He works as a playwright and actor and he has lived in Finland for several years.
The latest Swedish translation of the Kalevala is from the 21st century. The translation by the Swede Lina Stoltz (b. 1974) Kalevala berättad för alla åldrar (The Kalevala for all ages) was published in 2007. Stoltz is an author who lives in Överkalix in northern Sweden. She wanted that her translation would be available for “all age groups”, no more and no less. She says that some of the poems are directly taken from the translation by the Huldéns. The small Swedish publishing company Barents Publisher, published the translation and a reprint was published in 2014.
Laukkanen, Liisa – Harry Lönnroth 2018: Kalevalan ruotsinkieliset käännökset 1835–2018. Marko Lamberg, Ulla Piela ja Hanna Snellman (toim.): Satunnaisesti Suomessa, 297–302. Kalevalaseuran vuosikirja 97. Suomalaisen Kirjallisuuden Seura, Helsinki.
Lönnroth, Harry – Liisa Laukkanen 2020: Kalevala på svenska – kansalliseepoksen ruotsinnokset ja niiden peritekstit 1800-luvulta 2000-luvulle. Sananjalka 62, 195–214. https://doi.org/10.30673/sja.90729
Liisa Laukkanen ja Harry Lönnroth