description Lemminkainen Overview
Lemminkäinen is a prominent figure in the Kalevala, the 19th-century national epic of Finland compiled by Elias Lönnrot. He is characterized as a handsome, arrogant, and reckless warrior and shaman who embarks on various adventures to win a bride. In one of his most famous episodes, he is killed and dismembered while attempting to shoot the Swan of Tuonela in the underworld. His mother subsequently gathers his scattered remains from the river and uses magical spells to restore him to life.
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Who is Lemminkäinen in the Kalevala?
Lemminkäinen is a handsome, reckless warrior and magical adventurer in the Kalevala, the Finnish national epic compiled by Elias Lönnrot. His main story appears in the cycle of runes dealing with his attempts to win a bride from Pohjola.
Why does Lemminkäinen go to Tuonela?
Louhi sets him dangerous tasks, including hunting Hiisi's elk, mastering a fiery horse, and shooting the Swan of Tuonela. During the final task he is killed and falls into Tuonela, the realm of the dead.
How does Lemminkäinen return from the dead?
His mother follows him to Tuonela, recovers the pieces of his body, and reassembles him with help from a copper rake made by Ilmarinen. The restoration and revival form the central action of Rune 15 of the Kalevala.
Which classical composition is based on Lemminkäinen?
Jean Sibelius used the character in the Lemminkäinen Suite, Opus 22, composed in the 1890s. Its second tone poem, The Swan of Tuonela, focuses on the same underworld episode found in the Kalevala.
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