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This year Kalevala, the Finnish national epic,
is going to be 180 years old.
Akseli Gallen-Kallela (1865-1931) is known as the national artist of Finland.
Mauri Kunnas I herewith nominate as the national comic artist of Finland.
Kunnas writes in his foreword for the Canine Kalevala:
As I listened over the years to the animated hubbub dogs make,
it occurred to me that perhaps they were trying to say something.
So I packed my knapsack and set out on a collecting trip
among the neighborhood canine community.
I recorded some two hundred hours of various types of howls
and then, together with my dear friend Rekku the dog,
transcribed the tapes. It is from these "songs"
that this book is compiled.
So similar are these stories to those of the Finnish national epic,
the Kalevala, that I decided to name this saga
and its bold heroes and damsels in accordance with it.
Canine Version of AKG's painting "Lemminkäinen's Mother"
Canine version of AGK's "Aino" triptych.
Canine version of AKG's painting "The Forging of the Sampo"
Canine version of AKG's painting "Ilmarinen Ploughing the Field of Vipers"
Canine version of AKG's painting "Kullervo Goes Forth to Battle"
Canine version of AKG's painting "The Defense of the Sampo"
Made some prints for our
KALLATON-night,
on Thursday, 5th of February 2015
Laura and Katalin are singing Finnish-Hungarian folks songs
and Raúl is reading in German language
extracts from Kalevala and some Hungarian poems.
SISU-radio is organizing also some
traditional snacks and drinks.
Come to Galli and be amazed!
Yes, Raúl was our guest in SISU-radio on last Sunday!
Music of KALLATON can be listened here:
Mieleni minun tekevi, aivoni ajattelevi
lähteäni laulamahan, saa'ani sanelemahan,
sukuvirttä suoltamahan, lajivirttä laulamahan.
Sanat suussani sulavat, puhe'et putoelevat,
kielelleni kerkiävät, hampahilleni hajoavat.
(Kalevala first lines)