what is Finnish literature?
Finnish literature is one of those literatures of the European frontier that appear late and take on a surprisingly modest aspect. What I mean by this is that birch bark letter found in Novgorod that makes the earliest testimony of the Finnish language (written with Cyrillic letters), well in the 13th century, when other western European and even Scandinavian literatures already had considerable legacies. In fact, the oldest texts in Finland were written either in Swedish or in Latin. The proper Finnish-speaking literature developed only in the 16th century, after the Finnish translation of the New Testament in 1548.
Yet it was still only a beginning. The real development only happened in the 19th century, and it was when Finland was under Russian rule. On the other hand, these political circumstances increased the necessity of reinforcing the identity through the exploration of oral, folkloric legacies. The most famous result is Kalevala, published in 1835. After this, curiously, the most famous Finnish novel is... an Egyptian one. I mean that about Sinuhe the Egyptian, by Mika Waltari (1908-1979).
Yet it was still only a beginning. The real development only happened in the 19th century, and it was when Finland was under Russian rule. On the other hand, these political circumstances increased the necessity of reinforcing the identity through the exploration of oral, folkloric legacies. The most famous result is Kalevala, published in 1835. After this, curiously, the most famous Finnish novel is... an Egyptian one. I mean that about Sinuhe the Egyptian, by Mika Waltari (1908-1979).
I have readMika Waltari, The Egyptian | Sinuhe egyptiläinen (1945)
Tove Jansson, Småtrollen och den stora översvämningen |The Moomins and the Great Flood (1945) |
Vertical Divider
|
I have written... nothing ...
|
I am at odds with Finland since they rejected my last project proposal in Turku. But perhaps I should include it in the file under the title of "REJECTED FOR MY OWN GOOD". What would I would do in Turku, at the end of the road, and so far in the north, in a country whose language I would be probably unable to learn?
This is what I used to say to those PhD students that never used to take my pieces of advice seriously. Mind the grants proposals you submit, because, if accepted, they can make you very unhappy indeed.
Can they?
Should I swallow the unpleasantness and try to see Finland on any forthcoming academic occasion? Get interested in their language that, although beyond comprehension, might be seen as melodious and strangely extravagant? Shortly speaking, is there still anything to do for me in Finland?
This is what I used to say to those PhD students that never used to take my pieces of advice seriously. Mind the grants proposals you submit, because, if accepted, they can make you very unhappy indeed.
Can they?
Should I swallow the unpleasantness and try to see Finland on any forthcoming academic occasion? Get interested in their language that, although beyond comprehension, might be seen as melodious and strangely extravagant? Shortly speaking, is there still anything to do for me in Finland?
