Magic Songs of the West Finns, Vol. 2

[1898]

This is the second volume of Abercromby's Magic Songs of the West Finns, which contains the core text here, a translation of Lönnrot's Suomen Kansan muinaisia Loitsurunoja, 'Bygone Magic Songs of the Finns.' Lönnrot was the scholar who pieced together the Kalevala, the national epic of Finland.

Reminiscent of the Carmina Gadelica, the collection includes a wide variety of spells, formulae, prayers, and origin myths, all used on a regular basis by shamans, healers and peasants from ancient times in Finland. The songs include dozens of names of gods, goddesses, heroes, nature spirits, and weave them together using surreal and symbolic language. Although scholars could wish for better attribution of the source of each song, this collection is an incredible look into an archaic way of thought.--J.B. Hare, March 9th, 2010.