Editing Kalevala (section)

===Characters===

====Väinämöinen====
[[File:Robert Wilhelm Ekman - Väinämöinen’s Play.jpg|thumb|170px|Väinämöinen is deeply identified with his [[kantele]]. <small>(''Väinämöinen's Play'', Robert Wilhelm Ekman, 1866)</small>]]
Väinämöinen, the central character of ''The Kalevala'', is a [[shaman]]istic hero with a magical power of song and music similar to that of [[Orpheus]]. He is born of Ilmatar and contributes to the creation of Earth as it is today. Many of his travels resemble shamanistic journeys, most notably one where he visits the belly of a ground-giant, [[Antero Vipunen]], to find the songs of boat building. Väinämöinen's search for a wife is a central element in many stories, but he never finds one.

Väinämöinen is associated with playing a {{lang|fi|kantele}}, a Finnish stringed instrument that resembles and is played like a [[zither]].<ref name="Matkoja musiikkiin 1800-luvun Suomessa (Journeys into music in 19th century Finland)">{{cite web|url=http://acta.uta.fi/english/teos.php?id=8519|title=Matkoja musiikkiin 1800-luvun Suomessa (Journeys into music in 19th century Finland)|access-date=17 August 2010|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110720194536/http://acta.uta.fi/english/teos.php?id=8519|archive-date=20 July 2011}}</ref><ref name="kantele">{{cite web|url=http://www.finnishheritagemuseum.org/MONTHLY.stories/March09/index.html|title=The Kantele Sings in Finnland – A Cultural Phenomenon|access-date=17 August 2010|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110721083935/http://www.finnishheritagemuseum.org/MONTHLY.stories/March09/index.html|archive-date=21 July 2011}}</ref>

====Ilmarinen====
Seppo Ilmarinen is a heroic artificer (comparable to the Germanic [[Wayland the Smith|Weyland]] and the Greek [[Daedalus]]). He crafted the [[Finnish mythology#The origins and the structure of the world|dome of the sky]], the Sampo and various other magical devices featured in ''The Kalevala''. Ilmarinen, like Väinämöinen, also has many stories told of his search for a wife, reaching the point where he forges one of gold.

====Lemminkäinen====
[[File:Ekman, Lemminkäinen tulisella järvellä (sketch).jpg|thumb|250px|Lemminkäinen and overlord Ukko]]
Lemminkäinen, a handsome, arrogant and reckless seducer, is the son of {{langnf|fi|Lempi|term1=lust |term2=favourite|links=no}}. He has a close relationship with his mother, who revives him after he has been drowned in the river of Tuonela while pursuing the object of his romantic desires.

====Ukko====
{{langnf|fi|[[Ukko]]|Old man|links=no}} is the god of sky and thunder, and the leading deity mentioned within ''The Kalevala''. He corresponds to [[Thor]] and [[Zeus]].

====Joukahainen====
Joukahainen is a base young man who arrogantly challenges Väinämöinen to a singing contest, which he loses. In exchange for his life Joukahainen promises his young sister [[Aino (mythology)|Aino]] to Väinämöinen. Joukahainen attempts to gain his revenge on Väinämöinen by killing him with a crossbow, but only succeeds in killing Väinämöinen's horse. Joukahainen's actions lead to Väinämöinen promising to build a Sampo in return for Louhi rescuing him.

====Louhi====
[[File:Sammon puolustus.jpg|thumb|Mistress of the North, Louhi attacking Väinämöinen in the form of a giant eagle with her troops on her back. <small>(''[[The Defense of the Sampo]]'', Akseli Gallen-Kallela, 1896)</small>]]
Louhi, the Mistress of the North, is the shamanistic matriarch of the people of Pohjola, a people rivalling those of Kalevala. She is the cause of much trouble for Kalevala and its people.

Louhi at one point saves Väinämöinen's life. She has many daughters whom the heroes of Kalevala make many attempts, some successful, to seduce. Louhi plays a major part in the battle to prevent the heroes of Kalevala from stealing back the Sampo, which as a result is ultimately destroyed. She is a powerful witch with a skill almost on a par with that of Väinämöinen.

====Kullervo====
Kullervo is the vengeful, mentally ill, tragic son of Kalervo. He was abused as a child and sold into slavery to Ilmarinen. He is put to work and treated badly by Ilmarinen's wife, whom he later kills. Kullervo is a misguided and troubled youth, at odds with himself and his situation. He often goes into [[Berserker|berserk]] rage, and in the end commits suicide.

====Marjatta====
Marjatta is a young virgin of Kalevala. She becomes pregnant from eating a [[Vaccinium vitis-idaea|lingonberry]]. When her labour begins she is expelled from her parents' home and leaves to find a place where she can sauna and give birth. She is turned away from numerous places but finally finds a place in the forest and gives birth to a son. Marjatta's nature, impregnation and searching for a place to give birth are in allegory to the Virgin Mary and the [[Christianisation]] of Finland.<ref>''Encyclopedia of Religion and Ethics'', Part 14, by James Hastings, p. 642.</ref> Marjatta's son is later condemned to death by Väinämöinen for being born out of wedlock. The boy in turn chastises Väinämöinen and is later crowned King of Karelia. This angers Väinämöinen, who leaves Kalevala after bequeathing his songs and kantele to the people as his legacy.