Finnish folklore: information sources in English: Folklore Anthologies

The SKVR Database is a digital edition of the book series Suomen Kansan Vanhat Runot (SKVR) where the Kalevalaic folk poetry, stored in archives and found in written sources, was published in 1908 - 1948 and 1995.

By the end of the 19th century, the Finnish Literary Society had collected tens of thousands of folk tunes from all over Finland. The material consists mainly of transcriptions. A Finnish music scholar, Ilmari Krohn, edited the collected folk songs into a book series Suomen Kansan Sävelmiä (Finnish Folk Tunes), published by the Finnish Literature Society in 1898-1933.

The original collection was digitized at the University of Jyväskylä in 2002-2003. A total of 8613 tunes and their relevant details were entered into a database, freely available as the Digital Archive of Finnish Folk Tunes. A search engine enables the tunes to be searched by a keyword, collection, musical type, geographical location and musical content.

In: Virtanen, Leea & DuBois Thomas. Finnish Folklore. (Helsinki: Finnish Litrerature Society, 2000), pp. 123-281.
Includes Kalevalaic folk poems, laments, rhymed folk songs, folk music, incantations, lullabies, nursery rhymes, folktales, legends, jokes, anecdotes, contemporary legends, riddles, proverbs, imitations, everyday beliefs, childrens's folklore.

Edited and translated by Matti Kuusi, Keith Bosley and Michael Branch.
Helsinki: Finnish Literature Society, 1977.
This work provides a representative selection of the themes and motifs of oral tradition in Finland, Karelia and Ingria. The Preface and Introduction supply information concerning the history of the Finnic people and the history of collecting, studying and archiving folk poetry in Finland.

By Lauri Honko, Senni Timonen and Michael Branch; poems translated by Keith Bosley. Helsinki: Suomalaisen Kirjallisuuden Seura, 1993.
These 450 poems, songs, charms, prayers and laments in the original languages and in English illustrate the beliefs, perceptions and artistic genius of fifteen peoples - among them Finns - scattered across Northern Europe deep into Russia and beyond the Urals, and of Hungarians in Central Europe. Each section is introduced by a specialist essay.

By Aili Nenola.
Helsinki: Suomalaisen Kirjallisuuden Seura, 2002.
This volume contains nearly 700 lament texts recorded mostly in writing between 1841 and 1975, here presented in their original language with English translations and commentary. The book also includes samples of lament melodies.

Compiled and edited by Elias Lönnrot in 1880; translated into English by John Abercromby in 1898 ; illustrated by Akseli Gallen-Kallela in 1922.
Helsinki; London: John Hällström book company, 2011.
Based on: Pre- and Proto-historic Finns, both Eastern and Western, with the Magic Songs of the West Finns / John Abercromby (1898).

Edited by Matti Kuusi; translated by Keith Bosley.
Helsinki: Finnish Literature Society, 1995.
Selection of poems from Finnish Folk Poetry: Epic (1977).

Edited by Leea Virtanen, Annikki Kaivola-Bregenhøj and Aarre Nyman.
Helsinki: Suomalaisen Kirjallisuuden Seura, 1977.
The Finnish riddle tradition in represented in this large general reference work by 1248 types of riddles. The introduction surveys the collection and study of riddles in Finland, their formal structure and function.

By Matti Kuusi; in cooperation with Arvo Krikmann, Kari Laukkanen, Ingrid Sarv, Pentti Leino, Marje Joalaid, Elsa Kokare, Vaina Mälk; translated by Nigel Brigden. Helsinki: Suomalainen tiedeakatemia, 1985.

Translated by Inkeri Väänänen-Jensen:
Iowa City (Iowa): Penfield, 1990.