Abstract
Jungian interpretation of the Kalevala, focusing on the character of Väinämöinen and his role as Shaman. Part 1 gives an introduction to the Kalevala and to shamanism, then analyzes the creation myth in the Kalevala. Part 2 analyzes Väinämöinen’s transformation of the land, the felling of the oak, the confrontation with Joukahainen, and the death of Aino. The third part discusses Väinämöinen’s “second encounter with the anima figure in the being of Louki’s daughter.” The conclusion is a Jungian analysis of Väinämöinen’s “night-sea journey” to the Abode of the Dead; his journey within the body of the giant Antero Vipunen; and his fashioning of an “instrument of eternal joy,” the kantele.
