Folklore сomponents of Finnish Rock Poetry

Abstract

This article explores the folklore components of Finnish rock poetry in Finnish and Swedish. It highlights how Finnish rock culture has revived an ancient tradition where poetry and music were intertwined. While musicians of Amorphis reference “Kalevala” mythology in the songs like “Tuonela”, “Sampo” and “Kantele”, they do not explicitly mention the names of “Kalevala” heroes in their adaptations of runes. The themes of their lyrics seem to take on a universal quality and are set in modern times. The influence of folklore traditions on Finnish authors is evident even in their English-language works. Ville Sorvali of Moonsorrow interprets the runes, trying to understand the intention of their creators, believing that these lyrics resonate with people worldwide. Similarly, Jan Jämsen (Katla), a Swedish-speaking Finn, infuses his native Swedish lyrics for Finntroll with imagery of fantastical creatures and incorporates Sámi folk chants joik to emphasize their uniqueness. Modern Finnish rock poetry stands out for its multilingualism and references to mythological themes from Finnish and Scandinavian folk poetry. However, the resurgence of metrics and imagery from the “Kalevala” and “Kanteletar” in rock poetry was unexpected. Authors use figurative symbolism that may require a deep understanding of Finnish culture to fully appreciate, even in Englishlanguage works. Finnish rock poetry is a diverse and vibrant art form that resonates with universal themes and emotions.