Kullervo Goes to War, by Gallen-Kallela [19th Cent.] (Public Domain Image)

Magic Songs of the West Finns, Vol. I

by John Abercromby

[1898]

Contents Start Reading Page Index Text [Zipped]

This is the first volume of John Abercromby's extensive study of Finnish magic songs and their background. First he details the history, ethnography and linguistics of the Finns, indeed, constructs a century-long history of the entire Finno-ugric group from the evolution of vocabulary. Finally in the last (long) chapter he gets to the first part of the exposition of the 'magic songs.' This is a summary of the various characters in the songs including a whole range of Finnish gods, goddesses, heroes, wizards, nature-spirits, and so on. He also goes into detail about Finnish Shamanistic practices, including drumming, trance ceremonies, and guide spirits. This book is a treasure trove of Finnish lore, and invites repeated browsings.

Title Page
Preface
Contents
The Value of Additional Letters of the Alphabet
Full Titles of Books Consulted and Referred to
Illustrations
Chapter I. Geographical Position and Craniology of the Finns
Chapter II. The Neolithic Age in Finland
Chapter III. Historical Notices of Classical Authors
Chapter VI. The Prehistoric Civilisation of the Finns
Chapter V. The Third or Iranian Period
Chapter VI. Beliefs of the West Finns as Exhibited in the Magic Songs
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