'One of the great mythic poems of Europe' The New York Times Sharing its title with the poetic name for Finland - 'the land of heroes' - Kalevala is the soaring epic poem of its people, a work rich in magic and myth which tells the story of a nation through the ages from the dawn of creation. Sung by rural Finns since prehistoric times, and formally compiled by Elias Lönnrot in the nineteenth century, it is a landmark of Finnish culture and played a vital role in galvanizing its national identity in the decades leading to independence. Its themes, however, reach beyond borders and search the heart of human existence. Translated with an Introduction by Eino Friberg

It was the Kalevala that initiated the process leading to the foundation of Finnish identity during the nineteenth century and was, therefore, one of the crucial factors in the formation of Finland as a new nation in the twentieth century.

The Key to the Kalevala was originally published in Finland in 1916. Now this insightful and detailed exploration of the ancient origins of Finnish mythology is available in English. Students of the ancient traditions and mystical teachings will find no better introduction to the profound esoteric meaning of the Kalevala, the Finnish National Epic, than Ervast's book. This translation is authorized by Ervast's study-school in Finland, whose members have worked to preserve his insights into his culture's past and the spiritual evolution of humanity. We also have the good fortune of being able to use Eino Friberg's beautiful translation of Kalevala (1988) into the modern American idiom. The combined work of Ervast and Friberg results in a unique, insightful, and aesthetically pleasing offering.

Discover mighty eagles and mythical heroes in this beautifully illustrated prose retelling of Finland's classic epic

Louhi's plan to steal the sun and the moon backfires when the gods learn of her mischievous scheme.

Erik Tawaststjerna embarked on his monumental and acclaimed study of Jean Sibelius's life and music in 1960 and it occupied him for over a quarter of a century. His study differs from other work on the composer in one important respect: he had unrestricted access to the composer's papers, diaries and letters as well as the advantage of numerous conversations with the composer's widow and other members of the family. Thus his researches can justifiably claim to have thrown entirely fresh light on the great Finnish composer. Far from the remote personality of the Sibelius legend, Sibelius emerges as a highly colourful figure. This second volume covers the crucial period from 1904 and the beginning of the Third Symphony through to the outbreak of the First World War ten years later. During this period Sibelius began keeping a diary which, together with his letters to his wife, Aino, and to his friend, Axel Carpelan, helped the author give us a day-by-day, intimate account of the turbulent years that saw the gestation and completion of many of his finest works, culminating in the Fourth Symphony. Translated by Robert Layton, himself a Sibelius specialist, this is a compelling and insightful account of the music of one of the twentieth century's greatest composers.

The Secret Doctrine, Volume II. Anthropogenesis H. P. Blavatsky - The Secret Doctrine is the seminal work of the Theosophical Movement and established Blavatsky as one of the most vocal and outspoken advocate of the Wisdom Teachings of the East. Almost every contemporary spiritual movement can trace its lineage back to the impulses expressed most consumately in this, Blavatsky's Magnum Opus. Based upon a disclosure and exposition of the hitherto unknown - and academically, quite controversial - "Stanzas of Dzyan," The Secret Doctrine elaborates on the teachings first brought to the world through the "Masters" Koot Humi and Morya and introduced in A. P. Sinnett's "Esoteric Buddhism," to which Blavatsky continuously refers and clarifies. In the two volumes (the first being Cosmogenesis) she portrays a sweeping vision of the evolution of humanity and the cosmos out of the spirit, unfolding in "rounds" and cycles of descent and reascent from and to the spirit, through cycles of reincarnation. This ebook edition has been meticulously prepared, with over 1000 footnotes linked from within the text. This complex and challenging work is presented in a highly readable format that invites a fresh approach to the text. Volume I, Cosmogenesis