Where can you find the most complete literary image of Finland, if not in the main epic monument of the northern peoples—the Kalevala? In the midst of northern forests, cold rivers, sharp rocks, high mountains, and freezing air lies the bright land of Kalevala. Finnish linguist and folklorist Elias Lönnrot collected fifty rune-songs from the words of Karelian and Finnish peasants, including legends about the creation of the world and wonders, ancient godlike heroes and sorcerers, and feats and achievements. On the pages of the epic is an entire world of cultural heritage of the Finnic-Ugric peoples across many centuries, where reality blends with myth. Kalevala is the cornerstone of Finnish national literature.