The Hero of Esthonia ; and other Studies in Esthonian
Literature. By W. F. Kirby. 2 vols. (John C. Nimmo.)—Mr. W. F. Kirby tells us that in the course of his study of the Finnish epic " Kalevala," he was led to examine the literature of neighbouring countries. Esthonia, which is a Russian province with a Finnish population and a German aristocracy, possesses an epic of its own, the " Kalevipoeg," which is not. as Mr. Kirby expected to find it, a variant of the "Kalevala," but, in part at least, an independent poem. The hero is common to both, a gigantic warrior, the Kullervo of the "Kalevala." His adventures have been summarised by Mr. Kirby in a prose story, which doubtless gives the narrative itself adequately, but is wanting in distinction of style. There is much that is curious in the tale, which ends with the prospect of the hero's return, to bring a golden age to Esthonia. It has been subjected, we gather, to a process of severe compression, the nineteen thousand lines of the original being contained in some one hundred and forty loosely-printed pages. The metre resembles that which is made familiar by "Hiawatha," to which, indeed, there are other resemblances. The larger part of the two volumes is occupied with a collection of Esthonian folk-tales. The student of folk-lore will find these repay perusal. They contain not only variants from well-known folk-stories, but others which seem to be independent. We do not remember, for instance, anything like the story of the creation of the wolf. Some of the lyric parts of the " Kalevipoeg," omitted in the summary, are given in an appendix. From another source is the following" Charm against Snake-bite," which is short enough to quote :— "Thou beneath the be i ige, the smooth wood,
Under juniper, the rough wood. Thou the arrow in the willows,
0 thou challenged, gold-adorned one,
Earthy-coloured. liver-coloured, Ra■ny-hued and hiza-coloared, Firebrand-hued and cherry-coloured, Do not thou in secret bite me, Nor attack me unsuspecting.
Do not bite me when I heed not."
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