Aleksis Kivi (; born Alexis Stenvall; 10 October 1834 – 31 December 1872)
was a Finnish author who wrote the first significant novel in the
Finnish language
Finnish ( endonym: or ) is a Uralic language of the Finnic branch, spoken by the majority of the population in Finland and by ethnic Finns outside of Finland. Finnish is one of the two official languages of Finland (the other being Swedis ...
, ''
Seitsemän veljestä
''Seitsemän veljestä'' (; literally translated ''The Seven Brothers'') is the first and only novel by Aleksis Kivi, the national author of Finland. '' ("Seven Brothers") in 1870. He is also known for his 1864 play ''
Heath Cobblers ''The Cobblers on the Heath'' (or ''Heath Cobblers''Aleksis Kivi's ''Heath Cobblers'' ('Nummisuutarit') ''A Comedy in five acts'', translated by Douglas Robinson (1993, St Cloud, Minnesota) in Douglas Robinson's 1993 translation; fi, Nummisuutarit) ...
''. Although Kivi was among the very earliest authors of prose and lyrics in Finnish, he is still considered one of the greatest.
Kivi is regarded as a national writer of Finland and his birthday, 10 October, is celebrated as
Finnish Literature Day.
[Finland celebrates Day of Literature, with flags flying for Aleksis Kivi](_blank)
/ref>
Life
Aleksis Stenvall was born in Palojoki village of Nurmijärvi
Nurmijärvi () is the most populated rural municipality of Finland, located north of the capital Helsinki. The neighboring municipalities of Nurmijärvi are Espoo, Vantaa, Tuusula, Hyvinkää and Vihti, and it is part of the Greater Helsinki. Th ...
, Grand Duchy of Finland
The Grand Duchy of Finland ( fi, Suomen suuriruhtinaskunta; sv, Storfurstendömet Finland; russian: Великое княжество Финляндское, , all of which literally translate as Grand Principality of Finland) was the predecess ...
. His parents were the village tailor
A tailor is a person who makes or alters clothing, particularly in men's clothing. The Oxford English Dictionary dates the term to the thirteenth century.
History
Although clothing construction goes back to prehistory, there is evidence of ...
Erik Johan Stenvall (1798–1866) and Anna-Kristiina Hamberg (1793–1863). Before Aleksis, the family already had three sons, Johannes, Emanuel, and Albert. Aleksis also had a sister, Agnes, who died in 1851 at the age of only 13.
In 1846 he left for school in Helsinki
Helsinki ( or ; ; sv, Helsingfors, ) is the capital, primate, and most populous city of Finland. Located on the shore of the Gulf of Finland, it is the seat of the region of Uusimaa in southern Finland, and has a population of . The city ...
, and in 1859 he was accepted into the University of Helsinki
The University of Helsinki ( fi, Helsingin yliopisto, sv, Helsingfors universitet, abbreviated UH) is a public research university located in Helsinki, Finland since 1829, but founded in the city of Turku (in Swedish ''Åbo'') in 1640 as the ...
, where he studied literature and developed an interest in the theatre. His first play was ''Kullervo'', based on a tragic tale from the ''Kalevala
The ''Kalevala'' ( fi, Kalevala, ) is a 19th-century work of epic poetry compiled by Elias Lönnrot from Karelian and Finnish oral folklore and mythology, telling an epic story about the Creation of the Earth, describing the controversies and ...
''. He also met the famous journalist and statesman Johan Vilhelm Snellman
Johan Vilhelm Snellman (; 12 May 1806 – 4 July 1881) was an influential Fennoman philosopher and Finnish statesman, ennobled in 1866. He was one of the most important 'awakeners' or promoters of Finnish nationalism, alongside Elias Lönnrot an ...
who became his supporter.
During his time at school Kivi read world literature from the library of his landlord, and during his University studies, he saw plays by Molière
Jean-Baptiste Poquelin (, ; 15 January 1622 (baptised) – 17 February 1673), known by his stage name Molière (, , ), was a French playwright, actor, and poet, widely regarded as one of the greatest writers in the French language and worl ...
and Schiller at the Swedish Theatre
The Swedish Theatre ( sv, Svenska Teatern) is a Swedish-language theatre in Helsinki, Finland, and is located at the Erottaja ( sv, Skillnaden) square, at the end of Esplanadi ( sv, Esplanaden). It was the first national stage of Finland.
Hi ...
in Helsinki. Kivi also had friends such as Fredrik Cygnaeus
Fredrik Cygnaeus (1 April 1807 – 7 February 1881) was a Finnish poet, art critic and collector, docent of history and university professor of aesthetics and literature. Cygnaeus was an influential figure in Finnish art and literature, cont ...
and Elias Lönnrot
Elias Lönnrot (; 9 April 1802 – 19 March 1884) was a Finnish physician, philologist and collector of traditional Finnish oral poetry. He is best known for creating the Finnish national epic, ''Kalevala'',
(1835, enlarged 1849), from short ...
.
From 1863 onwards, Kivi devoted his time to writing. He wrote 12 plays and a collection of poetry. The novel ''Seitsemän veljestä
''Seitsemän veljestä'' (; literally translated ''The Seven Brothers'') is the first and only novel by Aleksis Kivi, the national author of Finland. '' ("Seven Brothers") took him ten years to write. Literary critics, especially the prominent August Ahlqvist
Karl August Engelbrekt Ahlqvist, who wrote as A. Oksanen (7 August 1826 – 20 November 1889), was a Finnish professor, poet, scholar of the Finno-Ugric languages, author, and literary critic. Today, he is best remembered as the sharpest critic o ...
, disapproved of the book, at least nominally because of its "rudeness" – Romanticism
Romanticism (also known as the Romantic movement or Romantic era) was an artistic, literary, musical, and intellectual movement that originated in Europe towards the end of the 18th century, and in most areas was at its peak in the approximate ...
was at its height at the time; Ahlqvist also wrote "It is a ridiculous work and a blot on the name of Finnish literature". It is known that no other critic hated Kivi's writings as much as Ahlqvist, in which case the situation could almost be called " persecution", but the Fennoman
The Fennoman movement or Fennomania was a Finnish nationalist movement in the 19th-century Grand Duchy of Finland, built on the work of the ''fennophile'' interests of the 18th and early-19th centuries.
History
After the Crimean War, Fennoma ...
s also disapproved of its depiction of not-so-virtuous rural life that was far from their idealized point of view, and Kivi's excessive drinking may have alienated some.
In 1865 Kivi won the State Prize for his still often performed comedy ''Nummisuutarit'' (' The Cobblers on the Heath', translated as ''Heath Cobblers'' by Douglas Robinson). However, the less than enthusiastic reception of his books was taking its toll and he was already drinking heavily. His main benefactor Charlotta Lönnqvist
Charlotta Maria Lönnqvist (4 February 1815 Siuntio – 27 April 1891 Siuntio) was a Finnish cultural personality. She is mainly known as the benefactor of Aleksis Kivi who lived in her cottage in 1864-1871. She was also a known wolfer, who was a ...
, with whom Kivi lived in Siuntio
Siuntio (; sv, Sjundeå) is a municipality of Finland located in the Uusimaa region in the province of Southern Finland. Its neighboring municipalities are Ingå to the west, Kirkkonummi, to the east, Lohja to the north-west, and Vihti to the no ...
at the time of his creative writing, could not help him after the 1860s.
Kivi's health had failed completely in 1870, when he lived at Franzén croft in Tapanila
Tapanila ( sv, Mosabacka) is a neighbourhood in Malmi district, Helsinki. Tapanila has approximately 5474 inhabitants (2005).http://www.hel2.fi/tietokeskus/helsinki_alueittain_2005/503Malmi.pdf Information about Malmi and its subareas Tapanila has ...
, Helsinki. The collapse was accelerated by typhoid
Typhoid fever, also known as typhoid, is a disease caused by ''Salmonella'' serotype Typhi bacteria. Symptoms vary from mild to severe, and usually begin six to 30 days after exposure. Often there is a gradual onset of a high fever over several d ...
and attacks of delirium and in 1871 he was admitted to the New Clinic, from where he was transferred to the psychiatric hospital at Lapinlahti
Lapinlahti (; sv, Lapinlahti, also ) is a municipality of Finland. It is part of the Northern Savonia region, located north of the city of Kuopio. The municipality has a population of () and covers an area of of which is water. The populati ...
, Helsinki. The doctor treating him, A. T. Saelan, diagnosed him with melancholia resulting from "injured dignity as a writer". On the basis of the available documents, Kalle Achté
Karl Aimo "Kalle" Achté (12 September 1928 – 30 January 2019) was a Finnish psychiatrist.
He was a physician and psychiatrist at Helsinki University Central Hospital from 1956 to 1961 and Hesperia Hospital 1961 to 1966, taking his doctoral de ...
concludes that it was a classic case of schizophrenia
Schizophrenia is a mental disorder characterized by continuous or relapsing episodes of psychosis. Major symptoms include hallucinations (typically hearing voices), delusions, and disorganized thinking. Other symptoms include social wit ...
, triggered by severe states of anxiety. It has also been suggested, however, that Kivi's mental illness may have been caused by advanced borreliosis. Kivi died in poverty at the age of 38 in Tuusula
Tuusula (; sv, Tusby ) is a municipality of Finland. It belongs to the Helsinki sub-region of the Uusimaa region. The municipality has a population of
() and is by far the third largest municipality in Finland after Nurmijärvi and Kirkkonummi ...
, at the home of his brother Albert near the Lake Tuusula. According to legend, his last words were, "I live" ( fi, "Minä elän").
Legacy
In the early 20th century young writers Volter Kilpi
Volter Kilpi, born Volter Ericsson, (December 12, 1874 – June 13, 1939) was a Finnish author best known for his two-volume novel '' Alastalon salissa'' (1933), often considered one of the best written in the Finnish language. Kilpi has been co ...
and Eino Leino
Eino Leino (born Armas Einar Leopold Lönnbohm; 6 July 1878 – 10 January 1926) was a Finnish poet and journalist who is considered one of the pioneers of Finnish poetry and a national poet of Finland. His poems combine modern and Finnish fo ...
raised Kivi to the status of national icon. Eino Leino – and later Väinö Linna
Väinö Linna (; 20 December 1920 – 21 April 1992) was a Finnish author. He gained literary fame with his third novel, ''Tuntematon sotilas'' ( ''The Unknown Soldier'', published in 1954), and consolidated his position with the trilogy ''Tää ...
and Veijo Meri
Veijo Väinö Valvo Meri (31 December 1928 – 21 June 2015) was a Finnish writer. Much of his work focuses on war and its absurdity. The work is anti-war and has dark humor.
Born in Viipuri (today Vyborg, Russia), Meri graduated from secondary ...
– also identified with Kivi's fate as an author.
In 1936 the Aleksis Kivi Prize, awarded for contributions to Finnish literature, was established.
In 1939 the Aleksis Kivi Memorial, a bronze statue of Kivi by Wäinö Aaltonen
Wäinö Valdemar Aaltonen (8 March 1894 – 30 May 1966) was a Finnish artist and sculptor. The Chambers Biographical Dictionary describes him as "one of the leading Finnish sculptors".
He was born to a tailor in the village of Karinainen, Finla ...
, was erected in front of the Finnish National Theatre
The Finnish National Theatre ( fi, Suomen Kansallisteatteri), established in 1872, is a theatre located in central Helsinki on the northern side of the Helsinki Central Railway Station Square. The Finnish National Theatre is the oldest Finnish ...
. Many streets in Finnish cities and towns have also been named after Kivi, such as Aleksis Kiven katu in Tampere
Tampere ( , , ; sv, Tammerfors, ) is a city in the Pirkanmaa region, located in the western part of Finland. Tampere is the most populous inland city in the Nordic countries. It has a population of 244,029; the urban area has a population o ...
.
In 1995 to 1996, Finnish composer Einojuhani Rautavaara
Einojuhani Rautavaara (; 9 October 1928 – 27 July 2016) was a Finnish composer of classical music. Among the most notable Finnish composers since Jean Sibelius (1865–1957), Rautavaara wrote a great number of works spanning various styles. ...
wrote an opera about Kivi's life and works. There are two films of Kivi: ' (Finnish title: ''"Minä elän"'') from 1946, directed by Ilmari Unho
Ilmari Unho (22 October 1906 − 3 April 1961) was a Finnish actor, film director, and screenwriter. Unho was employed by Suomi-Filmi for most of his filmmaking career.
Unho was born in Uusikaupunki in 1906. He started his film career as an actor ...
; and ' (Finnish title: ''Aleksis Kiven elämä'') from 2002, written and directed by Jari Halonen
Jari Juhani Halonen (born 30 September 1962) is a Finnish film and theatre director, writer and occasional actor. Known as a controversial and outspoken person, his films, such as '' Back to the USSR'' (1992), '' Lipton Cockton in the Shadows of S ...
.
Gallery
Kivi in English
* Impola, Richard A., trans. Aleksis Kivi, ''Seven Brothers'' (English translation of ''Seitsemän veljestä
''Seitsemän veljestä'' (; literally translated ''The Seven Brothers'') is the first and only novel by Aleksis Kivi, the national author of Finland. ''). New Paltz, NY: Finnish-American Translators Association, 1991.
* Matson, Alex, trans. Aleksis Kivi, ''Seven Brothers'' (English translation of ''Seitsemän veljestä''). 1st edition, New York: Coward-McCann, 1929. 2nd edition, Helsinki: Tammi, 1952. 3rd edition, edited by Irma Rantavaara, Helsinki: Tammi, 1973.
* Robinson, Douglas, trans. ''Aleksis Kivi's'' Heath Cobblers ''and'' Kullervo. St. Cloud, MN: North Star Press of St. Cloud, 1993.
* Robinson, Douglas, trans. ''The Brothers Seven''. Bucharest, Romania: Zeta Books, 2017
References
Secondary sources
* Robinson, Douglas, ''Aleksis Kivi and/as World Literature''. Leiden and Boston: Brill, 2017.
* Tarkiainen, Viljo, ''Aleksis Kivi: elämä ja teokset''. WSOY, 1950.
External links
Aleksis Kivi page maintained by Nurmijärvi municipality
*
*
*
Text of Seven Brothers in Finnish
''Nummisuutarit'' – digital critical edition (in Finnish)
Eds. Jyrki Nummi (editor-in-chief), Sakari Katajamäki, Ossi Kokko and Petri Lauerma. Finnish Literature Society, 2011.
The Aleksis Kivi Brothers Seven Translation Assessment Project
publicly accessible, provided b
Hong Kong Baptist University Library
{{DEFAULTSORT:Kivi, Aleksis
1834 births
1872 deaths
*
People from Nurmijärvi
People from Uusimaa Province (Grand Duchy of Finland)
Finnish male novelists
Finnish dramatists and playwrights
Finnish-language writers
Writers from Uusimaa
Fennomans
19th-century Finnish writers
National symbols of Finland
19th-century Finnish novelists
19th-century Finnish dramatists and playwrights