161. Tolkien’s First Tragic Tale : The Story of Kullervo

The Kalevala is perhaps Tolkien’s earliest inspiration… In this episode, we dig into The Story of Kullervo the tragic Finnish myth (from the Kalevala)  that captured Tolkien’s imagination as a young man. We explore why Kullervo’s tragic tale—full of vengeance, orphaned rage, and doomed family bonds—became the seed for later stories like The Children of Húrin (and even Beren and Lúthien!).

We also examine:

• The Kalevala’s raw, unfamiliar style and why Tolkien found it so fresh
• How Tolkien’s early attempts at rewriting folklore reveal his love of language and poetry
• How the Kalevala’s influence shaped Middle-earth’s earliest legends
• The parallels (and differences) between Kullervo and Turin Turambar
• What makes Kullervo so unlike Tolkien’s usual heroes

In our extended episode (available for members at https://theonering.com/members), we discuss:

• The big ol’ Lego set that’ll be released in a month
• Elanor Gamgee as the face of the new LOTR movie.
• Listener’s feedback on Saruman’s strength.

🔗 Episode Links
The Story of Kullervo
The Children of Hurin
The Silmarillion
Unfinished Tales
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🔍 If You Like Tolkien
The Expanded Letters of JRR Tolkien (audiobook)
The Expanded Letters of JRR Tolkien (book)
The Silmarillion
The Children of Hurin
The Atlas of Middle-earth
Make Tolkien Great Again – Tengwar Hat