Traditional folk poetry from Finland in metal music lyrics
What is it about?
The Finnish folk epic, the Kalevala (final edition published in 1849), has inspired many artists throughout the years. Perhaps it was only a matter of time before metal musicians started adapting the poetry from the epic in their music and lyrics. This article is about two songs that rework the poetry. The first is 'Lemminkäisen laulu' (The Song of Lemminkäinen) by Kotiteollisuus, and the second is 'Rautaa rinnoista' (Iron from the Breasts) by Mokoma. Both songs rework various sources besides the epic. The resulting pastiche-like lyrics show the awareness of the artists on Finnish folk poetry, but also on Finnish art, society, and culture. The songs can be connected to the artists' sense of Finnishness but also to the topics and themes of the global metal scenen
Why is it important?
Let's be honest, this research won't cure cancer or save the world. Not all research has to do this. This research introduces a non-Finnish speaking audience to two things they might know little about. Metal music and Finnish folk poetry. With the two case studies presented in the article, I challenge the negative stereotype of metal musicians as being dumb and/or uninformed. Instead, these artists use various sources to write lyrics that voice either personal experiences - ones that we might all feel from time to time - or a criticism of society. The lyrics studied show that some metal artists are very much engaged with the world around them.