Kullervo

Kullervo stands as one of the most tragic figures in the Kalevala, Finland's national epic compiled by Elias Lönnrot. His life unfolds as a devastating sequence of loss and betrayal.

Orphaned by a tribal massacre, Kullervo grows up among the people of Untamo—the very tribe responsible for slaughtering his family. His childhood misfortunes continue when he's sold into slavery, where he endures constant ridicule and mistreatment. After escaping his captors, he experiences brief joy upon discovering surviving family members, only to have this reunion cut tragically short.

In his wanderings, Kullervo unknowingly seduces his own sister, whom he had believed dead. Upon learning the truth about their relationship, she takes her own life in despair. Consumed by rage and madness, Kullervo unleashes his supernatural powers to destroy Untamo's tribe, avenging his family before ending his own tormented existence.

The tale concludes with the wise elder Väinämöinen offering a solemn warning to all parents against harsh treatment of their children—presenting the story as both a tragedy and a moral lesson on the consequences of cruelty and the cycle of violence.