Where to start from to learn ancient Carelian? I'd like to read Kalevala in original language.
Among the other metal groups I've been listening recently there is Korpiklaani (And right now I hear some Finns rejoice at this name), whose old-fashioned language definitely caught my attention. Sometimes, as I began to study Finnish on my own, I planned to start reading Kalevala, but never really made it (I have read only some verses in English translation). So, if I wanted to fully understand ancient Carelian (At least I guess it is Carelian) which Finnish traditional poetry was composed in, where should I start from to learn it? I have already studied some Finnish grammar (Can't read or write in Finnish fluently, though. It made me nervous to think I HAD to learn it, but I won't desist), so which are the differences between standard kirjakieli and poetic Finnish, as for syntax, verb tense or declension forms?
Thank you

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Thank you for your help! :-) I tried to read some verses from Kalevala and apparently I got the most of it. The Wikipedia page has proved itself useful. Thanks again! :)

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As I've understood it, Kalevala was written in Finnish, but the rhythmic structure was based in Carelian, specificly to vienankarjala. So if your goal is to understand Kalevala, you can do that just with Finnish (although it is really difficult to understand!). I've found it easier to listen to Kalevala that to read it, since all the poems in it where originally ment to be sang.

I'm not an expert of the Kalevala structure (far from it! I barely remember the things they thought us at school!) but there's a good wikipedia article about it (in Finnish, but maybe you can understand some of it?): https://fi.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kalevalamitta

If you are interested in Carelian language, I found these links, which you may already know, but I'll add them here just in case:
http://www.karjalansivistysseura.fi/karjalan-kieli/
https://fi.wikipedia.org/wiki/Karjalan_kieli

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