Kullervo as a Source of Inspiration for J. R. R. Tolkien

This bachelor thesis deals with the influence of the story of Kullervo in the Kalevala on the English writer John Ronald Reuel Tolkien and his work. Firstly, the background of the birth of the Kalevala and the role of Elias Lönnrot during its creation are briefly mentioned. Secondly, Tolkien and his relationship towards the Kalevala and the Finnish language are introduced. The main part of the thesis focuses on the story of Kullervo in the Kalevala, especially as a source of inspiration for Tolkien and two of his works. The first one is The Story of Kullervo: Tolkien's unfinished attempt to retell the story itself, the other one is his own story of Túrin Turambar called The Children of Húrin. Both of these Tolkien's works are compared to the Kalevala story of Kullervo. The main purpose of the thesis is to show that Tolkien's inspiration by the story of Kullervo was crucial for his work. Keywords Kullervo, Tolkien, The Children of Húrin, Túrin Turambar, Kalevala, The Story of Kullervo