The “Kalevala” is one of the most beautiful and archaic epos in world literature. It is composed from ancient Finnish poems by Elias Lönnrot, son of a poor village tailor, who started his career as a medical doctor, but who became a Professor of the Finnish language. The “Kalevala” is supposed to be a central source of identity for a nation that has been awaking to a consciousness of itself and also Finland’s most important contribution to world literature. Archaeological and linguistic data point out that in the prehistory period the Finno-Ugric tribes had near relations with the Balts. Their contacts, even coexistence, continued for a long time. In the process of cultural assimilation the more advanced culture of the Balts dominated, and the evidence of this can be seen in the Balt loanwords for social, administrative and agricultural innovations. A lot of names of incipient village, agrarian life in Finish appear to derive from ancient Balt loan. From the Balts the Finns borrowed even the most important terms of relationship, such like family, sister, daughter, cousin, daughter-in-law. That is why in the folklore of the Balts and the Finns we can find some parallels and affinities. In comparison Finnish national epos with Lithuanian folk songs there is seen that obvious affinities have the rune of the great oak, the rune of Aina, the episode about the birth of beer. Some parallels with Lithuanian folk songs and ballads also can be seen in the rune of Kulervo. Genetic... [to full text]