Tag Archive: Finnish & Nordic Studies

Dr. Hilary-Joy Virtanen presenting during Kalevalathon 2023

February 28, 2023

Finnish studies professor shines spotlight on FinnU

Virtanen presenting during Kalevalathon 2023, a reading marathon of Finland’s national epic poem, the Kalevala.

Finlandia Associate Professor of Finnish & Nordic Studies Dr. Hilary-Joy Virtanen has been named co-editor of the Journal of Finnish Studies. Having worked on the journal’s editorial staff since 2009, Virtanen now shares co-editorship with renowned folklorist and scholar, Thomas A. DuBois.

In addition to her co-editorship, Virtanen highlighted Finlandia’s Finnish studies program further when her field-related work was featured in three PBS [...]

February 17, 2023

Kalevalathon 2023: An ‘epic’ discussion with Dr. Hilary-Joy Virtanen

Click here to view event

Finlandia Fridays is a great way for students, employees and the community to find out about exciting happenings around campus and in the Upper Peninsula. Hosted by Finlandia University’s Communications Department, Finlandia Fridays is an entertaining way to stay up to date with school events, stimulating discussions and student stories.

In this week’s episode, Dr. Hilary-Joy Virtanen joins the show to discuss an exciting upcoming event, Kalevalathon. Happening on Tuesday, February 28, this [...]

February 13, 2023

5th annual Kalevalathon to be held Feb. 28

The 5th annual reading marathon of The Kalevala will kick off at 9:00 a.m. on Tuesday, February 28, and will continue until the last rune has been read. Led by Finlandia University’s Finnish & Nordic Studies professor Dr. Hilary-Joy Virtanen, patrons can attend the event in person, via Zoom or by livestream.

“Often people think of epic poetry as difficult, hard to understand, and maybe even boring to read. The Kalevala Reading Marathon, Kalevalathon, lets [...]

December 21, 2022

Explore the Finnish epic Kalevala at Finlandia University

Finlandia’s Finnish & Nordic Studies program invites students and auditors to explore the history of Kalevala.

Immortalized as Finland’s national epic, the Kalevala encapsulates ancient Finnish folk traditions. The course details the historical development of the Kalevala poetry tradition, its development and structure as a literary work, its use as an anthropological text, and its use as a political and cultural icon of Finnish identity.

Teaching the class will be Finlandia’s Associate Professor of Finnish & Nordic Studies, Dr. Hilary-Joy [...]

Bookshelf including Kalevala, the Finnish national epic

October 12, 2022

Finnish & Nordic Studies program expands online offerings to public

Finlandia University’s Finnish & Nordic Studies program is happy to announce an expansion of its Spring 2023 course offerings to auditing students. The development will increase the available spots for auditors in two classes, FNS 360 Kalevala and FNS 221 History and Culture of Finland.

In partnership with the Finnish American Folk School at Finlandia University, Associate Professor and Chair of FinnU’s Finnish & Nordic Studies program, Dr. Hilary-Joy Virtanen, will lead the classes starting the week of [...]

Oren Tikkanen and Matthew Durocher perform with Finnish American band Laulu Aika at the Toivola Juhannus Festival 2019

March 10, 2022

Virtanen’s research to be featured in three PBS world premieres this weekend

On Sunday, March 13, the world premiere of three documentary films featuring the research and production-related work of Finnish & Nordic Studies Professor Hilary-Joy Virtanen will take place on PBS station WNMU-TV Marquette as part of their Festival! 22 pledge programming.

These three films result from a collaboration between Virtanen, film director and sociology professor Michael Loukinen (NMU), and videographers Kristin Ojaniemi and Alex Maier. Funded by a generous grant from the American Scandinavian Foundation in New York City, [...]

February 21, 2022

Kalevala Month featuring art exhibit, Kalevalathon

The Copper Country Community Arts Center and the Finlandia University Finnish & Nordic Studies Program are pleased to announce Kalevala Month 2022, a joint program of public events in celebration of Finland’s national epic, Kalevala. Centered on the CCCAC’s annual Art of the Kalevala exhibition and the Finnish & Nordic Studies Program’s annual Kalevala reading marathon, this series will highlight the important place Kalevala has in the Copper Country through a series of events that will be offered online and [...]

February 15, 2022

4th annual Kalevalathon to be held on Feb. 24

Kalevalathon is back again for the fourth year. Join the Finlandia community to celebrate Kalevala Day on Thursday, February 24, from 9 a.m. to approximately 7 p.m. Eastern time via Zoom as they read the Finnish epic poem, the Kalevala.

“February 28 is Kalevala Day in Finland, and locally, for years Kalevala has been celebrated with February’s annual Art of the Kalevala exhibition at the Copper Country Community Arts Center and since 2019, with the Finnish & Nordic Studies Kalevalathon,” said

January 12, 2022

Virtanen to present at online public symposium: Exploring Sugar Island’s Early Finnish History

In 1916, a Finnish immigrant to North America, Frank Aaltonen, visited Sugar Island, Michigan, and was highly impressed by the opportunities the island presented. The island was the traditional home of the Anishinaabeg, but by the early 20th century, its population was a mixture of several ethnicities. Aaltonen envisioned the island as a Finnish colony of farmers. A recruiting campaign ensued, and by the 1930s several hundred Finns had moved on the island. Join Finnish and American scholars in exploring [...]

December 13, 2021

Finlandia celebrates 125th Anniversary

A semester of celebration culminated on Sunday, Dec. 5 in a full day of dance, musical performances and worship. Dozens of Finlandia University friends and family members gathered to commemorate the institution’s 125th Anniversary alongside the observance of a now 104-year-long tradition, Finnish Independence Day.

David Maki, Interim Director of the Finnish American Heritage Center (FAHC) on Finlandia’s campus, delivered the Independence Day program’s opening remarks.

“Today is another significant milestone in Finlandia University’s history as we celebrate the 125th Anniversary of [...]

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