The influence of The Kalevala on Finnish commercial naming

The national epic of Finland, The Kalevala, was published in 1835. It is based on Finnish oral poetry and old mythology. The epic has influenced in many ways in Finnish culture, arts, society and economy. The personal and place names of The Kalevala are in use in the contemporary nomenclature, as well. The Kalevala has had a special effect on commercial naming in Finland.

In this paper, some examples of Finnish company and product names which are inspired by The Kalevala are examined. All these names have a metaphoric or symbolic meaning: they do not tell anything about the referent directly, but their function is to arouse more complicated associations in people’s minds. The material consists of company and product names from the late 19^th and early 20^th century as well as of contemporary commercial names.