Folk Heroic Epic: Comparative-Historical Essays

The outstanding linguist and literary scholar Viktor Maksimovich Zhirmunsky (1891-1971) in his book "Folk Heroic Epic" (1962) systematically applies the method of historical-typological comparison he developed to the analysis of Russian, Turkic, and Finnish epic tales. V.M. Zhirmunsky studied a number of Turkic languages and conducted a large-scale comparative study of Turkic epic traditions. A separate chapter is dedicated to the Karelian-Finnish epic "Kalevala".
The book is aimed at literary scholars, folklorists, historians, as well as a wide audience interested in how connections were formed and mutual influences occurred in the world’s folklore and literary process.