Finland's National Instrument: The Kantele 

My wife is a professional Kantele player, so I get to hear it a lot. And don't get me wrong, I'd like to hear her play more! 😉 She has couple of 5-stringers, a 15-string one and her main instrument, a 39-string concert kantele. The sound is truly magical, especially if played in a wood-frame house which will act as a resonator for the instrument.

Kantele is big part of my "hometown"/city. they made us play 5 string kantele in elementary school alongside with recorder. i know many who are able to play it in professional level.

I play Gusli and Kokle in Canada. I was once playing outdoors with musician friends and a tree was nearby. When it was my turn to play my 12 string Gusli - and all of the others witnessed this - the birds in the trees started to sing in time to my playing where they sang randomly previously. Quite an experience!

I don't have a drop of Finnish blood. As a member of a world wide historical reenactment organization (Society for Creative Anachronism) I found a SCAdian lady who lives in Lahti, Finland and I decided to learn what I could about her country. I love music, so I soon discovered the kantele, which fit in nicely with the historical interest.. I have a 5-string and an 11 string.No regrets here!

This is so lovely to listen to. The stories concerning the creation of the kantele have Orpheus-like connotations, especially the magic character of the sound taking all animals in a spell.

Most exquisite representation of a very ancient musical instrument. Old archives called it a Psalterion, the Russians call it a Bandura. Germans call it a Zither, Irish call it a Harp, Antiquity called it a Cithar, and Even China has a name for it, the Ki. It can also be called a Dulcimer. There is no end to the beautiful tunes that can be played with the harmonics of the stings. 🎼

I have made kantele couple years ago, when my sister found unfinised kantele secondhand market. I think its must be some studentwork left behind. I decide finish it, and im pretty proud of it 😊

I play Carolan on my 15-string FolkCraft kantele. The sound hole is a solar cross. After 25 years or more, the tone is exquisite. I don't know any of the traditional repertoire, alas. More music and info. is available now thanks to the Internet. I fell in love with this instrument at Lark in the Morning, a huge music shop in SF that allowed people to play all the floor models. I believe Lark is online now. Tour buses would stop at Lark, it was so fabulous. I miss old SF.

kalevala laulettuna youtube channel sings Kalevala poems, and they usually play the kantele in the background.

you continue doing good research, much appreciation

Finnish magic is described in Kalevala to be both musical and poetic, therefore it is canonical that we finns can rap you into a swamp.

Interesting topic and I think you are making a very good work in spreading more information about the Finnic traditions and myths. However when you talk about the "Elks bone kantele" you show a picture of two wapiti deer (Cervus canadensis, a.k.a. elk in North America) fighting. You need to remember that in a European context an elk is what a North American would call a moose (Alces alces). In a Finnish/Finnic context an elk would thus equal a "hirvi" (i.e. Alces alces) and nothing else.

No story to tell other than yours. Just that the kantele is my most favourite instrument in the world with its magical healing sound. (Neither Finnish nor Irish - I'm German)

Learning to play was part of education at elementary school. Though I don't remember how to play anymore as that was decades ago 😊

You made me remember a Finnish word, the name of an animation I randomly found last year. Noitarumpu from joulopukki ja noitarumpu. Of course the name had to be changed for english speaking children, a witches drum is far too sinister and scary

Ida Elina is amazing. Great choice of reference

Kantele has its very wonderful sound, but it's cousin; jouhikantele (jouhikko) has its own rustic sound because of tail horsehair, and you play it like a violin. Thou it has little bit of differences.

I've been playing Kantele for over 10 years built five kit or so. I pick with my fingers but lately I've been bowing it with a psaltery bow as I make the bows as well. Thanks for sharing their history.🌈🎶😎

I don't know If it's true but I like to think Kantele is the ancestor of the guitar. It's possible since roots of The Finns and The quitar roots lead to the same regions. 7:40 It sounds like a description of the world's first rock concert...😅

I purchased an 11 String Kantrle from Finland (myself living in the U.S., and a part of the U.S. where I've never met a Fin nor 99% of people know what a Kantele is) and I've got to say, I've put off learning it for the last 8 months. It's very difficult and here in Northern California there isn't much of a support network. I've got a couple books to help me learn, but its a difficult instrument. I'm going to keep trying, but dang is it difficult

I discovered the Kantele, as well as broader Finnish et al myatical tradition from a webcomic, *Stand Still, Stay Silent* Unfortunately, the author abandoned the comic after the second season, but it's by far my favourite webcomic

I’m a Finnish-American (all4 grandparents were born there and immigrated in the late 1890s) and am just now trying to learn the kantele. It is the most magical and meditative instrument and a joy to play. I have a 10 string made in California and would very much like to find a teacher that can take me beyond Nuku Nuku. Does anyone know of a teacher in the US?

My mom still has 2 kanteles from my grandfather. One he build himself and other one is from his grandfather.

I've only ever heard a Kantele being played once and that one had only two of its five strings left.

I've been living in Finland 3 years now and I still haven't managed to hear anyone play it live :( Do you know of any concerts or artists to follow so that I could finally hear it live?

I am finn I have kantele i like to play it

I appreciate your scholarship and folklore. Given that the message of all these tales was the magical sound of the thing, it would be nice if you could let us hear the thing instead of talking ALL the time. Take a beat. The Music might be impactful.

oh shit that just looks like the Kanklė (we at least call them in lithuania like that) !

Kantele and related instruments are the best. Väinämöinen is the Finnish equivalent of the Israelite King David, also a harp player.

Is there any relationship between the Welsh crwth and the Finnish jouhikko? Welsh nectar and Finnish sima? Modraniht and Helkafest?

Where do I get one? :)

I turned a small student-size guitar into a 6 string harp to play kantele songs. It sounds kind of like something between a harp, guitar, and kantele all at once.

I belong to "pelimanni" family. I have so many stories to tell. I'll send you email.😊

Its funny how i as a Finn learn more of my own coutrys folklore/myths from you than i have learned in all of my life tho of course i know Kalevala and others very well too. I still know other courtrys myths much better than my own🫣