Summary
Eino Hjalmar Friberg (10 May 1901 – 27 May 1995) was a Finnish-born American writer. He is best known for his 1989 translation of the Finnish national epic The Kalevala.
Eino Friberg | |
|---|---|
| Born | Eino Hjalmar Friberg 10 May 1901 Merikarvia, Grand Duchy of Finland |
| Died | 27 May 1995 (aged 94) Cambridge, United States of America |
| Occupation |
|
| Education | Boston University, Harvard University |
| Notable awards | Order of the White Rose of Finland (1988) |
| Children | 2 |
Early life edit
Eino Hjalmar Friberg was born in Merikarvia, Grand Duchy of Finland, in 1901 and moved to the United States when he was still a child, in 1906.[1][2] At the age of seven, his eyes were damaged by a fragment of glass from a bottle of soda pop that he opened by striking it against a curb, which led to his eventual blindness at the age of 10.[1] He attended the Perkins School for the Blind in Watertown, Massachusetts and then attended Boston University, where he received his B.A.[2] He enrolled in a Ph.D. program in philosophy at Harvard University, but never completed his thesis. He eventually received a Master of Arts in philosophy from Harvard in the mid-1970s, after passing a French language examination.[clarification needed]
Career edit
Friberg published a book of poetry, Sparks, in 1926.[3] During World War II, he worked in a tool and die plant in Worcester, Massachusetts and became a labor organizer for the United Steelworkers of America.
At the age of 75, he began to translate into the English language the Finnish national epic The Kalevala, working from a Braille copy. This was the first time The Kalevala had been translated by a native Finnish speaker into English, and was the fourth full translation overall.[4]
In addition to his literary work, Friberg was deeply involved in religion. He attended the Swedenborgian School of Theology and was ordained as a minister in the Swedenborgian, Congregational and Unitarian Churches, serving as a minister in Congregational and Unitarian churches in New England. In 1949, on the porch of his house in Westminster, Massachusetts, Friberg had a "mystical encounter," about which he wrote an unpublished manuscript. Theologian Reinhold Neibuhr commented on the manuscript that "I know of no record of spiritual pilgrimage more authentic."[citation needed]
Awards edit
- The Finnish American Translators Association awarded Friberg an honorary membership for his translation of The Kalevala.[5]
- In 1988, Friberg returned to Finland for the first time since his emigration to receive the Order of the White Rose of Finland.[2][6]
- In 1989, Friberg was honored with an Arts & Letters Award and Certificate of Merit by the Finlandia Foundation, New York Metropolitan Chapter for his translation of The Kalevala.[7]
Personal life edit
Friberg was married three times[citation needed] and had two daughters.[1] He died in Cambridge, Massachusetts, aged 94.[1]
Literary works edit
- The Kalevala: Epic of the Finnish People (1989). ISBN 951-1-10137-4
References edit
- ^ a b c d "Eino Hjalmar Friberg". The Boston Globe. Boston, MA. May 31, 1995. p. 27. Retrieved June 19, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ a b c "Eino Friberg". The Manhattan Mercury. Manhattan, KS. June 6, 1995. p. 15. Retrieved June 21, 2022 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ Eino Hjalmar Friberg Memorial service set for poet (Boston Globe.June 6, 1995)
- ^ The Finnish Sampo: The Stellar Frame and World Ages. (John Major Jenkins in Scenezine: The Newspaper of the Chicago Peace and Music Festival. 1995.)
- ^ Organization and History of FATA Archived 2009-06-21 at the Wayback Machine (The Finnish American Translators Association).
- ^ Eino Friberg, 94, a Translator Of the Finnish National Epic. The New York Times. June 8, 1995.
- ^ Finlandia Foundation Metropolitan Archived 2011-07-26 at the Wayback Machine Chapter, Inc. List of Awards (Finlandia Foundation National).
Other sources edit
- The Kalevala: Epic of the Finnish People – Inside front page.
- "Epic Task Ties Poet to Finnish Roots," Boston Globe, May 7, 1988, Metro Section, page 2 (link requires subscription or fee)[permanent dead link]
External links edit
- Finlandia Foundation New York Metropolitan Chapter