Aleksis Kivi (October 10, 1834 - December 31, 1872), born Alexis Stenvall, was a Finnish author who wrote the first significant novel in the Finnish language, Seven Brothers (Finnish title: Seitsemän veljestä). October 10 is the 283rd day of the year (284th in Leap years). ... 1834 was a common year starting on Wednesday (see link for calendar). ... December 31 is the 365th day of the year (366th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar. ... 1872 (MDCCCLXXII) was a leap year starting on Monday (see link for calendar) of the Gregorian calendar or a leap year starting on Wednesday of the 12-day-slower Julian calendar. ... Finnish ( (help· info)) is the language spoken by the majority of the population in Finland (92%) and by ethnic Finns outside Finland. ... Seven Brothers (originally Seitsemän veljestä) is the only novel of the Finnish author Aleksis Kivi and the first significant novel in the Finnish language. ...

Aleksis Kivi was born at Nurmijärvi, Finland, in a tailor's family. In 1846 he left for school in Helsinki, and in 1859 he was accepted to the University of Helsinki, where he studied literature and developed an interest in the theater. His first play was Kullervo, based on a tragic tale from Kalevala. He also met the famous journalist and statesman Johan Vilhelm Snellman. By this time, he had finnicized his Swedish surname Stenvall ('stone bank') to the Finnish Kivi ('stone'). Nurmijärvi (IPA: /ˈnurmiËŒjærÊ‹i/) is a village and the most populated rural municipality of Finland located north of the capital Helsinki. ... 1846 was a common year starting on Thursday (see link for calendar). ... Province Southern Finland Region Uusimaa Sub-region Helsinki City manager Jussi Pajunen Official languages Finnish, Swedish Area  - total  - land ranked 342nd 185. ... 1859 is a common year starting on Saturday. ... The University of Helsinki is a university located in Helsinki, Finland. ... The Kalevala is an epic poem which Elias Lönnrot in the 19th century said that he had compiled from Finnish folk sources. ... Johan Vilhelm Snellman (May 12, 1806 - July 4, 1881) was a Finnish (Fennoman of Swedish origin) writer, philosopher and statesman. ... Finnicization is the changing of ones personal names from other languages (usually Swedish) into Finnish. ...

From 1863 onwards, Kivi devoted his time to writing. He wrote 12 plays and a collection of poetry. The novel Seven Brothers took him ten years to write. Literary critics, especially the prominent August Ahlqvist, disapproved of the book, at least nominally because of its realism – romanticism was in its forte at the time – but maybe also because it was written in the south-western variety of Finnish, the "peasant's language", instead of the more "cultural" Swedish or north-eastern variety of Finnish. The Fennomans also disapproved of its depiction of not-so-virtuous rural life that was far from their idealized point of view, and his excessive drinking may have alienated some. 1863 (MDCCCLXIII) is a common year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Saturday of the Julian calendar). ... Romanticism was a secular and intellectual movement in the history of ideas that originated in late 18th century Western Europe. ... In a detail of Brueghels Land of Cockaigne (1567) a soft-boiled egg has little feet to rush to the luxuriating peasant who catches drops of honey on his tongue, while roast pigs roam wild: the 16th century was a good time for European peasants A peasant, from 15th... The Fennomans were the most important political movement in the 19th century Grand Duchy of Finland. ...

In 1865 Kivi won the State Prize for his still often performed comedy Nummisuutarit (The Cobblers on the Heath). However, the less than enthusiastic reception of his books was taking its toll and he was already drinking heavily. His main benefactor Charlotta Lönnqvist could not help him after the 1860s. Physical deterioration and developing schizophrenia set in, and Kivi died in poverty at the age of 38. 1865 is a common year starting on Sunday. ... // Events and trends Technology The First Transcontinental Railroad in the United States is built in the six year period between 1863 and 1869. ...

In 1995-1996, Finnish composer Einojuhani Rautavaara wrote an opera about Kivi's life and works. In 2002 director Jari Halonen's movie The Life of Aleksis Kivi (Finnish title: Aleksis Kiven elämä) premiered in Finnish cinemas. 1995 (MCMXCV in Roman) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... 1996 (MCMXCVI) was a leap year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar, and was designated the International Year for the Eradication of Poverty. ... Einojuhani Rautavaara (born October 9, 1928) is a Finnish composer of classical music, probably the best known Finnish composer of his generation. ... 2002 (MMII) was a common year starting on Tuesday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

External links

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Aleksis Kivi

• Aleksis Kivi page in Nurmijärvi municipality site
• Works by Aleksis Kivi at Project Gutenberg