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.