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Ahtivala

Ahtivala

Ahtivala. The Hilyic national epic by Kaarle Fristen. Third edition, 1853.
Author	Kaarle Fristen
Original title	Ahtivala (or Achtiwala, first edition, 1837)
Country	Lhedwinic Empire
Language	Hilyic; translated multiple times
Genre	Epic poetry, National epic
Publisher	Uusisatama Publishing, among others
Publication date	1837: First Ahtivala 1848: Second Ahtivala 1853: Third Ahtivala
Pages	First Ahtivala: 542pp Second Ahtivala: 731pp Third Ahtivala: ~600pp.

The Ahtivala is the national epic of the Hilyic people and a recognized work of cultural importance in X and X. It is based on West Hilyic and Liemska folk poetry collected during the travels of Kaarle Fristen starting from 1826 in Lhedwin. The first edition of the Ahtivala, known as the First Ahtivala (Hilyic: Ensimmäinen Achtiwala) was published in 1837 followed by two other editions being published in 1846 and 1853 known as the Second Ahtivala (Hilyic: Toinen Ahtivala) and Third Ahtivala (Hilyic: Kolmas Ahtivala) respectively. What is today known as simply Ahtivala refers to the Third Ahtivala.

The Ahtivala is a collection of poems in the Ahtivalan metre. The poems are not directly written as they were first recorded rather they have been altered with their vocabulary and grammar having been centralised into a more unified form of Hilyic. The peoms have also been restructured and recontextualized with even some poems having been written by Fristen himself to connect similar storylines.

The Ahtivala begins with the Hilyic creation myth where the world was created from the corpse of Kekko, the storm god, by the sage hero Valtari and the great smith Rautia at the behest of Kokko the goddess of birds. The Ahtivala depicts conflicts between the people of Ahtivala and the people of Tuonela as well as conflicts, revenge trips and proposal trips between its various protagonists. The Ahtivala ends in the arrival of the Lhedwinic peoples.

The Ahtivala has been one of the most significant pieces of Hilyic literature helping to centralize the language as well as being instrumental in the creation of a distinctive Hilyic identity. It contributed greatly to the Hiloman Movement as well as having influenced the arts and sciences significantly.

Etymology

The name Ahtivala comes from the land of Ahtivala that is the homeland of the heroes of the national epic of the same name. The name originates from the Hilyic word for oath, Vala and Ahti Ylijumala (Ahti the Supreme God) who is depicted as the original creator of the world as well as the quintessential force of evil in the world and sea. He is also cited as being the progenitor of the Hilyic people by Fristen. Thus the name Ahtivala means the oath to/of Ahti. The oath refers to the agreement made by Ahti, Kokko, Rautio, and Valtari that one day the sea shall fully claim the body of Kekko taking with it the world and all who live in it.

Ahtivalta is also alternatively refered to as Valtarila coming from the name of the great sage Valtari.