Etiological myths about a giant figure have an international currency, appearing not only in the folklore of countries bordering the Baltic Sea, but also in Germany and Central Europe.  The most ancient group of legends portrays Kalevipoeg as a giant who left traces of his existence in East Estonia, where hills and valleys carved out during the Ice Age give the impression of having been formed by a superhuman being.

Kalevipoeg became the most cherished work in Estonian literature.  Poets, writers, artists, and musicians have used its themes for their own creations.  During times of foreign oppression, Estonians have drawn from Kalevipoeg national spirit and hopes for freedom and a brighter future.

After his mother, Linda, is carried away by a Finnish sorcerer, Kalevipoeg commits two crimes: On an island, he seduces a girl who later drowns herself, and he kills the son of a Finnish blacksmith.  The smith, who had made Kalevipoeg’s sword, retaliates by conjuring the sword. After Kalevipoeg returns home, he becomes the king of Estonia.  He uproots trees, fights with wolves, and tills the land.  He undertakes a trip to the end of the world, visits hell a couple of times, and fights with the devil, whom he overpowers with the help of a magic potion.

After unsuccessfully defending his country against foreign invaders, Kalevipoeg retires to the forest.  While Kalevipoeg is asleep, the devil steals his sword.  Then Kalevipoeg walks through a river.  His sword, which is lying on the river bottom, cuts off his legs, in fulfillment of the Finnish blacksmith’s curse.God sends the legless hero on horseback to the gates of hell, where he is shackled to a rock in order to keep watch over the devil until the day of redemption dawns.  The concluding lines of the epic express the hope that Kalevipoeg will return home and liberate his people:

Aga ukshord algab aega,
Kus koik piirud kahel otsal
Lausa lahvad lõ kendama:
Lausa tuleleeki lõ ikab
Kae kaljukammitsasta Kull siis Kalev jouab koju
Oma lstel’ õ nne tooma,
Eesti põlve uueks looma.