R. Eivind

Very little is firmly documented about R. Eivind beyond the surviving book itself. Library and public-domain records identify Eivind as the compiler or editor of Finnish Legends for English Children, first published in London in 1893, and some catalogs list the author as active around that date.

In the book’s preface, Eivind explains that the stories were meant to introduce English children to the world of the Kalevala, the Finnish national epic. The retellings closely follow John Martin Crawford’s English translation, reshaping mythic material into a more approachable story collection for younger readers.

That makes Eivind an interesting figure in the history of children’s literature and folklore: not a famous biographical personality, but a literary guide who helped carry Finnish legend into English reading culture. Because reliable personal details are scarce, the work itself remains the clearest window into the author’s legacy.