Tolkien and Finnish

For those among you who have any inklings towards linguistics, you've probably already realized that JRR Tolkien (or Lord of the Rings and Hobbit fame) based his language of the elves on Finnish language. Just in case you missed it, though, here the National Geographic story on Tolkien's language orientation.

Tolkien's High Elvish language, Quenya, was inspired by Finnish. Tolkien taught himself Finnish in order to read the Kalevala, a 19th-century compilation of old Finnish songs and stories arranged by Elias Lönnrot into a linear epic poem and completed in 1835 and revised in the mid-1800s.

I tried reading the Kalevala in Finnish once. Let me tell you, THAT was a bad idea. I think most Finns today would be labored to read it in Finnish... So I'll just stick with the Canine Kalevala. Ohhh, pretty pictures!!