The Finnish association with nature goes back to pre-Christian times when earth spirits were worshipped. Then came Christianity and after the Reformation in 1520's the Saints disappeared from the calendars but many old legends and myths still have their place in folk customs. Traditional folklore and art survived as late as early twentieth century.
The first Finnish ABC-book was published in 1543 by Mikael Agricola (1510-1557). The Bible came out in Finnish in 1640. National romanticism also flourished in Swedish by such Finnish authors as Runeberg and Topelius. Finnish novel was born when Aleksis Kivi (1834-1872) published his "The Cobblers of the Heath" in 1864 and his "Seven Brothers" came out in 1870. The turn of the century introduced Minna Canth with her plays. F.E. Sillanpää won the Nobel Prize in 1939 with his novels of Finnish rural life. One of the most popular Finnish authors is Mika Waltari (1908-1979) with his "The Egyptian" which was also filmed in Hollywood and has been translated to 25 languages. Also particularly successful has been the children's author Tove Jansson with her Muumin- books.
Finns are also amongst the most enthusiastic library users in the world and you can find a library in even the smallest of towns in Finland. They number 1500 in total plus a good 18 000 mobile-library stops, and contain more than 30 million books in just the generic libraries.
In music Finland has a rich tradition in folk music, but the organized musical life is young when compared internationally. The first recognized composers appeared at the end of the 18th century. Perhaps the most widely known Finnish composer is Jean Sibelius (1865-1957) who consolidated his position in the early decades of the century as a composer of symphonies and orchestral suites based on ancient Finnish themes.
The Finnish National Opera was founded in 1922 by Edvard Fazer. The staff is almost entirely composed of Finns. Perhaps the most famous Finnish dancer is the dancer-choreographer Jorma Uotila, the Ballet Master of the Helsinki City Theatre. The annual Savonlinna International Opera Festival is one of the most important events in Finnish culture.
The roots of Finnish design can easily be traced back to nature which is often represented in one way or another. Water is a frequent dominator of Finnish landscape and in many a work, like those of the world famous designer Alvar Aalto a curving shoreline can be seen. Tapio Wirkkala was one the best and most versatile designers who worked with glass, metal, wood and porcelain, and Timo Sarpaneva's glass items, both artistic and utilitarian are highly valued today. Famous interior and furniture designers include Antti Nurmesniemi, Yrjö Kukkaspuro and Simo Heikkilä.
In Finnish architecture the most important representative of the Neoclassical era was C.L. Engel, who created Helsinki's monumental, harmonious center in Empire style in the early 19th century. Internationally most known of the Finnish architects is probably Eliel Saarinen who in 1923 moved to United States, where he designed a remarkable collection of noted buildings. The aforementioned Alvar Aalto did his share in contributing to Finnish architecture as well and is one of most famous ones. His designs include the Finlandia-house in Helsinki. The most important Finnish architects today are the team Reima and Raili Pietilä whose recent works include Finland's embassy in New Delhi and the Tampere City Library.