Elias L\u00f6nnrot visited the village of Vuokki in Suomussalmi (including Matero and Vuokinniemi) for the first time in the summer of 1831, but had to return to Helsinki midway through his journey. L\u00f6nnrot was on the Vienan reitti for the first time in September 1833, when he recorded rhymes and sayings from the Kovala village elders and had \u201done Kinnunen\u201d sing to him during a boat trip to Kinnulanniemi. There he stayed overnight and suffered \u201dTantalus's torments\u201d amidst the crowd. The boat trip continued to Hyry, and on foot via Viiangi, across the Wuokinlatva border to Kivij\u00e4rvi and Tsenaa, and further on to Vuonninen, where he met two significant rune singers, Ontrei Malinen and Vaassila Kielev\u00e4inen. On his return journey, L\u00f6nnrot rode horseback from Kivij\u00e4rvi to Salmij\u00e4rvi.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The next time L\u00f6nnrot travelled the Vienan reitti was in April 1834, when he met his greatest poet, Arhippa Perttunen, at village Latvaj\u00e4rvi. The meeting was crucial to the content of the Kalevala epic. The Kalevala epic was published in February 1835. In April-May 1835, L\u00f6nnrot returned from his extensive trip to Kianta and Kajaani along the Vienan reitti. L\u00f6nnrot was again on the Vienan reitti in June 1837, when he got lost on the path. The travelogue contains a colourful description of a charismatic preacher called Mikkonen, who was travelling in the Vuokki. The 1839 journey to Viena Karelia to collect poetry passed through Vuokki, but not exactly via the Vienan reitti.<\/p>\n\n\n\n