Johan Ludvig Runeberg (February 5 or February 7, 1804 - May 6, 1877) was a Finnish poet who wrote in Swedish. He is considered the national poet of Finland.
Runeberg was born in Pietarsaari. He studied at the University of Åbo. He became friends with Johan Vilhelm Snellman and Zacharias Topelius.
Runeberg's most famous work is the Fänrik Ståls Sägner (The Tales of Ensign Stål, Vänrikki Stoolin tarinat in Finnish) written between 1848 and 1860. It is considered the greatest Finnish classical epic poem. The poems are about the war of 1808-09 between Sweden and Russia. The first poem "Vårt land", became the Finnish national anthem.
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