Aale Tynni
Humanist of the day

Aale Tynni

Aale Tynni was a poet, author, literary and theatre critic, translator and Olympian. Tynni won the gold medal in the literature category at the 1948 Olympic Games in London. In addition to her poetry collections, she published children’s fiction and essays. With her translations she acquainted a Finnish readership with lyrics from other countries, most notably France.

Aale Tynni

Aale Maria Tynni-Haavio (née Tynni, 1940–1960 Tynni-Pirinen)
Born October 3, 1913, Venjoki (Ingrian Kolppana).  Died October 21, 1997, Helsinki

Master of Arts (Finnish Literature), 1936 and Doctor of Philosophy, 1977, University of Helsinki

Poet, author, translator, literary and theatre critic

Awards and special achievements
State Award for Literature, 1943, 1947
Gold medallist, literature category of Art competition, for ‘Hellan laakeri’ (‘The laurels of Hellas’), London Olympics, 1948
White Rose of Finland, Ist class
Pro Finlandia Medal, 1959
Honorary Doctor of Philosophy, University of Helsinki, 1977
WSOY publisher’s translation prize, 1981
Academician (Arts), 1982
Finnish Cultural Fund award, 1982
City of Helsinki award, 1985
Henrik Steffens Prize, 1985
Italian Foreign Ministry Gold medal
Milan’s Giacomo Leopardi medal
Founding Member, Finnish-Irish Society

Photo: Suomalaisen Kirjallisuuden Seura
Written by Riitta-Ilona Hurmerinta
Translated by John Calton

Sentimental poet and translator

Aale Tynni was born in Ingria to the east of Finland and moved as a child with her family to Helsinki in 1919. She graduated with a Master’s degree in 1936, with Finnish literature as her main subject. During her university years Tynni practised poetry recitation and dramatic expression. She was particularly interested in poetic diction and the topic of her final work was Sappho’s metre in Finnish poetry.

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Finland’s unsung Olympic heroine?

The inception of an Olympics for the arts was the brainchild of Pierre de Frédy, Baron de Coubertin, the founder of the modern Olympic games. Olympic medals were distributed on eight occasions to works of art inspired by sport. The categories covered were architecture, literature, music, painting and graphic art together with sculpture. The last time this was organised was at the London Olympics of 1948.

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