One of the versions of the epic says: Steadfast old Väinämöinen Himself brought words to life Where one does get the wood for the kantele? From the tail bone of a reindeer Where one gets the nails for the kantele? From the large teeth of a pike Where one does get the strings for the kantele? From the hair of the Demon's Hiisi virgin. Another version states that: Old Väinämöinen himself Made a kantele upon the rocks From what is the body of kantele? From the curly end of a birch From what are the nails of the kantele? From the even branches of an oak From what are the strings of the kantele? From the hair of a good stallion.

Elias Lönnrot. Portrait by E.E. Metchev (engraving on wood)

He made the first Kantele but none except Väinämöinen himself could play it. Later he lost his first Kantele in waters of a sea. The instrument sunk down and never came out. Väinämöinen was quite upset by this loss and tears he shed about it were turning into amber. On his way he found a birch tree. It was crying about the destiny too. So Väinämöinen cut this tree and made another kantele of this wood. The sound of this kantele was so beautiful that all creatures were coming to listen while Väinämöinen was playing. At the beginning no humans were able to play this instrument, but once an old blind man took this kantele and begun to play. Since that time humans play kantele too.

Scholars obviously tend to have quite a different view on the origins of kantele. There are plenty different hypotheses about the origins of this instrument. Some point to the Near East, others to the Ural region as a source of this tradition. All of this views are equally true concerning that there are no definite evidences proofing one point of view or another. The earliest known kantele are from Karjala and dated by 18th century. Beyond this date we can not say anything definite.