@AKS: Incidentally, what made you think the singer had probably read the printed version in the Kalevala as well?

BTW, IMO the story is one of the saddest folktales dealing with orphanhood- folk stories about abused orphans are quite common, but this one is especially heartwrenching. Even Kaujjarjuk (Alaskan/Canadian/Greenlandic Kullervo equivalent) and Cinderella received a bit of kindness. Then again, I think this is a folktale on "how to treat orphans."