In autumn 1832, when Lönnrot returned from his first field trip in Viena, he was taken part of the way by boat in Kuhmo by a Mr. Huutoaho and his two daughters. During the trip the old man told Lönnrot a story of the brave Vorna who lived in the vicinity. Lönnrot wrote it down and created on that basis one of the first short stories in the history of Finnish literature. He published the story under the title "En Finsk Berätelse" (A Finnish Tale) in Helsingfors Morgonblad in 1834 (Numbers 12-14).

A great deal of folk poetry has been recorded on the enchanted Vorna, mostly of course in Kuhmo, but also in other communities in Kajaani. The poems have been published in Suomen Kansan Vanhat Runot (The Old Poems of the Finnish People). Nine sets of notes have been obtained from Kuhmo and eight from elsewhere.

Lönnrot was not the only one fascinated by the tale of Vorna. Iivo Härkönen composed a series of poems about Vorna, and Eino Railo wrote a novel entitled Vorna. Railo published it first under the pen name Osmo Iisalo, but later under his own name as well when the book proved popular.

Railo deals with the subject rather freely, without close regard for Lönnrot's account or the existing folk poetry records.