[1] Swedish policy at the time sought to assimilate Sámi people in part through the use of boarding schools, such as those attended by Fjellner, and by training these youths to become priests and missionaries.

Throughout his life, as he moved around northern Sweden, Fjellner collected and preserved Sámi folktales, joik, and traditions, which became the root of much of his poetry, including the epics "Päiven Pārne'" (Sons of the Sun) and "Piššan Paššan Pardne" (Son of Pišša and Pašša) and two shorter poems, "Päive Neita" (The Daughter of the Sun) and "Kassa Muodda" (The Thick Fur).

[4] Most of these works were collected in a mix of Sámi languages and published originally in Swedish by folklorists Johan Anders Linder in 1849 and Gustaf von Düben in 1873 based on recitations by Fjellner.

Wiklund published Lapparnes Sång og Poesi (The Lapps' Song and Poetry), which argued that Fjellner's epics were more original work than faithful renditions of Sámi oral tradition.

Wiklund argued that the verse structure and alliterations used in "Päiven Pārne'" were heavily influenced by Finnish folk poetry.