Estonian folklore. Taive Särg
Historical periods of Estonian folk culture
1) Estonia was settled near the end of the last glacial era, beginning from around 8500
BC. Before German invasions in the 13th century proto-Estonians, with Finno-Ugric
roots (or influence), worshipped the spirits of nature. Hunters-gatherers become
gradually farmers ~1000-2000 BC.
2) 13th century German conquest brought along the Catholic faith, a class society, and
an urban culture. Estonia was occupied in 1227. Despite numerous influences,
Estonians kept their traditional ways of living and the old ways of thinking for a long
time.
3) The Reformation took place in North Estonia 1523, Southern Estonia 1625. An
Estonian language liturgy provided the background against which Estonian language
printing and Estonian schools could emerge. Literacy started spreading among the
people. These factors contributed to the gradual disintegration of the old oral and
musical traditions and to the formation of new beliefs. These processes were gradual
and the changes became firmly rooted only at the end of the 18th century.
4) Radical changes in the folk culture occurred during the second half of the 19th
century and were connected with abolishing of serfdom (1816-1819) and buying land
for freeholds in the 1860s. Increasing numbers of peasants moved to towns in order to
study or work. The Estonian peasant society with its ancient traditions was becoming
more and more modern. Being farm owners gave people a feeling of security and was
a boost to their self-esteem.
In the history of Estonian folk culture, the mutual influence of high and popular
cultures have to be pointed out. The mediators here were the church and monasteries
and also manor houses and towns.
Language and identity
According to the most popular theory Estonian language belongs to the Finno-Ugric
language family, to the group of Balto-Finnic languages (läänemeresoome keeled).
But several hypotheses about the development of the Estonian language during the
earliest period of development up to the 13th century are now also considered to be of
dubious reliability.
It is unanimously agreed that ancient Estonian was influenced by various Germanic,
Baltic and ancient Slavonic languages. This is proved by multiple loan words and
several shifts in pronunciation.
Estonia is geographically situated in Europe, but Europe is also a cultural term,
representing some treats that are regarded as European in Estonia. In cultural terms
Estonians have felt themselves sometimes as being Europeans, sometimes as being in
opposition with Europe. The reasons for this opposition: 1) The Estonian language
and culture have Finno-Ugric roots, but most European nations have Indo-European
roots and languages. 2) For a long time (1227-1918, 1940-1991) Estonia was the
colony of different European and European/Asian empires: Germany, Denmark,
Sweden, Russia.
Estonians have been identified themselves both as Europeans and as Finno-Ugric
peoples. Estonia has stood on the cultural dividing line between Eastern and Western
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Europe for for millennia. The Estonian cultural scene can be characterised by a
multitude of peculiarities, the origins of which date back to the very distant past. In
order to understand Estonian folk culture, it has to be recognised that this is a highly
complicated and multilayered way of existence of a small nation who used to belong
to the lower social status in its own country.
An Estonian’s spiritual world was contradictory as well. It contained Christian and
pagan characters, and it was necessary to get on well with both.
Local areal cultures in Estonia
There are also differences of local areal cultures in Estonia. The most noticeable
differences exist between Northern Estonia Põhja-Eesti and Southern Estonia LõunaEesti. Their cultural differences and dialects date back to prehistoric times. Northern
Estonia has more similarities with Finnish and Votian culture. Very special area of
Northern culture are islands (Saaremaa, Hiiumaa, Kihnu) in Western Estonia.
Estonian literary language bases on North and Central Estonian dialects.
Besides large and culturally fairly homogeneous areas there are a number of small
regions with a very specific character of their own. The most distinctive region is
Setumaa which is located in southeastern Estonia and was separated from the rest of
Estonia for long periods of time, thus developing a culture of their own with strong
Russian influences; this culture has to a certain extent survived up to today. Setomaa
has been incorporated to Estonia in 1920, earlier is has been belonged to Russia.
However, despite the regional differences, there existed also the unifying features of
the ancient Estonian folk culture that were common to the entire country. ‘
Tangible and intangible heritage
Traditional cultural expressions include tangible and intangible heritage (folk art and
folklore), the physical environment and the way of life. Disciplines that study folk
cultural heritage are folklore studies folkloristika and ethnology etnoloogia. Aesthetic
and pragmatic aspects exist together in folk life.
In the Nordic countries, as in Britain and North America, immaterial and material folk
culture are not separated as autonomous disciplines. But in Estonia and Finnish
scholarly tradition material culture belongs to the realm of ethnology (etnoloogia).
There exists the close linkage between folklore studies, ethnology and cultural
anthropology.
pärimus (*pär + i + mus) traditional cultural expression
pärima be heir to, inherit; pärandama hand down; pärandus inheritance
Folklore
folkloor, rahvaluule folklore (= rahvas folk + luule poetry, lore)
vaimne pärimus intangible cultural heritage = folklore (in Estonian and Finnish
scholarly tradition)
vaimne mental, immaterial < vaim spirit, mind, mental power
Folklore (intangible cultural heritage) includes oral traditions, performing arts, social
practices, rituals, festive events, knowledge and practices concerning nature and the
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universe or the knowledge and skills to produce traditional crafts, “savoir faire”
(‘know how’)
folk beliefs rahvausk – common beliefs that are widely accepted as truth by most
members of the group, e.g. old myths about world creation, supernatural beings, but
also contemporary superstitions etc. Often beliefs appear in verbal form (proverbs,
narratives), they are the bases of customs and rituals, can govern cultural practices.
customs kombed – family traditions, calendar traditions, etc, often combining
entertainment and magic
verbal arts sõnalooming – folk songs (lyrics), folk narratives, short forms of folklore
music and dances muusika ja tantsud
folk music and dance rahvamuusika ja -tants – folk song melodies, instrumental
pieces, folk dances, games with songs and music
Folk art includes material objects
aineline pärimus, rahvakunst – tangible cultural heritage
aineline material, tangible < aine substance
rahvariided traditional costumes – clothes, shoes, adornments
elutarbed necessaries – implements, tools, furnishing, utensils, vehicles
rahvustoit national dish – food, drink
ehitised farm architecture – building materials, the types of settlement, farm buildings
(barn-dwelling, granary, saun)
rahvapillid folk music instruments
special instruments – magic tools, toys, calendars
kaunistused decorations, adornments
Folklore
Folklore, both ancient and new, forms intrinsic part of our human existence, like the
air we breathe or the nature to which we belong. Matti Kuusi.
Perhaps the most deeply Estonian are the age-old songs called regilaul that are closely
related to Finnish folk songs, called runo song or kalevala meter songs.
Estonians tend to view folklore as wondorous and admirable. These feelings stem
largely from the Romantic age when folklore – particularly the songs – offered
Estonians a means of viewing themselves and their culture as equal to the great
civlizations of classical anitquity and medieval Europe. Important model for
Estonians how to use folklore for developing national culture was Finnish culture and
especially their great national epic Kalevala. Through the phenomenal success of the
Kalevala folklore and folkloristics played a central role in the country’s eventual
attainment of indepence. Even today, the standard name for folklore in Estonia is
literally “folk poetry” – rahvaluule. This reflects the early and singular prominence of
folk songs in Estonian intellectual life. Very similarly, the standard name for folklore
studies in Finland is folk poetry studies kansanrunoudentutkimus.
This feeling of wonder has its ill effects as well, however. It becomes easy to think of
folklore as a thing of the past. Even worse, it becomes difficult to imagine that people
create and use it today. Folklore becomes equated with the preindustrial community
of old, the village or farm life so unfamiliar to many in the highly urbanized ,
industrialized Estonia of today. Images of murmuring epic singers or impoverished
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peasant women in colorful folk costume seem remote and unimportant to modern
experience. This Romantic heritage of folkloristic studies prepares us to think of
folklore in idealistic terms – as the shining, precious and beautiful products of
ordinary life.
Folklore is more than simply curious relics of the past. It is a dynamic and everpresent dimension of human experience everywhere in the world. Folklore flourishes
even amid te neweast and most technologically advanced circles of human acitvity
(e.g. the xerox and fax machines, the computers, newspapres). Folklore reflects
human creativity and traditionality in all occasions, including everyday life. It reflects
the mentality of the group and changes in the course historical and cultural
developments. Folklore is transmitted in different situations and by different means,
including oral tradition, media and internet.
Folklore includes aspects of agression and negative behavior as well. There are verbal
obscenities, cruel nicknames, pejorative labels, derisive satire and parody etc. – all
these cultural expressions also belong to the human interaction.
Professional, institutionalized arts and religions are not folklore.
Folklore has 3 basic components: group (~folk), text (~lore), context.
1) Group (~folk). In classical (old) folkloristics the subject of folklore was country
folk. Today researchers define “folk” of folklore as any and all people who, through
participation in small groups, communities or networks, exert influence upon one
another and create their own shifting and unofficial cultures. Groups may be longstanding or ephemeral, and nearly everyone belongs to multiple groups at the same
time. “Folk” of this sort can be found as easily in preagrarian hunter-gatherer societies
as in the contemporary urban metropolis.
2) Text, tradition (~lore). Likewise “lore” should be understood in their broadest
sense – as ever-changing expressions of cultural community and continuity.
3) Context – the performing situation. In wider meaning the cultural, social and
historical background.
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