#medieval estonian beliefs

[yoga-onion]

Legends and myths about trees

Forest myths, Estonian traditional beliefs (1)

The Forested country, Estonia

Estonia is one of the most forested countries in the world. Forests cover nearly half of the mainland in Estonia, 30% of which is currently under protection.

Forest is recognised as a recurring theme in Estonian folklore, inspiring storytellers and painters that have produced beautiful landscapes. The largest forests can be found in northeastern and central Estonia, stretching from as far as the north coast to the southern border with pine, birch, spruce and aspen being the most common tree species. Estonian forests are home to a surprising variety of wildlife, often seeing hares, foxes and deer, and rarely even a wolf, lynx, bear or an elk. Rarer still are the European mink, dormouse and flying squirrel, which are unfortunately close to extinction.

In ancient forests and woodlands, the cycle of life left in nature can be observed up closely. Barely marked by any human activity, Järvselja ancient forest in southern Estonia is a home to species of owl and a gracefully aged 360-year-old Kuningamänd pine tree. Poruni hiking trail in northern Estonia winds along the 10-metre banks of Poruni river, where a mix of fallen tree trunks giving life to new and at times rare plant species can be found.

In the harsh northern weather conditions, trees have been the source of livelihood for centuries. While some trees were used for building houses and saunas, some were considered holy and remained untouched.

A sacred grove usually consists of deciduous trees and attracted offerings for gnomes, fairies and other supernatural forces of past times. Kassinurme Fort and sacred grove were established around 2000 years ago, making it one of the oldest remaining sacred places in Estonia. Nearby Rakvere has centuries old sacred oak grove.

Little is known of medieval Estonians' spiritual and religious practices before Christianization. The Chronicle of Henry of Livonia mentions Tharapita as the superior deity of the then inhabitants of Saaremaa (Oeselians). There is some historical evidence about sacred groves, especially groves of oak trees, having served as places of "pagan" worship.

(The Livonian Chronicle of Henry offers a Latin narrative of events in Livonia (roughly corresponding to today's inland Estonia and the northern part of Latvia and surrounding areas) from 1180 to 1227 by a priest named Henry. it is one of the oldest known written document about the history of Estonia and Latvia.)

木にまつわる伝説・神話

森の神話・エストニアの民間伝承 (1)

森の国エストニア

エストニアは世界で最も森林の多い国のひとつである。エストニア本土の半分近くを森林が占めている。そのうちの30％は現在保護下にある。

森はエストニアの民話に繰り返し登場するテーマであり、語り部や画家にインスピレーションを与え、美しい風景画を生み出してきた。最大の森林はエストニア北東部と中央部にあり、北海岸から南部国境まで広がっている。最も一般的な樹種はマツ、カバ、トウヒ、アスペン。エストニアの森には驚くほど多様な野生動物が生息しており、よくノウサギやキツネ、シカを見かけるが、稀にオオカミやオオヤマネコ、クマ、ヘラジカを見かけることさえある。さらに珍しいのはヨーロッパミンク、ヤマネ、ムササビで、残念ながら絶滅の危機に瀕している。

太古の森や森林地帯では、自然の成り行きに任せた生命の循環を間近に観察することができる。人間の活動がほとんど見られないエストニア南部のヤルヴセルヤ古代の森には、フクロウの一種や樹齢360年のクーニンガマント松が優雅に茂る。エストニア北部のポルニ・ハイキングコースは、ポルニ川の10メートルほどの川岸に沿って続いている。ここでは、倒れた木の幹が混在し、新しい、時には珍しい植物種に命を与えているのを見ることができる。

北国の厳しい気象条件の中で、木は何世紀にもわたって生活の糧となってきた。家やサウナを建てるために使われた木もあれば、聖なる木とされ、手つかずのまま残された木もある。

神聖な木立は通常、落葉樹で構成され、ノーム (伝説上の小人) や妖精、その他の過去の時代の超自然的な力のための供物を集めていた。カッシヌルメ要塞と聖なる森は約2000年前に設立され、エストニアに残る最古の聖地のひとつとなっている。近くのラクヴェレには何世紀もの歴史を持つ神聖なオークの木立が広がっている。

キリスト教化以前の中世エストニア人の精神的・宗教的慣習についてはほとんど知られていない。ヘンリーのリヴォニア年代記では、当時のサーレマー住民（オイセル人）の上位神としてタラピタが挙げられている。聖なる木立、特にオークの木立が「異教的」な崇拝の場として機能していたことを示す歴史的証拠もある。

(ヘンリーのリヴォニア年代記とは、1180年から1227年までのリヴォニア (現在のエストニア内陸部とラトビア北部にほぼ相当とその周辺地域) の出来事を、ヘンリーという司祭によってラテン語で記したもの。エストニアとラトビアの歴史について書かれた最古の文献のひとつである。）

#trees #tree myth #tree legend #forest #forested country #estonian mythology #folklore #sacred woodland #sacred tree #pagan worship #sacred oak grove #medieval estonian beliefs #nature #art

[freshstartfromscratch]

WAIT I JUST TRANSLATED THE ITALIAN SCHOOL CIRRICULUM THING AND LATIM IS A LANGUAGE THINGY??????? I THOUGHT THAT IT WASN'T A FULL ON CLASS?? DOES ANYONE STILL SPEAK LATIN??? WTF????? HOW IS THIS POSSIBLE??? MY LIFE IS A LIE???

So Latin at school. Yay.

Basically you're not learning it in the same way you'd any modern language. It's a language that was in use for thousands of years so of course it changed a lot during this time span. That's why it's separated in at least three categories - classical Latin (used in late Roman Republic and early Roman Empire), ecclesiastical Latin (used by medieval Church) and Vulgar Latin (unofficial Latin used from the Late Roman Republic onward) this one is the origins story of all Romance languages.

Yep. All those fancy, sexy languages that people find hot like Italian or French are based on what I can only explain as Latin Cockney:

Just imagine Dave is Latin language and Daveo is Italian/French/Spanish/Portuguese/Romanian language.

It kind of looks like a medieval language class tbh. You don't learn how to introduce yourself or how to describe your family tree, because:

1. It's a dead language so it doesn't serve the purpose of communication anymore like foreign language does.

2. Latin is still used in science and it's a language which influenced Western identity the most. In order to truly understand the Western culture you need Latin (and ancient Greek but Latin is a bare minimum.)

You learn words and their conjugations (because in Latin unlike in English each person has it's own verb variant) and translate old texts. Conjugation may be affected by person, number, gender, tense, mood, aspect, voice, or other language-specific factors.

The purpose of having Latin is to better understand how modern European languages function. It's a blueprint for Romance languages like: Italian, French, Spanish, Portugese and Romanian (those are the big ones but not the only existing Romance languages.) Latin had an influence on the other language families too, and you'll have hard time finding European languages that don't have any Latin influence ( I'm looking at you the Finno-Ugric gang - Finnish, Estonian and Hungarian.) English was influenced by Latin too, that's why for example when you see this majestic beast:

You'd call it a Germanic word "a cow" but when it's turned into this:

It's called beef, from Old French boef (modern French bœuf) -> Latin bōs.

The poorer Germanic language people were keeping cows but the rich French Norman (Latin based language) speakers ate them.

Knowing Latin, even basic knowledge, is very helpful if you want to learn an European language. The logic behind the language (like existence of plural forms, significant portion of the vocabulary ect) is more often than not Latin based.

For many countries (in Europe but not only) Latin is also the language of religion. Yes, Catholic church still uses Latin from time to time, and to pass religion class in grade 8 (I think) I had to memorize Lord's Prayer aka Pater Noster (it's the Catholic beliefs in a nutshell and how Jesus taught the prayer should look like) in Latin. Latin is also an official language of the Vatican City, and was in fact one of the reasons why reformation happened, but I'm getting off track.

Latin is also useful in philosophy. Though many of the ancient European philosophers were Greek, there were a few Romans too. As you might noticed, in translation parts of text loose their meaning, and the words don't have an impact of the original version. Same thing with philosophy. To fully understand and embrace the meaning you need to know the original language aka Latin.

To summ it up! Latin is still sometimes taught in schools because:

1. it's a blueprint for the majority of modern European languages (and in the EU you should speak at least two) so if you know basic Latin it's easier to learn other languages.

2. It's the language of science and ancient philosophy. To truly understand what thought process created the West you need to know how Latin functioned and what texts written in it actually mean.

3. It's a language of the Catholic Church - the largest nomination in the Christian religion. Approximately 1.3 billion people in the world are Catholics - that's 17.7% of the world's population.

4. It's the common heritage of the Western world locked in the language form. People learn it to learn about their heritage and culture. What influenced people through thousands of years to form the Western cultures and history? Why certain thoughts and ideas (like for example individualism instead of collectivism, démocraties instead of authoritarianism) were embraced in the West? Language affects the way people think, so how Latin influenced Western values?

I hope I explained it at least a little bit 😅. I'm sorry if it all sounds more confusing now.

#not ac #ask answered #Latin #latin language #i didn't Even like Latin at school

[poisonerspath]

In the Middle Ages the toad was a witch's animal, i.e. a demonic helper of a witch. In 1580 a witch was burned in Steiermark, Germany and the watchful executioner noticed an extraordinarily large toad rushing straight towards the water. Needless to say, it was the escaping demon. (Petzoldt 1990: 116.) G. L. Kittredge describes the beliefs about toads in medieval England: "The Devil, who squat like a toad at the ear of Mother Eve in Eden, is always at hand in the churchyard after service, waiting in that guise for some evil-minded communicant to feed him with a bit of the consecrated wafer: whoever thus sacrifices to Satan will straightway become a witch or wizard. The relation of witches to toads (or frogs) is notorious; and, like everything else in this department of superstition, it is founded on fact. Toads are not uncommon in earth-floored huts, and doubtless they were sometimes petted by solitary old women who, esteemed as witches, regarded themselves as such and thought the creatures were really imps or demons. Anyhow, toad-familiars are as commonplace as cats." (Kittredge 1929:181-182.) The toad as well as the snake (serpent) occur among the manifestations of the Devil in the exempla of medieval sermons (IE 1557, 1562, 1563, 2738, 4882). Both creatures have a somewhat devilish status also in Estonian folk religion, which is reflected in the widespread belief that killing those animals is a pious act for which a certain number of sins will be forgiven: He who kills a viper will be forgiven the sins of one day, but he who kills a toad will be forgiven the sins of nine days. HII 20, 716 (10) < Vändra - H. Mett (1889). If you kill a toad, you will be forgiven nine sins. The toad is the animal of the Evil Spirit (kurivaim). ERA II188,191 (43) < Lääne-Nigula < Martna - E. Ennist (1938). The magical toadstone could be procured via an elaborate ritual. The stone was said to be either black or white with different properties to both. They were used to protect from magic and misfortune, as well as neutralize the effects of any surreptitiously placed poison. #toadbone #toadstone #poisonlore #toadwitch #toadbonerite #bufonite #traditionalwitchcraft https://www.instagram.com/p/CRDMDQ1rwXs/?utm_medium=tumblr

#toadbone #toadstone #poisonlore #toadwitch #toadbonerite #bufonite #traditionalwitchcraft

[near-tallinn-blog]

Near Tallinn

Fun Facts

Tallinn’s population is about half a million with majority of them as Ethnic Estonian. Russians form a significant minority among the residents. Estonian is the official language with Russian, Ukrainian, Finnish, and Belarusian as secondary languages. The city is very popular for its old town and several UNESCO Heritage sites. It also has 17th century tunnels that are open for public guided tours. It is also interesting to know that the city is called as Reval which had several origins based on folklore. There are also beliefs that seeing a man in red cloak is a bad luck since in medieval times, the city hired an executioner wearing the same outfit.

AAA Rent Autorent

Whether you are going on a long drive, running errands, attending special occasions, or going on a vacation, renting a car is the wisest step to take. Car rental offers the convenience of getting the vehicle at your most preferred location and the model you want at a cheaper price compared with buying a new one. For those who already have their own car, renting a car is still an option if you do no want to shoulder the wear and tear caused by long drives. With all these reasons, you should go to a trusted company like the AAA Rent. They have a wide variety of cars to match your taste and needs.

Massive choir a place for Estonians to find identity, solace

During Estonia’s nearly 50 years of Soviet occupation, some traditional anthems and songs were banned or had their lyrics changed so singing them was an act of defiance. In the late 1980s, people intentionally sang the original versions of key songs at protests, and that defiance culminated in independence following their “Singing Revolution” in 1991. Read more here

Witnessing the massive choir at the Estonian Song and Dance Celebration brought several emotions for the participants. It was heartwarming to hear folk songs to be sang again and people united as one. Although many of the singers have not experienced the time when traditional anthems and songs were banned in the country, they have felt the emotions of freedom while singing. The celebration was a joyous moment for everyone – young and old - as they also saw the sea of blue, white and black flags fill the whole arena. May the festival continue to be a tradition of the Estonia in the next 100 more years.

Toompea in Tallinn, Estonia

Toompea, which means “Cathedral Hill” in German is part of the Tannin Old Town UNESCO World Heritage Site. The place is associated with power in Estonia. Since the 14th century, it served as the seat of the Knights of the Sword. When you visit the place, you will notice a flag on the top of the tower that represents the government of the Estonia. Toompea is the home of the well-known Orthodox Alexander Nevsky Cathedral, the Lutheran Cathedral and a small castle. All these structures can be dated back to 18th and 19th centuries. This is also where you will find The Stenbock House and the Estonian Academy of Arts.

Link to map

Driving Direction

5 min (1.8 km)

via Luise

Fastest route

Toompea

10130 Tallinn, Estonia

Take Toompea to Kaarli puiestee/Route 8

3 min (550 m)

Take Luise to Madara in Kristiine

2 min (1.0 km)

Drive to Madara

46 s (250 m)

AAA Rent Autorent

Madara 31, 10613

Tallinn, Estonia

#Near Tallinn #Tallinn

[kaitlynsbelgiumlitblog]

Ten Interesting Belgium Novels

War and Turpentine

Shortly before his death in 1981, Stefan Hertmans' grandfather gave him a couple of filled exercise books. Stories he’d heard as a child had led Hertmans to suspect that their contents might be disturbing, and for years he didn’t dare to open them. When he finally did, he discovered unexpected secrets. His grandfather’s life was marked by years of childhood poverty in late-nineteenth-century Belgium, by horrific experiences on the frontlines during the First World War and by the loss of the young love of his life. He sublimated his grief in the silence of painting. Drawing on these diary entries, his childhood memories and the stories told within Urbain’s paintings, Hertmans has produced a poetic novelisation of his grandfather’s story, brought to life with great imaginative power and vivid detail. War and Turpentine is an enthralling search for a life that coincided with the tragedy of a century—and a posthumous, almost mythical attempt to give that life a voice at last. (Goodreads)

Monte Carlo

It is the Monaco Grand Prix in May 1968. Jack Preston, a mechanic for Team Sutton, is making the final checks on his car as the beau monde mingles with the drivers under the eyes of the world's press and the galleries of spectators. DeeDee, a starlet of great beauty, seems to be walking towards him, or perhaps towards the royal box. Without warning a fireball rips across the starting grid. Preston will always bear the scars as a consequence of his unthinking heroism, his saving the life and the beauty of the girl, but details of the accident remain vague - no photographs capturing the moment have come to light. Weeks later, Preston emerges from hospital and goes home to his wife in a remote English village from which the drab atmosphere of the 1950s has yet to recede. There, as he slowly recovers, he awaits word from his employers and some sign of DeeDee's gratitude, an acknowledgment that it was he who saved her life. (Goodreads)

The Man Who Watched the Trains go By

Kees Popinga is an average man, a solid citizen who might enjoy a game of chess in the evening. But one night, this model husband and devoted father discovers his boss is bankrupt and that his own carefully tended life is in ruins. Before, he had watched impassively as the trains swept by; now he catches the first one out of town, and soon commits murder before the night is out. How reliable is even the most reliable man's identity?(Goodreads)

The Bridge Of Years

Mélanie Duchesne, mother of three, is an active businesswoman, whose courage, energy, and optimism bind the family and its farm together. Paul, her husband, is a philosopher, detached, moody, continually embroiled in the spiritual conflicts of a crumbling Europe. The last years before the second war are tense ones, a time for stock-taking, for a quickening of the pace of life. But it is Mélanie who encourages her family to proceed with their plans, to continue with their way of life. And it is Mélanie who decides their future as the Germans launch their invasion of Belgium. (Goodreads)

The Square Of Revenge

An ancient family name hides sinister secrets of love and betrayal. The beautiful medieval architecture of Bruges belies the dark longings of her residents. When the wealthy and powerful Ludovic Degroof’s jewelry store is broken into, nothing is stolen, but the jewels have been dissolved in jars of aqua regia, an acid so strong it can even melt gold. In the empty safe is a scrap of paper on which a strange square has been drawn. At first, Inspector Van In pays little attention to the paper, focusing on the bizarre nature of the burglary. But when Degroof’s offspring also receive letters with this same square, Van In and the beautiful new DA Hannelore Martens find themselves unraveling a complex web of enigmatic Latin phrase, a baroness’ fallen family, and Degroof’s relationship with a hostage grandchild, ransomed for a priceless collection of art. (Amazon)

The Angel Maker

The village of Wolfheim is a quiet little place until the geneticist Dr. Victor Hoppe returns after an absence of nearly twenty years. The doctor brings with him his infant children-three identical boys all sharing a disturbing disfigurement. He keeps them hidden away until Charlotte, the woman who is hired to care for them, begins to suspect that the triplets-and the good doctor- aren't quite what they seem. As the villagers become increasingly suspicious, the story of Dr. Hoppe's past begins to unfold, and the shocking secrets that he has been keeping are revealed. A chilling story that explores the ethical limits of science and religion, The Angel Maker is a haunting tale in the tradition of The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde and Frankenstein. Brought to life by internationally bestselling author Stefan Brijs, this eerie tale promises to get under readers' skin. (Amazon)

Post Mortem

Emiel Steegman, an unknown writer with a handful of novels to his name, is due to have dinner with a group of Estonian colleagues but cancels at the last moment "due to a somewhat difficult time for the family". A nasty feeling immediately comes over him: is he inviting trouble for his family in doing so? And what if a biographer stumbled on this? Would he not then suspect that something significant had happened in his life? The thought gives him a great idea for a new novel about a successful author, T, who becomes famous with an existential crime novel and increasingly worries about what his future biographer will write about him, so he withdraws entirely from public life. But Steegman's initial misgivings prove well founded. Because fate does strike. One afternoon, his daughter Renée falls asleep and it is impossible to wake her . . . (Amazon).

Hygiene and the Assassin

Prétextat Tach, Nobel Prize winner and one of the world's most renowned novelists, has two months to live. He has been in seclusion for years, refusing interviews and public appearances. But as news of his impending death becomes public, intrepid journalists from around the globe flock to his home in pursuit of an interview with the elusive author. One after the other they discover that, far from being the literary luminary they imagined, Tach has become an obese misogynist, a petulant bigot, an embittered, disgusting madman. The world's most famous author turns out to be the worst misanthrope imaginable. But Nina, the final journalist and the only female to interview Tach, calls the celebrated author's bluff and beats him at his own game. Her questions and the author's biting responses fly in a triumph of brilliant repartee, and Tach is led to a definitive confrontation with his past, while Nina discovers that in love nothing is ever as straightforward as it seems. (Amazon).

In the Company on Angels

Scented by chocolate and haunted by war, this compelling novel of dark miracles and angelic visitations offers up a distinctly imaginative new voice in fiction. Marie Claire is a young French Jew in a Nazi-occupied Belgian town, cared for by her grandmother, who cultivates flowers. A shattering of glass, and Marie Claire's village is in rubble. Her grandmother is dead, everyone is dead. She flees to the root cellar of her grandmother's house and waits. . . . (Amazon)

Desire

United in their considerable desire for drink and cards, Jake, an overweight, slow-witted yet gentle man, and dark, brooding Michel have become fixtures at The Unicorn, a local Belgian watering hole. Suddenly aware that their wants have outgrown the narrow confines of their village, and of the Old World, these sympathetic rogues impulsively set out for the land of silk and money: Las Vegas, Nevada. While Jake and Michel pursue their exploits of satiation under the neon Day-Glo of 1970s America, their relatives and friends contend with sinister business of their own. Two forms of desire go afoul of each other, revealing the dark menace lurking behind the facade of glitter and glamour in the New World, and of friendship and innocence in the Old World. Melding humor with rich characterization and language, Hugo Claus conveys the precariousness of our beliefs and the grotesque and meaningful forms that human desire can assume in this frightening, ribald, and gripping novel.(Googlebooks)

[theemperorsfeather]

It has been suggested that Donald Trump “may get his assertive rather than passive manner from his alleged Viking ancestors”. Or so says Russian genealogist Aleksey Nilogov, who has been finding some traction for his beliefs on nationalistic eastern European news sites such as the Estonian World Review .

Leaving aside the issue of genetic predispositions, as a scholar of Viking-Age Scandinavia, I take issue with this claim. The Vikings were a product of their time and – in that context – were a much less objectionable bunch than these suggestions imply. Delving into the Old Norse language helps us to better understand some of the ways that medieval Scandinavians might have viewed the overbearing and isolationist rhetoric dominating the international stage of late. In fact, just such an analysis suggests that Trump would probably not have had a great time navigating the political intrigue presented in the Icelandic Sagas.

...

Take, for example, the Old Norse word ójafnaðarmaðr . Broken into its constituent parts, the word could be rendered in English as “un-even-person”. But in the contexts of Eyrbyggja saga , one of the Sagas of Icelanders focusing on a locality in the north-west of the island, it’s clear that the unevenness being described is a disregard for fairness, equality, justice and the rights of others. This has led scholars to render the word as “an overbearing man”. An ójafnaðarmaðr, such as Styrr Þórgrímsson in Eyrbyggja saga, is fundamentally a social bully of the type who uses force and cunning to better their own position at the expense of those around them, save for a small group of loyal supporters drawn to their ruthless approach and success. 

...

The problem is that the ójafnaðarmaðr was not someone to emulate or even admire in early Icelandic society, but someone to bring to heel. In the harsh, isolated climes of medieval Iceland, mutual aid from community and kinship were relied upon to rise to the challenges of the day. With no respect for reciprocity or the honour and rights of others, the ójafnaðarmaðr was fundamentally destructive to the fabric of their society – and their antisocial tactics, described in the sagas, tended to cut them off from their communities.

...

Clearly antisocial tendencies such as isolationism or bullying were recognised as wholly unsuitable in the societies of the medieval Scandinavian milieu. Active social engagement was incredibly important.In no place is this clearer than in the early laws of Scandinavia, where outlawry – legally imposed exclusion from the community – was considered one of the gravest punishments a criminal could endure.

#vikings #history #i'm cackling #suck it fascists #t-rump #hospitality #reciprocity

[yoga-onion]

[Image above+below: works of an Estonian artist, Kaljo Põllu (28 November 1934 – 23 March 2010) ]

Legends and myths about trees

Forest myths, Estonian traditional beliefs (2)

The world of the Estonians’ ancestors - Proto-Estonian mythology

The world of the Estonians’ ancestors is believed to have turned around a pillar or a tree, to which the skies were nailed with the North Star. The Milky Way (Linnutee or Birds' Way in Estonian) was a branch of the World tree (Ilmapuu) or the way by which birds moved (and took the souls of the deceased to the other world). These myths were based on animistic beliefs.

Some traces of the oldest authentic myths may have survived in runic songs. There is a song about the birth of the world – a bird lays three eggs and starts to lay out the nestlings – one becomes Sun, one becomes Moon and one becomes the Earth. Other Finnic peoples also have myths according to which the world has emerged from an egg.

It has been suggested by ethnologist and former president Lennart Meri and among others, that a Kaali meteorite crater which passed dramatically over populated regions and landed on the island of Saaremaa around 3,000 - 4,000 years ago was a cataclysmic event that may have influenced the mythology of Estonia and neighboring countries, especially those from whose vantage point a "sun" seemed to set in the east.

There are surviving stories about Kaali crater in Finnish mythology (Description of indigenous paganism by Finns who always believed in spirit beliefs). 

In the Karelian-Finnish folk epic, the Kalevala, cantos (songs) 47, 48 and 49 can be interpreted as descriptions of the impact, the resulting tsunami and devastating forest fires. It has also been suggested that the Virumaa-born Oeselian god Tharapita is a reflection of the meteorite that entered the atmosphere somewhere near the suggested "birthplace" of the god and landed in Oesel.

Estonian mythology is a complex of myths belonging to Estonian folk heritage and literary mythology, and the systematic documentation of Estonian folklore had only began in the 19th century. 

Therefore, information on Proto-Estonian mythology before the conquest of the Northern Crusades, Christianisation and incorporation into the European world and during the medieval era, is only scattered in historical chronicles, travellers' accounts and in ecclesiastical registers.

It can be difficult to tell how much of Estonian mythology as we know it today was actually constructed in the 19th and early 20th century. Friedrich Robert Fehlmann, one of the compilers of the Estonian national epic, Kalevipoeg in the introduction to Esthnische Sagen (Estonian Legends), states.

"However, since Pietism has started to penetrate deep into the life of the people...singing folk songs and telling legends have become forbidden for the people; moreover, the last survivals of pagan deities are being destroyed and there is no chance for historical research."

木にまつわる伝説・神話

森の神話・エストニアの民間伝承 (2)

エストニア人の祖先の世界 〜 原始エストニア神話

エストニア人の祖先の世界は、柱または木の周りを回っていたと信じられており、その柱には北極星とともに天空が釘付けにされていた。天の川（エストニア語ではリヌーテーまたは鳥の道）は世界樹（イルマプー）の枝であり、鳥が移動する（そして亡くなった人の魂をあの世に連れて行く）道であった。これらの神話はアニミズム的な信仰に基づいていた。

最古の本物の神話の痕跡が、ルーン文字の歌詞の中に残っているかもしれない。ある鳥が3つの卵を産み、雛を産み始める。ひとつは太陽になり、ひとつは月になり、ひとつは地球になる、という世界の誕生の歌がある。他にはフィン族にも、世界が卵から生まれたという神話がある。

3,000～4,000年前に人口密集地域の上空を劇的に通過し、サーレマー島に落下したカーリ隕石 (ｶｰﾘ･ｸﾚｰﾀｰ) は、エストニアや近隣諸国、特に「太陽」が東に沈むように見えた国々の神話に影響を与えた可能性がある、と民族学者で元大統領のレンナルト・メリらによって示唆されている。

フィンランド神話 (精霊信仰を常に信仰していたフィン族による原始宗教的な伝説) にカーリ隕石に関する物語が残っている。カレリア・フィンランドの民俗叙事詩『カレワラ』の第47、48、49カント (聖歌) は、その衝撃と、その結果生じた津波、壊滅的な森林火災についての記述であると解釈できる。また、ヴィルマア生まれのオイセルの神タラピタは、この神の「出生地」とされる場所の近くで大気圏に突入し、オイセルに落下した隕石の反映であるとも言われている。

エストニア神話は、エストニアの民間伝承と文学的神話に属する神話の複合体であり、エストニアの民間伝承の体系的な記録が始まったのは19世紀になってからである。そのため、北方十字軍の征服、キリスト教化、ヨーロッパ世界への併合以前、そして中世のエストニア神話の原型に関する情報は、歴史年代記、旅行者の記録、教会の記録に散見されるのみである。

今日私たちが知っているエストニア神話のどれだけが、19世紀から20世紀初頭にかけて実際に構築されたものなのかを見分けるのは難しい。エストニアの民族叙事詩『カレヴィポエグ』の編纂者の一人であるフリードリヒ・ロベルト・フェールマンは、『エストニア伝説』の序文で次のように述べている。

“しかし、敬虔主義が人々の生活に深く浸透し始めて以来......民謡を歌い、伝説を語ることは、人々にとって禁忌となった； さらに、異教の神々の最後の生き残りは破壊されつつあり、歴史研究のチャンスはない。"

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