Estonian mythology
Encyclopedia
Estonian mythology
is a complex of myths belonging the Estonia
n folk heritage and literary mythology.
Information about the pre-Christian
and medieval Estonian mythology is scattered in historical chronicles, travellers' accounts and in ecclesiastical registers. Systematic recordings of Estonian folklore
started in the 19th century.
Pre-Christian Estonian deities included a sky-god known as Jumal or Taevataat (Sky Grandfather) in Estonian
, corresponding to Jumala
in Finnish
, and Jumo in Mari
.
(871-899) about Estonians' burial customs that included keeping the dead unburied in the house of their relatives and friends, who would hold a wake of drinking until the day of the cremation.
According to the Chronicle of Henry of Livonia
in 1222 the Estonians even disinterred the enemy's dead and burned them. It is thought that cremation was believed to speed up the dead person's journey to the afterlife and by cremation the dead would not become earthbound spirits which were thought to be dangerous to the living.
Henry of Latvia also describes in his chronicle an Estonian legend originating from Virumaa
in North Estonia - about a mountain and a forest where a god named Tharapita
, worshipped by Oeselians, had been born.
The solstice festival of Midsummer
celebrating the sun through solar symbols of bonfires, the tradition alive until the present day and numerous Estonian nature spirits: the sacred oak and linden have been described by Balthasar Russow
in 1578
, one becomes Moon
and one becomes the Earth
. Other Finno-Ugric peoples
have also myths according to which the world has emerged from an egg.
The world of the Estonians’ ancestors is believed to have turned around a pillar or a tree, to which the skies were nailed with North Star. 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.
Changes occurred in proto-Estonian mythology as a result of the contacts with Baltic
and Germanic
tribes, as well as the transition from hunting and gathering
to farming. Personifications of celestial bodies, sky
and weather
deities
and fertility
gods gained importance in the world of the farmers. There may have been a sky and thunder god called Uku or Ukko, also called Vanaisa (Grandfather) or Taevataat (Sky Father). Proto Estonian pre-Christian deities may also have included a sky-god by name Jumal, known also by other Finnic peoples
as Jumala in Finnish
and Jumo in Mari
. Many recorded legends and myths depicting a supreme sky god are however probably of later origin and feature Christian and/or foreign influences.
Estonian legends about giants (Kalevipoeg
, Suur Tõll, Leiger) may be a reflection of Germanic (especially Scandinavia
n) influences. There are numerous legends interpreting various natural objects and features as traces of Kalevipoeg's deeds. The giant has merged together with Christian Devil
, giving birth to a new character – Vanapagan (a cunning demon living on his farm or manor and his farm hand Kaval-Ants (Crafty Hans).
Other mythical motiffs from Estonian runic songs:
It has been suggested, among others by ethnologist and former president Lennart Meri
, that a meteorite 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.
In the Finnish national epic, the Kalevala
, cantos 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.
and Friedrich Reinhold Kreutzwald
compiled the Estonian national epic Kalevipoeg
out of numerous prosaic folk legends and runo verse imitations that they themselves had written. Faehlmann also wrote eight fictional myths combining motives of Estonian folklore (from the legends and folk songs), Finnish mythology (from Ganander’s "Mythologia Fennica
") and classical Greek mythology
. Matthias Johann Eisen
was another folklorist and writer who studied folk legends and reworked them into literary form. Many of their contemporary scholars accepted this mythopoeia as authentic Estonian mythology.
The Estonian literary mythology describes the following pantheon: The supreme god, the god of all living is Taara. He is celebrated in sacred oak forests around Tartu
. The god of thunder is Uku. Uku's daughters are Linda
and Jutta
, the queen of the birds. Uku has two sons: Kõu
(Thunder) and Pikker (Lightning). Pikker possesses a powerful musical instrument, which makes demons tremble and flee. He has a naughty daughter, Ilmatütar (Weather Maiden).
During the era of Estonian national awakening
the elements in the literary mythology were quickly and readily incorporated into contemporary popular culture through media and school textbooks. 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. One should also note that some constructed elements are loans from Finnish mythology
and may date back to the common Baltic-Finnic heritage.
Christian saint
s interpreted as gods:
Mythology
The term mythology can refer either to the study of myths, or to a body or collection of myths. As examples, comparative mythology is the study of connections between myths from different cultures, whereas Greek mythology is the body of myths from ancient Greece...
is a complex of myths belonging the Estonia
Estonia
Estonia , officially the Republic of Estonia , is a state in the Baltic region of Northern Europe. It is bordered to the north by the Gulf of Finland, to the west by the Baltic Sea, to the south by Latvia , and to the east by Lake Peipsi and the Russian Federation . Across the Baltic Sea lies...
n folk heritage and literary mythology.
Information about the pre-Christian
Christianity
Christianity is a monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus as presented in canonical gospels and other New Testament writings...
and medieval Estonian mythology is scattered in historical chronicles, travellers' accounts and in ecclesiastical registers. Systematic recordings of Estonian folklore
Estonian folklore
The earliest mentioning of Estonian singing dates back to Saxo Grammaticus Gesta Danorum . Saxo speaks of Estonian warriors who sang at night while waiting for a battle. Henry of Livonia in the beginning of the 13th. century describes Estonian sacrificial customs, gods and spirits. In 1578...
started in the 19th century.
Pre-Christian Estonian deities included a sky-god known as Jumal or Taevataat (Sky Grandfather) in Estonian
Estonian language
Estonian is the official language of Estonia, spoken by about 1.1 million people in Estonia and tens of thousands in various émigré communities...
, corresponding to Jumala
Jumala
or or means "god" in Finnic languages and Volga-Finnic languages, both the Christian God and any other deity of any religion. The word is thought to have been the name of a sky god of the ancient Finnic-speaking peoples...
in Finnish
Finnish language
Finnish is the language spoken by the majority of the population in Finland Primarily for use by restaurant menus and by ethnic Finns outside Finland. It is one of the two official languages of Finland and an official minority language in Sweden. In Sweden, both standard Finnish and Meänkieli, a...
, and Jumo in Mari
Mari language
The Mari language , spoken by more than 600,000 people, belongs to the Uralic language family. It is spoken primarily in the Mari Republic of the Russian Federation as well as in the area along the Vyatka river basin and eastwards to the Urals...
.
Estonian mythology in old chronicles
A traveler called Wulfstan reported to the king Alfred the GreatAlfred the Great
Alfred the Great was King of Wessex from 871 to 899.Alfred is noted for his defence of the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of southern England against the Vikings, becoming the only English monarch still to be accorded the epithet "the Great". Alfred was the first King of the West Saxons to style himself...
(871-899) about Estonians' burial customs that included keeping the dead unburied in the house of their relatives and friends, who would hold a wake of drinking until the day of the cremation.
According to the Chronicle of Henry of Livonia
Chronicle of Henry of Livonia
The Livonian Chronicle of Henry is a document describing historic events in Livonia and surrounding areas from 1180 to 1227. Apart from the few references in the Primary Chronicle compiled in Kievan Rus' in the twelfth century, it is the oldest known written document about the history of these...
in 1222 the Estonians even disinterred the enemy's dead and burned them. It is thought that cremation was believed to speed up the dead person's journey to the afterlife and by cremation the dead would not become earthbound spirits which were thought to be dangerous to the living.
Henry of Latvia also describes in his chronicle an Estonian legend originating from Virumaa
Virumaa
Virumaa is a former independent county in Ancient Estonia. Now it is divided into Ida-Viru County or Eastern Vironia and Lääne-Viru County or Western Vironia...
in North Estonia - about a mountain and a forest where a god named Tharapita
Tharapita
Tharapita or Taarapita or Taara is a god in Estonian mythology.The Chronicle of Henry of Livonia mentions Tharapita as the superior god of Oeselians , also well known to Vironian tribes in northern Estonia...
, worshipped by Oeselians, had been born.
The solstice festival of Midsummer
Midsummer
Midsummer may simply refer to the period of time centered upon the summer solstice, but more often refers to specific European celebrations that accompany the actual solstice, or that take place on a day between June 21 and June 24, and the preceding evening. The exact dates vary between different...
celebrating the sun through solar symbols of bonfires, the tradition alive until the present day and numerous Estonian nature spirits: the sacred oak and linden have been described by Balthasar Russow
Balthasar Russow
Balthasar Russow was one of the most important Livonian and Estonian chroniclers.Russow was born in Reval . He was educated at an academy in Stettin in Pomerania...
in 1578
Mythical motifs in folklore
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 SunSun
The Sun is the star at the center of the Solar System. It is almost perfectly spherical and consists of hot plasma interwoven with magnetic fields...
, one becomes Moon
Moon
The Moon is Earth's only known natural satellite,There are a number of near-Earth asteroids including 3753 Cruithne that are co-orbital with Earth: their orbits bring them close to Earth for periods of time but then alter in the long term . These are quasi-satellites and not true moons. For more...
and one becomes the Earth
Earth
Earth is the third planet from the Sun, and the densest and fifth-largest of the eight planets in the Solar System. It is also the largest of the Solar System's four terrestrial planets...
. Other Finno-Ugric peoples
Finno-Ugric peoples
The Finno-Ugric peoples are any of several peoples of Europe who speak languages of the proposed Finno-Ugric language family, such as the Finns, Estonians, Mordvins, and Hungarians...
have also myths according to which the world has emerged from an egg.
The world of the Estonians’ ancestors is believed to have turned around a pillar or a tree, to which the skies were nailed with North Star. Milky Way
Milky Way
The Milky Way is the galaxy that contains the Solar System. This name derives from its appearance as a dim un-resolved "milky" glowing band arching across the night sky...
(Linnutee or Birds' Way in Estonian) was a branch of the World Tree
World tree
The world tree is a motif present in several religions and mythologies, particularly Indo-European religions, Siberian religions, and Native American religions. The world tree is represented as a colossal tree which supports the heavens, thereby connecting the heavens, the earth, and, through its...
(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
Animism
Animism refers to the belief that non-human entities are spiritual beings, or at least embody some kind of life-principle....
beliefs.
Changes occurred in proto-Estonian mythology as a result of the contacts with Baltic
Balts
The Balts or Baltic peoples , defined as speakers of one of the Baltic languages, a branch of the Indo-European language family, are descended from a group of Indo-European tribes who settled the area between the Jutland peninsula in the west and Moscow, Oka and Volga rivers basins in the east...
and Germanic
Germanic peoples
The Germanic peoples are an Indo-European ethno-linguistic group of Northern European origin, identified by their use of the Indo-European Germanic languages which diversified out of Proto-Germanic during the Pre-Roman Iron Age.Originating about 1800 BCE from the Corded Ware Culture on the North...
tribes, as well as the transition from hunting and gathering
Hunting and gathering
Hunting and gathering may refer to:*Hunting and gathering, the subsistence method based on edible plants and animals from the wild*Hunting and Gathering...
to farming. Personifications of celestial bodies, sky
Sky
The sky is the part of the atmosphere or outer space visible from the surface of any astronomical object. It is difficult to define precisely for several reasons. During daylight, the sky of Earth has the appearance of a pale blue surface because the air scatters the sunlight. The sky is sometimes...
and weather
Weather
Weather is the state of the atmosphere, to the degree that it is hot or cold, wet or dry, calm or stormy, clear or cloudy. Most weather phenomena occur in the troposphere, just below the stratosphere. Weather refers, generally, to day-to-day temperature and precipitation activity, whereas climate...
deities
Deity
A deity is a recognized preternatural or supernatural immortal being, who may be thought of as holy, divine, or sacred, held in high regard, and respected by believers....
and fertility
Fertility
Fertility is the natural capability of producing offsprings. As a measure, "fertility rate" is the number of children born per couple, person or population. Fertility differs from fecundity, which is defined as the potential for reproduction...
gods gained importance in the world of the farmers. There may have been a sky and thunder god called Uku or Ukko, also called Vanaisa (Grandfather) or Taevataat (Sky Father). Proto Estonian pre-Christian deities may also have included a sky-god by name Jumal, known also by other Finnic peoples
Finnic peoples
The Finnic or Fennic peoples were historic ethnic groups who spoke various languages traditionally classified as Finno-Permic...
as Jumala in Finnish
Finnish language
Finnish is the language spoken by the majority of the population in Finland Primarily for use by restaurant menus and by ethnic Finns outside Finland. It is one of the two official languages of Finland and an official minority language in Sweden. In Sweden, both standard Finnish and Meänkieli, a...
and Jumo in Mari
Mari language
The Mari language , spoken by more than 600,000 people, belongs to the Uralic language family. It is spoken primarily in the Mari Republic of the Russian Federation as well as in the area along the Vyatka river basin and eastwards to the Urals...
. Many recorded legends and myths depicting a supreme sky god are however probably of later origin and feature Christian and/or foreign influences.
Estonian legends about giants (Kalevipoeg
Kalevipoeg
Kalevipoeg is an epic poem by Friedrich Reinhold Kreutzwald held to be the Estonian national epic.- Origins : There existed an oral tradition within Ancient Estonia of legends explaining the origin of the world...
, Suur Tõll, Leiger) may be a reflection of Germanic (especially Scandinavia
Scandinavia
Scandinavia is a cultural, historical and ethno-linguistic region in northern Europe that includes the three kingdoms of Denmark, Norway and Sweden, characterized by their common ethno-cultural heritage and language. Modern Norway and Sweden proper are situated on the Scandinavian Peninsula,...
n) influences. There are numerous legends interpreting various natural objects and features as traces of Kalevipoeg's deeds. The giant has merged together with Christian Devil
Devil
The Devil is believed in many religions and cultures to be a powerful, supernatural entity that is the personification of evil and the enemy of God and humankind. The nature of the role varies greatly...
, giving birth to a new character – Vanapagan (a cunning demon living on his farm or manor and his farm hand Kaval-Ants (Crafty Hans).
Other mythical motiffs from Estonian runic songs:
- a mighty oak grows into the sky, is then felled and turned into various mythical objects
- Sun, Moon and Star are the suitors of a young maiden, she finally accepts the Star
- a crafty blacksmith forges a woman of gold but is not able to give her a soul or a mind
- a holy grove starts to wither after having been desecrated by a love-making couple; only the scarification of nine brothers cleanses it
- mighty heroes are not able to kill a terrible giant ox, but a little brother is
- a woman is forced to kill her daughter who then goes to live in the heaven as Air Maiden
- a girl finds a fish and asks her brother to kill it – there is a woman inside the fish
- young girls go out at night and young men from the holy grove (or the land of the dead) seduce them by offering them riches
- a lake travels to another place when it has been desecrated by an inconsiderate woman or an incestuous couple
It has been suggested, among others by ethnologist and former president Lennart Meri
Lennart Meri
Lennart Georg Meri was a writer, film director and statesman who served as the second President of Estonia from 1992 to 2001. Meri was a leader of the Estonian independence movement.-Early life:...
, that a meteorite which passed dramatically over populated regions and landed on the island of Saaremaa
Saaremaa
Saaremaa is the largest island in Estonia, measuring 2,673 km². The main island of Saare County, it is located in the Baltic Sea, south of Hiiumaa island, and belongs to the West Estonian Archipelago...
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.
In the Finnish national epic, the Kalevala
Kalevala
The Kalevala is a 19th century work of epic poetry compiled by Elias Lönnrot from Finnish and Karelian oral folklore and mythology.It is regarded as the national epic of Finland and is one of the most significant works of Finnish literature...
, cantos 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.
Literary mythology
Friedrich Robert FaehlmannFriedrich Robert Faehlmann
Friedrich Robert Faehlmann was an Estonian philologist and an Estophile active in Livonia, Russian Empire...
and Friedrich Reinhold Kreutzwald
Friedrich Reinhold Kreutzwald
Friedrich Reinhold Kreutzwald was an Estonian writer, who is considered to be the father of the national literature for the country.-Life:Friedrich's parents were serfs at the Jõepere estate, Virumaa. His father worked as a granary keeper and his mother was a chambermaid...
compiled the Estonian national epic Kalevipoeg
Kalevipoeg
Kalevipoeg is an epic poem by Friedrich Reinhold Kreutzwald held to be the Estonian national epic.- Origins : There existed an oral tradition within Ancient Estonia of legends explaining the origin of the world...
out of numerous prosaic folk legends and runo verse imitations that they themselves had written. Faehlmann also wrote eight fictional myths combining motives of Estonian folklore (from the legends and folk songs), Finnish mythology (from Ganander’s "Mythologia Fennica
Mythologia Fennica
Mythologia Fennica is a book written by Cristfried Ganander. The book contains extensive explanations regarding Finnish mythology and is often seen as a dictionary. The book was published in 1789, and it contains a total of 430 entries. The book features a number of folk poetry and stories...
") and classical Greek mythology
Greek mythology
Greek mythology is the body of myths and legends belonging to the ancient Greeks, concerning their gods and heroes, the nature of the world, and the origins and significance of their own cult and ritual practices. They were a part of religion in ancient Greece...
. Matthias Johann Eisen
Matthias Johann Eisen
Matthias Johann Eisen was an Estonian folklorist and in 1920—1927 served as the Professor of Folk Poetry at University of Tartu....
was another folklorist and writer who studied folk legends and reworked them into literary form. Many of their contemporary scholars accepted this mythopoeia as authentic Estonian mythology.
The Estonian literary mythology describes the following pantheon: The supreme god, the god of all living is Taara. He is celebrated in sacred oak forests around Tartu
Tartu
Tartu is the second largest city of Estonia. In contrast to Estonia's political and financial capital Tallinn, Tartu is often considered the intellectual and cultural hub, especially since it is home to Estonia's oldest and most renowned university. Situated 186 km southeast of Tallinn, the...
. The god of thunder is Uku. Uku's daughters are Linda
Linda (Estonian mythology)
In the Estonian mythology and Kreutzwald's epic "Kalevipoeg", Linda was the mother of Kalevipoeg and the wife of Kalev.She has given the name to several Estonian locations, including the Lindakivi in Lake Ülemiste...
and Jutta
Jutta
The feminine name Jutta is the German form of Judith. In German it is pronounced Yutta -- the u is pronounced like the u in "put." It could also derive from the Germanic name Eutha meaning "mankind, child, descendant"....
, the queen of the birds. Uku has two sons: Kõu
Kou
Kou may refer to*Kou, Burkina Faso, a village in Burkina Faso*Kou, Laiwu , town in Laicheng District, Laiwu, Shandong, China*Kou Uraki, a character in the fictional Gundam universe*Kou , a tree species...
(Thunder) and Pikker (Lightning). Pikker possesses a powerful musical instrument, which makes demons tremble and flee. He has a naughty daughter, Ilmatütar (Weather Maiden).
During the era of Estonian national awakening
Estonian national awakening
The Estonian Age of Awakening is a period in history where Estonians came to acknowledge themselves as a nation deserving the right to govern themselves. This period is considered to begin in 1850s with greater rights being granted to commoners and to end with the declaration of the Republic of...
the elements in the literary mythology were quickly and readily incorporated into contemporary popular culture through media and school textbooks. 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. One should also note that some constructed elements are loans from Finnish mythology
Finnish mythology
Finnish mythology is the mythology that went with Finnish paganism which was practised by the Finnish people prior to Christianisation. It has many features shared with fellow Finnic Estonian mythology and its non-Finnic neighbours, the Balts and the Scandinavians...
and may date back to the common Baltic-Finnic heritage.
Estonian mythological and literary mythological beings, deities and legendary heroes
- ÄiatarAjatarIn Finnish folklore, Ajatar is a spirit known as "Devil of the Woods". It is an evil female spirit that manifests as a snake or dragon. Ajatar is said to be the mother of the devil. She spreads disease and pestilence, any that look at her become ill, and she suckles serpents...
– a female demon, Devil's daughter - ÄikeAikeAike is a village in the East Riding of Yorkshire, England. It is situated approximately north of Beverley town centre and lies to the west of the River Hull...
- Thunder - Alevipoeg - Alev's son, a brother of KalevipoegKalevipoegKalevipoeg is an epic poem by Friedrich Reinhold Kreutzwald held to be the Estonian national epic.- Origins : There existed an oral tradition within Ancient Estonia of legends explaining the origin of the world...
- EbajalgEbajalgEbajalg is a being found in Estonian mythology. It is a whirlwind, believed to be a malicious spirit. They are descirbed as having great strength, often leading to destruction.-Sources:*...
- demonic whirlwind - Ehaema - Mother Twilight, a nocturnal spirit or elf, encouraging spinning
- Eksitaja - an evil spirit who makes people lose their way in a forest or a bog
- HaldjasHaltijaHaltija is a spirit, gnome or elf-like creature in Finnish mythology, that guards, helps or protects something or somebody. The word is possibly derived from the Gothic *haltijar, and referred to the original settler of a homestead — although this is not the only possible etymology.In common...
(the ruler) - elf, fairy, protector spirit of some place, person, plant or animal - Hall - personification of malaria
- Hiid - a giant
- Hiiela - another world, land of the dead
- Hiieneitsid - maidens from the land of the dead
- Hiis - holy grove
- Hingeliblikas – a person's spirit in the form of a moth
- Hingeloom - a person's spirit in the form of an insect or a small animal
- Hoidja - protector
- Hämarik - personification of dusk, a beautiful young maiden
- Hännamees – a demon who stole and brought food, money and other worldly goods to its maker and owner
- Härjapõlvlane - goblin
- Ilmaneitsi, Ilmatütar - Air Maiden, Sky Maiden
- Ilmarine, Ilmasepp - a mythical blacksmith who forged among other things the Sun and the Moon (cf. IlmarinenIlmarinenSeppo Ilmarinen, the Eternal Hammerer, blacksmith and inventor in the Kalevala, is an archetypal artificer from Finnish mythology. Immortal, he is capable of creating practically anything, but is portrayed as unlucky in love...
) - Ilo - Joy, the hostess of feasts
- Jumal - God
- Jutta - queen of the birds, daughter of Taara
- Juudaline - demon
- Järvevana - Old Man from the Lake
- Kaevukoll - bogeyman of the well
- Kaitsja - protector
- KalevipoegKalevipoegKalevipoeg is an epic poem by Friedrich Reinhold Kreutzwald held to be the Estonian national epic.- Origins : There existed an oral tradition within Ancient Estonia of legends explaining the origin of the world...
, Kalevine, Sohni, Soini, Osmi - giant hero, mythical ancient king of Estonia - Kalm - grave; spirit of a dead person; ruler of the land of the dead
- Kalmuneiu - Maiden of the Grave; a girl from the land of the dead
- Kaval-Ants (Crafty/Sly Hans) - wicked farm hand who deceives his master Vanapagan - the Devil
- Kodukäija - a restless visitant ghost
- Koerakoonlane - a demonic warrior with a dog snout
- Koit - personification of Dawn, a young man, eternal lover of Hämarik
- Koll - bogey
- Kolumats – bogeyman
- Kratt - a demon who stole and brought food, money and other worldly goods to its maker and owner in the form of a whirlwind or meteor-like tail of fire (also called pisuhänd, tulihänd, hännamees)
- KuuKuuKuu was a moon goddess in Finnish mythology. According to the Kalevala, the daughter of the air Ilmatar allowed a teal to lay its egg on her knee as she floated in the abyss...
- Moon - Kõu - Thunder; son of Uku, brother of Pikker
- Kääbas - grave, death spirit
- Külmking - a spirit of an unholy dead, eats children when they bother the forest spirits
- Lapi nõid - witch of Lapland
- Leiger (player) - a giant living in Hiiumaa island, younger brother of "Suur Tõll"
- Lendva - an illness sent by an evil witch
- Libahunt, Sutekskäija - werewolf
- Liiva-Annus or Surm - Death
- LindaLinda (Estonian mythology)In the Estonian mythology and Kreutzwald's epic "Kalevipoeg", Linda was the mother of Kalevipoeg and the wife of Kalev.She has given the name to several Estonian locations, including the Lindakivi in Lake Ülemiste...
- mother of Kalevipoeg - Lummutis - ghost, wraith
- Luupainaja - incubus, nightmare
- Maa-alune - a creature living under the earth and causing illnesses
- Maajumalad - Gods of Earth
- Maaemä - Mother Earth
- Majauss - domestic grass-snake, protector spirit
- Mana - a hypothetical ruler of the dead
- Manala - land of the dead
- Manalane - inhabitant of the land of the dead
- Marras - spirit of death, predictor of death
- Mereveised - Sea cows
- MetsaemaMielikkiMielikki is the Finnish goddess of forests and the hunt. She is referred to in various tales as either the wife or the daughter-in-law of Tapio. She is said to have played a central role in the creation of the bear....
- Mother of Forest - Metsavana - Old Man of the Forest
- Metsik - a fertility god
- Mumm - bogey, monster, ghost
- Murueide Tütred - daughters of Murueit, beautiful maidens
- Murueit - a female spirit of forest and earth, connected to the land of the dead
- Nõid - witch
- Näkk - mermaid
- Olevipoeg - the brother of Kalevipoeg, city builder, related to St Olaf
- Painaja - nightmare, incubus
- Pakane - Frost
- Pardiajaja - (< Parteigänger) half-demonic warrior
- PekoPekoPeko is an ancient Estonian and Finnish god of crops, especially barley and brewing. In the area of Setumaa, between Estonia and Russia, inhabited by the seto-speaking Setos, the cult of Peko was alive until the 20th century...
- Seto god of fertility and brewing - Peko - a fertility god
- Peninukk - half-demonic warrior
- Penn
- Peremees - Master
- PiknePiknePikne is the god of lightning in Estonian mythology.-Legend:In the Middle Ages, the pagan priests made animal sacrifices to Pikne...
, Pikker - Thunder, "The Long One" - Piret - wife of Suur Tõll
- Pisuhänd - tail of fire, treasure-bringing goblin
- Puuk – treasure-bringing goblin
- Põrguneitsi - literally: virgin of Hell
- Päike - Sun
- Rongo
- Rukkihunt
- Rõugutaja - a female deity, protector of the rye crops, women in labor and the city of Narva
- Salme
- Sulevipoeg - Sulev's son, friend of Kalevipoeg
- Suur Tõll - giant hero living in SaaremaaSaaremaaSaaremaa is the largest island in Estonia, measuring 2,673 km². The main island of Saare County, it is located in the Baltic Sea, south of Hiiumaa island, and belongs to the West Estonian Archipelago...
Island - Taara - the god of nature, sometimes considered supreme god
- TharapitaTharapitaTharapita or Taarapita or Taara is a god in Estonian mythology.The Chronicle of Henry of Livonia mentions Tharapita as the superior god of Oeselians , also well known to Vironian tribes in northern Estonia...
, Taarapita, Tarapita - mythological Osilian God of War - Taevataat (literally Sky Father), Vanaisa ("Grandfather")
- Tallaja - trampler
- Tikutaja
- Tont - ghost
- ToonelaTuonelaTuonela is the realm of the dead or the Underworld in Finnish and Estonian mythology. Tuonela, Tuoni, Manala and Mana are used synonymously. In Estonian mythology, it is called Toonela or Manala....
- land of the dead - TooniTuoniIn Finnish mythology, Tuoni was the god of the Tuonela ....
- god of death, ruler of the dead - Toor, Tooru - a deity known in western Estonia, related to Scandinavian Thor
- Tulbigas
- Tulihänd, Pisuhänd - "tail of fire" - flying house elf, helps to gather and protect the wealth
- Turis
- Tuule-Emä - Mother Wind
- Tuuleisa - Father Wind
- Tuulispask - whirlwind
- Tuuslar - a sorcerer living in Finland
- Tõll - (see Suur Tõll)
- Täht - Star
- Udres-Kudres - serf, called "Son of the Sun", hero of folksongs
- UkuUkkoIn Finnish mythology, Ukko, in Estonian mythology Uku, is a god of sky, weather, crops and other natural things. He is the most significant god in Finnish and Estonian mythologies, and created the goddess Ilmatar, creator of the world. The Finnish word ukkonen, thunderstorm, is derived from his...
- the supreme god - VanemuineVanemuineVanemuine, a literal translation from is a theatre in Tartu, Estonia. It is the first Estonian language theatre, founded as the Vanemuine Society on June 24, 1865 following the idea of Johann Voldemar Jannsen. In 1869 Vanemuine Society organised the first song festival in Estonia...
- the god of songs, art and literature - Vanapagan ("The Old Heathen") Vanatühi, ("The Old Empty one"), Vanakuri ("The Old Evil One"), Vanapoiss ("The Old Boy"), Vanasarvik ("The Old Horned One") in some texts also Vanataat ("The Old Father") - The Devil
- Varavedaja - loot carrier
- Varjuline - shadowling
- Veehaldjas - spirit of the water, the weaver of a spring Ahjualune
- VeteemaVed-avaVed-ava is a water deity, common to several Baltic and Finno-Ugric peoples traditionally dependent on fishing. She is also sometimes associated with fertility. She is generally depicted as a water creature resembling a mermaid, with long hair, large breasts, and the lower body of a fish complete...
– Mother of Waters - Vetevana - Water Spirit
- Vihelik
- Vilbus
- Virmalised - Polar Lights
- Viruskundra
Christian saint
Saint
A saint is a holy person. In various religions, saints are people who are believed to have exceptional holiness.In Christian usage, "saint" refers to any believer who is "in Christ", and in whom Christ dwells, whether in heaven or in earth...
s interpreted as gods:
- Jüri (St George) - god of agriculture
- Laurits (St Lawrence) - god of fire
- Mart (St MartinMartin of ToursMartin of Tours was a Bishop of Tours whose shrine became a famous stopping-point for pilgrims on the road to Santiago de Compostela. Around his name much legendary material accrued, and he has become one of the most familiar and recognizable Christian saints...
) - god of fertility - Tõnn (St AnthonyAnthony the GreatAnthony the Great or Antony the Great , , also known as Saint Anthony, Anthony the Abbot, Anthony of Egypt, Anthony of the Desert, Anthony the Anchorite, Abba Antonius , and Father of All Monks, was a Christian saint from Egypt, a prominent leader among the Desert Fathers...
) - fertility god of the crops and pigs
Estonian mythical and magical objects
- White Ship (valge laev) - mythical ship that brings freedom or takes people away to a better land. This myth was born around 1860 when a small sect led by Juhan LeinbergJuhan LeinbergJuhan Leinberg , also known as prophet Maltsvet, was a founder of a religious sect named after him in Estonia....
(also known as Prophet Maltsvet) gathered near Tallinn to wait for a white ship to take them away. - Hat of fingernails (küüntest kübar) - makes the bearer (usually Vanatühi) invisible.
- Mittens (kirikindad) – were believed to have protective or magic powers, especially church mittens and the ones that sailors wore. Mittens were (are) decorated with special geometric patterns and narrow red stripes; they have many whispers and spells in them because the crafter used to sing while making, dyeing and knitting yarn.
- Belt (kirivöö) - the belt had the most ancient and magical patterns of all the craft items, red woven belts and laces were a common item to sacrifice (they were tied to the branches of holy trees). A belt was tied around parts of body that were sick and, pulled tightly around the waist, had to protect and give strength to the bearer.
- Sacred stones - the last ice age has left a lot of great stones (erratics) in Estonia. Many of them were considered sacred and people came to them to sacrifice silver, blood, red ribbons and coins and ask for welfare and prosperity. Often, the stones have little holes in them, some of them probably used to place the sacrifice in. The meaning and function of the holes is however still disputed; according to paleoastronomer Heino Eelsalu they may have had a calendary function.
- Travelling forests - when people are mean, greedy and cruel in some place, the forests will leave this place. The most stories about travelling forests are found in coastal areas of Estonia.
Further reading
- "The Heavenly Wedding" Estonian Folktales (2005) Päär, P; Türnpu, A; Järv, R; Loigu, L. (ed), Varrak, Tallin ISBN 9985-3-1146-9
External links
- The Hero of Esthonia, collected Estonian tales, edited by W. F. Kirby
- Taarapita - the great god of the Oeselians, an article by Urmas Sutrop
- Introduction to Baltic Folklore from the University of Toronto