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The Baltic Nations: Estonia 'f~~~

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Traditional Culture
in Estonia Ingrid Ruutel

n prehistoric times the Finno-Ugric tribes, including ances-

I tors ofthe Estonians, populated vast areas between the Ural
Mountains and the Baltic Sea. Estonian culture developed in
close contact with the Batts (ancestors of the Indo-European
Latvians and Lithuanians) and other Indo-European peoples:
Scandinavians, Germans, and later also Russians.
In the 13th century the Estonians were conquered by the
Danes and Germans. In time, the German landholders took
possession of the entire territory of Estonia, and most Estonians
were reduced to serfdom.
In 1721 Estonia became part of the Russian empire. Estonian
The Baltic Nations: Estonia
peasants remained serfs of the German annexation to the Soviet Union in 1941. Russians and Germans for hundreds of
landholders until the feudal system was This was in turn followed by the Nazi years. It continues to be vital in the pre-
abolished in the middle of the 19th occupation. Both occupations were sent, because of the large Russian popu-
century. The antiserfdom movement was accompanied by political repression and lation in Estonia and because, as
accompanied by a national awakening deportations; Estonia lost onefourth of its UNESCO's "Recommendation on the
with emphasis on Estonian-language population. These losses were "replaced," Safeguarding of Folklore" (1989)
education and publications and collect- in accordance with the Soviet resettlement describes, small nations are always more
ing folklore, as well as on political rights. and russification policy, by hundreds of threatened by cultural assimilation in
On February 24, 1918,following the thousands of colonists from Russia. the situation where the adherence to
Russian Revolution, the independent The perestroika led by Gorbachev one's own culture "is often eroded by the
Republic of Estonia was proclaimed. The sparked a unique movement, known as impact of the industrialized culture pur-
war of independence against Russia was the Singing Revolution, in Estonia and veyed by the mass media."
ended by the Tartu Peace Treaty on other Baltic states. The efforts by In two regions of Estonia the living
February 2, 1920, when Russia agreed Estonians to restore their independence tradition of folk song, dance, and music
forever to relinquish claims over Estonia. succeeded,· on August 20, 1991, the inde- has managed to survive with its integrity
Nevertheless, the secret agreement in pendent state ofEstonia was restored. intact up to the present time. These are
1939 between Hitler and Stalin, the noto- the small island of Kihnu, off the western
rious Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact, resulted in stonia's folklore today falls coast of Estonia, and the southeastern
the Soviet invasion ofEstonia and its into three basic categories. corner of Estonia, Setumaa.
There is a repertoire of con- In Kihnu, people have preserved the
temporary folklore - anec- ancient wedding ceremonies, singing old
dotes, children's games and alliterative verses in Kalevala meter (the
rhymes, student songs, etc. - which is regilaulud or runosongs), and dancing
orally transmitted. Traditional music, traditional folk dances. Such weddings
dances, and tales, which live in the mem- derive from clan wedding ceremonies
ories of older people and continue to be that confirm the contract·between two
practiced, are orally transmitted and also lineages. They have pre-Christian origins
preserved in archives (the central archive and are essentially similar to the ancient
for folklore and traditional music being wedding rites of other Baltic-Finnic peo-
the Estonian Folklore Archives in Tartu ples. The "two-part" wedding is celeb rat-
at the Estonian Literary Museum). The ed separately at the homes of both the
third form, the so-called secondary tradi- bride and the groom; the old ritual songs
tion or folklorism phenomenon, consists are performed at the main events in
of traditional heritage that has been which both clans participate.
transmitted through written sources, An important wedding rite is the distri-
tapes, radio and television programs. It bution of the dowry. The bride's dowry
takes on a "second" life in modern soci- chest has to be filled with items made by
ety, in a new context, and is a resource her and her friends, and this tradition
for contemporary amateur and profes- has supported the persistence of handi-
sional art practice. craft skills. Also worth noting is that the
The preservation of national culture wedding ceremony includes dancing of
and identity has been a vital question in old folk dances, which in other settings
Estonian history: nation-building as well were long ago replaced by modern
as our very persistence as a nation have dances. Only in the last decade have old
been extremely difficult under various folk dances regained their place along-
occupations and subordination to side contemporary dance forms in
Kihnu's public social events.
Aregion where traditional culture has persisted with- Although the old wedding rites and
out disruption is Setumaa. Pictured is aSetu wedding. songs have lost their religious and magi-
Photo by Kaido Haagen cal connotations, they have retained their
SMITHSONIAN FOLKLIFE FESTIVAL 61
The Baltic Nations: Estonia

remarkable characteristics of Kihnu cul-

ture is its ability to integrate various ele-
ments over the course of time without
losing its basic substance. The new has
not completely superseded the old.
Performing groups on the mainland
have adopted some Kihnu songs, dances,
and instrumental melodies in their
repertoire. Kihnu folk songs have also
inspired professional composers. Thus
Kihnu culture, though mainly in its
newer forms, is perceived as an integral
component of Estonian national culture.
Organized folklore groups have
become important mediators between
traditional and contemporary culture;
young people accept such a medium for
learning and perpetuating the cultural
heritage of their parents. The most
ABOVE In 7989, to famous such group today is Kihnumua,
protest Soviet directed by Katrin Kumpan. Performers
occupation, Baltic in the group represent a mix of genera-
people joined hands tions. Members of Kihnumua are fre-
to form a human chain quently invited to weddings to perform
that stretched from the role of traditional wedding singers.
Estonia, through Latvia, Wedding songs are led by the older
to Lithuania. Photo by women in the group; girls sing as a cho-
Peeter langovits rus and assist the brides.
Another region where traditional cul-
RIGHT St. John's Day ture has persisted without disruption is
celebration on Kihnu Setumaa, a relatively isolated area whose
Island, Estonia. Photo by population is Eastern Orthodox. Its
Veera Nazarova ancient folk song style has been pre-
served, and the elderly women are still
symbolic significance. They promote the ther influenced the culture on Kihnu masters of their local singing language
importance and festiveness of the wed- island. Radio, television, tape recorders, to the extent that they are able to impro-
ding for the bridal couple and their fami- and recently also video have become a vise new songs in the traditional manner.
lies, help to prepare the bride for her new part of daily life, disseminating the glob- Also important in Setu are the village
social status, and remind the newlyweds al commercial culture; passive listening feasts - kirmased- which sometimes
about their duties and responsibilities. has replaced active participation. Many coincide with a traditional calendar cele-
The main bearers of tradition in Kihnu Kihnu youth study on the mainland, bration such as Easter. Setumaa is the
have been women. Kihnu men long ago where they take up residence after they only region of Estonia where death
discarded their traditional attire and graduate. In summertime they visit their laments and rituals of ancestor cults,
songs, and the playing of traditional native island and bring forms of contem- such as a commemorative meal on a
musical instruments, which used to be porary urban culture with them. Never- grave, have been preserved.
men's domain, has today been adopted theless, when at home in Kihnu, girls Setu singing deviates considerably
by women (mainly young girls). Sea- wear traditional striped skirts (the fabric from other Estonian folk singing, partic-
farers since time immemorial, the men is always woven at home, even if the ularly in its polyphony and performance
have brought innovations back home. looms are borrowed) and sing and dance style. The Setu dialect is likewise unique,
The openness of modern society has fur- old Kihnu songs and dances. One of the even incomprehensible to a northern
62 SMITHSONIAN FOLKLIFE FESTIVAL 1998
The Baltic Nations: Estonia

Estonian. While being an essential bearer National song festivals are large affairs with the participants numbering in the tens of thousands, and the
of identity for the Setus, Setu folk songs, audiences in the hundreds of thousands. Pictured is the 7990 A/1-Estonian Song Festival. Photo by Gustav German
like the culture as a whole, strike other
Estonians as strange. This strangeness is Organized amateur cultural activities nels is always more popular.
sometimes a source of embarrassment to have provided urban Setus with such an Still, during the last decade, recogni-
Setus and has caused serious problems opportunity to consciously practice their tion of local cultural traditions has
for those who have migrated to towns heritage. Setu ensembles of singers are grown and consequently enhanced the
and tried to maintain their identity. active both in Setumaa and in cities appreciation of the native culture by its
A performer and researcher of Setu where Setus have settled. They come bearers both in Kihnu and in Setu. But it
culture, C>ie Sarv, who is the grand- together at the leelopaev festival every is impossible to revive all the old forms,
daughter of a great Setu singer, Anne three years and various other events. and noticeable changes have taken place
Vabarna, writes: Their main objective is not to perform in those that have been retained.
for an audience, especially for outsiders Alongside and/or replacing the old ritu-
In the environment where I live, there
occurs desperate aspiration to mold all to the community. More important is the als and customs, new feasts have arisen
people alike, to level any deviation. The interaction and communication that take in which old songs and dances are used
inside wants to fight against it, but place among members of the community with changed functions and in changed
unfortunately I miss the helping and and foster the preservation and mainte- forms.
caring support of my own culture. There nance of cultural identity and unity. In other parts of Estonia, folk songs,
are a lot of people like me in Tallinn The attitude that was cultivated in the music, and dances have spread mainly in
[the capital of Estonia] and elsewhere, Soviet period, and that unfortunately is secondary forms.
who are not satisfied with the present gaining ground in the current open-mar- Among amateur folk groups are those
situation but wish to preserve their ket society - the degradation of local which directly carry on the primary tra-
ancestral culture, in order to transmit it cultural heritage, and traditional culture dition, i.e., at least some of their mem-
in turn to their own children. Those in general, as something obsolete and bers are authentic tradition bearers and
phenomena which in the past func- worthless - gives an enormous impetus teach younger participants, as is the case
tioned naturally and implicitly should to the bearers of the culture themselves, with the Kihnu and Setu groups. Other
be attended at present consciously .. . the young especially, to underestimate it. folk music and dance groups perform the
(Sarv 1994:69). What is promoted via mass media chan- so-called secondary tradition. They either
1998 SMITHSONIAN FOLKLIFE FESTIVAL 63
The Baltic Nations: Estonia

take examples from authentic folklore ditional as well as classical musical while the arrangement, sound, and
and try to perform them in the most gen- instruments and always played from singing style of the singer were those of
uine manner (although the primary tra- written scores. Later, especially rock. These songs were performed
dition has been broken and the reper- in the 1970s, the so-called kulakapellid, together with old national songs during
toire is learned through recorded "country orchestras," became popular, the recent "Singing Revolution" and
sources), or they perform folklore representing more spontaneous music- became very popular at political rallies.
making and hav- The lines by the lead singer were repeat-
ing stronger tradi- ed by thousands of people, the majority
The preservation of national tional roots. Many of whom had never before sung old tra-
culture and identity has been a skilled folk musi-
cians, true carriers
ditional songs nor been rock music fans. ·
(The singing of old folk songs by a lead
vital question in Estonian history. of traditional singer and chorus had also been some-
music, participated what popular during the Soviet era
arrangements in a more stylized, (and still participate) in such small thanks to folklore ensembles like
up-to-date form. orchestras; they were not able to perform Leegajus and Hellero, but also thanks to
Authentic folklore groups, which began as soloists at public festivities for a long a well-known composer of a number of
to be formed in Estonia in the 1960s, time, because their style of music-mak- folk song arrangements, Veljo Tormis,
were rather rare. The groups who per- ing was not officially recognized. Only in who has promoted such a singing style
formed stylized arrangements and new the last decade have authentic folk musi- while performing as a lead singer him-
creations "in folk style" were preferred at cians become appreciated anew. Anew self at various gatherings.) At the 1990
official festivals and were also chosen to generation of folk musicians has Song Festival, which was organized dur-
represent the national culture abroad. appeared who follow traditional perform- ing the process of restoring indepen-
The ideology at the time aimed to merge ing styles and teach them to other young dence, barriers between performers and
the nationalities and create new entities people. the audience crumbled, and all the par-
-the Soviet people and the Soviet cul- In spite of the fact that the inner quali- ticipants joined as one rejoicing mass of
ture. Openly expressing one's national ties of traditional culture were not recog- people, singing old and new popular
self-consciousness and ethnic identity, nized during the Soviet period, that songs and dancing spontaneously.
even through the native culture, was authentic folk art was forced into alien Festivals of authentic folklore - local,
regarded as "nationalistic" and was pro- frames, its essence and meaning greatly all-Estonian, and international- which
hibited. "Nationalism" was to be replaced distorted, even the officially accepted started some 15 years ago, represent a
with "Soviet patriotism," which had to be folkloric forms served as a means of new trend in the Estonian folklore move-
demonstrated at all official festivities. national self-expression. The same has ment. The first local festivals were Viru
Every festival and even concert program been true in the case of large song festi- Saru in northern Estonia and Setu
had to be approved by appropriate state vals - the first of which was held in Leelopaevad and Viljandimaa Virred in
organs. Estonia in 1869 - at which numerous southern Estonia. Their goal has been to
The new, choreographed "folk dances" amateur choirs from all over the country bridge the ancient cultural heritage of
were performed to the accompaniment of - tens of thousands of singers - per- their district and contemporary culture
special folk music arrangements as well form and which hundreds of thousands by acquainting people with authentic
as new works by contemporary com- of people attend. Asense of national and traditional customs, songs, dances,
posers. The so-called folk instrument or cultural identity and the need to mani- instrumental music, games, and tales,
folk music orchestras might contain tra- fest it have been carried through the popularizing traditional handicrafts, and
course of history of all these festivities, disseminating the folklore of other
regardless of what and whom they had to
be devoted to officially.
Professional composers such as Alo
Mattiisen attempted in the 1980s to
introduce into rock music elements of
folk music - the monotonously repeat-
ed melody that lasts one verse line, per-
formed by a lead singer and chorus -
64 SMITHSONIAN FOLKLIFE FESTIVAL 1998
The Baltic Nations: Estonia

Finno-Ugrians and other cultures around own traditional culture. Understanding

the Baltic Sea. and respect towards strangers together
The same philosophy lies behind other with preserving and ensuring of one's
local festivals (in recent years their num- own identity helps to create harmony; it
ber has noticeably grown) as well as the guarantees the right of all nations and
international folklore festival Baltica, the cultures to permanent existence in a lin-
largest folklore event in the Baltic states. guistically, culturally, ethnically diverse,
This annual festival, begun in 1987, is and interesting world.
organized by the Baltic National Com-
mittee of CIOFF (Conseil International des Work Cited and Suggested Reading
Organisations de Festivals de Folklore et Koiva, Ottilie, and RUUtel,lngrid, eds. and comps."Kihnu regilaulud" (Kihnu wedding
d'Arts Traditionnels) and is held in the songs). In Vana kannel (The ancient kannen. Monumenta Estoniae Anti quae,
three Baltic states on a rotating basis. vol. 7, part 1. Tartu: Eesti Keele lnstituut, 1997.
Organizers first and foremost value inner Pi no, Veera, and Sarv, Vaike."5etu surnuitkud I-ll" (The Setu death dirges). Ars Musicae
freedom and naturalness in presentation, Popularis. Tallinn: Eesti Keele lnstituut, 1981-1982. (with Russian and English
not stage efficiency. In addition to pre- summaries)
serving, reviving, and developing national Ruutet lngrid."Estonian Folk Music Layers in the Context of Ethnic Relations." Paper
and regional cultural traditions, the presented at Congressus Octavus lnternationalis Fenno-Ugristarum Jyvaskyla,
Baltica festival aims as well to promote 10-15 August 1995.1n Orationes plenariae et conspectus quinquennales, part 1,
contacts with other countries and nations. ed. Heikki Leskinen.Jyvaskyla, Finland, 1995, 117-141.
The folklore movement in Estonia and Sarv, O."Connections between family and folk culture in modern times." Abstract of
in other Baltic countries is one of the paper presented at the Nordic, Baltic, Finno-Ugric Conference: Family as the
reflections of the worldwide folklore Tradition Carrier, V6su, Estonia, 25-29 May 1994. Tallinn: Folklore Department,
movement of the last decades. On the Institute of Estonian Language, 1994,68-69.
one hand it is connected with the ideals Vissel, Anu."Eesti karjaselaulud I-IV" (Estonian herding songs). Ars Musicae Popularis.
of national identity, of retaining the his- Tallinn: Eesti Keele lnstituut, 1982-1992. (with Russian and English summaries)
torical and cultural memory of nations;
on the other, with the ideals of cultural Suggested Listening
pluralism. Pahnapuu, Veera. Setukeste louie (Setu folk songs). Comp. Vaike Sarv. Forte FA 0084
Today the international exchange of (Tallinn). Cassette.
folklore groups has become rather exten- Setu Songs. Global Music Centre, Mipu Music MIPUCD 104.
sive, as there are numerous festivals in Suu laulab, siida muretseb .. . (an anthology of Estonian folk songs). Comp.l. RUUtel.
different countries where Estonian Forte (Tallinn). CD (with English and Russian summaries)
groups participate, and foreign groups
often visit local festivals arranged in
Estonia. One of the new international
festivals was started in 1993 in Viljandi Ingrid Ruutel, director of the Folk Music
by young graduates of the folk music Department of the Institute ofEstonian
department established at the Viljandi Language, holds degrees in folklore, tradi-
Cultural College in 1991. Their folk tional music, and philological sciences. She
music groups, folk music summer has studied and collected the folk music of
schools, and festivals have become very Estonians and other Finno-Ugric peoples
popular, especially among young people. and published 200 scholarly works. She is a
The essential purpose of international member of the scientific board of the Inter-
festivals, as we see it, is to widen the cul- national Institute of Traditional Music in
tural competence of the Estonian audi- Berlin and a liaison member of the Inter-
ence, to learn to understand different national Council for Traditional Music.
cultures, and through all this to create a
more tolerant society. This way we may
also better comprehend the values of our
1998 SMITHSONIAN FOLKLIFE FESTIVAL 65