About the project

Welcome

to the website of Estonian nature folklore! The site is compiled and hosted by the Estonian Folklore Archive of the Estonian Literature Museum in the framework of the European Capital of Culture Tartu 2024. The trilingual environment here - Võro, Estonian, English - is currently under development. and there may be still some inconsistencies. Not all topics are equally covered and all translations done yet. However, the team is constantly updating the page. 

We invite you to participate in translating the content as a volunteer! For each text, it is possible to find or add a translation by clicking on the name of the language. The translation is not immediately visible, but is first checked by the editor of the page. The best translators are invited to Tartu 2024 events!

Story

The world is evolving technically and digitally. Urbanisation is growing. Lots of people are moving away from nature as well as the knowledge and skills of their ancestors.

But we still have that sustainable mindset of the Nordic and pastureland people in us and that respect towards nature. Compared to the northern part of Estonia, it is in southern Estonia that the nature-oriented way of life and thinking has been preserved more intact.  

We need to tell the story.  

Experience 

The project consists of two interlinked parts.

We are compiling a collection of text, sound, images and video reflecting the human-wildlife relations of a traditional society. It will be available for everyone online. It will be called the "Estonian Nature Folklore". 

The second part of the project is a collaboration with digital artists from different countries. The exhibition "Enter Woodland Spirits" will be focusing on the following questions. How to make sense of the world through technological art? In what ways can folk wisdom ideas be refreshed? How can we make the soul of nature tangible today?

The inspiration for this exhibition comes from a mysterious old tradition and is transformed into rooms of state. You will experience cutting-edge digital art in unexpected places, telling the story of our natural heritage. It will be a moving and thought-provoking experience. 

Impact

We are making the intellectual property of the Estonian Folklore Archives accessible. These are materials from a time when people were able to organise their lives sustainably without modern technology and medicine. These people were very skilled and very present. Only one question remains. 

Can woodland spirits be a threat and take over?

Project implementers

Advocates: Taive Särg, Henri Hütt, Ave Goršič, Evelyn Raudsepp

Compiled by: Mathilda Matjus, Taive Särg, Maarja Villandi-Reiljan 

Design and programming: Ilona Kolossova 

Communication: Agnes Neier (2022), Krista Ojasaar (2022), Heidi-Maarja Melts (2023)

English translation: Adam Cullen, Kai Veispak-Rawlings, Maarja Villandi-Reiljan, Taive Särg, Les Wilson 

English language editing Les Wilson, Craig Rawlings  

Võro language editing: Urmas Kalla

Thanks: Risto Järv, Janika Oras, Astrid Tuisk, Andreas Kalkun, Tiina Gill, Päiv Dengo

Contact: taive@folklore.ee