Traditional Music,
Song Games and Dances
of Muhu Island

For twenty years I’ve been away
(a soldier’s song, a ring game)

Villem Saarik, August Vokk

Laheküla village, Suuremõisa village, Liiva village (1974)

:,: Kakskümmend aastat olen ma
siin Muhumaa peal kasvand ka. :,:

:,: Mina kasvasin kui roosiõis.
Minu õieaeg oli saanud täis. :,:

:,: Siis tuli aeg, et pidin ma
seda vaba Eestit tienima. :,:

:,: Mina akkan sul kaela
ja annan sul suud
ja armastan sind,
ei kedagi muud. :,:

:,: Sa ilus kui ingel
ja armas sinu ial,
sa laolad kui üöbik
seal oksade peal. :,:

:,: Minu kosjatie jäi puolele
ja pruut jäi teise uolele. :,:

:,: Mina akkan sul kaela... :,:

:,: Sa ilus kui ingel... :,:

:,: (Ja) teine asi vaevas mind,
et mul jäi kodus nuorem vend. :,:

:,: Sa ilus kui ingel... :,:

[During the circle game, the insert song is sang after every verse, in case of this performance, several verses are sung in a row.]

A young man is drafted to the army. He leaves his bride, a younger brother and his parents behind. This is an Estonian version of a Czarist time servicemen’s song which was used as an accompaniment for a ring game with insert dances. The insert dance song was sung after each stanza of the main song.

Villem Saarik, 1909–1978, Laheküla village; August Vokk, 1913–1994, Liiva village, comes from Suuremõisa village. Recorded by I. Rüütel and O. Kiis in 1974. RKM, Mgn I 6 e [84].

Publication

Performers

Sound recordings

Videos

Traditional Music, Song Games and Dances of Muhu Island

Online edition

Editors Janika Oras, Kadi Sarv
Translation into English Inna Feldbach, Olga Ivaškevitš
Project co-ordinator Risto Järv
Web design Lorem Ipsum
Cover photo “Kuivastu Harbour in the early 20th century. Steamship “General Suvortsev” (on the left) and Muhu sailboat uisk (on the right)”. 1910–1919, Saaremaa Museum, SM F 3761:1514 F.

Published materials originate from following archives: Estonian Folklore Archives of Estonian Literary Museum, Estonian National Museum, Saaremaa Museum, Film Archives of National Archives and Estonian Film Institute.

We would like to thank the following contributors for their help in personal information specification: Mihkel Jürisson, Martin Kivisoo, Meelis and Marti Mereäär, Muhu Pärandikool, Helmut Noot, Airi Nõmm, Leena Peegel, Ago Rullingo, Irena Tarvis, Heiske Tuul, Tiiu Tuust, Kadri Tüür and Viia Väli.

Sponsors of the web publication

Ensemble Trad.Attack!
Ministry of Education and Research (IUT22-4)
The European Union through the European Regional Development Fund (Centre of Excellence in Estonian Studies)
The Cultural Endowment of Estonia

Publisher

ELM Scholarly Press, 2018
© and ℗ Estonian Literary Museum, 2018
© Ingrid Rüütel
ISBN 978-9949-586-77-6

Online edition is based on

Muhu rahvamuusikat, laulumänge ja tantse
[Traditional Music, Song Games and Dances of Muhu Island]

Collected and compiled by Ingrid Rüütel.
Recordings from the Estonian Folklore Archives 9. Tartu 2015

[CD, DVD and textbook]
Sound production and CD mastering Jaan Tamm
DVD editing and mastering Jaan Kolberg
Editor Janika Oras
Translation into English Inna Feldbach
Language editors Olga Ivaškevitš, Kadri Tamm
Design Krista Saare
Print Kruul
Replication Baltic Disc AS

Rüütel, Ingrid. Muhumaa laule ja lugusid. Mis on jäänud jälgedesse II
[The Songs and Tales of Muhu Island. What Remains in Our Traces II]

Tartu: ELM Scholarly Press 2016

Editor Asta Niinemets
Music transcription Janika Oras, Ingrid Rüütel, Ludmilla Toon
Notation editing Ingrid Rüütel, Edna Tuvi
Sheet music graphics Edna Tuvi
Texts transcription Erna Tampere, Riina Rehe, Alviine Schmuul, Ingrid Rüütel
Dialectic texts editor Alviine Schmuul
Translation of summary Inna Feldbach
Layout and design Krista Saare
Print Greif