Traditional Music,
Song Games and Dances
of Muhu Island

Evgenia Auväärt (Eemu Geeni)

Viima Meeder, Geeni Auväärt and Elvi Väljaots. Photo by O. Kiis 1975. ERA, Foto 11172.

Ring games with insert dances were played by both young women and men, but they were majorly young girls’ pastime. In the past, the same insert song was used between the verses. Väljaotsa sisters1 told us that during the First World War became a tradition among women to sing different, usually long, insert dance songs, so they could dance longer. The exchange of the dance partners was not important. The men were at war and women recalled their men, brothers and loved ones during singing and playing the ring games. (Newer women’s songs, Rüütel 2016: 99)

1 Viima, Elvi and Geeni, who were recorded in Nautsa village, are not all related, but called here “Väljaotsa sisters”. Serafima’s (Viima) last name was Meeder and Eugenia (Geeni) last name was Auväärt; Geeni actually lived in Linnuse village, but their grandfathers were brothers (Tüür, Kalkun 2017: 127).

Songs:

Geeni Auväärt, 1928–2006, Linnuse village. Recorded by I. Rüütel and O. Kiis in 1975.

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