Keywords: language variation, usage-based linguistics, corpus linguistics, language planning, indefinite pronouns
There is variation in the case forms of the indefinite pronouns keegi ‘someone’, miski ‘something’, kumbki ‘either’ and ükski ‘none’ in Estonian. In these pronouns, -gi/-ki can appear after the case ending (e.g., kellelegi), as specified in the standard language norm; before the case ending (e.g., kellegile); between two case endings (e.g., kellelegile); or both before and after the case ending (e.g., kellegilegi).
In this article, I used data from the Estonian National Corpus 2021 to provide an overview of the extent of variation in the case forms of keegi, miski,…

Keywords: feminism, transgressive literature, women’s writing, prose, queer literature
Margit Lõhmus’ book Sterne has received attention for its portrayal of the female body and sexuality, which are presented in a hyperbolic and sometimes caricatured way, departing from conventional norms. This allows the book to be placed within the context of queer literature, understood here as literature that challenges norms. In Sterne, gender identity often does not conform to the expectations of heteronormativity, and gender is not simply divided into male and female. Queerness is also evident in the unexpected sources of pleasure, the characters’ appearances, and the depiction of bodies and…

Keywords: anecdotes, Baltic Germans, humour
Baltic German anecdotes (Pratchen) are a relatively unexplored part of Estonian folk humour, much like Baltic German culture within Estonian culture as a whole. This study focuses on anecdotes about Lutheran clergymen, which offer material for comparison with the more thoroughly researched Estonian counterparts. These humorous tales provide valuable insights into the cultural history, mentality, language as well as everyday life of the Baltic German community.
Older Estonian anecdotes about clergymen often emphasize the social and ethnic differences between Estonian peasants and the clergy. In contrast, Baltic German anecdotes provide an internal perspective, exploring the role…

Keywords: language ideological debate, argumentation analysis, Estonian, standard language, language authorities
Language ideologies both reflect and (re)create our understandings of language. This article focuses on language ideological discourses where language is overtly the subject of discussion, yet other social concerns are subtly expressed in the background. What is discussed in a public language ideological debate beyond language itself? Who are the participants in such a debate? The case study that we have chosen to examine is the public debate in Estonian media on the meanings of the word liiderlik (a loanword from German liederlich, meaning ‘debauched’; and a newer loan from…

Keywords: identity, hybrid identity, identity theory, literary history, Igor Severjanin, translanguaging
This article explores the use of the Estonian language in the works of poet Igor Severyanin (Igor Vasilyevich Lotaryov, 4 May [16 May] 1887, St. Petersburg – 20 December 1941, Tallinn). The opening section provides background: the birth of the Republic of Estonia and the poet’s permanent relocation to Estonia at the age of 30 occurred almost simultaneously. Memoirs from the time reveal a myth portraying Severyanin as lacking a talent for languages, claiming he never mastered Estonian. This article challenges that myth and argues the opposite. Severyanin’s efforts were directed at…

Keywords: folklore, proverbs, alcoholic beverages, drinking
This article explores Estonian and Slovenian proverbs related to alcohol and drinking with the aim of interpreting these proverbs in their broader sociocultural context and analysing the controversies embedded in proverbs on this topic. Considering that alcohol is not consumed in the same form everywhere, the article examines Slovenian material as representative of the geographical region of Southern Europe and the Slavic language group, and Estonian material as representative of the geographical region of Northern Europe and the Finno-Ugric language group. The units encompassed by the research contain the following words: wine, beer, spirits…

Keywords: folkloristics, place-lore, sacred natural sites, violence, ecosemiotics
This article discusses the role and function of violent motifs and folktales found in the place-lore of Estonian sacred natural sites, such as holy groves, and sacred stones and bodies of water, from an ecosemiotic point of view. Drawing comparisons with Estonian archival material, the study also considers Ancient Greek and Saami place-related narratives as examples of premodern discourse on supernatural sites. Building on the theories of Philippe Descola (2022 [2005]), Eduardo Kohn (2013), Bruno Latour (2014 [1991]), and Yuri Lotman (1999), sacred natural sites are viewed as blurry and porous border zones…

Keywords: folkloristics, folklore collection, violence, corvée
The folklore collected during the collection campaigns of the last decades of the 19th century contains a significant amount of material concerning the relationship between peasants and those connected to manors. In this article, I focus on one particular aspect of these texts: the depiction of violence directed from the manor towards the peasants.
I examine the topic from two perspectives. Firstly, I apply the framework proposed by Gyanendra Pandey (2014), who distinguishes between three kinds of violence: (1) violence intended to maintain societal order; (2) wild, uncontrollable violence associated with marginalized groups; and (3)…

Keywords: folkloristics, runosong, ballad, infanticide, positioning, direct speech
The lyroepic runosong type “Mareta’s Child” tells the story of a secret sexual encounter between a young unmarried peasant woman and a man of higher social status. The encounter leads to pregnancy and might involve money and/or broken promises. Acting either on his advice or on her own initiative, the woman conceals her pregnancy and abandons the newborn child in the forest, where another woman from the same community finds it. Miraculously, the child starts to speak and reveals its parents. Drawing on the concept of positioning as developed by Rom Harré and…

Keywords: folkloristics, Saxo Grammaticus, Jaan Jõgever, runosong, dancing, war, national history
This article explores three key questions: how folklorists have interpreted the account of warriors’ singing and dancing in Saxo Grammaticus’s Gesta Danorum; how 20th-century researchers have conceptualized the facts about Estonians presented in Saxo’s work; and what insights have been gained from using folk songs to study depictions of Estonia’s past during the late 19th and early 20th centuries.
Saxo Grammaticus describes a battle near the island of Öland in 1170, where Christian Danes and Swedes faced off against Estonian and Curonian pirates. The description suggests that the pirates prepared for…

Keywords: folkloristics, journalism, horror stories, children, urban legends, social media, beliefs
This article explores scary stories about evil clowns and men abducting children in white vans, which are known internationally and have recently spread among Estonian children and young people. In some cases, these narratives have transcended legend, prompting several criminal investigations in Estonia in recent years regarding alleged crimes committed by these nefarious characters.
Communication among children, teenagers and young adults occurs both online and offline, i.e., by word of mouth. These age groups also engage in ostensive practices, where several forms of ostension can occur simultaneously. It is often quite…

Keywords: folkloristics, contemporary narratives, supernatural experiences, supernatural violence
This article looks at contemporary accounts of encounters with physically aggressive supernatural beings, set against the backdrop of traditional personal experience narratives (collected up to the first half of the 20th century) describing similar encounters. Analyzing the impact of trends in modern spiritual teachings and global information dissemination, it becomes clear that the main focus of modern spiritual teachings is on protection and self-development, and communication with friendly protective spirits is rather expected, at least among those engaged in esoteric practices. However, the fear of attacks by supernatural beings persists, and some accounts…

Keywords: folkloristics, linguistics, humour, aggression, violence
Humour has long been viewed as a subversive phenomenon that points to the incongruities and shortcomings noticed and ridiculed by members of society. The intentions of humour creators are always difficult to pinpoint. Whether with good reason or not, most humour has a target, and the depiction of this target is inevitably politically incorrect, insulting, or even downright blasphemous. Jokes violate harmonious coexistence, collective identity, and communication norms, and that seems to lie at the core of humour. We claim that the superiority and incongruity approaches to humour (traditionally, three major approaches to humour are…

Keywords: folkloristics, folktales, violence, AI-powered analysis
Folktales are often rife with scenes of bloodshed and violence, even cruelty. Such violence frequently serves a narrative purpose, propelling the plot, facilitating character development, and delivering poetic justice. This article delves into the historical context of violence in folktales, analysing its portrayal across different folktale types. It pays particular attention to how the Grimm Brothers’ fairy tale collection has influenced folktales and authors of Estonian fairy tale collections (Friedrich Reinhold Kreutzwald, Juhan Kunder). The Brothers Grimm notably used violence as a pedagogical tool in their stories. Violence depicted in folktales can unexpectedly resonate with…