Sacred Natural Sites at the Time of Jaanipäev

VINCENT TEETSOV

As Estonians all over the world prepare to celebrate Jaanipäev (Midsummer) on Wednesday June 24th, or on the days before and after it, our attention is drawn not only to partying all night and making a bonfire, but recognizing the sun, the changing seasons, the coming harvest, and all that gives us reason to celebrate.

For some of the 54% of Estonians who believe in a spirit or life force outside of Christianity, that recognition extends to specific sections of land across Estonia. Taarausuliste ja Maausuliste (Estonian House of Taara and Native Religions), also known as Maavalla Koda, reported 2,500 known sacred natural sites (SNSs) eight years ago. The total number, including those that are unknown, is thought to be 7,000. Some of these SNSs include sacred trees, sacred stones with ancient cupmarks, cross-trees, and sacred water. Perhaps the most well-known of these are hiied (sacred groves), of which approximately 500 known sites were reported in 2012.

On sacred dates throughout the year, of which Jaanipäev is one, and significant life events, sacred groves are places to pray, dance, name one’s children, bless marriages, and scatter ashes of the deceased. Time at a hiis may involve moments of calm and peace, or connecting with ancestors. For those who live by native Estonian beliefs, there is an acknowledgment of land and what it gives to us.

There is also an understanding of what is to be given back. In this way, there is a reciprocal, symbiotic relationship between humans and nature. We benefit from trees, stone, water, and more; but we also act in a manner which protects the condition and health of these elements. In a sacred grove, vegetation is left alone, trees are planted instead of cut, and water is not polluted.

These kind of features benefit us psychologically, too – a 1984 study by Roger Ulrich from Chalmers University of Technology indicated that hospital patients who were recovering from surgery required less recovery time and pain medication when their hospital room window faced a natural scene.

Despite the intimate cultural value that sacred natural sites have provided to Estonians, they haven’t been afforded as much state recognition in the past as is needed to protect them from damage. For example, in May of this year, the tops of several cross-trees were cut down because they were thought to present a danger to drivers if they fell on the road. In response to land development around sacred groves, followers of Estonia’s native belief systems have protested and even gone to court.

Difficulty in negotiating these matters and caring for SNSs in Estonia stems from the way many of them have been wiped from common knowledge. Many locations have been forgotten or lost as we lose older generations who once visited these sites. Understandably, people in search for work and housing may move to larger towns and away from the countryside and sacred sites visited by their ancestors. The massive cultural censorship and prohibition imposed on Estonians throughout history have not made maintaining these traditions easy either, and have prevented the conservation of sacred sites from being considered a matter of religious freedom.

The movement to stop development of these natural sites bears resemblance to demonstrations of the Wet’suwet’en Nation against the Coastal GasLink pipeline project. Land and nature are important to people for sustenance, health, and spirituality. Anyone who has enjoyed the peace of a forest walk, or a family cottage, or a refreshing swim in a lake, can attest to the importance of trees, land, and water. Building our society in accordance with those values is the right thing to do.

On Jaanipäev, we sing, dance, cook, and light bonfires (if you are fortunate enough to have your own space to do so!). Enjoying and giving back to nature can be added to that list, too.

“Tammealuse hiis” by Mana Kaasik, used under a CC BY-SA 3.0 license.