An Introduction to Estonian Literature (III)

Interview with Hilary Bird by Doris Kareva

Q. What is it about Estonian literature that makes it special or different from others – is it language or mentality? Or maybe it does not differ from others at all?

A. I can only speak about what makes Estonian literature special for me. First, I love the sound of the language. I don’t hear well but I can hear rhythm and musicality. I love Estonian poetry and it does not surprise me that the word for “poem” and “song” is interchangeable in Estonian.

As a feminist, I am intrigued by the role that women have played in our poetry. Scholars such as Toivo Raun and Cornelius Hasselblatt agree that oral folk poetry and song was probably mostly written by women because it addresses traditionally feminine themes – marriage, children, work, nature, ilo meel – the celebration of joy. And how splendid some of this poetry is! “Venna sõja laul” (“Brother’s war song”) so impressed Berthold Brecht that he called it the perfect pacifist poem and I agree. This was also the poem that Pastor Hupel chose to represent Estonia in Herder’s “Voices of the Peoples in Their Songs” (1773). For our written literature think Koidula, Under, Alver, Luik, Kareva …

As for my view of the national mind-set – that is difficult to answer. There is always a danger with stereotyping of over-simplification, but, on the other hand, stereotypes are usually, in my experience, half true. I have heard popular talk about a “slave mentality” and about the gentle nature of Estonians. I am sure that there are Estonians with a gentle, submissive character but I certainly don’t think of all Estonians at all times as being submissive. History tells me other stories that do not quite fit the peaceful model. Estonians, for example, successfully fought off Novgorod and Kiev Rus for centuries before the Northern Crusades.

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