What is Estonian literature?

Estonian literature consists of writings in the Estonian language. Domination by Germany, Sweden, and Russia from the 13th century to 1918 resulted in few early literary works in the vernacular. Writings in Estonian became significant only in the 19th century, and many writers went into exile in World War II, which led to a considerable output of postwar exile literature. Lyric poetry is the strongest genre of Estonian literature, owing to the influence of the folk poetry that flowered from the 14th to the 17th century.

In what language is Estonian literature typically written?

Estonian literature is primarily written in the Estonian language . Writings in Estonian gained prominence in the 19th century, although early examples exist from the 16th century. The language itself is part of the Baltic-Finnic group of Uralic languages. Early written Estonian had Germanic influences. The first known book in Estonian was a translation of the Lutheran catechism in 1535. The strongest genre in Estonian literature is lyric poetry, influenced by folk poetry from the 14th to 17th centuries.

How has Estonia’s history influenced its literature?

Estonia's history has significantly shaped its literature. Subject to foreign domination by Germany, Sweden, and Russia until 1918, early Estonian writings were scarce. The 19th-century national awakening saw Estonian literature flourish with diverse styles influenced by Western Europe. The Russian Revolution of 1917 granted Estonia autonomy. After World War II, many writers went into exile, their works reflecting pessimism or longing for Estonia. The Soviet era saw writers like Jaan Kross using allegory, while Tõnu Õnnepalu gained international recognition in the 1990s. Folk poetry, with roots in the 14th to 17th centuries, has also deeply influenced Estonian lyric poetry.

Who are some famous Estonian authors?

Estonian literature has a rich history, with writings in the Estonian language gaining prominence in the 19th century. Some famous Estonian authors include: * Kristjan Jaak Peterson , the first native Estonian poet * Lydia Koidula and Anna Haava , popular patriotic Romantic poets * Juhan Liiv , known for his realist writings * Gustav Suits , a poet and leader of the Neoromantic Young Estonia group * Marie Under , who, with Henrik Visnapuu, developed the lyrical potential of Estonian to the full * Betti Alver , known for her skillful use of symbolic imagery * Bernard Kangro , a leading lyrical poet in exile * Eduard Vilde , an outstanding realist novelist * Anton Tammsaare , who wrote an ethico-psychological chronicle, Tõde ja Õigus * Albert Kivikas , whose Nimed marmortahvlil was about the war of liberation

What is the significance of the Estonian epic 'Kalevipoeg'?

The Estonian national epic, Kalevipoeg , compiled by F. Reinhold Kreutzwald in 1857–61, holds significant cultural value. During Estonia's national awakening in the 19th century, it became a focal point for Estonian nationalism and the independence movement. Kalevipoeg combines Estonian folktales and folk songs with original poetry by Kreutzwald, totaling over 19,000 verses. The epic's hero, Kalevipoeg, symbolizes ancient Estonian independence, and the plot revolves around his adventures. The work has greatly influenced Estonian literature, art, and music.

How has Estonian literature changed in modern times?

Estonian literature has undergone significant transformations in modern times. In the 20th century, writers represented different eras, from Anton Hansen Tammsaare in the former Republic of Estonia (1920–1940) to Jaan Kross, who adopted an allegorical style during the Soviet occupation, and Tõnu Õnnepalu, who gained international recognition in the 1990s. After World War II, many writers went into exile, and a new generation of ironic poets emerged, adopting Western styles in the 1960s. Prose writing mirrored European movements, transitioning from realism to Neoromanticism and beyond. These shifts demonstrate Estonian literature's openness to Western influences and its development of diverse styles.

Estonian literature

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Estonian literature

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Top Questions

What is Estonian literature?
Estonian literature consists of writings in the Estonian language. Domination by Germany, Sweden, and Russia from the 13th century to 1918 resulted in few early literary works in the vernacular. Writings in Estonian became significant only in the 19th century, and many writers went into exile in World War II, which led to a considerable output of postwar exile literature.

Lyric poetry is the strongest genre of Estonian literature, owing to the influence of the folk poetry that flowered from the 14th to the 17th century.
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1. Estonian literature
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In what language is Estonian literature typically written?
Estonian literature is primarily written in the Estonian language. Writings in Estonian gained prominence in the 19th century, although early examples exist from the 16th century. The language itself is part of the Baltic-Finnic group of Uralic languages.

Early written Estonian had Germanic influences. The first known book in Estonian was a translation of the Lutheran catechism in 1535. The strongest genre in Estonian literature is lyric poetry, influenced by folk poetry from the 14th to 17th centuries.
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How has Estonia’s history influenced its literature?
Estonia's history has significantly shaped its literature. Subject to foreign domination by Germany, Sweden, and Russia until 1918, early Estonian writings were scarce. The 19th-century national awakening saw Estonian literature flourish with diverse styles influenced by Western Europe.

The Russian Revolution of 1917 granted Estonia autonomy. After World War II, many writers went into exile, their works reflecting pessimism or longing for Estonia. The Soviet era saw writers like Jaan Kross using allegory, while Tõnu Õnnepalu gained international recognition in the 1990s. Folk poetry, with roots in the 14th to 17th centuries, has also deeply influenced Estonian lyric poetry.
3 Britannica Sources
Created from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.
Who are some famous Estonian authors?
Estonian literature has a rich history, with writings in the Estonian language gaining prominence in the 19th century.

Some famous Estonian authors include:
* Kristjan Jaak Peterson, the first native Estonian poet
* Lydia Koidula and Anna Haava, popular patriotic Romantic poets
* Juhan Liiv, known for his realist writings
* Gustav Suits, a poet and leader of the Neoromantic Young Estonia group
* Marie Under, who, with Henrik Visnapuu, developed the lyrical potential of Estonian to the full
* Betti Alver, known for her skillful use of symbolic imagery
* Bernard Kangro, a leading lyrical poet in exile
* Eduard Vilde, an outstanding realist novelist
* Anton Tammsaare, who wrote an ethico-psychological chronicle, Tõde ja Õigus
* Albert Kivikas, whose Nimed marmortahvlil was about the war of liberation
1 Britannica Source
1. Estonian literature
Created from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.
What is the significance of the Estonian epic 'Kalevipoeg'?
The Estonian national epic, Kalevipoeg, compiled by F. Reinhold Kreutzwald in 1857–61, holds significant cultural value. During Estonia's national awakening in the 19th century, it became a focal point for Estonian nationalism and the independence movement.

Kalevipoeg combines Estonian folktales and folk songs with original poetry by Kreutzwald, totaling over 19,000 verses. The epic's hero, Kalevipoeg, symbolizes ancient Estonian independence, and the plot revolves around his adventures. The work has greatly influenced Estonian literature, art, and music.
3 Britannica Sources
Created from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.
How has Estonian literature changed in modern times?
Estonian literature has undergone significant transformations in modern times. In the 20th century, writers represented different eras, from Anton Hansen Tammsaare in the former Republic of Estonia (1920–1940) to Jaan Kross, who adopted an allegorical style during the Soviet occupation, and Tõnu Õnnepalu, who gained international recognition in the 1990s.

After World War II, many writers went into exile, and a new generation of ironic poets emerged, adopting Western styles in the 1960s. Prose writing mirrored European movements, transitioning from realism to Neoromanticism and beyond. These shifts demonstrate Estonian literature's openness to Western influences and its development of diverse styles.
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1. Estonia: The arts
2. Estonian literature
Created from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.

Estonian literature, body of writings in the Estonian language. The consecutive domination of Estonia from the 13th century to 1918 by Germany, Sweden, and Russia resulted in few early literary works in the vernacular. Writings in Estonian became significant only in the 19th century. Moreover, many writers went into exile in World War II, which led to a considerable output of postwar exile literature.

Early written Estonian is strongly Germanic, and the first known book in Estonian is a translation of the Lutheran catechism (1535). The New Testament was translated into southern Estonian in 1686 (northern Estonian, 1715); in his translation of the Bible (1739), Anton Thor Helle united the two dialects based on northern Estonian.

The strongest genre of Estonian literature is lyric poetry, owing to the influence of the folk poetry that flowered from the 14th century to the 17th. Though it includes variants of Finnish epic themes, it is more lyrical than Finnish folk poetry. More than a million pages of folk poems of several ethnic groups are preserved in the national archives at Tartu; some are published in Vana kannel, 3 vol. (1875–1938), and Setukeste laulud, 3 vol. (1904–07; “Songs of the Setus,” the peoples of southeastern Estonia). As in Finnish folk poetry, the staple metre of Estonian is the trochaic four-foot line; assonance, alliteration, repetition, and parallelism predominate.

Emily Dickinson (1830-1886) only confirmed photograph of Emily Dickinson. 1978 scan of a Daguerreotype. ca. 1847; in the Amherst College Archives. American poet. See Notes:

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Poetry: First Lines

Written literature began in the so-called Estophile period (c. 1750–1840) with moral tales and manuals written by Balto-German enthusiasts for the native language and culture. The philological journal Beiträge zur Genauern Kenntniss der ehstnischen Sprache (“Contributions to a Better Understanding of the Estonian Language”) contained examples of folk poetry and essays, including work by the first native Estonian poet, Kristjan Jaak Peterson. More significant for literature was an epic, Kalevipoeg (1857–61; “The Son of Kalevi [or Kalev],” translated as Kalevipoeg: An Ancient Estonian Tale) that was part authentic tradition and part a creation of F.R. Kreutzwald, for this inspired the Romantic nationalistic movement soon to emerge. Popular patriotic Romantics were the poets Lydia Koidula and Anna Haava, and the first novelist was Juhan Sommer, whose book Luige Laus appeared in 1843. The first Estonian historical novel was Eduard Bornhöhe’s Tasuja (1880; “The Avenger”). Jakob Pärn’s Oma tuba, oma luba (“Own House, Own Master”) approached the realistic style fully developed in the later work of Juhan Liiv.

The realism epitomized in Liiv’s writings held sway from 1890 to 1906. It was superseded by the Neoromantic Young Estonia group, whose leader, a poet, Gustav Suits, devised the slogan “More European culture! Be Estonians but remain Europeans!” For Suits and his followers this meant greater attention to form. With the Russian Revolution of 1917 emerged the Siuru group (named after a bird in Finno-Ugrian mythology). These Neoromantic poets reacted against Suits’s emphasis on formalism. Their emotional intensity was well-illustrated by Henrik Visnapuu, who, with Marie Under, developed the lyrical potential of Estonian to the full. By the 1930s a renewal of realism brought poetry closer to life, but the only outstanding poetry of this revival was descriptions of modern urban life in the work of Juhan Sütiste (Schütz). The Arbujad group (which also took its name from a word with origins in mythology) of the mid-1930s, on the other hand, stressed intellectual and aesthetic aspects of literature. Leading poets were Betti Alver, whose skillful use of symbolic imagery was shown in Tolm ja tuli (1936; “Dust and Fire”); Heiti Talvik, who in Kohtupäev (1937; “Doomsday”) predicted the coming holocaust; Uku Masing, a religious mystical poet; and Bernard Kangro, later the leading lyrical poet in exile.

After World War II more than half of Estonia’s writers went into exile, and their poetry reflected either pessimism, like Kangro, or longing for Estonia, as in Visnapuu’s exile poetry. Gradually a new generation of ironic poets emerged, best-exemplified by Kalju Lepik, experimental author of Kollased nōmmed (1965; “Yellow Heaths”); a skeptical poet, Arno Vihalemm, whose work was spiced with self-irony; and the author of the epic Peetri kiriku kellad (“The Bells of St. Peter’s”), Ivar Grünthal. In Estonia little poetry appeared under Stalin’s Socialist Realism, but new poets, adopting Western styles, appeared in the 1960s. Among these were Jaan Kross, Ellen Niit, Ain Kaalep, and Mats Traat.

Prose writing was equally influenced by movements current in Europe. The realism of the beginning of the century was exemplified in the social criticism of Liiv’s Kümme lugu (1893; “Ten Tales”) and in Ernst Peterson’s criticism of social injustice, Boils (1899–1901). An outstanding realist novelist was Eduard Vilde, who wrote a historical trilogy attacking the Balto-Germanic feudal system and in Mäeküla piimamees (1916; “The Dairyman of Mäeküla”) again treated the relationship between landowner and serf. Friedebert Tuglas, who introduced Impressionism and Symbolism, belonged to Young Estonia, while August Gailit was a leading Siuru prose writer. Among the Neoromantics who became realists were Anton Tammsaare, who wrote an ethico-psychological chronicle, Tōde ja ōigus (1926–33; “Truth and Right”), and Albert Kivikas, whose Nimed marmortahvlil (1936; “Names on the Marble Tablet”) was about the war of liberation.

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Novelists in exile found inspiration in the very fact of their exile. Two principal themes were wartime experiences and the problem of adapting to new environments. Among writers in exile were Gailit, Mälk, Kivikas, Ristikivi, Pedro Krusten, Karl Rumor, Juhan Jaik, Evald Mänd, and Valev Uibopuu. New writers included a critic, essayist, and dramatist, Arvo Mägi, and the novelists Ilmar Talve, Ilmar Jaks, Helga Nõu, and Elin Toona. Of these, the last three showed an increasing internationalism in their work. In Estonia postwar fiction decayed in the way poetry did. The deadening effect of Socialist Realism gradually gave way to greater subtlety, and younger novelists, such as Arvo Valton, Enn Vetemaa, and Mati Unt, were able to examine some of the problems of Communism and begin stylistic experimentation.

Dramatic works were few, but two early playwrights stood out: August Kittsberg, author of both comedies and serious plays, and Hugo Raudsepp, whose realistic and symbolical plays were social satires.

Valev Uibopuu

Estonian literature

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