The Hero of Esthonia

The Hero of Esthonia and Other Studies in?by William Forsell Kirby

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Title: The Hero of Esthonia and Other Studies in the Romantic Literature of That Country
Author: William Forsell Kirby
Release Date: October 2, 2006 [EBook #19438]
Language: English
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THE HERO OF ESTHONIA AND OTHER STUDIES IN THE ROMANTIC LITERATURE OF THAT COUNTRY
COMPILED FROM ESTHONIAN AND GERMAN SOURCES BY
W.F. KIRBY, F.L.S., F.E.S., ETC. CORRESPONDING MEMBER OF THE FINNISH LITERARY SOCIETY
WITH A MAP OF ESTHONIA
IN TWO VOLUMES
VOLUME THE FIRST
LONDON JOHN C. NIMMO 14, KING WILLIAM STREET, STRAND. MDCCCXCV

CONTENTS OF VOL. I
PAGE
PREFACE ix
INTRODUCTION--
ESTHONIA xiii
THE KALEVIPOEG xviii
FOLK-TALES IN PROSE xxii
BALLADS AND OTHER SHORT POEMS xxiii
PASTOR HURT'S COLLECTIONS xxiv
MYTHOLOGY xxvi

PART I
THE HERO OF ESTHONIA
THE KALEVIPOEG 1
THE ARGUMENT 2
CANTO I.--THE MARRIAGES OF SALME AND LINDA 7
CANTO II.--THE DEATH OF KALEV 18
CANTO III.--THE FATE OF LINDA 24
CANTO IV.--THE ISLAND MAIDEN 32
CANTO V.--THE KALEVIDE AND THE FINNISH SORCERER 38
CANTO VI.--THE KALEVIDE AND THE SWORD SMITHS 42
CANTO VII.--THE RETURN OF THE KALEVIDE 49
CANTO VIII.--THE CONTEST AND PARTING OF THE BROTHERS 55
CANTO IX.--RUMOURS OF WAR 61
CANTO X.--THE HEROES AND THE WATER-DEMON 64
CANTO XI.--THE LOSS OF THE SWORD 72
CANTO XII.--THE FIGHT WITH THE SORCERER'S SONS 80
CANTO XIII.--THE KALEVIDE'S FIRST JOURNEY TO HADES 87
CANTO XIV.--THE PALACE OF SARVIK 94
CANTO XV.--THE MARRIAGE OF THE SISTERS 105
CANTO XVI.--THE VOYAGE OF THE KALEVIDE 110
CANTO XVII.--THE HEROES AND THE DWARF 119
CANTO XVIII.--THE KALEVIDE'S JOURNEY TO P?RGU 124
CANTO XIX.--THE LAST FEAST OF THE HEROES 129
CANTO XX.--ARMAGEDDON 135

PART II
ESTHONIAN FOLK-TALES
SECTION I
TALES ILLUSTRATIVE OF THE "KALEVIPOEG"
THE MILKY WAY 147
THE GRATEFUL PRINCE 152
THE CLEVER COUNTRYWOMAN 186
SLYBOOTS 187
THE HOUSE-SPIRIT 207
THE GOLD-SPINNERS 208
SECTION II
ORPHAN AND FOUNDLING STORIES
THE WOOD OF TONTLA 237
THE KING OF THE MISTY HILL 259
THE ORPHAN'S HANDMILL 260
THE ORPHAN BOY AND THE HELL-HOUNDS 261
THE EGG-BORN PRINCESS 273
THE ROYAL HERD-BOY 279
TIIDU, THE FLUTE-PLAYER 303
THE LUCKY EGG 308
THE MAGICIAN IN THE POCKET 321
THE GOD-DAUGHTER OF THE ROCK-MAIDENS 321
THE FOUNDLING 321

PREFACE
When I took up the study of the Kalevala and Finnish literature, with the intention of publishing a critical English edition of the poem, on which I am still engaged, the accumulation of the necessary materials led me to examine the literature of the neighbouring countries likewise. I had expected to find the Kalevipoeg an Esthonian variant of the Kalevala; but I found it so dissimilar, and at the same time so interesting, when divested of the tedious and irrelevant matter that has been added to the main story, that I finally decided to publish a full account of it in prose, especially as nothing of the kind has yet been attempted in English, beyond a few casual magazine articles.
The Esthonian folk-tales are likewise of much interest, and in many cases of an extremely original character; and these also have never appeared in an English dress. I have, therefore, selected a sufficiently representative series, and have added a few ballads and short poems. This last section of the work, however, amounts to little more than an appendix to the Kalevipoeg, though it is placed at the end of the book. Esthonian ballad literature is of enormous extent, and only partially investigated and published at present, even in the original; and it would therefore be premature to try to treat of it in detail here, nor had I time or space to attempt it. I had, however, intended to have included a number of poems from Neus' Ehstnische Volkslieder in the present volumes, but found that it was unnecessary, as Latham has already given an English version of most of the best in his "Nationalities of Europe."
The Introduction and Notes will, it is hoped, be sufficiently full to afford all necessary information for the intelligent comprehension of the book, without overloading it; and it has been decided to add a sketch-map of this little known country, including some of the places specially referred to. But Esthonian folk-literature, even without the ballads, is a most extensive study, and I do not pretend to do more than offer a few specimens culled from some of the most easily accessible sources. My professional work does not allow me time to attempt more at present; and it is from the same cause that my work on the Kalevala has been delayed so long.
In outlying parts of Europe like Finland and Esthonia, which were not Christianised till long after the southern and western countries, primitive literature has survived to a much greater