Estonian literature

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Estonian literature is in Estonian written literature .

The earliest texts

Since the number of speakers is relatively low (around one million people today) and Estonian had little or no value in the eyes of those in power and thus in the school system, Estonian literature emerged relatively late. Estonian words are found for the first time in the Latin chronicle "Heinrici Chronicon Livoniae" from the 13th century. The first book in Estonian was probably published in 1525 with Lutheran texts, but was confiscated and burned in the Lübeck harbor. The oldest surviving manuscript is the manuscript of Kullamaa (1524–1532) with Catholic prayers and the creed . The oldest partially preserved Estonian book (11 pages) is a bilingual Low German-Estonian bookCatechism , dates from 1535 and was only discovered in 1929. These books and those that followed in the centuries that followed were written almost without exception by Germans, mostly clergymen, to whom Estonian was a foreign or second language. The linguistic level of this literature is naturally very variable. In the majority of cases, it is about religious usage texts.

Examples of this are the handwritten sermons (1600–1606) by Georg Müller and the first Estonian poem (1637) by Reiner Brocmann (1609–1647) in the Alexandrians, which are somewhat unwieldy for this language . One of the South Estonian languages ​​and dialects is Võro , which became a written language through Johann Gutslaff's grammar (1648). In 1686 the New Testament was translated into Võro, and in 1660 Heinrich Göseken wrote a grammar and dictionary based on the West Estonian dialect of Kullamaa .

The establishment of the written language

An Estonian written language slowly established itself in which a largely undemanding educational literature was written: A grammar comes from Heinrich Stahl , known in another form of name as Stahell, and an ABC book from Bengt Gottfried Forselius, i.e. an orthography lesson. Through the Grammatica Esthonica (1693) of the school inspector and later pastor Johann Hornungs (1660–1715) and the first complete Estonian translation of the Bible published by Anton Thor Helle (1683–1748) in 1739, North Estonian prevailed over South Estonian as a written language; this disappeared in the 1880s.

August Wilhelm Hupel

In the time of the early Enlightenment, instructional and moralizing books and weeklies were created, e.g. B. Lühhike öppetus 1766–1767 by pastor August Wilhelm Hupel (1737–1819) or Üks Kaunis Jutto- ja Öppetusse-Ramat , “A beautiful story and textbook”, 2 volumes, 1782/1787, by Friedrich Gustav Arvelius (1753– 1806).

A milestone in Estonian literature was the Monumenta Estoniae Antiquae , published from 1875 to 1999 , the world's largest collection of folk songs (often alliterating rhyming octosyllables) and sagas, which was suggested by Jakob Hurt .

Time of the "national awakening"

From the end of the 18th century, the ideas of the Enlightenment reached Estonia via German-Baltic intellectuals who studied in Germany. After the theater had been popularized by German traveling actors, Friedrich Gustav Arvelius tried unsuccessfully in 1794 to bring a play in Estonian to the stage for the first time. The wave of enlightened Estnophilia brought several theatrical performances of short Estonian plays in Tallinn, Pärnu and Narva after 1819 .

However, Kristjan Jaak Peterson (1801–1822), who was unknown throughout his life, is considered the first Estonian writer . He wrote his own Estonian poetry, but died very young. His work was not published until 1922, the 100th year of his death. His birthday is celebrated today as "Estonian Language Day".

Since 1840 Friedrich Robert Faehlmann (1798–1850) began to publish oral traditions, sagas, but also “pseudo myths” in the Estonian language, some of which flowed into the Kalevipoeg (German: Kalev's son), the reconstructed national epic of the Estonians, which reached the summit of Estonian national romanticism. It consists of around 20,000 verses in 20 chants and was largely supplemented by Friedrich Reinhold Kreutzwald (1803–1882) due to Faehlmann's preliminary work and published since 1857. The Kalevipoeg is therefore only partly based on the actual oral tradition of the legends about the giant Kalevipoeg; however, the lyric language was an innovation for Estonian literature.

Lydia Koidula

Johann Woldemar Jannsen wrote the text for the Estonian national anthem Mu isamaa, mu õnn ja rõõm in 1869 . His daughter Lydia Koidula (1843–1886) became more important in literary history . She wrote patriotic poetry and founded the Estonian drama, even if some of her texts were adaptations of German models.

A process of suppression of Estonian culture and Russification began in the 1880s . The situation improved after the Russian Revolution of 1905 , and Estonia declared independence in 1918. An important Estonian writer of this time was the poet Juhan Liiv (1864–1913), after whom a poetry prize is named today. Eduard Vilde (1865–1933) also worked at this time , writing realistic, naturalistic novels and dramas .

From 1905 until the Soviet rule

In 1905 the Young Estonia group ( Noor-Eesti , like Jungletten based on Young Germany ) was founded, which existed until 1917. Its members included the poet Gustav Suits (1883–1956) and Friedebert Tuglas (1886–1971) as well as Villem Grünthal-Ridala (1885–1942), Johannes Aavik (1880–1973) and the Finnish writer Aino Kallas (1878–1956) . The group aimed to renew Estonian literature based on European models. In addition, Oskar Luts (1887–1953), popular novelist, for example with the novel Spring ( Kevade ) and the poet Ernst Enno (1875–1934) deserve mention.

As a counterpart to the more intellectual “Young Estonia”, the Siuru movement was formed in 1917 with its main representatives Henrik Visnapuu (1890–1951) and Marie Under (1883–1980). They wrote sensual, symbolist and expressionist, then scandalously erotic poems and both had to go into exile after the Second World War . The civil fright August Alle (1890-1951) was able to come to terms with the Soviet occupation due to his anti-fascist stance and became editor-in-chief of the literary magazine " Looming ", founded in 1923 and published by the Estonian Writers' Association since 1922 .

Portrait of AH Tammsaare (1927) by Nikolai Triik

Anton Hansen Tammsaare (1878–1940), who described the turn of the century Estonian society in a psychologically realistic style in his cycle of novels Truth and Justice ( Tõde ja Õigus , 1926–1933), should also be mentioned from the extremely lively literary activity of the interwar period ; Furthermore, August Mälk , (1900-1987) Karl Ristikivi (1912-1977) with a Tallinn - trilogy and August Gailit (1891-1960), whose by Knut Hamsun influenced Roman Toomas Nippernaadi was (1928) in 1931 translated into German. German soldiers received his second novel Lied der Freiheit about the independence struggle of the First Estonian Republic as a front book edition in small format. The struggles between nationalists and communists were also described by Albert Kivikas (1898–1978), who was chairman of the writers' association under German occupation.

In 1938 an anthology of poetry appeared under the title The Fortune Teller or Shamans ( Arbujad ), the six authors of which are referred to as the Arbujad group. These include Betti Alver (1906–1989), Uku Masing (1909–1985) and Bernard Kangro (1910–1994).

With the Soviet occupation of Estonia, the Estonian Writers' Union was declared dissolved by the occupation authorities in 1940.

Literature 1940-1991

The following period was determined by the Soviet occupation, then by the World War and the German occupation and, from 1944, again by Soviet rule. The naturalistic prose writer Rudolf Sirge (1904–1970), who had warned of a return of the German occupation in 1918 in Schwarzer Sommer (Schauspiel, 1937), was arrested by the Germans. The naturalistic novelist, narrator and playwright August Jakobson , like Mart Raud (1903–1980), Aadu Hint (1910–1989) and Jaan Kärner , fled the advancing German Wehrmacht to the Soviet Union, where he organized the cultural life of the Estonians who had emigrated there. His pieces were widely played; he was the first Estonian Stalin Prize winner and became President of the Estonian Soviet Republic in 1950.

Other authors such as Karl Ristikivi, Bernhard Kangro, August Gailit, Albert Kivikas, Gustav Suits , Kalju Lepik , Helga and Enn Nõu and the surrealist Ilmar Laaban went into exile in Sweden , where Estonian newspapers and a cooperative of Estonian writers were founded in Lund . The poet Ivar Ivask published the work of his colleagues in exile in the USA. Many of those who stayed were either deported to Soviet forced labor camps, where they often found death, or they were subjected to repression , were banned from publication or went into “inner exile”, according to the poet Minni Nurme , who fell silent for 10 years .

Until the end of the Stalinist era, literature in the motherland was in the service of Soviet propaganda . During this time, anything worth mentioning only came into being in exile. It was not until the mid-1950s and 1960s that a new generation of those born in the 1920s had their say in Estonia. Soviet literature remained largely shaped by socialist realism . Debora Vaarandi , August Jakobson, Aadu Hint and Juhan Smuul followed these guidelines. When the censorship became repressive again, literature was secretly distributed according to the samizdat principle (e.g. the works of Paul-Eerik Rummo and Jaan Kaplinski on audio cassettes ).

However, the Estonian theater of the late 1960s and 1970s took on influences from the western avant-garde and existentialism , despite persistent restrictions . In translated form, Estonian literature reached an audience of millions for the first time. Because of the relatively liberal climate in the cultural sector, the Estonians were often envied by other Soviet citizens of the Soviet Union.

The best known and most important Estonian writer of the post-war period is Jaan Kross . After nine years of imprisonment and a stay in Soviet labor camps, he designed a kaleidoscope of Estonian history in his historical novels, which have been translated into 20 languages, and is considered to be the revitalizer of an independent Estonian literature. He also wrote opera libretti on historical subjects. His wife, Ellen Niit, was a well-known poet, children's author and translator.

Other notable writers are Artur Alliksaar (1923–1966) and Ain Kaalep (* 1921). Viivi Luik (* 1946) emerged as a poet , who has also written novels on recent history since the 1980s (German: The Seventh Peace Spring 1991). Mati Unt (* 1944) developed an avant-garde theater practice in Tallinn in the 1980s .

present

Jaan Kross remained the most widely translated Estonian writer after 1990 and the best-known nationally and internationally, after making his German debut in the GDR in 1974. The poet Jaan Kaplinski worked increasingly as an essayist after 1990. Some of his poems have been translated into German. Viivi Luik's intertextual work was also received in Germany. But an actual Estonian literary tradition barely existed in 1990.

The young and current literary scene is extremely lively in Estonia; it is strongly based on the USA. New genres such as comics, fantasy and science fiction ( ethno-futurism , a specifically Estonian development) find many readers. One of the most popular Estonian authors is Andrus Kivirähk (* 1970). Meelis Friedenthal (* 1973) came out with short stories and the novel "The Golden Era". The poet, filmmaker and musician Vahur Afanasjev (* 1979) has also recently written novels. "JESS" (Journal of Estonian Short Stories) is a literary magazine that has been offering publication options in English translation since 2014.

See also

literature

  • Epp Annus, Luule Epner, Ants Järv, Sirje Olesk, Ele Süvalep, Mart Velsker: Eesti kirjanduslugu. Tallinn: Koolibri 2001. ISBN 9985-0-1127-9 .
  • Eesti kirjanduse ajalugu viies köites. Tallinn: Eesti Raamat 1965–1991.
  • E. Howard Harris: Literature in Estonia. Second edition. London: Boreas Publishing 1947.
  • Cornelius Hasselblatt : Estonian Literature in German 1784-2003. Bibliography of primary and secondary literature. Bremen: Hempen Verlag 2004. ISBN 3-934106-43-9 .
  • Cornelius Hasselblatt: History of Estonian Literature. From the beginning to the present. Berlin, New York: De Gruyter 2006. ISBN 978-3-11-018025-1 .
  • Cornelius Hasselblatt: Estonian literature in German translation. A reception story from the 19th to the 21st century. Wiesbaden: Harrassowitz 2011. ISBN 978-3-447-06586-3 .
  • Armin Hetzer: Estonian literature: A historical overview. Wiesbaden: Harrassowitz 2007.
  • Henno Jänes: History of Estonian Literature. Stockholm: Almqvist & Wiksell 1965. (Acta Universitatis Stockholmiensis. Stockholm Studies in History of Literature 8).
  • Endel Nirk: Estonian Literature. Historical Survey with Biobibliographical Appendix. Tallinn: Perioodika 1987.
  • Friedrich Scholz: The literatures of the Baltic States. Their creation and development. (= Treatises of the Rheinisch Westfälische Akademie der Wissenschaften Vol. 80.) Opladen: Westdeutscher Verlag 1990. ISBN 3-531-05097-4 .
anthology
  • Life is still new. Ten Estonian authors. Translated by Gisbert Jänicke, Karlsruhe: INFO Verlagsgesellschaft 1992.

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Cornelius Hasselblatt: History of Estonian Literature: From the Beginnings to the Present , Berlin 2006, pp. 205 ff.
  2. ↑ Cornelius Hasselblatt : Estonia , in: Hubert van den Berg, Walter Fähnders (Hrsg.): Metzler Lexikon Avantgarde , Berlin, Heidelberg 2017, p. 90.
  3. ↑ Young Estonian Prose , online: Archived copy ( memento of the original from July 20, 2011 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. , accessed April 21, 2015 @1@ 2Template: Webachiv / IABot / elm.estinst.ee