Herbert Salu

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Herbert Salu (until 1936 Herbert Akatsius Sallo , born November 2, jul. / 15. November  1911 greg. In Kuti (Vinni) ; † 1. October 1988 in Lund ( Sweden )) was an Estonian literary critic , essayist and writer .

Life

Salu attended various schools from 1919 to 1925 and studied at the teachers' college in Rakvere from 1925 to 1931 . After graduating there, he worked in school until 1942, but from 1935 also studied at the Philosophical Faculty of the University of Tartu . Here he made his master's degree in 1943 with a thesis on the role of folklore in the work of Anton Hansen Tammsaare .

In February 1944 Salu fled to Finland and from there to Sweden in 1945. Here he studied from 1947 to 1952 at Lund University and graduated with a degree in ethnology . Afterwards he stayed on a scholarship in the USA and the Federal Republic of Germany. From 1962 to 1964 he studied at the University of Turku Estonian and world literature and was there with a thesis on the historical novels of Eduard Vilde to Dr. phil. PhD.

In Sweden, Salu worked in archives in Karlstad , Uppsala and Lund before he found a position at the university library in Lund from 1956 to 1962 . From 1961 to 1969 he was an Estonian lecturer at the Universities of Turku and Tampere . From 1969 on he held a lectureship at the University of Lund with short breaks. An application for a professorship in Finland was unsuccessful.

Research activity

Through his work in the Swedish archives, Salu came into contact with a wealth of material from the 17th and 18th centuries. Therefore, this early phase of Estonian literature was a focus of his academic work. In mostly short studies, written in an essayistic style, he dealt with numerous detailed questions. As a rule, he published the results bundled in collections of articles, but sometimes also in literary magazines.

A second focus was the study of individuals and their work. Herbert Salu has monographs on the writers Eduard Vilde, Albert Kivikas , and Friedrich Wilhelm von Willmann . Many more have been dealt with in smaller contributions.

Finally, Salu also turned to the external links in Estonian literature and, for example, presented a comprehensive study on Schiller reception in northern and northeastern Europe.

Literary work

Salu published his first poems in magazines as early as 1932, but later he turned mainly to literary studies. His five historical novels, in which people from Estonian cultural history are always central: Reiner Brocmann (in Lasnamäe lamburid and Siiditee serval ), Ignati Jaak (in Õnneraha ), Käsu Hans (in Surmatrummid ja pajupill ) and Johann Köler (in Talvepaleest Lubjasaarele ). In addition, a volume with youth memories and travelogues was published posthumously.

Critics have judged his historical novels cautiously, even if they are ascribed a "philanthropic tragic optimism". On the other hand, it has been established that the portrayal of the people is "black and white". Occasionally it has been pointed out that in Salus historical novels the word “historical” has more weight than the word “novel”, that it is a matter of historical investigations that come along in the guise of a novel. They are also dominated by a “traditional image of history” that differs significantly from contemporary Estonian prose. Viewed in this way, his importance as a literary scholar is certainly to be rated higher.

bibliography

Literary studies and essay writing

  • Eesti vanem kirjandus . Stockholm: Tõrvik 1953. 86 pp.
  • Eduard Vilden historialliset romaanit. Summary: Eduard Vilde's historical novels. Helsinki : Suomalaisen Kirjallisuuden Seura 1964. 314 p. (SKS Toimituksia 277)
  • Tuul üle mere ja muid lühiuurimusi eesti kirjandusest. Wind over the sea and other studies in Estonian literature . Stockholm: Kirjastus Vaba Eesti 1965. 363 pp.
  • “Be embraced, millions!” The earliest translations of Schiller's songs and ballads in Scandinavia and the Baltic States . Stockholm: Kirjastus Vaba Eesti 1968. 214 pp.
  • Kauged rannad yes grandma saar. Esseid eesti kirjandusest. Distant shores and mine own island. Studies in Estonian Literature . Stockholm: Kirjastus Vaba Eesti 1970. 375 pp.
  • Albert Kivikas . Lund: Eesti Kirjanike Kooperatiiv 1971. 63 p.
  • Utoopia yes futuroloogia. Lühiuurimusi kirjandusest. Lund: sn 1972. 128 pp.
  • Posthobustel Jõhvist Rooma . Lund: sn 1974. 280 pp.
  • Porkuni preili . Stockholm: sn 1978. 201 pp.
  • Must lagi on meie toal. Esseid kirjandusest . Lund: sn 1980. 256 pp.
  • Kuhu päike ei paista. Ühiskondlikke probleeme Eduard Vilde loomingus. Stockholm: Välis-Eesti & EMP 1981. 155 pp.
  • Kihutav troika. Esseid kirjandusest. Stockholm: Välis-Eesti & EMP 1984. 204 pp.

Novels

  • Õnneraha ('lucky money'). Toronto: Orto 1953. 270 pp.
  • Surmatrummid ja pajupill (' death drums and willow flutes '). Lund: Eesti Kirjanike Kooperatiiv 1954. 302 pp.
  • Talvepaleest Lubjasaarele ('From the Winter Palace to Lubjasaare'). Toronto: Orto 1966. 287 pp.
  • Lasnamäe lamburid ('The Shepherds of Lasnamäe'). Lund: Eesti Kirjanike Kooperatiiv 1978. 240 pp.
  • Siiditee serval ('On the Edge of the Silk Road'). Lund: Eesti Kirjanike Kooperatiiv 1986. 203 pp.
  • Sembardia . Tartu: BG Forseliuse Selts 1996. 136 pp.

Secondary literature

  • Ivar Grünthal : Herbert Salu ja eesti ajalooline romaan, in: Tulimuld 1/1987, pp. 3–9.
  • Aarne Vinkel : Herbert Salu lahkumisel, in: Kirjanduse jaosmaa '88. Koostanud Endel Mallene. Tallinn: Eesti Raamat 1992, pp. 92-97.
  • Kaja Altof: Reiner Brockmann Tallinnas yes "Lasnamäe lamburid", in: Looming 11/1987, pp. 1556–1562.
  • Ingrid Velbaum-Staub: Herbert Salu, in: Eesti kirjandus paguluses XX sajandil. Toim. Piret Kruuspere. [Tallinn]: Eesti TA Underi ja Tuglase Kirjanduskeskus 2008, pp. 120–127.

Web links

  • Herbert Salu in the Estonian personal database ISIK (Estonian)

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Eesti kirjanike leksikon. Koostanud Oskar Kruus yes Heino Puhvel. Tallinn: Eesti Raamat 2000, p. 505.
  2. ↑ Aarne Vinkel: Herbert Salu lahkumisel, in: Kirjanduse jaosmaa '88. Tallinn: Eesti Raamat 1992, p. 96.
  3. ^ Ivar Grünthal: Herbert Salu ja eesti ajalooline romaan, in: Tulimuld 1/1987, p. 9.
  4. ↑ Ingrid Velbaum-Staub: Herbert Salu, in: Eesti kirjandus paguluses XX sajandil. Tallinn 2008, p. 122.
  5. ↑ Rutt Hinrikus: Romaanirüüs ajaloolised uurimused in: Eesti Päevaleht March 18, 2000.
  6. ↑ Aarne Vinkel: Herbert Salu lahkumisel, in: Kirjanduse jaosmaa '88. Tallinn: Eesti Raamat 1992, p. 96.
  7. ↑ The book contains English summaries on pages 336-355.
  8. ↑ The book contains English summaries on pages 349-371.
personal data
SURNAME Salu, Herbert
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Sallo, Herbert Akatsius
BRIEF DESCRIPTION Estonian writer and literary scholar
DATE OF BIRTH November 15, 1911
PLACE OF BIRTH Küti (Vinni)
DATE OF DEATH October 1, 1988
Place of death Lund ( Sweden )