Linda (Estonian Mythology)

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Linda is the mother of the gigantic hero Kalevipoeg and the wife of Kalev , the mythical king of Estonia, in the Estonian art mythology created in the 19th century .

The figure of Linda became popular through Friedrich Reinhold Kreutzwald's Estonian national epic Kalevipoeg ("Son of Kalev"). He traced the figure of Lindas back to ancient, pagan sources.

Epic Kalevipoeg

Linda is born from the egg of a black grouse in the epic Kalevipoeg . Her sister Salme marries in heaven, Linda takes King Kalev as her husband. She disdains the respective offers of the sun, the moon and the star.

Linda gives birth to her youngest son Kalevipoeg ("Son of Kalev") only after the death of his father. Toompea in Tallinn is said to be the tomb for Kalev. His wife Linda had collected the stones in her grief. Lake Ülemiste was born from her tears.

When Kalevipoeg and his two brothers are on the hunt, Linda is kidnapped and raped by the Finnish magician Tuuslar. With the help of the gods, she manages to escape. But in Iru (near Tallinn) it is turned into a stone and is lost to the world. Kalevipoeg swims across the sea to Finland and kills the magician Tuuslar.

For Kalevipoeg, his two dead parents remain important advisors. When difficult decisions are made, he always returns to their graves. The conversations with the deceased ancestors are among the most poetic passages in Kreutzwald's national epic.

Place names

Numerous old Estonian place names are based on Linda, so that it can be assumed that a Linda actually played a role in pagan Estonian mythology. The pre-Christian name of the city of Tallinn was according to 13th century sources Lyndanise (possibly "Peninsula of the Linda"). A stone in Lake Ülemiste is called Lindakivi .

effect

One of the most famous sculptures by the Estonian sculptor August Weizenberg (1837–1921) is the figure of Linda. Numerous baking and chocolate products in Estonia are named after Linda today. In addition, the Linda Line , which was founded in 1997 and offers ferry crossings between Tallinn and Helsinki , bears the name Linda.

See also

Web links