Villem Grünthal-Ridala

Villem Grünthal-Ridala

Villem Grünthal-Ridala (born May 30, 1885 in Kuivastu , Livonia Governorate , Russian Empire , † January 16, 1942 in Helsinki , Finland ) was an Estonian poet , translator , linguist and folklorist .

Life

Villem Grünthal-Ridala was born under the name Wilhelm Grünthal as the son of a pub on the island of Muhu . He first attended the parish school in Hellamaa (today the community of Hiiumaa ) and then the Eisenschmidt'sche private school and the state high school in Kuressaare . From 1905 he studied Finnish and literature at the University of Helsinki . In 1911 he passed his master's degree.

From 1910 to 1919 Villem Grünthal-Ridala taught Estonian in Tartu . From 1910 to 1914 he was also the editor of the magazine Eesti Kirjandus and from 1914 to 1916 as an editor at Üliõpilaste leht .

From 1923 until his death Grünthal-Ridala was lecturer for Estonian language and literature at the University of Helsinki . In 1941 he received his doctorate on Baltic Finnish languages .

Lyric work

Villem Grünthal-Ridala is best known for his poems in the Estonian language. In particular, his epic work Toomas ja Mai (1924) and the ballad collection Sinine kari (1930) pointed the way for the Estonian poetry of the time. The poems are mainly influenced by impressionism . Recurring motifs are the island landscape of his homeland and beach life. He belonged to the group of writers Noor-Eesti ( Young Estonia ) founded in 1905 .

Poetry collections

• "Villem Grünthali laulud" (1908)
• "Kauged rannad" (1914)
• "Ungru krahv ehk Näckmansgrund" (1915)
• "Merineitsit" (1918)
• "Saarnak" (1918)
• "Toomas ja Mai" (1924)
• "Tuules ja tormis" (1927)
• "Sinine kari" (1930)
• "Meretäht" (1935)
• "Laulud ja kauged rannad" (1938)
• "Väike luuleraamat" (1969)
• "Valitud värsid" (1986)
• "Püha Rist"

Web links

• Life and Work (University of Tartu)
• Villem Grünthal-Ridala in pictures