Songs of Olden Times: Estonian Folk Hymns and Runic Songs

Featuring

Heinavanker
Margo Kõlar
Anonymous (Traditional)

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Historical Context

During Estonia's half-century as a Soviet Republic, atheism was the official denomination, aiming to erase national identity and the Christian church.

Historical Context

Estonia marks the divide between the influence zones of Eastern Orthodoxy and Western Christianity, challenging both Roman Popes and Orthodox patriarchs.

Compositional Technique

The melismatic character of Estonian folk hymns likely derives from Scandinavian folk music, while Estonian runic songs (regilaul) have a different Finno-Ugric origin.

Historical Context

Estonia's geographical location has made it an object of competing political claims from various nations, including Vikings, Germans, Danes, Swedes, and Slavs.

Compositional Technique

Cyrillus Kreek, an important song-collector, described these religious folksongs as 'twirling and ribboned' because their tunes were so richly embellished that their sources were sometimes unrecognizable.

Composition History

The origin of Estonian folk hymns is linked to the 18th-century Moravian Herrnhut Brethren movement, which spurred pietism among the rural population.

Composition History

The recovery of original religious singing culture artifacts, including religious folksongs, from archives at the end of the last century was considered a 'veritable miracle'.