Stones of Estonia – Mulgi Poegi Talus, Soimunimetus

In Tartu and Looming, the Sitzungsberichte der Gelehrten Estnischen Gesellschaft (GEAG) were published, containing papers by Karl Eduard Korber, the pastor of the Estonian Protestant Church. Korber’s article, entitled “Tartu: A Land of Opportunities,” is particularly interesting for its references to the Baltic Sea, which he viewed as an opportunity for European-American cooperation.

aastal raakis pastor Carl Eduard Korber (1866)

Among the many works by German-Estonian artist, writer, and pastor Carl Eduard Korber, the best-known is his aastal raakis, a work on Estonian history published in 1866. The text is arranged in four parts: the Introduction, the Concluding Prologue, and the Conclusion. The author also includes a brief biography.

In his earliest works, Pastor Korber referred to literature as “antiigitolgete,” and he compared the poetry that he wrote to the music of the church organ. His later work contains a number of works that are referred to as “mulle.”

Tahtvere mehest kuus olid mulgid

Mulgi poegi talus, soimunimetus: the term for this animal is derived from the Latin word mulgis, which means’mulga’. In fact, this is an actual animal, not a fictional creature. It is known by various names, including tuletati vooraste, mulgilt tuli, mulgilt, and mulgilt.

In 1870, the artist August Oinas published the book Mulgimaa, a translation of a poem by Mihkel Jurgens. In 1872, he also published a book of poetry titled Mangitavamaks and Tallorahva Postimehe, and in 1870, another one called Eesti Seltsi sekretar.

Tartumaal kasitlevates kirjatukkides

The first Estonian text in English is a translation of Tartumaal kasitled kirjatukkides by Karl Erg. The text was originally published as Sitzungen der Gelehrten Estnischen Gesellschaft zu Dorpat in 1866. Later, it was published in Russian, in Helju 2003, and in Kersti 2014, as Mulgud kasitlevates kirjatukkides eaa.1.2.941

Ea Jansen, E.A., 1961. Tartumaal: An Estonian Dictionary of Ethnicity and Culture. The book is a synthesis of a number of scholarly works on the subject. It contains a brief description of the cultural history of the region and its people. In addition to the translation of the Tartumaal Talmud, it also contains information about the history of religious belief in Estonia.

Autorid tanavad abi ja soovituste eest

The first inscription on this stone can be found in a village near Tallinn, Estonia. The text was probably written in the middle of the nineteenth century. The name of the village, Saarase, is still inscribed in the stone. This is a reference to the first recorded settlements in the area. It was written around a year later.

The Talukoha, Tartlase Tarkus, and Mulgilt olevat are some of the texts in this series. Carl Korber’s Sitzungen der Gelehrten Estnischen Gesellschaft zu Dorpat 1866 and Karl Lagna’s Juhan Kunder – mitmekulgne kultuurritegelane are also worth reading. Mulgud and Mulgid Almanak 13 and Kersti 2014’s Mulgud and Milgud Hadaoht ehk are both available in print.