1. Estonian mythology and fairy tales

2. Beginning  Information about the pre- Christian and medieval Estonian mythology is scattered in historical chronicles, travellers' accounts and in ecclesiastical registers. Systematic recordings of Estonian folklore started in the 19th century. Kalevipoeg – son of Kalev. Oskar Kallise

3. Most known mythological persons  Vanatühi - "Old Empty One", or Vanapagan, "Old Heathen" called Old Nick, the devil depicted as dumb giant farmer  Suur Tõll - giant hero living in Saaremaa Island  Kalevipoeg, Kalevine, Sohni, Soini, Osmi - giant hero, mythical ancient king of Estonia Suur Tõll and his wife Piret. T.Kangro

4.  Estonian legends about giants (Kalevipoeg, Suur Tõll, Leiger) may be a reflection of Germanic (especially Scandinavian) influences. There are numerous legends interpreting various natural objects and features as traces of Kalevipoeg's deeds. The giant has merged together with Christian Devil, giving birth to a new character – Vanapagan (a giant demon living on his farm or manor and his farm hand Kaval-Ants (Crafty Hans).

5. Mythical motiffs from Estonian runic songs  a mighty oak grows into the sky, is then felled and turned into various mythical objects Also 10th Youth Song and Dance festival moto was inspired from that

6.  a crafty blacksmith forges a woman of gold but is not able to give her a soul or a mind

7.  Friedrich Robert Faehlmann and Friedrich Reinhold Kreutzwald compiled the Estonian national epic Kalevipoeg out of numerous prosaic folk legends and runo verse imitations that they themselves had written.  Faehlmann also wrote eight fictional myths combining motives of Estonian folklore (from the legends and folk songs), Finnish mythology (from Ganander’s "Mythologia Fennica") and classical Greek mythology.  Matthias Johann Eisen was another folklorist and writer who studied folk legends and reworked them into literary form. Many of their contemporary scholars accepted this mythopoeia as authentic Estonian mythology.

8. CINDERELLA ( by KREUTZWALD)  THE Esthonian story of Tuhka-Triinu (Ash- Katie), as given by Kreutzwald, is more on the lines of the German Aschenputtel than on those of the French Cendrillon.

9. HOW THE SEA BECAME SALT ( by JANNSEN)  There were two brothers, one rich and one poor. One Christmas the rich brother gave the other a ham, on condition that he should go to Pōrgu. On his way, he met an old man who told him that ham was a rarity there, but he must not sell it for money, but only for what was behind the door, which proved to be a wishing-mill. The rich brother bought it for a high price, and set it to grind herrings and milk-soup; but he was soon forced to give his brother another great sum to induce him to take it back, and to save him and his wife, and indeed the whole village, from being overwhelmed by the torrents of herrings and soup. Afterwards it was sold to a sea- captain, who set it to grind salt, and it ground on till the ship sank, and it now lies at the bottom of the sea, grinding salt for ever.

10. THE CHURCH AT REVEL  REVEL was formerly an unimportant place, and the inhabitants wished to make it famous by building a church. They contracted with the great architect Olaf to erect it; and when it was completed, and he was about to fix the cross on the summit, his wife cried out joyfully, “Olaf will come home to-day with a thousand barrels of gold.” Church of st Olev (Olaf)

11.  But scarcely had Olaf fixed the cross in its place, when he slipped and fell to the ground, and a toad and a snake sprang out of his mouth. The Devil wished to destroy the church, but could not get near it; so he made a sling at Pernau, and hurled a great rock at it. But the sling broke, and the rock fell half-way between Pernau and Revel, where it now remains. Churh of Oleviste

12. The Blue bird  SIURU, bird and Taara’s daughter, Siuru, bird of azure plumage, With the shining silken feathers, p. 293 Was not reared by care of father, Nor the nursing of her mother, Nor affection of her sisters, Nor protection of her brothers; For the bird was wholly nestless, Like a swallow needing shelter, Where her down could grow to feathers And her wing-plumes could develop; Yet did Ukko wisely order, And the aged Father’s wisdom Gave his daughter wind-like pinions, Wings of wind and cloudy pinions, That his child might float upon them, Far into the distance soaring.

13. Estonian mythical and magical objects  Travelling forests - when people are mean, greedy and cruel in some place, the forests will leave this place. The most stories about travelling forests are found in coastal areas of Estonia.  Belt (kirivöö) - the belt had the most ancient and magical patterns of all the craft items, red woven belts and laces were a common item to sacrifice (they were tied to the branches of holy trees). A belt was tied around parts of body that were sick and, pulled tightly around the waist, had to protect and give strength to the bearer.

14.  White Ship (valge laev) - mythical ship that brings freedom or takes people away to a better land. This myth was born around 1860 when a small sect led by Juhan Leinberg (also known as Prophet Maltsvet) gathered near Tallinn to wait for a white ship to take them away.

15.  Hat of fingernails (küüntest kübar) - makes the bearer (usually Vanatühi) invisible.  Mittens (kirikindad) – were believed to have protective or magic powers, especially church mittens and the ones that sailors wore. Mittens were (are) decorated with special geometric patterns and narrow red stripes; they have many whispers and spells in them because the crafter used to sing while making, dyeing and knitting yarn

16.  Sacred stones - the last ice age has left a lot of great stones (erratics) in Estonia. Many of them were considered sacred and people came to them to sacrifice silver, blood, red ribbons and coins and ask for welfare and prosperity. Often, the stones have little holes in them, some of them probably used to place the sacrifice in. The meaning and function of the holes is however still disputed; according to paleoastronomer Heino Eelsalu they may have had a calendary function.

17. Who is who?  Kratt - a demon who stole and brought food, money and other worldly goods to its maker and owner in the form of a whirlwind or meteor-like tail of fire (also called puuk, pisuhänd, tulihänd, hännamees)

18. More mythological beings  Kaval-Ants (Crafty/Sly Hans) - wicked farm hand who deceives his master Vanapagan - the Devil  Kodukäija - a restless visitant ghost  Eksitaja - an evil spirit who makes people lose their way in a forest or a bog  Haldjas (the ruler) - elf, fairy, protector spirit of some place, person, plant or animal  Lendva - an illness sent by an evil witch  Libahunt - werewolf