The Churl’s Wagon
The Churl’s Wagon

Summary/Abstract: Suur Vanker (‘the Great Wain’ in Estonian, the Big Dipper) is a commonly known constellation in Estonia. In addition to Suur Vanker, the astronym Hunt Härja kõrval ‘Wolf beside the Ox’ is one of the oldest written recordings of ethno-astronomic designations. The tale about farmer Peedu and his wagon, formalised and elaborated by Jakob Hurt based on his collections, has been printed in school textbooks since the issuing of Mihkel Kampmann’s reading book, Kooli lugemise raamat at the beginning of the previous century. Thus, the story is widely known and has been simultaneously considered an Estonian astral myth.

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