Relative from Across the River of Blood: Lapp Folk Tales About Totem Reindeer IV  Cover Image

Hõimlane verejõe tagant: Saami muinaslood tootempõdrast IV
Relative from Across the River of Blood: Lapp Folk Tales About Totem Reindeer IV

Author(s): Enn Ernits
Subject(s): Customs / Folklore
Published by: Eesti Kirjandusmuuseum

Summary/Abstract: It is made an excursion to other Lapp fairytales depicting people transforming into animals and marrying them. In the summarising part of the marrying stories of Meandash, the different and similar traits of all stories are pointed out (tables 5-7). Also, the three possible ideal versions of all the three subtypes are presented. The scarcity of variations and literary influences do not allow wide suggestions about their origin to be made. The story of Meandash leaving consists of three parts: 1) the misdeed (pissing on a sleeping-skin), what in its turn conists of two subparts, namely a) a reindeer's monition and b) the act; 2) the misdeed is followed by eloping from home and 3) the mother's reaction to this (admonition, threat, joining). The motif of fleeing reasons 1) why the reindeer no longer live with men and 2) how the wild reinder became the Lapps' main food. Thus this is partially an explanatory myth. More closely are analysed the stories I-VI and VIII-X.

  • Issue Year: 1998
  • Issue No: 07
  • Page Range: 21-37
  • Page Count: 17
  • Language: Estonian