Literature and art

Few notices refer to grey cattle in Estonian literature but this is most likely due to the fact that this matter not has been investigated before. Oskar Loorits (Loorits, Oskar. 2001, 127) has written down a song that children were singing when they took animals out to the pastures. In this song there is referred to grey cattle:

"Metsa minnes lauldi:

Lehmad lillelepikusse,

ärjad arueinamaasse,

mullikad murumääle.

Astu, astu, allike,

kõpsi, kõpsi, kõrvike,

tõsta jalga, tõmmuke.

Metsast tulles: .......

Aru Jüri allid sõnnid,

Muuga Jüri mustad pullid,

need olid kanged kaevlema

ja mõisa pulõla puistama."

ERA II 299, 76/94 < Märjamaa khk. ja v., Kõrvetaguse k. - Emilie Poom < oma mälestuste järgi (1941). (Loorits, 2001, lk 127)

Marie Under has written a poem called “Merilehmad” (Sea cows) where she describes grey cattle. This poem was published in the collection “Õnnevarjutus - Ballade ja legende (1924-1929)”. The start of the poem:

"Kelle on need hallid veised,

polegi vist nagu teised,

meie karja said nad kust?

Nende kõrval kasvult maha,

sileduselt jäävad taha

meie Joonik, meie Must…..”

(Under, Marie in Rummo Paul: Mu süda laulab. 1984. lk. 195.)

In the Estonian literature there are riddles mentioning grey cattle (hall lehm, hall härg) or sea bulls (merehärg, merihärg). Due to the literature specialists A. Krikmann (Krikmann, Arvo 27.10.2006, electronic mail) these are most likely metaphores. IN the following one of the riddles:

Hall kivi kõlgub aeda all? — Lehma udar (Tor 1889)

(Eesti rahvaluule 25.10.2006, electronic source)

All songs found mentioning grey cattle or oxes in Appendix II

Nils Tidebergi made before 1940 investigations about the names of domestic animals in the costal areas of west Estonia as well as on the Estonian islands. He visited the Swedish speaking populationa that lived in these areas and mapped their adjectives used for domestic animals. His research results were published first as late as in 1972 in Sweden and in Swedish langauge. He describes several different types of hall color on the cattle on the Estonian costal areas.

  • grey (“hall”), normally total cover of grey, regular adjective for both horses and cattle (Tideberg, 1972, p. 27)
  • ashgrey "tuhkjas", in Swedish language ”askat”, ashcolored, ashgrey, only mentioned about domestic animals at Vormsi island, not clearly stated that it is cattel, these adjectives also used at other geographical locations (Tideberg, 1972, p 28)
  • unclear white-grey color, in Swedish ”glåmat”. This used about the color of oxes. (Tideberg, 1972, p 28)
  • In Swedish language "his'jat" (Vormsi) and “is'jat” (Noarootsi), (Hiiumaa) – used for horses and cattle: light grey, ash grey, mouse grey also as synonym for ash ("helehall", "tuhkjashall", "rotihall"). At Vormsi island they used also the swedish words "hise-grå" "hyssjegrå" for grey. Tideberg describes also the hair: At Noarootsi animals have here and there black hairs on a light bottom, more white than black, grayish ("hallikas"). (Tideberg, 1972, p. 29)
  • At Ruhnu island in Estonia there was both cattle and horses that where given the adjective "mõsor”, “mõso”, “mosot”, “mosug”, “mosor". These adjectives were used only at Ruhnu island both for horses and for cattle – grayish white, kimmel, like mould, little white and green, mouse grey, even blue-grey. (Tideberg, 1972, p. 29)

In Virumaa museum's collection there is an oli-painting made by Helene von Wrangel (born 1835, dead 1906). Helene von Wrangel was the daughter of Karl von Wrangel (owner of Kohala Estate in Estonia). Helena von Wrangel was a member of St.Peterburg Art Academy. The oil painting shows a heard of native cattle, some in the shadow and some in the sun. To the right on the painting in the sun you can see a grey cow and to the left in the sun an Estonian “päitsik” cow. (Palmse Estate, permission given to use the photo by Virumaa museum).

Ministry of Agriculture has published a book named Eesti Põllumajandus XX sajandil I. On the front page of this book they have used an old Estonian postcard. 1913. The postcard is a colored postcard and can be found in the photo bank of the Estonian Agricultural Ministry (EPM FP 330:8). In the left corner you can see a grey cow. (Šank, 2006)