I love photographs, especially old ones which capture a glimpse of a bygone era. Every photo tells a story and it's fascinating to study the seemingly trifling details. As the years pass, many things change or disappear in society but thank goodness we have photographs to remind us of what once was!
Estonian historian Fred Puss recently gave an interview with Raadio 2 to discuss the historic background of Estonian surnames. It wasn't until the late 19th century that most Estonians acquired surnames, before that they were often referred to by patronyms, eg. Han's son, Jaan's son etc.
Landlords were a major factor in the selection of surnames. There were some that were good to their peasants, but there were also those that did not behave respectfully to their workers. "This was reflected in surname selection, as well," Puss said.
The worst names were usually given to single men, who had not gotten married and were economically less well off. Puss said bad-sounding names, such as Koer ("Dog"), Paks ("Fat"), Laisk ("Lazy") and Limukas ("Weak-willed"), later disappeared since they were not passed down to the next generation. Surnames such as these were usually given to servants and farmers with a family earned themselves better names.
When Estonians were able to choose their own surnames, they often referred to books for inspiration or chose the name of plants, birds or animals. One of the most popular surnames in Estonia is Tamm, which means 'oak'.
Statistics Estonia has a database of Estonian surnames that you can search and discover some fascinating facts. To learn more, please click here - Surname statistics
After entering my surname, Lestal, I found there are currently 17 men and 15 women who share my surname in Estonia (all distant relatives from Tartu). The funny thing is however, across the globe in Australia, are another 18 Lestal's who are descended from my grandfather Alexander who migrated there in 1948.
To read the full Raadio 2 interview with Fred Puss, click here.
An Estonian couple, Anett Kamara and Tanel Akolov, from Jüri in northern Estonia have brought a taste of the Baltics to the city of Perth by opening the Blini Pancake Cafe in 2020. The couple originally fell in love with Perth while they were backpacking around the Australia and have been living there since 2014.
The couple were recently interviewed by SBS and asked about the idea behind the creation of Blini Pancake Cafe. Akolov said "we wanted to represent Estonian food as not many people know about it."
Modern Estonians are not known to be religious yet many admit to being spiritual. For hundreds of years Estonians have celebrated Hingedepäev, the day when it is believed that the veil between the world of the living and that of the dead is thinnest. Honouring the memory of ancestors is important to Estonians and so the custom of placing candles by windowsills and on graves is a nice way pay tribute to loved ones.
