Setos
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Setos (
The ancestral homes of many Setos can be found to the south of
Ethnic history
The definitive origin of the Seto people is unknown to researchers, only that they first emerged in Setomaa around the Piusa River. This was an area that was an intersection between the Finnic peoples and the Balts.[3]
During the 13th century, the majority of Estonians along the coasts were converted to
The cultural development of the Setos blossomed in the early 20th century when many national societies were organized. In 1905, the number of Setos reached its peak. After the proclamation of independence of Estonia, the authorities adopted a policy of Estonification of its population, which eventually led to decline of the Setos as a distinctive community within Estonia. In Russia, due to the influence of Estonian language schools, high rates of inter-community marriages, and emigration to Estonia, the number of self-identifying Setos decreased as well.
Setos are an officially protected ethnic minority in the Russian Pskov Oblast, and a linguistic minority within Estonia. In 2002, at the sixth Seto Congress the Setos declared their intent to identify as a separate people group. In a 2011 census, it was discovered that nearly two-thirds of the nearly 12,500 Seto speaking population in Estonia lived outside the historically Seto regions.[2] This resulted in two distinct communities of Setos to emerge according to research conducted by Pille Runnel, the first being the Seto who had migrated away from Setomaa and had to recreate a communal and religious identity. The second group being the Seto people who continued to live in older communities in Setomaa.[3]
The border issue
In 1920, with the
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Seto leelo
In 2009, the Setos'
Representative organizations
The Seto Congress, a body comprising representatives of Seto villages and organizations, is regularly convened every three years and elects a permanent Council of Elders.
The Society for Seto Congress was a member of the
Also, every year, the Seto choose a steward of King Peko (sootska or ülebtsootska) for the so-called Kingdom of Setomaa at the annual celebration of the Day of the Kingdom (Seto Kuningriigi päiv), a local festival that rotates among the bigger Seto villages.[8] The office is largely ceremonial and has been held by local activists, politicians, entrepreneurs and scholars. The tradition was initiated by Paul Hagu, an ethnic Seto and a researcher of Seto folk songs and traditional vocal polyphony (leelo) at the University of Tartu.
Religion
The Pskovo-Pechersky Monastery in Petseri has been an important religious and communal center for the Seto peoples. Since medieval times the monastery has owned much of the land and the Seto Churches in the region leading many Seto peasants to view the monastery as the economic and theological center of their community.[2]
In 1920 with the independence of the Republic of Estonia from
With the revival of Seto culture following the fall of the Soviet Union, elements of the pre-Christian religion that were preserved in private during the periods of Christianization and Sovietization began to reemerge. Since 2007, Jumalamägi, God's Hill, an ancient sacred grove that was dedicated to the God-King Peko, who would carry spirits to the afterlife in his horse wagon, has again become a center of communal activity. Recently, a sculpture by local sculptor R. Veeber was erected on the hill and has become an important location for offers to Peko by the local community.[9]
See also
- Seto language
- Võro language
- Karelians
- Skolt Sámi
References
- ^ "Росстат — Всероссийская перепись населения 2020". rosstat.gov.ru. Retrieved 2023-01-03.
- ^ a b c d Kalkun, A., Kupari, H., & Vuola, E. (2018). Coping with Loss of Homeland through Orthodox Christian Processions: Contemporary Practices among Setos, Karelians, and Skolt Sámi in Estonia and Finland. Practical matters, 11. http://practicalmattersjournal.org/2018/06/11/coping-with-loss-of-homeland-2/
- ^ a b c Laur, Kadri. Identity and Heritage on a Changing Border: The Estonian Seto Case. 2022. Uppsala University Campus Gotland, Master’s Thesis in Conservation. DiVA, https://www.diva-portal.org/smash/record.jsf?pid=diva2%3A1670368&dswid=-6689
- ^ a b c "Seto Leelo, Seto polyphonic singing tradition". UNESCO. Retrieved 3 November 2012.
- ISBN 978-0-313-33125-1. Retrieved 5 November 2012.
- ^ "Setomaa". www.setomaa.ee. Retrieved 2021-08-18.
- ^ "Setomaa Valdade Liit". 2006-12-11. Archived from the original on 2006-12-11. Retrieved 2021-08-18.
- ^ BBC News, In Pictures: The Seto People
- ^ "God's Hill | Setomaa Attractions | Visit Setomaa". visitsetomaa.ee. Retrieved 2022-09-03.
- Eichenbaum, K.; Pajusalu, K. (2001): Setode ja võrokeste keelehoiakutest ja identiteedist. - Keel ja Kirjandus nr 7, lk. 483-489.
- Eller, K. (1999): Võro-Seto language. Võro Instituut'. Võro.
External links
- Photo essay by BBC News - "In pictures: The Seto people, a border people"
- "Seto Culture in Setumaa" on visitestonia.com
- Picture Stories on National Geographic - A Fairytale Kingdom Faces Real-Life Troubles by Jérémie Jung and Eve Conant