Folklore in Baltic History
Resistance and Resurgence
A lively history of folklore practice in Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania
Description
Folklore in the Baltic History: Resistance and Resurgence is about the role of folklore, folklore archives, and folklore studies in the contemporary history of Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania—together called the Baltic countries. They were occupied by Russia, by Germany, and lastly by the USSR at the end of the Second World War. They regained freedom in 1991.
The period under the rule of the USSR brought several changes to their societies and cultures. Individuals and institutions dealing with folklore—archives, university departments, and folklorists—came under special control, attack, and surveillance. Some of the pioneer folklorists escaped to other countries, but many others witnessed their institutions and the meaning of folklore studies transformed. The USSR did not stop folklore studies but led the field to new methods. In spite of all the pressure, folklore continued to be a matter of identity, and folksongs became the marching songs of crowds resisting Soviet control in the late 1980s. Since independence in 1991, folklore scholars and institutions revamped and reconstituted folkloristics. Today all three countries have many active scholars and institutions.
Sadhana Naithani recounts this resilient arc through an intermedial and interdisciplinary methodology of research. She combines the study of written works, archival documents, life-stories, and conversations with folklorists, ethnologists, archivists, and historians in Tartu, Riga, and Vilnius. She recorded conversations on video, creating current reflections on issues of the recent past. Based on the study of life-stories and oral history projects, Naithani juxtaposes the history of folkloristics and the life of the folk in the Soviet period of the Baltic countries. The result is this dramatic, first-ever history of Baltic folkloristics.
Reviews
"Folklore in Baltic History: Resistance and Resurgence offers an emotional discussion of folklore and its scholarship in relation to ethnic and national identity and to colonial and imperialistic powers. Sadhana Naithani introduces folkloristic research in three neighboring countries—Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania—and their dramatic histories. . . . With compassion and empathy towards the peoples of these Baltic countries, Naithani shows that forced isolation and lack of freedom can paradoxically become a source of generative power for cultural and scholarly revival. Moving from book knowledge to collegial interviews gives a unique personal touch to this book, which proves that folklore is not a marginal social phenomenon but a cultural resource with tremendous political potential. Even if folkloristic institutions become subject to ideological manipulations and state control, folklore cannot be suppressed or eradicated. Sadhana Naithani’s former work in postcolonial folkloristics and her frequent visits to the Baltic countries have helped her achieve a deep understanding of the social and psychological realities during this dark period of Baltic history. "
- Ülo Valk, professor of Estonian and comparative folklore at University of Tartu
"Sadhana Naithani’s courage to navigate totally unknown waters has resulted in producing interesting and valuable scholarship. She provides a panoramic view of regional disciplinary history no one has written and where any insider would be drowned in technicalities, biographies, and details. The work is insightful and the chosen ‘dramatic approach’ pays off in reader’s pleasure. "
- Toms Ķencis, PhD, researcher at the Institute of Literature, Folklore and Art at University of Latvia