Mõistatus

Runosong type in the classification of ERAB, the Estonian Folklore Archives’ runosong database

In English: Riddles (a translation; the archive names the type in Estonian only)

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The archive’s description

Written by the editors of the ERAB type index and quoted as it stands, in Estonian.

ERla nr 338

Where it was collected

Collection places of the poems, with the number of poems of this type from each. A place may be where the song was written down or where the singer came from.

• Halliste (17)
• Suure-Jaani (13)
• Vigala (12)
• Ambla (10)
• Kadrina (10)
• Tallinn (10)
• Lüganuse (9)
• Haljala (8)
• Karksi (8)
• Audru (7)
• Muhu (7)
• Tarvastu (7)
• Türi (7)
• Väike-Maarja (7)
• Harju-Jaani (6)
• Karuse (6)
• Märjamaa (6)
• Pärnu (6)
• Viru-Jaagupi (6)
• Hanila (5)
• Helme (5)
• Järva-Jaani (5)
• Kolga-Jaani (5)
• Palamuse (5)
• Peetri (5)
• Pilistvere (5)
• Räpina (5)
• Vändra (5)
• Koeru (4)
• Nõo (4)
• Rapla (4)
• Setumaa (4)
• Simuna (4)
• Tori (4)
• Urvaste (4)
• Keila (3)
• Kose (3)
• Pärnu-Jaagupi (3)
• Tõstamaa (3)
• Viljandi (3)
• välismaa (3)
• Juuru (2)
• Järva-Madise (2)
• Jõelähtme (2)
• Jõhvi (2)
• Kursi (2)
• Kuusalu (2)
• Kõpu (2)
• Otepää (2)
• Põltsamaa (2)
• Pöide (2)
• Rakvere (2)
• Rannu (2)
• Rõngu (2)
• Saarde (2)
• Sangaste (2)
• Tartu (2)
• Varbla (2)
• Anseküla (1)
• Iisaku (1)

When it was collected

Example poems

The opening verse of one poem from each of the ten places with the most poems of this type: the first such poem in the archive’s order. Each links to the whole poem. A poem can be filed under several types, so its opening verse may belong to another song.

• Kessi kõnnib kõrta mööda, EÜS XII 1275 (43) — Halliste
• Mõista, mõista, mu õeke, ERA II 177, 369/70 (17) — Suure-Jaani
• Mõista, mõista mu õdeda EKS 50, 91/3 (74) — Vigala
• Kes sääl kõnnib kõrta mööda? ERA II 131, 357 (98) — Ambla
• Mõista, mõista, tea, tea EÜS VII 346 (129) — Kadrina
• Missugune jalg on varbata? H, R 3, 47/9 (1) — Tallinn
• Missugune tee on tolmuta? H, R 3, 49/50 (2) — Lüganuse
• Mõistke mõistke noored mehed, E 15258 (5) — Haljala
• Mõista mõista näiu noore E 45970/1 (3) — Karksi
• Mõistke, mõistke mõisa mehed, E A 917 — Audru

Other types the same poems are filed under

The archive can file one poem under several types. These are the types most often given to poems of this type, with the number of poems they share.

Content-based similar types

Several methods each rank the song types whose poems resemble this type's poems; the combined ranking merges their lists. The first 20 are listed here.

1. Mõistatus viljadest (Riddle about grains)
2. Mõistatus puudest (Riddle about trees)
3. Mõistatus loomadest (Animal riddles)
4. Mõistatus viljast (Riddle about grain)
5. Mõistatuslaul (Riddle Song)
6. Mõistatud (Told as a riddle)
7. Viljade mõistatus (Riddle of the crops)
8. Vili (The Grain)
9. Mõistatused (Riddles)
10. Vilja mõistatamine (Grain Riddle)
11. Vaene küla linna ligidal (Poor village near the town)
12. Mõnesugused mehed ja viljaterad (Various Men and Grain Kernels)
13. Viljad (Crops)
14. Küsimused loomade kohta (Questions about animals)
15. Hall vilja võtnud. (Frost has taken the harvest)
16. Mõistatuslaulud (Riddle songs)
17. Oder ja kaer (Barley and oats)
18. Mõistatus mesilasest (Riddle about the bee)
19. Mõnesugu mehed (Men of all kinds)
20. Kevad põllul (Spring in the field)

Open in the Similarity Explorer

Sources: the type’s name, filing and description come from the type index of ERAB, the Estonian Folklore Archives’ runosong database; the counts, places, decades and collectors are counted from the poems on RunoVerse.