Venna otsija
Runosong type in the classification of ERAB, the Estonian Folklore Archives’ runosong database
In English: Seeking a brother (a translation; the archive names the type in Estonian only)
| Filed under | Lüroeepilised laulud (lyric-epic songs) › Müütilised laulud |
|---|---|
| Poems | 237 |
| Verses | 11,796 |
| Collection places | 67 |
| Collected | 1840s to 1930s |
| Collectors | Joosep Hurt · Mihkel Leppik · Mihkel (Tori) Ostrov · Martin Luu · Jaak Kivisäk · Leena Kase (Kaur) · Oskar Philipp Kallas · Hans Lohk · Hans Siimer |
Open this type in the song-type explorer
The archive’s description
Written by the editors of the ERAB type index and quoted as it stands, in Estonian.
VK VIII 3, VK IX 4, VK X 3, VK XI 3, ERlA 8; Läksin vendä otsimaie – VK II 301
8. Venna otsija: nimetatud ka «Uppunud vend». Populaarne laul (üle 200 teisendi noteeritud), tuntud üle maa, eriti põhjarannikul, Mulgimaal ja kagus. Vrd. 1886 («Vee võetud venda leinamas»), mis esineb sageli «Venna otsija» konstitutiivse lõpuna. Mõnikord on sisuks mitte venna, vaid neiu otsimine. Liitub lauludega: 1056 («Neiu linn») ja 953 («Vend sepaks»). On kasutatud ka mängulauluna (vt. tekst 25). Vt. ER I, 201—294; O. Kallas, Wiederholungslieder, 391 jj,; M. Kuusi, Laivassa surmattu veli. KsVk 46, 168—195.
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.
- Karksi (22)
- Setumaa (21)
- Kuusalu (15)
- Halliste (12)
- Paistu (12)
- Haljala (11)
- Kolga-Jaani (9)
- Helme (7)
- Koeru (7)
- Pärnu-Jaagupi (7)
- Põltsamaa (7)
- Väike-Maarja (7)
- Ambla (6)
- Vändra (6)
- Karuse (4)
- Pilistvere (4)
- Pärnu (4)
- Saarde (4)
- Tori (4)
- Tõstamaa (4)
- Vastseliina (4)
- Viljandi (4)
- Viru-Nigula (4)
- välismaa (4)
- Hanila (3)
- Harju-Jaani (3)
- Jõhvi (3)
- Maarja-Magdaleena (3)
- Mihkli (3)
- Simuna (3)
- Vaivara (3)
- Vigala (3)
- Audru (2)
- Kadrina (2)
- Läänemaa (2)
- Peetri (2)
- Puhja (2)
- Räpina (2)
- Rõngu (2)
- Sangaste (2)
- Suure-Jaani (2)
- Tarvastu (2)
- Torma (2)
- Varbla (2)
- Viljandimaa (2)
- Viru-Jaagupi (2)
- Võnnu (2)
- Võrumaa (2)
- Hargla (1)
- Jaani (1)
- Jõelähtme (1)
- Kaarma (1)
- Kihnu (1)
- Kodavere (1)
- Kose (1)
- Otepää (1)
- Palamuse (1)
- Põlva (1)
- Rannu (1)
- Ridala (1)
…and 7 more places
- Rõuge (1)
- Tallinn (1)
- Tartu (1)
- Tartu-Maarja (1)
- Türi (1)
- Valga (1)
- Viljandi l. (1)
When it was collected
| Decade | Poems |
|---|---|
| 1840s | 2 |
| 1860s | 4 |
| 1870s | 25 |
| 1880s | 60 |
| 1890s | 82 |
| 1900s | 14 |
| 1910s | 10 |
| 1920s | 17 |
| 1930s | 10 |
| year not recorded | 13 |
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.
- Olli mul ütsi vellekesta E 45925/30 (16) — Karksi
- Oli mul iks väiko veljo. ARS 1, 509/12 (1) — Setumaa
- Teised lähvad kiigele kiikumaie E A 214/5 (12) — Kuusalu
- Mul olli kolme vellekesta E 56046 (113) — Halliste
- Oli mul kolmi hella velle E 22673 (1) — Paistu
- Mul oli kolmi vennakesta. ERA II 23, 765/6 — Haljala
- Oli mul kollmi vennakesta, E 38988/90 (1) — Kolga-Jaani
- Me ollim' kolmekest sõsartse, EÜS V 320/3 (15) — Helme
- Oli mull kolmi hella venda: E 13581/3 (3) — Koeru
- Mul oli üksi ainus venda E 19780/2 (6) — Pärnu-Jaagupi
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.
| Type | Poems in common |
|---|---|
| Uppunud vend | 63 |
| Venna otsimine | 52 |
| Sepp | 5 |
| Suur tamm | 4 |
| Uppund vend | 4 |
| 3 venda | 4 |
| Vend ostab ehteid | 3 |
| Oleks see mees minu! | 3 |
| Salme | 3 |
| Tähemõrsja | 3 |
| Kalajõgi | 3 |
| Õllest saar | 3 |
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.
- Vend ostab ehteid (Brother Buys Jewelry)
- Vend otsib ehteid (Brother seeks jewelry)
- Haned kadunud (The lost geese)
- Vend vahetab hõbedat (Brother exchanges silver)
- Vend hõbedat vahetamas (Brother Exchanging Silver)
- Rooste (Rust)
- Vend ostab (Brother buys)
- Poiss sõitmas, vana naine küsimas (A boy out riding, an old woman asking)
- Pruudiotsija (Bride Seeker)
- Vend veehädas (Brother in water peril)
- Venna hoidja (Brother's Guardian)
- Saar, jõgi (Island and river)
- Tänulik lind (The grateful bird)
- Tige mees (Mean husband)
- Uba ja hernes (Bean and pea)
- Kuukene, päevakene (Little moon, little sun)
- Vend uppunud (Brother Drowned)
- Ära joo jõevett (Don't drink river water)
- Veevõetud venda leinamas (Mourning a brother taken by water)
- Viru sepp (Virumaa blacksmith)
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.