Estonians are known to be fairly irreligious and church attendance is low. However, they do believe in old folk wisdom and there are many superstitions. Are you afraid of a black cat crossing the road, full moons or Friday the 13th? For many, these are mysterious and ominous.
Here are some of the dos and don’ts rooted in the ancient folk wisdom of Saaremaa, all tied to superstitions.
The rule-filled world of matriarchs
Everyone knows that a black cat crossing the road brings bad luck. To ward off this misfortune, you should spit over your left shoulder three times after the cat has crossed the road. Given today’s crowded world, it might be wise to glance behind your back before spitting. Do you know why you should not place your (hand)bag on the ground? Or your wallet on the kitchen table? According to old beliefs, the earth would pull all the wealth out of your bag this way. The same superstition applied to wiping messes off the table with your bare hands. That is why diligent matriarchs always use a towel to wipe the table and do not allow guests to slip bread crumbs under it.
In the life of a matriarch, there are a lot of dos and don’ts in general. For example, no one was allowed to leave the house or enter during bread-making. Why? Because bread dough is temperamental and does not like draughts from open doors. Additionally, bread should never be placed upside down on the table, nor should the cut end face the door. Both actions are believed to cause the bread to vanish from the table. Similarly, every matriarch knew that root vegetables (potatoes, carrots, etc) should be planted during the old moon, while crops growing above the soil (peas, pumpkins, etc) should be planted during the new moon. Cleaning and mowing had to be done on kaduneljapäev (the last Thursday of the old moon), as it was believed that dust and grass would not return as easily then. The same belief applied to hair: cutting it on kaduneljapäev was thought to slow its growth.
Fishermen’s words of wisdom
If anyone has more superstitions than the matriarchs, it is the fishermen. Among the old islanders, they were the only ones who cared about Fridays and the number 13. On Fridays, fishing nets were never cast into the sea – not on any Friday, and especially not on Friday the 13th. On that day, fishing gear was kept well away, as it was believed that there was no hope of catching fish. Many of the fishermen’s beliefs were linked to women. For example, a fisherman’s wife was never allowed to argue with her husband, as it was believed that a woman’s shouting would scare the fish away. When sailing out of the harbour, buoys that hung from the sides of the boat (usually found between the boat and the pier) had to be brought aboard because of women. This was because buoys hanging on the outside of a ship were seen as a sign that not only fishermen but also women of questionable reputations were on board.
