Suhtumisest siugudesse Eesti kesk- ja varauusaja ajalooallikates
Snakes appear relatively infrequently in medieval and early modern Estonian written and visual sources, and when they do, they are typically portrayed in a negative light. In theological writings and religious art, snakes symbolized Satan. Normative and narrative sources of the era often described E...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | Estonian |
| Published: |
SA Kultuurileht
2025-04-01
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| Series: | Keel ja Kirjandus |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://keeljakirjandus.ee/ee/archives/38211 |
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| Summary: | Snakes appear relatively infrequently in medieval and early modern Estonian written and visual sources, and when they do, they are typically portrayed in a negative light. In theological writings and religious art, snakes symbolized Satan. Normative and narrative sources of the era often described Estonians through references to snakes, emphasizing their paganism, barbarism, and superstition. However, these sources contain little information about actual reptiles.
Attitudes toward snakes – and knowledge about them – varied depending on a person’s background: urban and rural dwellers, Germans and Estonians, and individuals of different social classes all had different perceptions. Estonia’s old, pre-Christian folk traditions clearly reflect a positive, respectful attitude towards snakes; they were often seen as beneficial creatures. In contrast, the elite typically interpreted animals through a textual lens, relying on scholarly writings rather than direct observation or empirical data. As a result, snakes were understood largely in symbolic terms, reflecting the strong influence of Christian teachings on human perceptions of animals.
During the medieval and early modern periods, medicine was, for the most part, the only field in which snakes held economic significance. The Enlightenment’s advances in medical and natural sciences also shaped attitudes toward snakes. In scholarly texts, practical, observation-based descriptions of reptiles as biological species gradually gained prominence, standing alongside previously dominant theological interpretations. |
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| ISSN: | 0131-1441 2346-6014 |