In the meantime, the Wind went right back to blowing, whistling, and howling.

Legends: The Spirit of Ulemiste Lake

It is not always easy to distinguish between the main genres of Estonian folk narrative legends and fairy tales because they frequently overlap, producing many interesting forms.  There is no word corresponding to the German Sagen or the Estonian muistend, which originated from ancient popular beliefs.  Writers in English have, therefore, usually resorted to the combined form—legends and traditions.

Legends are among the earliest forms of Estonian folklore.  Most examples belong to the pre-Christian era, their material drawn from ancient folk beliefs.  The genetic and exegetical legends constitute a characteristic explanation of the external world, the appearance of living creatures, and the origins of the most striking natural phenomena.  The mythological legends introduce us to a world of spirits, demons, fairies, hobgoblins, and other supernatural beings derived from personified conceptions of nature.

The legend about the Spirit of Ulemiste Lake, located on the outskirts of Tallinn, the capital of Estonia, tells why Tallinn must never be finished.  This lake, located on a high plateau of rock called the Lasnamae Hill, is peculiar because its water level is higher than the city.  This unusual feature gives rise to numerous legends.

In this legend, no motivation is given for the spirit’s intention to destroy the city.  The fear related to the completion of something is connected with the myth of universal renovation.  Once something has been fully completed, the possibility of its destruction becomes imminent in order that the process of creation may begin anew.

Once every autumn, on a dark night, a little gray man comes forth from Ulemiste Lake, goes down the hill to the town gates, and asks the gatekeeper, “Is the town ready yet, or is there still something to be built?”

Now, as is usually the case with bigger towns, construction never halts.  When there are no new buildings under way, older ones are repaired.  However, even if the construction were finished, the little gray man must never hear of it.  Firm orders have therefore been given to the gatekeepers to answer the little gray man’s query as follows: “The town is far from being ready.  There are many unfinished buildings, which will take many a year to finish.”