A cat in the well (an alliterative song)

Adeele Sulane

Suuremõisa village (1984)

Läksin, läksin, käisin, käisin,
läksin müöda mölderida,
kaudu Tusti kamberida.
Mis seal Tustil tehtanesse?
Tustil tuhka sõelutakse
ja seda ärga tapetakse,
musta pulli puksitakse.
Vasika veri sai valatud.
Sealt sain kuisid kulbitäisi,
rasvasida ruandatäisi.
Pannin nie kuid kuivema
ja nie rasvased tahenema.
Aga siis tuli kiisu kiilasilma
ja sie kassi nõelaända,
sõi nie kuid kuivemasta
ja nie rasvased tahenemasta.
Ma lõi kassi russikula,
kass es karda russikula.
Ma lõi kassi vitsusila,
kass es karda vitsusila.
Ma lõi kassi kaikala,
kass siis kartis kaikala.
Kass läks karates kaose,
saba jäi salveste vahele.
Akkasime kassi katkestama.
Köis külasta, mies peresta,
kümme köita kupjaelta.
Saime selle kassi kaldale
ja akkasime nahka nülgimaie.
Pia pialt sai peiukingad,
nina pialt sai neiukingad,
koobakatest kosjakingad,
kõhu alt sai künnisuapad,
sabast sai sadularihmad.

A cat has fallen into the well. The skin of the drowned cat can be used to make shoes and other useful items.

Adeele Sulane, 1917–1994, Suuremõisa village. Recorded by I. Rüütel, M. Soosaar, H. Eller and H. Aasaru in 1984. Film in the Film Archives of National Archives f 203, nr 2519; sound recordings in the Estonian Folklore Archives RKM, Mgn II 3891 (23) [25 B].

Publication

Performers

Sound recordings

Videos

Online edition

Editors Janika Oras, Kadi Sarv
Translation into English Inna Feldbach, Olga Ivaškevitš
Project co-ordinator Risto Järv
Web design Lorem Ipsum
Cover photo “Kuivastu Harbour in the early 20th century. Steamship “General Suvortsev” (on the left) and Muhu sailboat uisk (on the right)”. 1910–1919, Saaremaa Museum, SM F 3761:1514 F.

Published materials originate from following archives: Estonian Folklore Archives of Estonian Literary Museum, Estonian National Museum, Saaremaa Museum, Film Archives of National Archives and Estonian Film Institute.

We would like to thank the following contributors for their help in personal information specification: Mihkel Jürisson, Martin Kivisoo, Meelis and Marti Mereäär, Muhu Pärandikool, Helmut Noot, Airi Nõmm, Leena Peegel, Ago Rullingo, Irena Tarvis, Heiske Tuul, Tiiu Tuust, Kadri Tüür and Viia Väli.

Sponsors of the web publication

Ensemble Trad.Attack!
Ministry of Education and Research (IUT22-4)
The European Union through the European Regional Development Fund (Centre of Excellence in Estonian Studies)
The Cultural Endowment of Estonia

Publisher

ELM Scholarly Press, 2018
© and ℗ Estonian Literary Museum, 2018
© Ingrid Rüütel
ISBN 978-9949-586-77-6

Online edition is based on

Muhu rahvamuusikat, laulumänge ja tantse
[Traditional Music, Song Games and Dances of Muhu Island]

Collected and compiled by Ingrid Rüütel.
Recordings from the Estonian Folklore Archives 9. Tartu 2015

[CD, DVD and textbook]
Sound production and CD mastering Jaan Tamm
DVD editing and mastering Jaan Kolberg
Editor Janika Oras
Translation into English Inna Feldbach
Language editors Olga Ivaškevitš, Kadri Tamm
Design Krista Saare
Print Kruul
Replication Baltic Disc AS

Rüütel, Ingrid. Muhumaa laule ja lugusid. Mis on jäänud jälgedesse II
[The Songs and Tales of Muhu Island. What Remains in Our Traces II]

Tartu: ELM Scholarly Press 2016

Editor Asta Niinemets
Music transcription Janika Oras, Ingrid Rüütel, Ludmilla Toon
Notation editing Ingrid Rüütel, Edna Tuvi
Sheet music graphics Edna Tuvi
Texts transcription Erna Tampere, Riina Rehe, Alviine Schmuul, Ingrid Rüütel
Dialectic texts editor Alviine Schmuul
Translation of summary Inna Feldbach
Layout and design Krista Saare
Print Greif