On January 16 at 5 p.m., a Café Norden meeting will take place at the Tartu Song Festival Museum as part of the exhibition “Wonderful North”. Religious researcher and archeologist Tõnno Jonuks will talk about Nordic mythology.
The discussion evening will focus on Nordic mythology – the most important myth cycles and recurring themes will be discussed, but the main emphasis will be on the questions of where these stories come from, how they have reached us, and what the myths say about the societies of the past in the Nordic countries. In addition to classic stories of gods, a look will be taken at a diverse gallery of characters, ranging from skillful dwarves to hostile giants. Estonian culture has long been interested in the extent to which Nordic mythology has influenced Estonian religion and mythology. Do the similarities in the myths indicate that Nordic mythology influenced Estonia, were these influences the other way around, or is it possible that similar narratives emerged independently?
Tõnno Jonuks came to the University of Tartu due to his great interest in Nordic mythology. He began his studies at the Faculty of Theology, continued at the University of Reykjavik studying Icelandic, and then returned to Tartu, where he completed his studies as an archaeologist, focusing on Estonian ancient religion. He has remained connected to the Nordic countries, especially Iceland, even later, participating in archaeological research in caves in South Iceland, for example. Jonuks currently works as a leading researcher at the Estonian Literary Museum.
The photo exhibition “Wonderful North” has been produced in collaboration with the Nordic Council of Ministers´ Office in Estonia, the Song Festival Museum and the European Capital of Culture Tartu 2024.
Tickets (5 / 3 €) are on sale at the museum box office before the event.
More information about the event can be found on the museum’s website.
Additional information: Kristiina Tael-Annuk, curator of the Song Festival Museum, kristiina.tael@muuseum.tartu.ee, +372 746 1021