Different Cultures, Same Wisdom

If one tried to form an image of Estonians based only on their proverbs, one might get the impression that they are a people who work hard, do not dare to be too joyful, are suspicious of anything new, and do not like rushing. And yet there is also a fair amount of warmth in Estonian proverbs, because their purpose is not to frighten anyone, but to pass on wisdom and lessons gathered over generations.

Estonians really do have many sayings about work. “Good work praises the worker” , “as the work, so the reward”, “do your work while it is time to work, and talk while it is time to talk,” or “those who do not work shall not eat.” Of course, many are also familiar with the Estonian writer Tammsaare’s line, “Work hard and love will follow”, which can be interpreted depending on how far the reader got in the book. Some of these sayings may sound a little harsh today, but they carry simple values: not leaving others in trouble, making one’s contribution, and being dedicated. At the same time, when needed, Estonians also remind one another that “work is not a rabbit that will run away,” because, as Tammsaare actually meant to say, there are other things in life besides work.

What is interesting is that many Estonian proverbs are not actually entirely unique. Similar ideas can be found in many different cultures. “As you sow, so shall you reap” does not need much explanation even to a person from another cultural background. When someone living in Estonia shares common sayings or proverbs from their own culture and an Estonian responds with one of theirs, it may suddenly turn out that their ways of thinking are much more similar than it first seemed. It may also turn out that many sayings or concepts that people have considered almost “untranslatable” are actually quite easy to convey, or also exist in another cultural space – for example, the Estonian word “viitsima” is “nenna” in Icelandic. It turns out Estonians are not the only people that sometimes simply cannot be bothered!

And then there is the Estonian language itself, with renowned complexity that gives Estonians both a secret sense of pride and, let’s be honest, a headache. Is it “peale” or “pärast”? “Õieti” or “õigesti”? Was there supposed to be a comma after “tere” in writing? When it comes to the Estonian language, Estonians can be very pedantic and protective – except when it is being used by someone for whom it is not their native language. Then they are suddenly so surprised and touched that they often forget to correct anything at all. “Tere.” “Aitäh.” “Head isu.” “Jätku leiba.” These are not just words. They are small signs that a person wants to be part of the same cultural space.

That is why proverbs and sayings are a good place to start a shared conversation. They do not require perfect language skills. One person can share the wisdom of their cultural space, and another can respond with their own, and suddenly a dialogue emerges. And if someone living in Estonia is afraid of making mistakes in Estonian, they can take comfort in this: as everyone knows, an Estonian’s favorite food is another Estonian. If someone eats you alive for misspelling something, it means you are truly Estonian at heart!