BELIEF NARRATIVES OF SPIRIT-ANIMALS:
A CASE STUDY ON ESTONIAN
CONTEMPORARY FOLKLORE
Reet Hiiemäe
Senior Research Fellow
Abstract: This paper focuses on the images, communication modes, and belief
narratives connected with spirit-animals in Estonian folklore. Firstly, the older
(pre-twentieth-century) concept of the spirit-animal is described. Secondly, con-
temporary beliefs and experiences related to spirit-animals are highlighted. The
paper desribes to what extent the old local soul concepts have intermingled with
the imported ideas of the spirit-animal and how narratives describing the verbal
or non-verbal communication with a spirit-animal sometimes become part of life
history narrating, supporting psychological coping with life stress. The author
describes repeated elements in the manifestation forms (e.g. bears, wolves) and
the behaviour of spirit-animals, contexts where they occur (in the course of rural
sweat-lodge rituals as well as in urban settings, experienced and narrated by
esoteric practicioners as well as schoolchildren), and tries to nd out about their
sources.
Keywords: belief narratives, contemporary folklore, new spirituality, spirit-
animals
Often it is easier for people to connect with an animal, to have a pet for
example – and they connect very well with their pet. It may be that they
can connect with a spirit helper or ‘power animal’. Everybody has a power
animal, but not everybody is conscious of it.
Kingz.