.png)
.png)
.png)
They consider themselves both Seto and Estonian, preserving a heritage that blends Baltic-Finnic roots with Russian influence. One vivid sign of Seto identity is traditional dress: for example, Seto women wear layered linen chemises and aprons with elaborate filigree silver necklaces and adornments, often handed down from their grandmothers.
Language and Identity
The Seto language (seto kiil) is a Finno-Ugric dialect – essentially a form of South Estonian related to the Võro dialect. Older Setos have long spoken their own tongue at home, though younger people now tend to use standard Estonian. In fact, during the 20th century Seto speech was actively discouraged – under Soviet rule people were forbidden to use their language in public, and interwar Estonia also pushed Estonian in schools. As a result, fluent Seto is mostly limited to the older generation. Estonia’s 2011 language law does not list “Seto” as a separate language, calling it merely a “regional variety” of Estonian. Nevertheless, surveys show that most Setos – especially elders – self-identify as Seto rather than Estonian, underlining a strong ethnic identity. (In fact, in neighboring Võromaa, a similar language group, most speakers do say simply “we’re Estonians,” highlighting the Seto sense of distinctiveness.)
.jpg){kind=tracking}
Folk customs are at the heart of Seto life. Traditionally each village had its own festive attire and rituals. Seto women’s costumes included long white linen under-dresses, woolen skirts, and punase paelaga (red ribbon) headscarves – every detail was meaningful. A signature feature is the heavy silver filigree jewelry: for example, chest ornaments, necklaces and buckle-like fibulae that fasten shawls. Men wore plain white linen shirts under dark wool vests or jackets. Today these costumes are still worn at village weddings and cultural events, and they often inspire modern Estonian folk fashion. The Setos also keep Orthodox church traditions: for example, at Easter they roll painted eggs down a sand ramp, and on St. George’s Day (usually May 6) families picnic in the local cemeteries – laying out rye beer and dishes on the graves of ancestors. Even the cuisine reflects rural Setomaa: one beloved dish is sõir, a soft curd cheese flavored with caraway seeds, traditionally made in village households.
Music and dance play a central role too. Most famously, the Seto leelo is an ancient polyphonic singing tradition unique to this region. In leelo, a lead singer improvises verses and a female choir responds by repeating each line, creating a rich, harmonic effect. UNESCO describes leelo as “a cornerstone of contemporary [Seto] identity”. In fact, in 2009 Seto leelo was inscribed on the UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage list as a living treasure. The choirs are almost all-women, and at every July’s Seto festival the most talented lead singer is ceremonially crowned the king’s (or queen’s) “Mother of Song”. Today leelo choirs perform on folk stages and village concerts, not just at home. The lively Seto dances (often in groups) and traditional tunes on the fiddle and torupill (Estonian bagpipe) also continue as part of each community’s heritage.
Every summer the Setos celebrate a playful Kingdom Day that showcases these traditions. Begun in 1994 after Estonia regained independence, Kingdom Day (Seto: Laulu- ja tantsupidu or Kuningriigi päev) turns Setomaa into thee kingdom. The villagers democratically elect a new ülemsootska (chief herald) or “king/queen” each year, and folklore holds that this person receives instructions from the legendary god Peko (the fertility deity of Setomaa) in dreams. In practice the ruler serves as an ambassador for Seto culture. The festival is a carnival of tradition: people dress in national costume, choirs sing leelo, and there are contests for best local specialties. Visitors can taste home-brewed beer and the famous onion-and-fish pies, try home-made sõir cheese, and watch lively folk dances. A quaint “military parade” of villagers bearing pitchforks and lanterns closes the day. Even for North American guests at Baltic folk gatherings (or Estonians abroad), films and recordings of Seto dances or the setu flag may be their first taste of these customs.
Today, Seto culture is more visible and better supported than ever. The Seto Congress – an elected council of village representatives – meets periodically to decide on cultural and economic matters. In 2002 Seto delegates formally declared their intention to be recognized as a distinct people. Since EU membership in 2004, stricter border controls have challenged the Seto way of life (families were cut off from churches and markets), although in 2009 a special local border-villager visa was negotiated. Still, many Setos now move between the capital Tallinn or Tartu and their homeland, keeping connections alive. Seto music and crafts are taught in schools and folk clubs, and several small museums (in Värska, Obinitsa and Meremäe) preserve traditional houses, tools and folk art. The UNESCO recognition of Seto leelo in 2009 gave a big boost to pride and interestb– Estonian and international folklorists are publishing new books, and Seto songs regularly appear at folk festivals around the world. In this way the Setos of Setomaa continue to balance modern life with the living echoes of their ancient cultural heritage.
