Helen Arusoo
Looduskalender

The fifth year of the photo contest “Maavalla sacred sites 10225” showed with a sacrificial pine overflowing with Vepsa gifts in the new category, Sacred sites of the world, that old customs are kept alive beyond Lake Peipus too. Many viewers were surprised by the photo from Ireland too where gifts were tied to a majestic sacrificial tree in the same way as here. Moreover the new category expanded the horizons even beyond the ocean, to Mexico, where the views of holy mountains and shores brought these distant lands very close in our imagination.

In Maavald itself the concept of sacred places seems to be widening too. Although the winning image shows delicately green oak branches carrying coloured gift ribbons, the focal point in the photo is the sacrificial rock. The oak or an oak grove is no longer the main object for the participants in the contest. We see for instance Friend of Sacred Groves Martin Kivisoo in jeans happily sliding down a sliding rock (in the category “Tavad - Customs”), a single ant-sized human beneath the Panga bank paying homage to the power of this ancient sacred site (category “Island sacred sites”), the raven wing traces on the pure snow emphasizing the mystery of the Kämbla spring (category „Veekogud - Waters”).

Oaks have been liberally photographed in earlier photo contests but this year solitary pines from all Estonia received a similar amount of interest. The work of Marju Kõivapuu, researcher and protector of cross-trees and elected as Friend of the Year of Sacred Groves in Estonia is largely tied to pines: a great part of our cross-trees are pines.

The photo contest was arranged by Maavalla koda, Hiite Maja Foundation and the University of Tartu Centre for Natural Sacred Sites. Chairman of the jury has been nature photographer Arne Ader. All the works that participated in the contest can be seen at http://www.maavald.ee/kuvad/?tee=algus&kuvad=12.

Mana Kaasik
Marju Kõivupuu – Hiie sõber 10225 – Friend of Groves 10225.

Marju Kõivupuu, investigator and protector of cross-trees was declared Friend of Sacred Groves of the year at the Sacred Grove power recognition event in the Estonian Literary Museum in Tartu on Saturday.

AIN RAAL
Main award. “Hiieline”. Tammealuse grove in Virumaa in Mahu (Viru-Nigula) parish, Samma village.

The grove in the Samma village is known to people as the Tammealuse grove. Instead of the ancient burnt-down grove oak now an about 70-year old oak grows there. Together with the sacrificial stone the young tree carrying gifts creates a site with a particularly strong sense of holyness.

KARL KAISEL
Main award, young people. “Nukk - Doll”.
The Ilumäe grove lime or the Hiie-lime tree in Virumaa, Torvastvere (Kadrina) parish, Ilumäe village.

We were travelling with our family in Lahemaa when we saw the Grove Tree beside the road. I decided to show the sacred tree to my 4-year old sister. When she had studied the tree she found a small doll and I made a photo of it.

MATS KANGUR
Best photo of a sacred water body. “Kaaren käis Kämbla allikal – A raven visited Kämbla spring”.

Kämbla spring in Harjumaa, Kose parish, Oru village.

At the spring with the healing water another live being had been before me. Judged from the wing traces it can have been a raven.

Kämbla spring carries the name of an ancient village. The village itself is no longer known. It is said to have been destroyed by order from Oru manor.

MARGUS VALT
Sacrificial tree at Tara hill in Ireland.

PILLE PORILA
Best photo related to grove customs. “Friend of Groves on the Lalli Liukivi (Lalli Sliding rock)”.
Liukivi in Muhumaa, Lalli village.

Also called the Maavana rock or Kivivana, where slides have been made for hundreds of years or more and proper power gathered. Splendid enlightener and enterprising Friend of Groves Martin Kivisoo set a fine example - defying the rainy weather – of focusing on a concern or a true wish so that Maavana might help to settle the outcome. The example was catching: many continued the journey along the Tihuse cultural trail with a muddy seat on their trousers. But according to old customs the sliding should be done on a bare bottom.

KALEV VIIK
Best photo of sacred trees. “Püha kynnapuu – Sacred white elm”
Sacred white elm in Läänemaa in Lääne-Nigula parish, near Palivere village.

I have often admired this enigmatic tree when driving by. One spring morning the weather was suitable and I made a series of photos of the tree.

MARJE VANN
Best photo of sacred stones. “Püramiid - Pyramid”.
The Püha leppe stones on Hiiumaa, in Pühalepa parish, Pühalepa village.

One belief is that this has been a place where important agreements with the gods were made and deliberations held. Tradition says that seafarers of old brought stones for luck here for the good will of the gods before going on a dangerous journey. Or a rich manor landlord may have planned to build a pyramid here – who knows.

HEIKI MAIBERG
Best photo of protected nature in sacred groves – “Proomu allikas – Proomu spring”.

Proomu spring in Harjumaa, Keila parish, Rannamõisa village. The luscious ramsons growing at the banks of the spring is a protected plant. Nearby is the Taari errant boulder.

Thanks to the suggestion in the Maavalla koda I now have a spring to go to.

ARVO MEEKS
Best photo of an Old-Võromaa sacred site  – “Ohvrimänd – Sacrificial pine”.
Ohvripetäi in Vana-Võromaa in  Hargla parish, Tsirgumäe village (Valga county, Taheva community). The Ohvripetäi sacrificial pine is in the former Livonia, close to the border river Koiva between Estonia and Latvia.

I heard of the sacrificial pine from the local inhabitants who also guided me to the tree. Seeing that the tree was not in the best condition but still very ancient and impressive, I wanted to go back and record its present state for history. A power urged me come back at night and photograph the tree especially. In daytime the tree would not be so prominent. The rattle of rain in the calm of the night and the gentle glow of the moon made the visit particularly memorable.

PILLE PORILA
Best photo of sacred sites on the islands. “Protected by the Panga bank – Panga panga  kaitse all”.

Panga sacred site in Saaremaa, Mustjala parish, Panga village.

The high and steep chalk cliff of the Mustjala Pank has been an ancient sacrificial place. At Heinaleedo (July 2nd) and Karusepäev (July 13th) fire was made there and the days were celebrated. A wooden column or image of a god is once said to have been on the brink too where gifts were brought for fishing luck. Some hundred meters away from the shore cliff is another underwater cliff where waves often froth. There beer and wine was poured as gifts to the god of the sea.

In my mind the omniscient and supreme face of the bank, as the profile of an old man, is captured in the upper third of the cliff in the photo.

ANNIKA MICHELSON
Best photo of sacred sites in the world. “Inimine ja puuvaim – Man and tree spirit”.

 Sacred pine in Vepsa country, Arhangelsk oblast, the Kenozero national park between Vershinino and Ust-Pocha.

This summer on August 22nd we visited the Ust-Pocha village and on the way to there we asked for a pause at the old sacred tree. There was a table and bench at the tree. On the tree a sign was hanging with this text written in red in Russian: "I love you".

We were told that photographs should not be made when somebody was offering a gift or tying gift ribbons. This would have a bad effect on people, particularly on the person who was offering a gift in the picture.