Andreas Kalkun

About Andreas Kalkun

Andreas Kalkun (born 28 April 1977) is a folklorist, poet and musician.

Kalkun was born at Haki, Võru County, went to school in Värska and studied Estonian and comparative folklore at the University of Tartu. He defended his PhD at the University of Tartu with the thesis Seto laul eesti folkloristika ajaloos. Lisandusi representatsiooniloole (‘Seto singing culture in studies of Estonian folkoristics: A supplement to the history of representation’, 2011). Kalkun has worked at the Estonian Literary Museum and the universities of Tartu and Helsinki. He belongs to the literary grouping Erakkond. His cousin is the musician Mari Kalkun (born 1986).

Andreas Kalkun has published poetry in the press, the poetry collection Pääväraamat (‘Diary’), written in the Seto regional variety of Estonian, was published in 2004. Against the background of nature moving from spring to autumn and motifs of Orthodox symbolism and folklore, the collection is centred on the author’s self-searching.

Kalkun has mainly focused on the study of (Seto) folkloristics. In this field he has received the annual awards of the journal Keel ja Kirjandus for the articles Religioossed paastud ja pidustused seto kultuuri representatsioonides (‘Religious fasts and feasts in the representations of Seto culture’, 2014) and Külahoorad folkloori ja kohtumaterjalide peeglis (‘Rural prostitutes as reflected in folklore and court materials’, 2021, co-author Kersti Lust) and the Annual Award of Estonian Folkloristics (2016).

Kalkun is a singer in the Seto men’s choir Liinatśuraq, the folk music group Ütsiotsõ and the baroque music ensemble Grupeto.

A. K. (Translated by I. A.)

Books in Estonian

Poetry collections
Pääväraamat. Tartu: A. Kalkun, 2004, 61 lk.

Research
Seto laul eesti folkloristika ajaloos. Lisandusi representatsiooniloole. Tartu: Eesti Kirjandusmuuseumi Teaduskirjastus, 2015, 311 lk.