Jaan Lattik

Jaan Lattik (22/10 November 1878 – 27 June 1967) was a clergyman, statesman and prose writer.

Lattik was born in Võru County, studied at Tartu Hugo Treffner Private Gymnasium, Tartu State Gymnasium and at the Faculty of Theology at the University of Tartu, graduating with the Candidate of Theology degree. He was a member of the Estonian Students’ Society. Lattik worked as a schoolteacher and pastor of the Viljandi rural congregation. He was a member of the Constituent Assembly of the Republic of Estonia and the I–V Riigikogu (Parliament), one of the founders and leading figures of the Christian People’s Party, Minister of Education and Foreign Affairs and, in 1939–1940, the ambassador of the Republic of Estonia in Lithuania. In 1944, Lattik fled to Sweden where he worked as a clergyman. Jaan Lattik died in Stockholm. He was buried in Stockholm Forest Cemetery but was reburied in Viljandi Old Cemetery on 1 November 2008.

Lattik started writing fiction already in his school days, when prose pieces appeared in the press under the pseudonym Kittal. He gained attention with the humorous story Kui meil veel püksa ei olnud (‘When We Didn’t Have Pants Yet’), which appeared in Noor-Eesti I album (‘1st Album of Young Estonia’, 1905). Lattik’s collection of short stories Meie noored (‘Our Youth’, 1907) with illustrations by Karl August Hindrey gained great popularity and a solid place in Estonian children’s literature. Childhood memories are also used in the collections Minu kodust (‘About My Home’, 1921) and Mets (‘Forest’, 1928). Lattik attractively depicts the village life at the end of the 19th century focussing on the world of children’s thoughts and games. Lattik has used his native Karula dialect; he is a good storyteller with a great sense of humour. Koolipoisid (‘Schoolboys’, 1928) is aimed at younger readers. Lattik also used the memories of childhood and youth in the collections published in exile, Räägi mulle üks jutt (‘Tell Me a Story’, 1946), Mõrsjapärg (‘Bride’s Wreath’, 1951) and Talupoja laul (‘The Peasant’s Song’, 1953). A characteristic of Lattik is the absence of a strict boundary between memoir and fiction.

In exile, Lattik was one of the most important memoirists in Estonian literature. His activities as a pastor and politician and his years as a refugee are commemorated in the books Viljandi kirikumõis kõneleb (‘Viljandi Church Mansion Speaks’, 1948), Teekond läbi öö I–IV (‘Journey Through the Night’ I–IV, 1950–1958) and Minu album (‘My album’, 1960).

Jaan Lattik has also published the travel book Lõunamaale (‘To the Southern Land’, 1925) and spiritual literature, such as Martin Luther (1924), Elavad söed (‘Living Embers’, 1932) and Tulge vee juurde (‘Come to the Water’, 1961) and the love novel Teda ei ole siin! (‘She Isn’t Here!’, 1964).

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

Books in Estonian

Novels
Teda ei ole siin!. Stockholm: EMP, 1964, 256 lk

Short prose
Surnu pruut. Katkised käed. Tartu: Postimees, 1924, 62 lk
Surnu pruut. Tartu: Postimees, 1928, 187 lk

Children’s literature
Meie noored. Tartu: K. Sööt, 1907, 82 lk [järgmised trükid: 1913, 1918, 1921]
Minu kodust. Tallinn: Tallinna Eesti Kirjastus-Ühisus, 1921, 102 lk
Koolipoisid. Tallinn: Tallinna Eesti Kirjastus-Ühisus, 1928, 112 lk [2. tr 1988]
Mets. Tallinn: Tallinna Eesti Kirjastus-Ühisus, 1928, 120 lk
Räägi mulle üks jutt: jutustused noortele ja vanadele. Stockholm: Välis-Eesti Kirjastustoimkond, 1946, 148 lk
Kui meil veel püksa ei olnud. Koost. H. Runnel. Tartu: Ilmamaa, 1998, 255 lk

Memoirs
Viljandi kirikumõis kõneleb. Vadstena: Orto, 1948, 294 lk [2. tr 1993]
Teekond läbi öö. 1. osa. Vadstena: Orto, 1950, 384 lk [2. tr 2015]
Teekond läbi öö. 2. osa. Toronto: Orto, 1952, 313 lk [2. tr 2016]
Teekond läbi öö. 3. osa. Toronto: Orto, 1955, 302 lk [2. tr 2016]
Teekond läbi öö. 4. osa. Toronto: Orto, 1958, 444 lk
Mõrsjapärg: jutustusi ja mälestusi. Göteborg: Orto, 1951, 315 lk
Talupoja laul: jutustusi ja mälestusi. Göteborg: Orto, 1953, 302 lk
Minu album: aja- ja eluloolisi lehekülgi. Toronto: Orto, 1960, 238 lk
Meie vanad. Mu kodumaa vaene…: 1942-1961. Tartu: Ilmamaa, 2002, 301 lk

Miscellaneous
Martin Luter: [usupuhastuse tuleku 400 a. mälestuspäevaks: 1524-1924]. Tartu: Usupuhastuse juubeli kirjandusline kommisjon, 1924, 80 lk
Lõunamaale: reisikirjeldused. Tallinn: Tallinna Eesti Kirjastus-Ühisus, 1925, 151 lk
Elawad söed: lühikesi kõnelusi ja palweid koolile ja kodule. Tallinn: Tallinna Eesti Kirjastus-Ühisus, 1932, 168 lk
Tulge vee juurde: lühikõnelusi ja jutlusi Jumala tõdede järele janunevale südamele. Toronto: Orto, 1961, 280 lk 
Õhtu ajal on valgus. Koost. H. Runnel. Tartu: Ilmamaa, 2013, 431 lk
Minu Karula album: aja- ja eluloolisi lehekülgi. [Jaan Lattiku mälestusteraamatus “Minu album” (kirjastus “Orto”, Toronto 1960) antud õpetuse ja soovituse järgi buketiks sidunud Toivo Kotov] Karula: T. Kotov, 2018, 76 lk