{"id":1321,"date":"2024-04-03T23:41:08","date_gmt":"2024-04-03T20:41:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sisu.ut.ee\/ewod\/ukumasing\/"},"modified":"2024-04-04T00:07:36","modified_gmt":"2024-04-03T21:07:36","slug":"ukumasing","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/sisu.ut.ee\/ewod\/m\/ukumasing\/","title":{"rendered":"Uku Masing"},"content":{"rendered":"

\n\tPoems<\/a>\u00a0<\/span><\/strong>\"\"<\/a><\/span><\/strong>\n<\/p>\n

\n\tAbout Uku Masing<\/span><\/strong><\/a>\n<\/p>\n

Uku Masing (until 1937 Hugo Albert Masing, 11. VIII \/ 30. VII 1909 \u2013 25. IV 1985) was an Estonian poet, theologian, historian of religion, folklore specialist and philologist. His extraordinary intellectual powers, broad grasp and charisma have made him a mythical figure in Estonian literary and humanitarian circles.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Masing was born in the village of Lipa in Raikk\u00fcla parish, Raplamaa county, into a farming family. His parents were followers of the Herrnhuter movement (The Moravian Church). He attended the six-grade village school in Raikk\u00fcla and Tallinn II School of Science. In 1926 he enrolled in the faculty of theology at the University of Tartu, from which he gained his master\u2019s degree in 1930. Masing presented his doctoral dissertation, Der Prophet Obadja<\/em>, for defence as early as 1935, but for various reasons, including the war, he only defended it in 1947. In 1935 Masing also published his first poetry collection, Neemed Vihmade lahte<\/em> (\u2018Headlands in the Gulf of Rains\u2019). From 1937 he was an assistant professor of comparative religion at the University of Tartu, and from 1938 acting professor of Old Testament studies and semitic languages. After the June 1940 coup, the Faculty of Religion at the university was closed. It was reopened during the German occupation, but from 1942 Masing was forced to give up working at the university, because of informers, and earned his living with occasional work, mostly translation and writing.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

After the coming of Soviet power, Uku Masing became persona non grata<\/em> in the eyes of the authorities. From 1946 to 1964 he worked as scientific secretary to the Consistory of the Estonian Evangelical Lutheran Church and a lecturer in the Theological Institute; to a small extent Masing published articles in the journal Communio Viatorum<\/em> of the Faculty of Religion at the University of Prague, and in Estonian publications. Only five collections of Masing\u2019s voluminous poetic work were published abroad in his lifetime (in Italy, Sweden and Canada). Essentially Uku and Eha Masing lived until his death on Eha\u2019s salary, which she earned by working in the registry of Tartu Psychoneurological Hospital. All of Uku Masing\u2019s academic and creative work during the Soviet occupation passed in internal exile in Tartu. He translated, wrote collections of poetry and a large amount of research work on theology, religious history, folklore studies and other fields, without any real hope of publishing them. Nevertheless Uku Masing had a great influence on Estonian intellectual life. Many of Masing\u2019s written works circulated widely as samizdat<\/em>. As a spiritual teacher, too, Masing achieved a cult-like status. Masing carried especially great authority among the generation of young poets and humanitarians of the sixties.<\/span><\/p>\n

Masing knew dozens of languages: among others, Latin, Greek, Sanskrit, Tibetan, Sumerian, Akkadian, Persian and Coptic, the more important Semitic, Germanic, Romance, Slav, Finno-Ugric, Samoyed and Polynesian languages, as well as Yakut, Chuvash, Vainakhish and Tamil, and several Native American languages. In his most productive years he read over a thousand pages a day, and had an eidetic memory of what he had read: he was able to cite multiple pages, by heart. Masing was synaesthetic, for example seeing music as rolling pictures.<\/span><\/p>\n

Masing\u2019s voluminous poetry production is closely allied to his numerous other interests in\u00a0 fields such as religious history, folklore, science fiction, astronomy and fairy tales. His poems are profuse and rich in imagery, full of allusions which require encyclopaedic research from the reader. At the same time Masing\u2019s poetry is at times very sensual, striving to reproduce intensive synaesthetic mental experiences. In his poetry Masing reflects his life-long aspiration toward mystical religious experience, turning one into a completely new being. A large portion of Masing\u2019s poetry, as well as his other writings, is devoted to condemning cruel, animal and imperfect modern humanity. Masing yearned for beings at a psychologically, socially and even biologically superior level of development \u201cbeside whom present-day people are as amoeba are to us\u201d, as he put it, and for a society composed of such godlike humans.<\/span><\/p>\n

Uku Masing also translated a lot: among others, classical texts from Greek, Arabic, Sanskrit, Coptic, Sumerian, Latin, Hebrew, Syriac and German, as well as contemporary literature, including much of Rabindranath Tagore\u2019s poetry, Claude Houghton\u2019s novel The Passing of the Third Floor Back, and works by Shmuel Yosef Agnon. He translated, compiled and published a collection of Catalan fairy-tales (1985). In the final years of Masing\u2019s life he had deep interest in fairy tales of the world.<\/span><\/p>\n

Masing\u2019s legacy of manuscripts has since the nineteen-nineties been administered by the Uku Masing Governing Board and published by the Ilmamaa publishing house. Many works have not appeared to this day, however.<\/span><\/p>\n

S. V. (Translated by C. M.)<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n

Books in Estonian<\/span><\/strong>\n<\/p>\n

\n\tPoems:<\/em><\/strong>
Hugo Masing, Neemed Vihmade lahte<\/strong>: 1930-1934. Autori illustratsioonid. Tartu: Akadeemiline Usuteadlaste Selts, 1935, 72 lk. [2. tr\u00fckk: eess\u00f5na Ivar Ivask, Stockholm: Vaba Eesti, 1959, 126 lk; 3. tr\u00fckk: Toronto: Maarjamaa, 1985, 72 lk.]
D\u017eunglilaulud<\/strong>. Stockholm: Vaba Eesti, 1965, 89 lk. [Luulekogu pealkiri s\u00fcndis eksitusest, \u00f5ige olnuks \u2018D\u017eunglilinnud\u2019.]
Piiridele pyydes<\/strong>. Rooma: Maarjamaa, 1974, 63 lk.
Udu Toonela j\u00f5elt<\/strong>: 1930-1943. Rooma: Maarjamaa, 1974, 124 lk.
Aerutades hurtsikumeistriga<\/strong> 1937-1947. Toronto: Maarjamaa, 1983, 63 lk.
Kirsipuu varjus<\/strong>, 1948-49. Scarborough (Kanada): Maarjamaa, 1985, 75 lk.
Ehatuule maa<\/strong>. Tallinn: Perioodika (Loomingu Raamatukogu), 1988, 77 lk.
Inimeselaps: valik luulet<\/strong>. Koostanud Uku Masingu Kolleegium. Tartu: Ilmamaa, 2016, 184 lk.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span>\n<\/p>\n

\n\tCollected poems<\/em><\/strong>
Luule. I<\/strong>. Koostanud Eha Masing ja Hando Runnel; autori illustratsioonid. Tartu: Ilmamaa, 2000, 391 lk. [Sisu: \u2018Roheliste radade raamat\u2019, \u2018Udu Toonela j\u00f5elt\u2019, \u2018Aerutades hurtsikumeistriga\u2019, \u2018Kirsipuu varjus\u2019.]
Luule. II<\/strong>. Koostanud Eha Masing ja Hando Runnel; illustratsioonid: Herman Talvik. Tartu: Ilmamaa, 2001, 407 lk. [Sisu: \u2018Neemed Vihmade lahte\u2019, \u2018Miikaeli liturgiad\u2019, \u2018Roosikrantsi palved\u2019, \u2018Ehatuule maa\u2019, \u2018D\u017eunglilinnud\u2019, \u2018Itkud isale\u2019, \u2018Itkud \u00f5ele\u2019.]
Luule. III<\/strong>. Koostanud Eha Masing ja Hando Runnel; m\u00e4rkmeid kogunud ja kirjutanud Ilmar Vene jt; kujundanud ja illustreerinud Evi Tihemets. Tartu: Ilmamaa, 2002, 292 lk. [Sisu: \u2018Hannolaul\u2019, \u2018Unen\u00e4gija tessaraktist\u2019.]
Luule. IV<\/strong>. Koostanud Eha Masing ja Hando Runnel; m\u00e4rkmeid kogunud ja kirjutanud Kalle Kasemaa jt, illustratsioonid: Naima Neidre. Tartu: Ilmamaa, 2003, 383 lk. [Sisu: \u2018Lohe vari\u2019, \u2018Piiridele pyydes\u2019, \u2018Hurtsik lammutaks enda\u2019, \u2018Surija Sandiristilt\u2019.]
Luule. V<\/strong>. Koostanud Eha Masing ja Hando Runnel, m\u00e4rkmeid kogunud ja kirjutanud Amar Annus jt. Illustratsioonid: Uku Masing. Tartu: Ilmamaa, 2004, 285 lk. [Sisu: \u20181343\u2019, \u2018Rubaiid\u2019, \u2018Tarbetud \u00f5petussalmid\u2019, \u2018Gudea ja Hoosea\u2019, \u2018Rahast ja v\u00f5imust\u2019, \u2018Georg M\u00fcller\u2019, \u2018Kurtes Taevaskoja varisevat kallast\u2019.]
Luule. VI<\/strong>. Koostanud Eha Masing ja Hando Runnel; lisandusi Uku Masingu luule m\u00f5istmiseks: m\u00e4rkmeid kogunud ja kirjutanud Kalle Kasemaa, K\u00fclliki Kuusk, Pille M\u00e4nd, Lauri Sommer, Teet Toome, Jaan Pelt. Illustratsioonid: Ilse Leetaru. Tartu: Ilmamaa, 2005, 308 lk. [Sisu: \u2018Saadik Magellani pilvest\u2019, I-III.]<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span>\n<\/p>\n

\n\tNovels<\/em><\/strong>
Rapanui vabastamine, ehk, Kajakad jumalate kalmistul<\/strong>. J\u00e4rels\u00f5na: Hando Runnel. Tallinn: Eesti Raamat, 1989, 350 lk.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/span>\n<\/p>\n

\n\tNon-fiction<\/em><\/strong>
Vaatlusi maailmale teoloogi seisukohalt<\/strong>. Koostanud H. Runnel. Tartu: Ilmamaa, 1993, 476 lk. [Artiklikogumik. 2., t\u00e4iendatud tr\u00fckk: 2008, 533 lk.]
Eesti usund<\/strong>. Tartu: Ilmamaa, 1995, 221 lk. [2., parandatud tr\u00fckk: 1998.]
Budismist<\/strong>. Tartu: Ilmamaa, 1995, 285 lk.
Pessimismi p\u00f5hjendus<\/strong>. Koostaja ja j\u00e4rels\u00f5na: Hando Runnel. Tartu: Ilmamaa, 1995, 447 lk. [Artiklikogumik.]
M\u00e4lestusi taimedest<\/strong>. J\u00e4rels\u00f5na: Pille Runnel. Tartu: Ilmamaa, 1996, 189 lk. [E-raamat (epub): Tartu: Ilmamaa,\u00a0 Eesti Digiraamatute Keskus, 2011.]
Meil on lootust<\/strong>. Koostajad Hando Runnel ja Urmas T\u00f5nisson; v\u00f5\u00f5rkeelsete artiklite t\u00f5lked: Kalle Kasemaa; sarja peatoimetaja Hando Runnel. Tartu: Ilmamaa, 1998, 415 lk. [Artiklikogumik. 2., parandatud tr\u00fckk: 2009.]
Eesti vanema kirjakeele lood<\/strong>. Koostaja Anti L\u00e4\u00e4ts. Tartu: Ilmamaa, 1999, 295 lk.
\u00dcldine usundilugu<\/strong>. J\u00e4rels\u00f5nad: Tarmo Kulmar, Amar Annus. Tartu: Ilmamaa, 2000, 495 lk.
1343; Vaskuks ja vikaaria Lohult<\/strong>. Tartu: Ilmamaa, 2002, 236 lk. [Kaks kirjutist J\u00fcri\u00f6\u00f6 \u00fclest\u00f5usust.]
Keelest ja meelest; Taevap\u00f5dra rahvaste meelest, ehk, Juttu boreaalsest hoiakust<\/strong>. Tartu: Ilmamaa, 2004, 373 lk. [E-raamat: Eesti Digiraamatute Keskus, 2011.]
Pol\u00fcneesia usund<\/strong>. Tartu: Ilmamaa, 2004, 397 lk.
Uku Masing ja Piibel<\/strong>. Koostanud Kalle Kasemaa, eess\u00f5na: Urmas N\u00f5mmik. Tartu: Ilmamaa, 2005, 540 lk.
Aarded tellistes<\/strong>. Koostanud ja toimetanud: Mari-Liis Tammiste, Risto J\u00e4rv, Kristi Salve. Tartu: Ilmamaa, 2011, 327 lk. [Uurimusi folkloristika alalt.]<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Correspondence<\/em><\/strong>
Uskuda, elada: 59 kirja Kiivitile<\/strong>. Koostanud Hando Runnel, saates\u00f5na: Urmas N\u00f5mmik. Tartu: Ilmamaa, 2006, 410 lk.
Kirjad Liile<\/strong>. Tartu: Ilmamaa, 2012, 343 lk. [Kirjad Alide Klemetsile. 2. tr\u00fckk: Tallinn: Ekspress Meedia, 2017, 348 lk.]
Uku Masing, Vello Salo, Vaimus\u00f5durid viletsuse ajal<\/strong>. Koostanud ja toimetanud Mari-Liis Tammiste. Tartu: Ilmamaa, 2013, 239 lk.
Uku Masing, Kalju Kirde, Kord kui me unistus uitis<\/strong>. Tartu: Ilmamaa, 2014, 127 lk. [Kirjavahetus puudutab suures osas ulmekirjandust.]
Uku Masing, Toomas Paul, Usalda ennast<\/strong>. Koostanud ja toimetanud Mari-Liis Tammiste. Tartu: Ilmamaa, 2015, 494 lk.<\/p>\n

About Uku Masing<\/em><\/strong>
Toomas Paul, Juhatus Uku Masingu juurde<\/strong>. \u2013 Akadeemia, nr 5, 1989, lk 1006\u20131023.
Ilmar Vene, Trotsija. Katse m\u00f5ista Uku Masingut<\/strong>. Tartu: Ilmamaa 2001, 189 lk.
Lauri Sommer, Uku Masingu k\u00e4sikirja \u201cSaadik Magellani pilvest\u201d (1959\u20131963) vaimne, ajalis-ruumiline ja elulooline taust\u201d. Looming, nr 4, 2004, lk 576-602; nr 5, 2004, lk 728-747; nr 6, 2004, lk 885-916.
P\u00f5lvest p\u00f5lve. P\u00fchendusteos Uku Masingu 100. s\u00fcnniaastap\u00e4eva puhul<\/strong>. Koostanud Hando Runnel ja Urmas N\u00f5mmik. Tartu: Ilmamaa 2010, 223 lk. [Artikleid ja kirjutisi j\u00e4rgmistelt autoritelt: Evald Saag, Haljand Udam, Toomas Paul, Karl Aun, Jaak Peebo, Kristi Salve, Kaide R\u00e4tsep, Viivi Luik, Jaan Kiivit, Urmas N\u00f5mmik, Peep Audova, Vello Salo, Vello Salum, J\u00fcri Kivim\u00e4e, Pille Runnel, T\u00f5nu Luik, Anne Maasik, Kalle Kasemaa, Peep Ilmet, Ain Kaalep.]
Inimesepoeg valgel laeval: Uku Masing 100<\/strong>. Koostanud Arne Merilai. Tartu: Eesti Kirjandusmuuseum, Tartu \u00dclikool, 2010, 527 lk. [Artikleid ja kirjutisi j\u00e4rgmistelt autoritelt: Karl Pajusalu, Andres P\u00f5der, T\u00f5nis Lukas, Laine J\u00e4nes, Toomas Hendrik Ilves, Thomas Salumets, Ilmar Vene, Risto J\u00e4rv, Kalle Kasemaa, Sven Vabar, Urmas N\u00f5mmik, Arne Merilai, Aado Lintrop, Birute Klaas, Lauri Sommer, Toomas Paul, Janika Kronberg, Linnart M\u00e4ll, Thomas-Andreas P\u00f5der, Arne Hiob, Aile Tooming, K\u00fclliki Kuusk, Vallo Kepp, Aarne Ruben, K\u00fclli Habicht, Hando Runnel.]\n<\/p>\n

\n\tFilms about Uku Masing<\/em><\/strong>
Uku Masingu maastikud: isikulooline filmitriloogia<\/strong>. Idee ja stsenarist Mikk Sarv, helilooja Rauno Remme, stsenarist ja re\u017eiss\u00f6\u00f6r-operaator Vallo Kepp. Tallinn: Estinfilm, 2009, 2 DVD-d, ~15 tundi. [Intervjuud rohkem kui 30 Masingut tundnud inimesega.
1. DVD:
\u2013 \u2018Kitsas rada keset metsi\u2019, Faama Film, 2000, 55m 40s
\u2013 \u2018Inimesepoeg Valgel laeval\u2019, Estinfilm, 2004, 77m
\u2013 \u2018Surm on \u00f6\u00f6maja p\u00f5llul\u2019, Estinfilm, 2006, 70m
2. DVD:
\u2013 \u2018T\u00f5useb tume puu t\u00e4is kollaseid tiibu\u2019, Estinfilm, 2008. Valik filmitriloogia aluseks olnud helisalvestisi ning video- ja tekstimaterjali. Lisaks sisaldab neljas osa Uku Masingu loengute lindistusi Usuteaduse Instituudis, Toomas Pauli intervjuud Uku Masinguga, valikut Uku Masingu kirju ja postkaarte kodustele ning filmide aluseks olnud intervjuude t\u00e4ielikke lindistusi, nende litereeringuid jpm.]<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Poems\u00a0 About Uku Masing Uku Masing (until 1937 Hugo Albert Masing, 11. VIII \/ 30. VII 1909 \u2013 25. IV 1985) was an Estonian poet, theologian, historian of religion, folklore specialist and philologist. His extraordinary intellectual powers, broad grasp and …<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":43,"featured_media":0,"parent":642,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"inline_featured_image":false,"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-1321","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/sisu.ut.ee\/ewod\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/1321","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/sisu.ut.ee\/ewod\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/sisu.ut.ee\/ewod\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sisu.ut.ee\/ewod\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/43"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sisu.ut.ee\/ewod\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1321"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/sisu.ut.ee\/ewod\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/1321\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":3765,"href":"https:\/\/sisu.ut.ee\/ewod\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/1321\/revisions\/3765"}],"up":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sisu.ut.ee\/ewod\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/642"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/sisu.ut.ee\/ewod\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1321"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}