Day 22 - A Trip to Mulgimaa

​Today we ventured further south, toward Lati (Latvia) and connected with the culture of Mulgimaa and the Mulks. First stop though, was a manor house was gifted to a family from the Russian Queen in 1744 and the main building was complete in 1760. The grounds had 6 different pubs and over 1000 people working there. Our guide shared with us that in one year, between the 6 pubs, they drank 60ton of vodka, insane! They had to produce vodka and grow potatoes but the workers didn’t agree with this so the Russian soldiers beat them until they agreed. The man telling us about the stories was fascinating and had an abundance of stories to share. It was incredible to hear about how life was back in the 1700 and 1800’s with all the structure, protocols, hierarchy etc. those of you that know me, know I do not like hierarchy and I probably would have been beaten many times, based on what our guide was telling us! It was incredible being inside this Mõis (Manor House) that was built in the 1700’s. I could only imagine the kind of lifestyle that was lived. There was a thin hallway the servants used, there was different sides of the house for men and women and if the men wanted the women they would ring a bell. That made me giggle. He took us to some of the grand rooms and in the main room where Alexander the Great had once been for a party, so you could say I have walked the halls of Alexander the Great, I thought that was pretty cool. When we looked outside at the grounds, it was stunning. In the courtyard there was once a play of the three musketeers and I could see how it would have been done there, it would have been amazing to watch. The guide was telling us of the stories that the women were given a box, almost like a closet like thing, for their bathroom. The men felt it was a more dignified way for these women to be. It was almost like an out house inside the house and was originally built with the house. When we ventured outside he was sharing stories of the land and the significance of some of the areas. There was a little trio of trees right near the front door that was said to have a beautiful energy field and it was said that if you stood in there for 5 minutes, your appearance would change to about 15 years younger. There were stories of the energy field helping people with their heart conditions, ailments and really settling peoples nervous systems. I thought it was incredible so naturally, we all decided to go into the energy field and see what would happen. Well, instantly I felt goosebumps running up and down my arms and some up through the ground and up my legs. I definitely felt different and some energy running through me as I stood there. People were commenting on different things but there was a definite shift in energy as we stood there. He then took us past this beautiful shed, which mum would like dad to build, it was almost like a storage shed with beautiful timber and a design, on the way to the cellars where they used to store the food. The grounds were just so green and lush with flowers, it was so peaceful and beautiful. I could really see myself being in a place like this and wondered what it would have been like to live here in the 1700’s. Once we had a little look at that area, we got onto the bus and headed to the next place.

​We arrived at our next destination which was the Mulgi Culture Experience Centre. It only opened in May 2023 and it was done so well. It was built on an old farm house area by some of the original Mulks and they have restored it, mostly by donation as a way of preserving the history. There is science and research to suggest that the people of Mulgimaa were the indigenous Estonian’s, as well as those from Võrumaa and Setomaa. One part of my family decends from Võrumaa and Setomaa so I felt particularly connected to this place in Southern Estonia, and a lot of things about how I felt and thought, through life and now, are starting to make sense. We were met by our guide, Robin, who was wearing some traditional clothes from the area and part of his national costume. He later explained the significance of it all during the tour. We started off by sitting down and having some coffee and they had Mulgi Pudder available. Oh my god I was so excited!! Mum used to make this for us when we were kids and Danae coincidently asked mum the other day how to make it. I of course had to get some and it was delicious. They put sour cream in it where we put gravy and I really enjoyed it. Robin was telling us about the history of Mulgimaa and the significance of a whole range of things. He was telling us about the Mulgi flag. The black represents the richness of the soil because the Mulks were very wealthy due to flax and the ability to grow it in the Mulgimaa. The red knots represent the prosperity and richness of the Mulks and the blue is the same colour as the blue flowers on the flax. He was also sharing with us that Mulgimaa got its name because back in the day families were named after their farms and one farmer was travelling around and said his name was Mulgi based on the farm where the person lived. The people in that area then became known as the Mulks or Mulgi people. I thought that was incredible, and wondered if it was the same for Võrumaa and Setomaa. We continued on with our tour inside the “experience centre” where Robin shared some interesting facts with us throughout the timeline of the Mulgi people. As I said earlier, they are said to be the original settlers in Estonia and they are aiming to get this recognised. This is important because the language is slightly different to Northern Estonian. Mulgimaa, Võrumaa and Setomaa all have slightly different variations of the language. For exampme “mum and dad” in Northern Estonian is “ema ja isa” and in Seto and Võru it is “imä ja esä”, with it being slightly different again for the Mulks. I found this fascinating and Robin was sharing with us the way of life is different. Northern Estonians are a bit cold and flat as he put it, but Southern Estonians have a bit more personality, like the landscape with some more hills and a lot more welcoming than the Northern Estonians. Some of the pictures show different information about Mulgimaa and the Mulks at various points in history but the one thing they had going for them was their wealth. This allowed them to spread across the country, with their traditions and influencing the folk costumes of other areas. There is one area in Mulgimaa that doesn’t have the red on their jackets. Robin told us the story/legend of an Estonian girl falling in love with a German boy which was forbidden. The German boy’s father took the girl and burned her at the steak, essentially. As an act of defiance of the oppressors at the time and to show morning of the girl, they ripped off all the red from their clothes. Still today it is the only area in Mulgimaa that doesn’t have red on their jackets. The more red you had meant the wealthier you were, because you could afford the red material or dye. As with everywhere in Estonia, when the Russians took over a lot of the traditions and ways of life were destroyed so when they got their freedom in 1991, they started rebuilding their culture and resettling back in Mulgimaa. It really was a worth while place to visit, click here for the link, and if anyone has the chance to go there, you must and learn about this different part of Estonia. I did make one comment to Robin that when we drove into Viljandi, I felt we were really in Estonia now, the Southern part and now, with his stories, it all makes sense.

​After this tour we drove to a castle, which doubles as a day spa accommodation and I think wedding place. I decided I would love to buy this place and live here. It was literally like a castle and I was really impressed with the architecture and how the grounds were kept. Inside it all looked so regal and really a nice place to be. I am not sure what this place was used for back in the day as we didn’t really have a tour there but it was nice to be in there and have lunch. I mean, the pictures of it are beautiful and I don’t know how else to describe it.

​We then drove back towards Viljandi and went to a ladies house who does käsitöö (handicraft) out of wood, metal but most importantly, bones. She showed us a wide range of things she creates and sells on etsy. The coolest part is, I thought, was she hand dyes everything with natural dyes. She said she doesn’t want to use chemicals because she uses water from the stream on the property and is as sustainable as possible. She has a little garden in a green house where she grows the plants she needs to make the colours. She has clearly worked hard at what she does and it was such a privilege to see where she creates everything and be in her world for a moment. There was also 10 day old puppies and they were so cute!!

​We then headed to our last stop, the Viljandi Museum. We were met here by a lovely lady who really walked us through how folk costumes were worn back in the day. They really showed and symbolised your marital status, how you were feeling that day, your financial situation etc. It was here I learned that bigger women were valued because it meant you were stronger and you had more money to eat. I feel there is some validity in this idea and should be valued today. She showed us some items that were originals and some replicas. We had to wear gloves to be able to handle them. In the old days the socks were thicker and the women would stuff them so they looked bigger, or wear 10 skirts so they would look bigger as this was a good thing! There were so many interesting details she shared and I caught myself being able to somewhat understand what she was saying in Estonian, so that part of my brain must be improving!

​After this, I asked Michele if she wanted to come to the lake with me and experience and Estonian lake. She did! When we got there, it was so beautiful. I really just wanted to connect with nature and the water and go for a swim. I am so glad we did that there were a few families there and it was nice and warm outside. When we got into the water it was a little cold but I really wanted to go for a swim. It was so nice just being in the lake and floating there, connecting with nature, after a log day of people and talking. It really was a lovely spot and I am so grateful we got to do that. Hopefully it’s nice weather Saturday afternoon and we can do it again.

​It was such a great day, learning about so many different things. I made some new connections, had some delicious food and learned a lot about Southern Estonia and why I feel particularly drawn and connected to it.
Until tomorrow
Marissa xx