Senreliģija, Dieva meklējumi un izpratne igauņu rakstnieka Andrusa Kivirehka romānā “Vīrs, kas zināja čūskuvārdus”

Abstract

Summary
The novel “A Man who Knew the Snake Words” by an Estonian writer Andrus Kivirähk (Andrus Kivirähk, Mees, kes teadis ussisõnu, translated from Estonian by Zane Balode, Riga, “Lauku Avīze”, 2007, 335., in Latvian - 2011) is a parabolic work, close to the genre of fantasy, and, at the same time, a work built in the tradition of a historic novel which rouses contemplation about the vital power of culture in a situation when at least a single its representative has survived.
The people created by the writer lives in the forest; it is an ancient and wonderful civilisation. They milk wolves, they are friends with bears, they know the language of animals, snake words (witchcraft), they have an innate poison tooth, like snakes, and therefore in wars against immigrants they always win a victory. Their women wash themselves up high in the trees, in a lunar bathroom, but their admirers – the tardy, kind-hearted bears observe stealthily the naked beauty, becoming sometimes outstanding lovers. Only, when one knows the language of animals, the snake words, it is possible to benumb the mind of an animal to make it sacrifice itself voluntarily. That is why the people are always well-fed and dressed in animal furs. Their sanctuary is an old old birch wood where each of its trees is saint and untouched. And so it has been for thousands of years that their sacral world, which, reduced to modern comprehensible concepts and called by us a religious world, full of sanctity, has been a warrant of harmony, a maintainer of everyday order, public laws and human conduct/morality.
The Northern Toad, who once created everything and protected the people created by him, is asleep. He will not wake up and will not save the ancient people, the land of his forefathers, will not return the ancient good life. Because – if there are no people, no nation, no wish, there is also no sense for the last remaining man to rouse immense, uncontrolled force. However, as Nietzsche acknowledged, the God of the church, the Christian religion, is dead. So is the God of the forest people’s religion. In reality the Northern Toad, call it God, is asleep. And he who is asleep, may also wake up.
Keywords: The Northern Toad, prove of god, ancient religion, comprehension, research.