Searching for Authentic Living Through Native Fait
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Searching for Authentic Living Through Native Fait Searching for Authentic Living Through Native Fait The Maausk movement in Estonia Jenni Rinne Södertörn University The Library SE-141 89 Huddinge www.sh.se/publications © Jenni Rinne Cover image: untitled, Jenni Rinne Cover layout: Jonathan Robson Graphic form: Per Lindblom & Jonathan Robson Printed by Elanders, Stockholm 2016 Södertörn Doctoral Dissertations 122 ISSN 1652–7399 ISBN 978–91–87843–49–5 (print) ISBN 978–91–87843–50–1 (digital) Abstract The broad aim of this thesis is twofold: firstly, I contextualise the Maausk movement and its practitioners’ understandings in relation to history and the surrounding society; secondly, I analyse the affective and embodied experiences of being a Maausk practitioner from a phenomenological perspective. The thesis focuses on the formation and practice of Maausk, which is perceived to be deeply tied to the society and history where it exists. Relatedly, this study examines how Maausk identity formation and practices have been influenced by the Soviet legacy, romantic nationalism and Estonia’s current economic and political situation. In order to analyse the Maausk experiences and narratives, this study draws from various phenomenologically oriented theories of affect, embodiment and emotion, as well as cultural theories of place, identity, tradition and authenticity. I have used economic anthropology and glo- balisation theories as well as historical studies of Estonia’s Soviet past to contextualise the Maausk movement. Further, to place Maausk in the European religious landscape, this study refers to native faith and Neo- pagan studies. Through sensory ethnography, this study draws on the affective and emotional aspects of the research material to analyse how the complexity of emotional experiences of being a Maausk practitioner produces Maausk meanings and values. The study also examines the role and function of the body and emotions during the process of embodying the Maausk practices, both techniques and meanings of the practices. Keywords: native faith, neo-paganism, affect, affective pattern, emotions, place, tradition, authenticity, neoliberalism, globalisation, identity, Estonia, lived religion, post-soviet. Acknowledgements I have been working with this project for almost five years. It has been life- changing journey with many completely inspiring moments but equally as many frustrating periods. Developing this PhD thesis has been an enor- mous undertaking, and from the bottom of my heart I want to thank all of the people who have been involved with this emotionally intensive trip. I would like to start by thanking all of the Maausk practitioners who so generously opened their hearts and sometimes even their homes to me. You have taught me many new skills from soap making to using a chainsaw. You have altered my perception on nature, and helped me understand a dif- ferent way to live in the world. I want to thank all of you who have patiently answered my questions about your practices and about your life and politely responded to questions that touched your private thoughts, feelings and experiences. I also want to thank you for all the moments spent together in nature, as well as the memorable weekend evenings in the sauna, making dinner or just chatting. I would also like to thank the academic community. First I would like to express my deepest gratitude to my main supervisor Maria Zackariasson. Without your relentless support, enthusiasm and your organising and scheduling skills I would have been totally lost with this long project. I also want to thank you for your availability; it meant I never felt alone with my work. I also want to extend my gratitude to my other supervisor David Thurfjell. You have always offered an intellectually stimulating and in- spiring discussion on the theory and the approach that I chose, as well as given important input related to my text. I want to thank both of my supervisors for helping me to find my own way on my theoretical and methodological choices, and then believing in my approach. I would like to thank the current and former PhD candidates who have shared my journey. Thank you to the empathetic Jenny Ingridsdotter, who I shared a room with through this time, for many smart conversations. Thank you to the intelligent and very funny Kim Silow Kallenberg for sharing this journey with me, and making it so much easier. And I would like to thank Adomas Lapinskas for always showing me the importance of resistance in this world. I sincerely hope we all continue our journey together one way or another. I would also like to thank Södertörn’s ethnolo- gists for their support and many stimulating conversations. Particular thanks go to Florence Fröhlig for your encouragement, to Maryam Adjam for sharing the theoretical interest, to Ann Runfors, Mats Linquist, Beatriz Lindquist, Jenny Gunnarson-Payne, Angneta Lilja, Petra Garberding, Elisabet Wollin Elhouar and Karin Elfving for the intellectually stimulating environment to work in. I also would like to thank other former and current PhD candidates from our institution. I especially want to thank Ann af Buren, Yulia Yurchuck, Karin Jonsson, Julia Malitska, Marco Nase and Francesco Zavatti. And finally I would like to thank PhD candidate Emilia Pawluz for sharing my interest in Estonia and providing me a place to stay in Tallinn. I also wish to extend my gratitude to the Östersjöstiftelsen for funding my PhD time, and I would like to thank the Helge AX:son Johnssons stiftelse for giving me a conference travel grant. I also wish to thank the Södertörn’s Centre for Baltic and Eastern European studies and the Baltic and Eastern European’s graduate school for providing an amazing and stimulating place to start the journey in a multi-disciplinary environment. I want to thank all the people from that environment as well as School of historical and contemporary studies that I met and shared parts of the journey with. I would also like to thank fellow ethnologists from Uppsala and Stockholm universities that I have met in seminars, writing workshops and con- ferences; you have guided me in Swedish ethnology. I also want to thank Charlotte Hyltén-Cavallius who read and com- mented my half time seminar paper, as well as Karin Högström who read and provided crucial input to my final seminar text. I would also like to thank Beatrize Lindquist of reading my final manuscript and giving me the nessessary input that helped me to do the final editing process. My gratitude extends also to the administrative staff in the BEEGS and in the School of historical and contemporary studies that have helped me with number of practicalities during these years. And finally I would like to thank my family. I want to thank my husband Sampsa and my daughter Lyyti who I share my everyday with and who have really travelled this path beside me. Thank you for your support and thank you for giving me a life outside of the academic world! And last, but by no means least, I would like to thank my mother who has always, without a doubt in her heart, believed in my ability to pull through this project and finally write a book. Bandhagen, Stockholm April 2016 Contents CHAPTER 1 Introduction ................................................................................................................................. 15 Objectives ............................................................................................................................... 18 The early years of the Maausk ............................................................................................ 19 Maausk (Earth faith) ............................................................................................................ 21 Maausk and society .............................................................................................................. 26 Previous research .................................................................................................................. 29 Theoretical framework ......................................................................................................... 34 The phenomenological approach ................................................................................. 34 The phenomenological approach to paffect ............................................................... 35 Place, authenticity, tradition and embodiment.......................................................... 39 Method ................................................................................................................................... 41 Interviews and sensory ethnography ........................................................................... 43 Participant observation and the researcher role ........................................................ 47 Some ethical considerations .......................................................................................... 50 Some remarks on the analysis ....................................................................................... 52 Outline of the study .............................................................................................................. 53 CHAPTER 2 ‘Maausk is not really a religion’: meanings of the folk concept of religion and its reflection on how Maausk is talked about ............................................................................... 55 Dislike of the word usk (religion, faith) ............................................................................