1699. aastal Tallinnas trükitud „Kässi-Ramatu” tõlkimisest
On the translation of the agenda (Kässi-Ramat) printed in Tallinn in 1699 This article provides an overview of the translation process of the Estonian-language agenda, a handbook for church services, printed in Tallinn in 1699. It also introduces two surviving translation manuscripts housed in th...
Saved in:
| Main Author: | |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | Estonian |
| Published: |
SA Kultuurileht
2025-02-01
|
| Series: | Keel ja Kirjandus |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://keeljakirjandus.ee/ee/archives/37995 |
| Tags: |
Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
|
| Summary: | On the translation of the agenda (Kässi-Ramat) printed in Tallinn in 1699
This article provides an overview of the translation process of the Estonian-language agenda, a handbook for church services, printed in Tallinn in 1699. It also introduces two surviving translation manuscripts housed in the National Archives of Estonia in Tartu. The translation was based on the new Swedish-language church agenda published in 1693 in connection with the Swedish Church Law of 1686. The task of translation was to be carried out collaboratively by the clergy of Estonia and Livonia, who had recently been at odds over the Estonian language used in church texts (such as the Bible, hymns, etc.). According to a decree issued in 1694 by Swedish King Charles XI, the Consistory of Estonia was to prepare the translation, which would then be reviewed by the Supreme Consistory of Livonia. Once consensus on the translation was reached, the king would provide funding for printing.
Initially, Estonian pastors proficient in Swedish prepared a draft translation, the cleanly rewritten version of which has survived (referred to as Manuscript A). The second surviving manuscript (Manuscript B) contains corrections made during two rounds of editing conducted in Estonia. This is likely the same manuscript that the Estonian Consistory sent to the Supreme Consistory of Livonia for review at the beginning of 1696.
As the Supreme Consistory of Livonia was dissatisfied with the translation they received, their skilled linguists prepared an alternative version, which was sent back to Estonia for review later that same year. This version was cleanly rewritten by Johann Hornung, the author of an Estonian grammar and a well-known language reformer. The Estonian clergy were then tasked with comparing the two manuscripts and, where necessary, revising their translation based on the Livonian version. By the autumn of 1697, when the Supreme Consistory of Livonia requested their manuscript back, the work had not yet been completed. The revisions based on the Livonian translation were apparently incorporated into Manuscript B. Subsequently, the manuscript received from Livonia was returned to the Supreme Consistory of Livonia, but its further fate remains unknown. |
|---|---|
| ISSN: | 0131-1441 2346-6014 |