Abstract: The article discusses folk songs in Virumaa region, starting from their earliest forms until today. Like Estonian folk songs in general, folk songs in Virumaa are also divided into two main historic-stylistic layers: the ancient or runo verse (in Finland usually called Kalevala-metric or runosong) and the newer or end-rhymed folk songs. The former is a unique cultural phenomenon, the poetic-musical style of which is known only at Baltic-Finnic peoples, whereas the latter, by their form and music, are close to the folk songs of European peoples ...
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