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Paper short abstract

This study investigates sheep-related traditions among the BalticFinnic peoples, with particular attention to ritual calendar observances, everyday ritual practices and incantations, their role within masking customs, and their significance in social practices.

Paper long abstract

The presentation examines the transformation of sheep-related traditions in both cultural and ritual contexts, drawing on Estonian archival materials from the 19th–20th centuries, the 2025–2026 research project Sociocultural Perception of Biodiversity Landscapes, and BalticFinnic ethnographic and mythology sources.

Baltic Finnic cultures of the Baltic Sea region, sheep have place in lingustic expressions, in short folkloric forms, norms, and taboos. Sheep played an important role in various calendar festivals marking the beginning and end of the herding season.

Particularly significant were calendar dates related to winter food preparation for sheep, the washing periods, but also magical practices and charms to protect the sheep, or to cure them. They had the role in masking traditions, including the New Year masking in Western Estonia.

Today, the narratives, customs, and beliefs have undergone transformation, yet the value of the sheep—as a companion, pet, and a stabilizing force of the natural landscapes—has increased.