Runosong, in Estonian regilaul, is a singing tradition common to most Finnic peoples. For centuries, runosong has been the main musical-poetic way of expression for these people, a layperson’s skill, which during the era of oral culture had somewhat different functions from modern poetic or musical culture. Songs were used to preserve and pass on knowledge, experiences and attitudes, to support the functioning of the world and the community and to try to influence them. It was mostly sung by women and was a great part of everyday life.
Lyrics translated to English:
Three forests
Blue-coloured and silky
Flew over three forests
One was the proper apple woods
Second the nice birch woods
Third the sweet fir woods
What was a proper apple woods
It was my gentle granny’s woods
What was my nice birch woods
That was my bright granddad’s woods
What was my sweet fir woods
That was my little brother’s woods