The title of this book, Estonian Jokes, could have two different meanings. First, an Estonian joke may be a joke told by others about Estonians, and Estonians often offer a tempting target for such jokes. The second meaning of Estonian Jokes is that this is a collection of jokes told by Estonians. The truth is that in the case of this book, both of these meanings apply. These are jokes told by Estonians, and often about Estonians. Sometimes they are cutting, especially when they skewer some of the more unattractive characteristics of Estonians, but mostly they are self-deprecating and funny to the very people who are being made fun of. Estonians have lived in present-day Estonia for at least 5000 years. Their language is part of the Finno-Ugri family, with Finnish being the closest relative. Since the 1200s the region of Estonia has been invaded and occupied many times by Germans, Danes, Swedes, and Russians. The miracle is that Estonia continues to exist as a unique culture. The uniqueness of the culture is defined in many ways, including an ethnic humor, and it is this character that is captured in this book. There are essentially three different types of Estonian jokes, mirroring the often traumatic national history. The first broad epoch in Estonian history, Old Estonia, includes the period of subjugation to German nobility and the Russian Tsar, which ended with the war for independence and eventual establishment of the free republic of Estonia in 1918. This independence lasted only a short 20 years before the Russians once again invaded. The second period in Estonian history the Soviet Time, beginning about 1939 with the occupation of Estonia, and ending in 1991 with the (re)declaration of independence. The third period in this book is the modern time, or New Estonia. The jokes in the first section, Old Estonia, define the Estonian character during those times, while the jokes during the Soviet Time describe the oppressive conditions that existed for over 50 years of occupation. Finally, Estonian humor has been released from previous constraints and now reflects the freedom to tell stories that are in the character of modern Estonia.
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