Oskar Loorits
Encyclopedia
Oskar Loorits was an Estonian folklorist.
and obtained his doctorate in 1926. Between 1927 and 1941, he was a lecturer in Estonian and Comparative Folklore. Also during that period he was a director of the Estonian Folklore Archives (Eesti Rahvaluule Arhiiv). In 1938 he became a member of the Estonian Academy of Sciences
. In 1944, he fled Soviet occupation to Sweden and worked there until 1947 as an archive assistant. From then until shortly before his death he held a position in the folk archives of the University of Uppsala.
Life
Loorits initially studied folklore at the University of TartuUniversity of Tartu
The University of Tartu is a classical university in the city of Tartu, Estonia. University of Tartu is the national university of Estonia; it is the biggest and highest-ranked university in Estonia...
and obtained his doctorate in 1926. Between 1927 and 1941, he was a lecturer in Estonian and Comparative Folklore. Also during that period he was a director of the Estonian Folklore Archives (Eesti Rahvaluule Arhiiv). In 1938 he became a member of the Estonian Academy of Sciences
Estonian Academy of Sciences
Founded in 1938, the Estonian Academy of Sciences is Estonia's national academy of science. As with other national academies, it is an independent group of well-known scientists whose stated aim is to promote research and development, encourage international scientific cooperation, and...
. In 1944, he fled Soviet occupation to Sweden and worked there until 1947 as an archive assistant. From then until shortly before his death he held a position in the folk archives of the University of Uppsala.
Works
- Livonian fairy tales and fables variants. Helsingfors 1926 (Folklore Fellows' Communications Vol 21, 1 = No. 66).
- Estonian folk poetry and mythology. Tartu 1932.