Rahvalaul "Naise tegemine"
The Making of a Woman

Summary/Abstract: The Estonian folk song The Making of a Woman is an extremely grotesque synthesis of the subject of humanity and elements of flora/fauna and lifeless nature. With its sarcastic message it sets out for taunting women with whatever it takes. In the song, the woman is made of rotten tree stump, her head of cabbage head, belly of cow's stomach, eyes of sheep eyes, teeth of old pieces of sawed wood, etc. The substitutes for women's body parts in the tradition of other nations are nothing better. In Finland, her head is substituted with a pot of tar, belly with old hat, breasts with ram's testicles, etc. And yet these body parts are sarcastically referred to as sacred! In Denmark, the woman's breasts are made of pig's haunch, and her behind is made of calf's loins. This song type, relatively unique in our tradition, bears resemblance with the European recruit's war song, and its succeeding songs.

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