Paul Viiding (22 May 1904 – 27 June 1962) was an

Estonian Estonian may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to Estonia, a country in the Baltic region in northern Europe * Estonians, people from Estonia, or of Estonian descent * Estonian language * Estonian cuisine * Estonian culture See also

...

poet, author, and literary critic. Born in Valga to Juhan and Ann Viiding (''née'' Rose), he was the oldest of two children; his sister Linda was born in 1907. He attended the

Hugo Treffner Gymnasium Hugo Treffner Gymnasium (; abbreviated as HTG) is a secondary school in Tartu, Estonia with special emphasis on science education. Founded by Hugo Treffner, it was the only large secondary school in 19th-century Estonia with predominantly Estonia ...

and graduated with a degree in mathematics from the

University of Tartu The University of Tartu (UT; ; ) is a public research university located in the city of Tartu, Estonia. It is the national university of Estonia. It is also the largest and oldest university in the country.

in 1930, before pursuing a career as an author and poet. He was a member of the influential group of Estonian poets brought together in 1938 by the literary scholar

Ants Oras Ants Oras (8 December 1900 – 21 December 1982) was an Estonian translator and writer. Oras was born in Tallinn and studied at the University of Tartu, graduating with a Master of Philosophy degree in 1923. He also obtained a Bachelor of Litera ...

, who was greatly influenced by

T. S. Eliot Thomas Stearns Eliot (26 September 18884 January 1965) was a poet, essayist and playwright.Bush, Ronald. "T. S. Eliot's Life and Career", in John A Garraty and Mark C. Carnes (eds), ''American National Biography''. New York: Oxford University ...

. The small circle of six poets became known as '' Arbujad'' (Soothsayers) and included Heiti Talvik,

Betti Alver Elisabet "Betti" Alver ( – 19 June 1989), was one of Estonia's most notable poets. She was among the first generation to be educated in schools of an independent Estonia. She went to grammar school in Tartu. Writing She began as a prose w ...

Uku Masing Uku Masing (born Hugo Albert Masing, 11 August 1909 – 25 April 1985) was an Estonian polymath who contributed to theology, oriental studies, philosophy, poetry, folklore and to the field of ethnology. He was a significant figure in Estonian rel ...

, Bernard Kangro, Kersti Merilaas, Mart Raud, and August Sang.Elic. ''A Short History of Estonian Literature: Literature in an independent Estonia: 1918–1940''
/ref> Viiding married the translator (1906–2003) and had four children: Reet, Anni, Mari Tarand, and the youngest (and only son)

Juhan Viiding Juhan Viiding (1 June 1948 – 21 February 1995), also known under the pseudonym of Jüri Üdi was an Estonian poet and actor. Personal life Juhan Viiding was born on 1 June 1948 in Tallinn to Paul Viiding, a well-known poet in Estonia who h ...

. His grandchildren include the historian Juhan Kreem, musician Jaagup Kreem, poet

Elo Viiding Elo Viiding (pen name, Elo Vee; born 20 March 1974) is an Estonians, Estonian poet and prose writer. Family Viiding is the third poet in her family. Her father, Juhan Viiding was a famous and influential poet in the 1970s. He was also an actor. ...

, politician

Indrek Tarand Indrek Tarand (born 3 February 1964) is an Estonian politician and a former Member of the European Parliament (MEP) from Estonia. He was an independent politician, but a member of the European Green Party. Tarand has served as an advisor to the ...

, and journalist

Kaarel Tarand Kaarel Tarand (born 20 September 1966) is an Estonian journalist and editor. He was born in Tallinn to geographer, climatologist and politician Andres Tarand and radio journalist Mari Tarand. His older brother is politician Indrek Tarand. During ...

. Paul Viiding died in

Tallinn Tallinn is the capital city, capital and List of cities in Estonia, most populous city of Estonia. Situated on a Tallinn Bay, bay in north Estonia, on the shore of the Gulf of Finland of the Baltic Sea, it has a population of (as of 2025) and ...

, Estonia, in 1962.

References

Sources

*Tarand, Mari. ''Katse mõista Paul Viidingu teekonda.'' In: Akadeemia 1997, No. 3, pp. 598–611 1904 births 1962 deaths People from Valga, Estonia People from Valka county Estonian male poets 20th-century Estonian poets 20th-century Estonian male writers Arbujad Hugo Treffner Gymnasium alumni University of Tartu alumni {{Estonia-writer-stub