Lydia Jannsen (Koidula) | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | Lydia Emilie Florentine Jannsen 24 December 1843 |
| Died | 11 August 1886 (aged 42) Kronstadt, Russian Empire |
| Occupations | |
| Spouse |
Eduard Michelson (m. 1873) |
| Children | 4 |
| Family | Johann Voldemar Jannsen (father) |
Lydia Emilie Florentine Jannsen (24 December [O.S. 12 December] 1843 – 11 August [O.S. 30 July] 1886), known by her pen name Koidula, was an Estonian poet. Her sobriquet means '(Lydia of) The Dawn' in Estonian. It was given to her by the writer Carl Robert Jakobson. She is also frequently referred to as Koidulaulik – 'Singer of the Dawn'.
In Estonia, like elsewhere in Europe, writing was not considered a suitable career for a respectable young lady in the mid-19th century. Koidula's poetry and her newspaper work for her populist father, Johann Voldemar Jannsen (1819–1890) remained anonymous. In spite of this, she was a major literary figure, the founder of Estonian theatre, and closely allied to Carl Robert Jakobson (1841–1882), the influential radical and Friedrich Reinhold Kreutzwald (1803–1882), writer of the Estonian national epic, Kalevipoeg (The Son of Kalev). Over time, she has achieved the status of the national poet of Estonia.[1]
- ^ Richard C. Frucht (2005). "Estonia". Eastern Europe: An Introduction to the People, Lands, and Culture. Vol. I. ABC-Clio. p. 91. ISBN 1-57607-800-0.