Karl Rumor

Short stories 

About Karl Rumor

Karl Rumor (born Karl Ast, he also used the names Karl Ast-Rumor or Karl Rumor-Ast, 19./7. II 1886 - 9. VII 1971) was an Estonian social democratic politician and fiction writer, who is mostly known for his novel Krutsifiks (‘Crucifix’).

Rumor was born at Päevakeste farm, Orava parish, Võru county. He studied at Kahkva village school, followed by Vastseliina manor school and Petseri primary school. From 1901-1905, he attended Treffner Gymnasium in Tartu, which he did not graduate. With his older brother Gottlieb Jaan Ast (later the mayor of Tallinn) he actively participated in the 1905 revolution. In 1906, he fled to Berlin and Bern but secretly returned a few months later and continued his revolutionary operations. In 1907, he was jailed and released three years later in 1910. From 1911-1912, he travelled in the Mediterranean countries and North Africa; from 1913, he worked as a journalist and from 1915-1917, as a military official in the czarist army. In 1917, he became a member of The Estonian Provincial Assembly and was an advocate of Estonian autonomy. In the same year, he co-founded the Estonian Social Democratic Party. He was a member of the Estonian Constituent Assembly and sat in the Parliament several times. He was a member of the government in 1919 and from 1924-1925. In 1930s, he travelled, lived, worked and conducted business abroad. From 1941-1959, he was the Estonian consul in Rio de Janeiro. In 1959, he retired and migrated to Canada. In 1961, he relocated in New York, where he passed away. His ashes were scattered at Hudson Bay.

Karl Rumor became known for his first short story collection Sääsed tormis ('Mosquitoes in the Storm', 1911), which he wrote in prison. The symbolist story Lumiste kõrguste poole ('Towards Snowy Heights', 1913) followed. From 1919-1929, he published five story collections – Tuled sügis-öös ('Lights in an Autumn Night'), Siiruviiruline ('Assorted Prose'), Mürgine vili ('Poisonous Fruit'), Sammud kaduvikku ('Steps into the Evanescence') and Kui Saara naerab ('When Saara Laughs') – and the symbolist play Valge naine ('The White Woman'). In these early works, the main features of Rumor’s writing developed, which were also expressed in his later works and his novel ‘Crucifix’ – the characters of his stories are rather guided by dark urges and destructive and sexual desires than the rational mind. Rumor also considers it important how the masses allow themselves to be manipulated over and over again – thereby getting hurt– and how the charismatic leader wishes to manipulate, although they are also most likely controlled by subliminal forces.

After 1929, Rumor went on a creative break. He continued writing travelogues but only returned to fiction as late as 1953 when his next story collection Uned ja mured ('Dreams and Worries') was published. The novel ‘Crucifix’ was born after years of work in 1960. It was too jarring for the majority of Estonian expatriates and due to its thematic strangeness, has remained in the periphery of Estonian literature to this day, yet the novel has turned out to be one of the most accomplished works of Estonian expatriate literature. The novel depicts religious fanaticism and mass psychosis and presents a fictional account of the real-life conflict in Brazil, the so-called War of Canudos (1895-1898) during which there was a bloody and casualty-heavy clash between the Brazilian armed forces and the members of a religious movement, who had followed their spiritual leader. The historical subject-matter is largely based on the voluminous documentary novel Os Sertões (1902, translated into English as 'Rebellion in the Backlands') by the Brazilian engineer, journalist and sociologist Euclides da Cunha.

Karl Rumor’s last fictional work is the short prose collection Liivakella all ('Under the Hourglass', 1971). While Rumor had throughout his life expressed atheist views, then his later works show some influence of Buddhism.

Under Karl Rumor-Ast (or Ast-Rumor), the travel books Palava päikese ja fanaatilise usu maal: reisukirjad Tseilonist ja Indiast ('In the Land of Hot Sun and Fanatic Religion: Travelogues from Ceylon and India', three volumes, 1930-1931) and Allah ja ta rahvas ('Allah and His People', of North Africa, 1936) were published. The memoir Aegade sadestus ('The Deposits of Time') was planned in three volumes but remained unfinished with only the first two volumes published in Sweden from 1963-1965. The first volume Noorusmaa ('Land of Youth') describes the author’s childhood and school days in Võru and Seto county, the second part Punane ja must ('Red and Black'), depicts life in Tartu at the turn of the century and the author’s first-hand experience of the revolution and his exile in Switzerland. The unfinished third volume was for the first time published in 2004 along with the first two books.

S. V. (Translated by A. S.)

Books in Estonian

Novels
Krutsifiks: jutustus inimhingede põuast ja põlemisest. Lund: Eesti Kirjanike Kooperatiiv, 1960, 376 lk. [2. trükk: Tallinn: Eesti Raamat, 1989, 349 lk.]

Stories
Sääsed tormis: Nowellid. Tallinn: Maa, 1911, 120 lk. [Sisu: 'Fata Morgana', 'Aitäh Jeesukesele!', 'Võõrsil', 'Surm', 'Üks pühade-öö', 'Fiasco', 'Õde', 'Osata', 'Et aga teaks'. 2. trükk: Tartu: Noor-Eesti, 1923, 109 lk, sisaldab lisaks eelmistele veel novelli 'Lihavõtte ööl'.]
Lumiste kõrguste poole. Tallinn: Maa, 1913, 117 lk.
Tuled sügis-öös. Tartu: Odamees, 1919, 140 lk. [Sisu: 'Tuled sügisöös', 'Põlevad laevad', 'Virmalised'. Esmatrükk?: Tallinn: Teadus, 1913.]
Siiruviiruline: novellid ja vested. Tallinn: Varrak, 1921, 78 lk. [Sisu: 'Looduse asi', 'Utopida õnnetus', 'Õudne leid', 'Hans Nurmeääre jõulud', 'Vagunis', 'Üts perätü antsak jahihkäümine', 'Ideaalid ja Lieschen', 'Oma ette', 'Pimedus', 'Kandidaatide kevade', 'Näitsik', 'Viirastused', 'Armastuse pärast', 'Nelja silma all'.]
Mürgine wili. Tallinn: Tööliste Kirjastuse Ühisus, 1926, 114 lk. [Sisu: 'Põgeneja', 'Lumises tundras', 'Ürgöö', 'Kajak', 'Tõnis Tulver', 'Ummikpimedus', 'Veritähised'.]
Sammud kaduvikku. Tartu: Noor-Eesti, 1928, 222 lk. [Sisu: 'Kuldlind', 'Peeglite vahel', 'Terra incognita'.]
Kui Saara naerab. Tartu: Noor-Eesti, 1929, 227 lk. [2. trükk: Pärnu: Ji, 2008, 215 lk. Sisu: 'Teelahkmel', 'Koolmeister Sangvars', 'Jutt tollest, kes argipäeva riietuse all kannab klouni ülikonda', 'Pankrott', 'Perpetuum mobile', 'Püksid'.]
Uned ja mured. Lund: Eesti Kirjanike Kooperatiiv, 1953, 262 lk. [Sisu: 'Kerberos', 'Ralf Riskin', 'Vangikoja siseõues', 'Sfinks', 'Janis Bulle', 'Uned unetuses'.]
Kuldlind. Lund: Eesti Kirjanike Kooperatiiv, 1959, 318 lk. [Sisu: 'Kuldlind', 'Peeglite vahel', 'Terra incognita', 'Ürgöö', 'Ummikpimedus', 'Veritähised', 'Virmalised'.]
Tuuleviiul. Lund: Eesti Kirjanike Kooperatiiv, 1962, 299 lk.
Liivakella all: miniatuurid. Lund: Eesti Kirjanike Kooperatiiv, 1971, 64 lk. [Sisu: 'Poeet rändas', POOLES VARDAS: 'Adagio', 'Igatsus', 'Hilineja', 'Koolibri', 'Illusioon', 'Scherzo', 'Näkineiu', 'Mustlanna', 'Ootel', 'Üksindus', 'Henrik Visnapuule mõeldes', 'Millal?', 'Mesilane', FOORUM: 'Kaaren', 'Nimetu', 'Panteon', 'Tobe lugu', 'Jaapanlikku', 'Robaiyat', 'Buddha', 'Anathema', EILE-TÄNA-HOMME: 'Ecce homo', 'Vaakum', 'Tundmatu', 'Tornid', 'Liivaliitene', 'Karavan', 'Pommid', CUMULUS NIMBUS: 'Ründajad', 'Triumf', 'Tänapäev', 'Finita', 'Neetud', 'Mustad luiged', 'Muumiate laevad', 'Ratsanik ja hobune', 'Vanitas'.]
Peeglite vahel. Koostanud ja järelsõna: Ülo Tonts. Tallinn: Eesti Raamat, 1991, 362 lk. [Sari 'Eesti novellivara'.]
Põlevad laevad. Jutustus. Järelsõna: Maire Liivamets. Tallinn: Eesti Raamat, 1995, 158 lk.

Plays
Valge naine. Romantiline draama kolmes vaatuses. Tartu: Eesti Kirjanikkude Liit, 1928, 84 lk.

Non-fiction
A. Rei, K. Ast, Mis peab rahwas Asutawalt Kogult nõudma?. Tallinn: Eesti Sotsialdemokraatlise Tööliste Partei Keskkomitee, 1919, 16 lk.
Suurim nurjatus töölisliikumise alal Eestis: Põllumeestekogude ja kommunistide ühine täi sotsialistide kaela. Maaliit, kaitsepolitsei ja kommunistid uut tööliste parteid loomas. Karl Ast'i kõne riigikogus 6. juulil 1926. a. Tallinn: Ühendus, 1926, 32 lk.
Tolliliialdus weskikiwiks rahwa kaelas: hädaohtlik elukalliduse tõstmine ja hukkamõistetaw pearaha wabrikantidele tarwitajate kulul. K. Ast'i tolliwastane kõne, peetud riigikogus 9. oktoobril 1929. a. Tallinn: Rahva Sõna, 1929, 51 lk.
Karl Rumor-Ast, Palava päikese ja fanaatilise usu maal: reisukirjad Tseilonist ja Indiast. Tartu: Loodus, 1930-1931, 350 lk (3 osa).
K. Ast, Landesvehri plaanid Eesti vallutamiseks: kuidas Hitleri käsilased tasandavad teed parunite piitsavalitsusele. Tallinn: [s.n.], 1933, 23 lk.
K. Ast-Rumor, Allah ja ta rahwas: tähelepanekuid ja elamusi Marokos. Tallinn: Uus Eesti, 1936, 227 lk.
Karl Ast Rumor, Kahe tule vahel: peatükke eesti rahva iseseisvuse võitlusest sakslaste ja venelaste vallutamise püüete vastu. New York: Üleilmline Eesti Ühing, 1943, 230 lk. [2. trükk: Tartu: Tartumaa, 1999, 135 lk.]
Karl Ast Rumor, Aegade sadestus: olusid, iseloomustusi, hinnanguid. I, Noorusmaa. Lund: Eesti Kirjanike Kooperatiiv, 1963, 311 lk. [2. trükk: Aegade sadestus: I-III, Tallinn: Eesti Raamat, 2004, 573 lk; 3. trükk: Aegade sadestus: I-III, Tallinn: Eesti Päevaleht, 2010, 511 lk.]
Karl Ast Rumor, Aegade sadestus: olusid, iseloomustusi, hinnanguid. II, Punane ja must. Lund: Eesti Kirjanike Kooperatiiv, 1965, 318 lk. [2. trükk: Aegade sadestus: I-III, Tallinn: Eesti Raamat, 2004, 573 lk; 3. trükk: Aegade sadestus: I-III, Tallinn: Eesti Päevaleht, 2010, 511 lk.]
Karl Ast Rumor, Aegade sadestus: olusid, iseloomustusi, hinnanguid. I-III. Toimetanud Hille Lagerspetz; II osa eessõna: Raimond Kolk; järelsõna: Ülo Tonts. Tallinn: Eesti Raamat, 2004, 573 lk. [2. trükk: Tallinn: Eesti Päevaleht, 2010, 511 lk.]
Karl Ast Rumor, Maailma lõpus. Koostaja Hando Runnel. Tartu: Ilmamaa, 2007, 431 lk. [Sari 'Eesti mõttelugu', 74.]
Karl Ast Rumor, Lääs - Ida - Lääs. Maailma lõpus. II. Koostaja: Hando Runnel. Tartu: Ilmamaa, 2008, 383 lk. [Sari 'Eesti mõttelugu', 81.]
Karl Ast Rumor, Tule ja päikese all. Maailma lõpus. III. Koostaja Hando Runnel. Tartu: Ilmamaa, 2009, 303 lk. [Sari 'Eesti mõttelugu', 88.]