The Old Man of Lake Ülemiste
Every so often, an old man rises from the lake above Tallinn and asks the guard at the gate: 'Is the city finished yet?' The answer must always be no.
What was reported
Lake Ülemiste lies on a hill just above Tallinn, the capital of Estonia. In Estonian legend, the Old Man of Ülemiste, a small, grey, bearded figure, lives in the lake. Every so often, especially on dark autumn nights, he comes out and walks to the city gates to ask whether Tallinn is finished.
The guard or whoever he meets must always reply that it isn't, that there's still much to build. If anyone ever says it's complete, the old man will release the waters of the lake, and the city will be flooded.
Explanations offered
The legend reflects the real position of the lake, which sits above the city and is its main water supply. It's also a way of saying that a city is never finished. It's one of the best-known Estonian legends, and a sculpture of the old man stands near the lake.
- When
- Told for centuries
- Where
- Lake Ülemiste, Tallinn, Estonia
- Witnesses
- Estonian folklore
- Status
- Legend
Famous cases are real, widely reported events. Each file sets out what witnesses said and the explanations that have been offered, without taking a side.
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