Walking With Mulks: A Day Through Manor Legends, Southern Estonian Roots, and Ancient Energy Fields

We ventured further south toward Lati (Latvia) and stepped into the culture of Mulgimaa and the Mulks. Our first stop was a manor house gifted to a family by the Russian Queen in 1744, with the main building completed in 1760. The estate once had six pubs and over a thousand workers, and in one year they consumed an unbelievable 60 tons of vodka. The workers had been forced to grow potatoes and produce vodka, and when they resisted, Russian soldiers beat them until they agreed. The man telling us these stories was captivating, full of history and detail about life in the 1700s and 1800s, strict hierarchy, rigid protocol and all. Knowing how much I disliked hierarchy, I joked to myself that I probably would have been beaten often.

Being inside this old mõis (manor) felt surreal. I tried to imagine the lives once lived there, the narrow servant hallways, the separate sides for men and women, and the bell men rang when they wanted the women, which made me laugh. We visited the grand rooms, including the main hall where Alexander the Great had once attended a party, so technically I had walked the same halls as him. Outside, the grounds were stunning, and I could picture the Three Musketeers play that had once been performed in the courtyard. The women’s “bathrooms”, box-like closets built into the house, were another amusing detail.

Near the front door, a trio of trees was said to have an energy field that rejuvenated people by fifteen years. Naturally, we all stepped inside it. I immediately felt goosebumps running up my arms and through my legs from the ground. Others felt shifts too. We continued past a beautiful timber shed toward the old food cellars before heading to our next destination.

The Mulgi Culture Experience Centre, opened in May 2023, was built on a restored old farmhouse and preserved by donation. Because one side of my family descended from Võrumaa and Setomaa, I felt especially connected to this region. Our guide, Robin, dressed in traditional clothing, shared the history of the Mulks, their flag, their language variations, and their past wealth from flax production. He explained how families were once named after their farms, and how the name “Mulgi” spread that way. Inside the centre, we learned about their traditions, linguistic differences, and the cultural loss under Russian occupation, followed by revival after 1991. I loved trying Mulgi pudder again, something Mum used to make.

Our final stop was a castle that now served as a spa and wedding venue. The architecture was regal, the grounds immaculate, and I found myself imagining what it would be like to buy the place and live there. It was a beautiful and fitting end to the day.