In Search of Hiis

Elias Gates-Kass

“In search of Hiis” is a visual project where I set out to rediscover and explore the spiritual side of my Estonian heritage. A Hiis site is a place of pagan worship hidden in nature. It is believed that the forest is the being that life draws its energy from and that the spirits dwell in the rocks, animals and trees. My project will be exploring the Estonian pagan tradition of Hiis sites and is meant to be a meditative exercise for myself as well the viewer of the work by reintroducing the natural elements that go unappreciated in modern day life.

The mixed media installation is comprised of eight photographic prints presented in chronological order followed by a looping video. The first four photographs in the series are from two different solo hiking trips into Algonquin park where my initial goal was to find a Hiis site of my own. I didn’t succeed in finding a Hiis site on either expedition however, they were both successful exercises in practicing mindfulness in nature as my ancestors once did. Still in search of a Hiis site, I decided to revisit one that I had been first shown as a child. The final four photographs as well as the video were taken at the Estonian scout camp “Kotkajarve” where I was first taught about traditional Estonian spirituality and was shown the Hiis site on the camp property. That being said, the Hiis site at Kotkajarve was hard for me to find because I had not been there in over 5 years. I had a general idea of where the Hiis site was and knew that there was a ceremonial rock fireplace that I needed to look for. Going out in search of this site became my attempt at rediscovering, and partaking in the roots of my Estonian heritage. Eventually I was able to find the Hiis site and there are two photographs in the series which depict this very location. Finally, the video at the end is of me lighting a sacred fire where I silently give thanks to the forest spirits.