The ghost guardians of Kalevipoeg's grave at Kivinõmme

Iisaku folk tradition says that when Kalevipoeg's legs were cut off at Kuremäe, the hero dragged himself on his stumps to Kivinõmme, where he was buried. A barrel of gold is said to lie in his grave, but nobody can lift it. Whoever starts to dig 'will see ghosts': many have tried, and every time they were driven off by fierce dogs or furious bulls appearing out of nowhere. Treasure hunters nonetheless dug into the sandy hill again and again, turning the legend into a long-running series of searches. Today Kivinõmme is a quiet forest area near Iisaku in Alutaguse, close to the vast forests of north-eastern Estonia.