You can help expand this article with text translated from the corresponding article in Estonian. (June 2018) Click [show] for important translation instructions.
Machine translation, like DeepL or Google Translate, is a useful starting point for translations, but translators must revise errors as necessary and confirm that the translation is accurate, rather than simply copy-pasting machine-translated text into the English Wikipedia.
Do not translate text that appears unreliable or low-quality. If possible, verify the text with references provided in the foreign-language article.
You must provide copyright attribution in the edit summary accompanying your translation by providing an interlanguage link to the source of your translation. A model attribution edit summary is Content in this edit is translated from the existing Estonian Wikipedia article at [[:et:Vanapagan]]; see its history for attribution.
You may also add the template {{Translated|et|Vanapagan}} to the talk page.
In Estonian mythology, Vanatühi ("Old empty one", or alternatively, Vanapagan, "Old devil") is a/the devil or god of the underworld, a giant farmer who is more stupid than malevolent.
Vanapagan is the ogre character in Estonian versions of the series of internationally known folktales of the stupid ogre, tale types 1000–1199 in the Aarne–Thompson classification system. In these stories, he is outwitted by his servant Kaval Ants (Crafty Hans).[1]
Among these folktales is the tale of Vanapagan stealing the musical instrument belonging to the god of lightning Pikne, representing the international tale type "The Ogre Steals the Thunder's Instruments (Pipe, Sack, etc.)" (No. 1148B in the Aarne–Thompson classification system).
He is also the worst enemy of Suur Tõll, a giant known in the folklore of the island Saaremaa. Tõll is decapitated during a battle with Vanatühi's forces.
Vanatühi sometimes wears a hat of fingernails (Estonian: küüntest kübar) that makes him invisible.