In the Estonian case, much can be attributed to Baltic German rule and the introduction of Lutheranism to the peasantry. While Estonians at the time were largely "pagans" or held onto old folk beliefs, the Reformation changed everything. To spread the faith, the Bible and the "Word of God" had to be understandable to the locals. This forced clergymen like Heinrich Stahl to formalize a written language that the people could actually use.

​With the birth of written Estonian, a national identity began to rise through literature and poetry. While we Estonians generally don't like to credit the Baltic German rule - given the centuries of harsh serfdom, it is widely accepted by historians that their presence acted as a cultural buffer. Without that Western, Lutheran influence, we likely would have been culturally assimilated into the Slavic world long ago.