Transcript Latvju rakstu zīmes

Dace Prauliņš
[email protected]
Latvian mythology
and its interpretation
in folk art and songs
Outline

Sky deities

Earth and water deities

Others
Dievs - God
Word originates from proto-Indo-European
root deiw- meaning “to shine” – gave rise
to deiwos – name of a sky god » Latin
Jovis, Greek Zeus, Anglo-Saxon Tiw – god
of sky and war (Tuesday!)
 Christian missionaries chose Dievs to
represent Christian God but traditionally
symbol represents sky – roof over earth
 Dievs maintains order in the world,
nothing happens without his knowledge –
wise old man with white beard

Dievs - God

Klusat, jauni, klusat, veci,
Dievs ienāca istabā,
Dievs ienāca istabā,
Vaicā nama saimenieku.

Augsti dzied cīrulīts
Par visiem putniņiem;
Augsta Dieva valdīšana
Par visiem kundziņiem.

Es piedzimu bez naudiņas,
Bez gudrā padomiņa.
Dieviņš man naudu deva,
Laima gudru padomiņu.
Dievs - God
Translations of folk songs
 Be quiet, the young, be quiet, the old, God
came into the room, God came into the
room asking for the master of the house.
 The lark sings higher than any other bird;
God’s rule is higher than that of any lord.
 I was born without any money, without
any good advice; God gave me money,
Laima good advice.

Dieva zīme - God’s symbol
Saule - Sun



One of the most important deities – driven across
the sky in horse-drawn chariot of gold – looks
after the soul and the life beyond
Goddess of the sun and fertility, patroness of
unfortunate people, especially orphans who she
protects like a mother by warming them
(historically many children orphaned because of
the many wars on Latvian territory)
Mother of saules meitas (sun’s daughters) –
suitors include dieva dēli (god’s sons), dievs
(god), mēness (moon), auseklis (morning star)
Saule

Jauni puiši nezināja,
Kur Saulīte nakti guļ:
Jūras vidū uz akmiņi
Garas niedres galiņā.

Velk Saulīte zīda kleitu,
Liek sudraba vainadziņu,
Liek sudraba vainadziņu
Zeltītām lapiņām.

Kas to teica, kas redzēja,
Kas Saulīte meita bija?
Mēnestiņis, tas redzēja,
Tas nojēma vaiņadziņu.
Saule
Translations of folk songs
 Young guys didn’t know where the Sun
sleeps at night: in the middle of the sea
on a stone at the end of a long reed.
 The Sun put on a silk dress, puts a silver
crown on her head, puts on a silver crown
with golden leaves.
 Who said that, who saw that when the
Sun was a young girl? The Moon, he saw
that, he took off her crown.

Saules zīme – sun symbol
Saule
Pērkons - Thunder
Deity of fertility and weather – controls
thunder, lightning and rain - importance of
rain equal to sun – sacrifices made to god
to prevent droughts and floods
 Forests were domain of god, symbolised
by tall oak trees
 Sign symbolises light, fire, life, health and
prosperity – crossed lightning bolts – can
roll over the earth without harming it or
can damage the earth if the spokes get
caught in it

Pērkons - Thunder

Pērkoņa mātei
Deviņi dēli:
Trīs sita bungas,
Trīs stabulēja,
Trīs laida migliņu
Avotu lejā.

Ej, pērkon, vecais tēvs,
Ko tās tavas meitas dara?
- Manas meitas pakaļ gāja,
Smalku lietu sijādamas.

Kalējs kala debesīs,
Ogles bira Daugavā:
Saules meitas saktu kala,
Dieva dēla zobentiņu.
Pērkons - Thunder

Translations of folk songs
The mother of Thunder had nine sons:
three played the drums, three played the
flute and three let the mist into the valley
of the spring.
 Hey, Thunder, old man, what are those
daughters of yours doing? My daughters
followed me, sifting fine rain.
 The smith was forging in the heavens, the
coals fell into the River Daugava: the
Sun’s daughters were forging a brooch
and a sword for God’s son.

Pērkona/uguns krusts, Laimas krusts Thunder/fire cross, Laima’s cross
Mēness - Moon
God of war – participated in battle – had a
sword of diamonds and wore clothes
woven of stars
 Protector of soldiers and travellers
 Moon’s power became a symbol of
warriors who wore moon symbols for
protection
 One of the suitors of the sun or her
daughters

Mēness - Moon

Saule bāra Mēnestiņu,
Kam tas dienu netecēja.
Mēnestiņis atbildēja:
Tev dieniņa, man naksniņa.

Spīdi gaiši, mēnesnīca,
Gar maniem lodziņiem;
Nav man vasku, ne svecīšu,
Ne skaliņu plēsājiņa.

Kur tecēji, mēnestiņi,
Ar to zvaigžņu puduriņu?
- Karā eimu, karā teku,
Jauniem vīriem palīgā.
Mēness - Moon




Translations of folk songs
The Sun scolded the Moon, why wasn’t he out
and about during the day. The Moon replied, you
have the day, I have the night.
Shine brightly, Moon, past my windows; I have
neither wax, nor candles, nor tools to make
kindling.
Where were you going, Moon, with that cluster of
stars? I am heading off to war, going to war, to
help the young men.
Mēness zīme – Moon symbol
Auseklis – Morning Star


Equivalent of Venus –
protects sleeping souls
from evil
One of the suitors of
Saule
Auseklis – Morning Star

Auseklitis agri lēca,
Saules meitas gribedams;
Lec, Saulite, pate agri,
Nedod meitas Ausekļam.

Saul' sacirta Mēnestiņu
Ar aso zobentiņu,
Kam atņēma Ausekļam
Saderetu līgaviņu.

Trīs rītiņi neredzēja
Auseklīša uzlecam:
Saules meita ieslēguse
Ozoliņa kambarī.
Auseklis – Morning Star
Translations of folk songs
 The Morning Star rose early wanting the
Sun’s daughters; Sun, rise early yourself,
don’t give your daughters to the Morning
Star.
 The Sun cut the Moon with a sharp sword,
why did he take the Morning Star’s bride?
 For three mornings the Morning Star was
not seen rising: the Sun’s Daughter locked
him into an oak chamber.

Laima – Goddess of destiny
Name derives from laime – “happiness”
and “luck”
 Goddess of human destiny: determines
whether life will be short or long, affluent
or poverty-stricken, carefree or full of
worry
 Determines moment of death, sometimes
arguing about it with Dievs
 Also looks after women giving birth –
babies were delivered in the sauna as this
was away from the house

Laima

Laima raud, mūžiņš raud,
Abi divi gauži raud.
Ko, Laimiņa, tu raudaji,
Pati mūža licejiņa?

Šur man teica, tur man
teica
Ļaudis miežu arajiņu.
Vēl jau pate nezinaju,
Kur Laimiņa audzinaja.

Vaj es viena mātes meita
Uz pirtiņu ceļu gāju:
I Laimiņa pakaļ gāja,
Plaši matus izlaiduse.
Laima




Translations of folk songs
Laima is crying, life is crying, both of them are
crying bitterly. Why are you crying, Laima, you
yourself are the one that decides life.
Here they told me, there the people told me
about a barley ploughman; I still didn’t know
myself where Laima was bringing him up.
Oh dear, I, a mother’s daughter (woman) was
going to the sauna alone; Laima followed me
from behind with her hair spread out wide.
Laimas zīme - Laima’s symbol
Laimas slotiņa - Laima’s broom
Māra
Goddess of birth and death; protector of
women and children; goddess of the
hearth; goddess of earth and water –
rivers, lakes and seas - responsible for
every living thing; associated with
childbirth and with death
 One symbol is inverted god’s symbol
 Another is four crosses – symbol of hearth
and home - Mara provided bread and fire
 Zigzag represents water – rivers, lakes,
seas

Māra



Mīļa Māra dusmas tura
Uz jaunām sieviņām,
Kam tās gāja pliku galvu,
Ar basām kājiņām.
Es atradu mīļu Māru
Pirtes taku ravējam;
Es pametu visu darbu,
Teku, līdzu noravēt.
“Mīļā Māra, eji tā cilvēka
laidarā, nesi līdz deviņas
slaucenes, pieslauc tās ar
pienu, dodi labu krējumu
un sviestu kā mālus.
Aizdzeni tās raganas,
pieķellē tām acis, lai tās
vairs neredz tā cilvēka
lopiņus.”
Māra




Translations of folk songs
Dear Mara was angry with the young wives, why
did they go bare-headed and with bare feet.
I found dear Mara weeding the path to the
sauna; I stopped all my work and go to weed
with her.
Dear Mara, go to that person’s farm, take with
you nine milk pails, milk them full of milk, give
good cream and butter like clay. Send those
witches packing; stuff their eyes so that they
don’t see that person’s animals. (It was the
witches who were responsible for any problems
with the farm animals.)
Māras zīme - Mara’s symbol
Māras līklocis/ūdeņi –
Mara’s zigzag/waters
Māra – Krusta krusts –
cross of the cross
Ūsiņš – celestial charioteer
First known as god of light; later keeper of
the horses and bees - takes care of
livestock in summer
 His day is 23 April when animals were let
out for the first time
 Drives the sun’s chariot across the sky
with his two horses
 Symbol – diamond represents sun’s
chariot, the two Es are the horses

Ūsiņš

Ūsiņš jāja pieguļā
Ar deviņi kumeliņi;
Es tecēju vārtu vērt,
Man atdeva devīto.

Paldies, zirgu Ūsainīti,
Par kumeļu barošanu!
Vai izvedu, vai
aizjūdzu,
Noturēti nevarēju.
Ūsiņš
Translation of folk songs
 Ūsiņš was riding on the night watch with
nine horses; I went to open the gate, he
gave me the ninth.
 Thank you, (horse) Ūsiņš, for feeding the
horses. Whether I took them out or
harnessed them, I couldn’t hold them.

Ūsiņš
Mārtiņš – keeper of horses
 Guards
horses and livestock during
winter from 10 November
 Historically Latvia was attacked by
tribes across the ice in winter so
Mārtiņš protected warriors who were
guarding the farms
 Symbol possibly two fighting cocks,
or a development of the Jumis
symbol
Mārtiņš – keeper of horses

Ej Mārtiņ, labais vīrs,
Baro manus kumeliņus;
Sukādams, barodams,
Sēsties siles galiņā.

Kas tur dīc, kas tur rīb,
Ap to mūsu istabiņu?
Mārtiņš gaili dancī veda,
Ap istabu tekādams.
Mārtiņš – keeper of horses
Translation of folk songs
 Martin, good man, go and feed my horses;
grooming, feeding, sitting on the edge of
the trough.
 What’s buzzing there, what’s clattering
there around our room? Martin’s taking
the cockerel for a dance, going around the
room.

Jumis

Field and fertility god,
symbolised by twoeared stalk of grain
Jumis

Jumītim klēti taisu,
Deviņiem apcirkņiem;
Ka vārēja ielīgot,
Ar visām galviņām.

Jumis veda Jumaliņu
Rudzu ziedu vizināt;
No kalniņa lejiņā.
Kūpēt kūp kumeliņi.
Jumis
Translations of folk songs
 I’m making a barn for Jumis with nine
corn bins; we could sing it in (welcome it)
with all the heads.
 Jumis took his lady for a ride in the rye;
down the hill into the valley. The horses
are steaming.

Jumis
Jānis




Summer solstice deity
Son of Dievs; fertility
god
Name could be
adaptation of John the
Baptist
Festival on 23 June –
ritual fires must shine
light as far as possible
to ensure fertility
therefore built on a
pole or at the top of
hill
Zalktis – grass snake


Serpent – protected by Laima – harming one
brings bad luck
Symbol connected with well-being
Krusts - cross



One of oldest symbols
In Latvia examples
found from the 8th
century in knitted and
textile items – used
for protection
Meteni, Meteni,
Kur liki pīrāgu?
Klētī plauktā,
Krustinš virsū.
Krusts - cross
Translation of folk song
 Meteni, Meteni*, where did you put the
pie? In the barn, on a shelf with a cross in
the middle.
 *Meteņi – 10 February – end of winter

Austras koks – the tree of Austra


Symbolises sunrise
Sun slept in the
Austras koks during
the night
References - text
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Kraukle D. (2006) Latviešu rakstu zīmes. Riga,
Jumava
http://www.pantheon.org/areas/mythology/europ
e/latvian/
http://www.liis.folklora
http://www.pbla.lv/izglitiba/raksti.htm
http://www.ailab.lv/kultura/orn01.htm
http://www.pbla.lv/izglitiba/ornamenti.htm
References - illustrations
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
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Images of folk art: http://www.ailab.lv/kultura/orn01.htm
Orange symbols:
http://www.rigasummit.lv/en/id/cats/nid/697/
Grey symbols: http://www.pbla.lv/izglitiba/ornamenti.htm
http://zagarins.net/Latvjuraksti/Trauki/index.html (beer
tankard)
http://www.dievturi.org/gasdkarta.htm (glass sun)