The following is a repost from an old blog. I re-read it the other day and decided to share it here, some of you might have seen it before. It’s been edited slightly but mostly remains as it was. Expect normal sporadic posting to resume in a few days. This is something I had a lot of fun researching, so I hope you enjoy! Let me know if you’d like to see more content like this in the future :)
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For an immigrant, a lot of social interaction involves people assuming you're not familiar with cultural references, and then being surprised you're not familiar with cultural references.
Of course I've heard "Twinkle Twinkle Little Star". No, I haven't seen that obscure children's show from the 80s. They try to remind me what it is. I still don't know, but pretend I do, meanwhile wondering how they would react to the 1970's Soviet classic "Hedgehog in the Fog", the psychedelic masterpiece every Russian was brought up on. (I know you're curious, but I'm no fool. I'm not linking you away from here in the first paragraph. You'll get your link later.)
I was born a third generation immigrant in Latvia - a product of the complex geo-political circumstances in the Eastern Bloc. Integration wasn't a concept, so I was raised on fairy tales, fables, songs, and imagery of Russian folklore, not Latvian.
That's not to say that my adopted culture and the telenovela-like fates of Baltic celestial beings don't have a special place in my heart. Note that Latvian, Estonian, and Lithuanian interpretations differ to varying degrees, so don't embarrass yourself in front of any Estonians after reading this. This is just for the Latvians. Latvian Eyes Only. And Russian spies [this joke did not age well huh?].
Without further ado, welcome to FACLFEW, The First Annual Conference on Latvian Folklore and Ethnographic Writings.
Keynote speaker: Me.
In attendance: You.
Talking about folklore is hard. There is no timeline and no main protagonist. Centuries of Christianity may have made god [Dievs] a central character, but the Balts were pagans. Even the symbol that was used for god used to symbolise the sky. Eventually Latvian folklorists and the pope did a special handshake and decided that sky is god and the symbol is to mean both. The sky is often referred to as a sky mountain, ice mountain, etc. That's rich considering Latvia is a total flatland that doesn't boast a single actual mountain.
Right, this next part isn't really relevant, but it's really hot gossip that I can't not share. As with any great drama, the truth is whatever you want to believe.
According to Sun [Saule], she was married to Moon [Mēness], but the little weasel cheated on her with Auseklis (the morning star). As punishment, Thunder [Pērkons] split Moon in half.
Thunder swears to god (I mean sky. I mean ice mountain.) he was married to Saule, but she cheated on him with Moon, which is why Thunder split the bastard in half.
Moon lawyered up and swore under oath that Thunder was totally obsessed with Sun, but she wanted to marry Moon, and did so in secret. Thunder, in a fit of jealous rage, split Moon in half.
Either way Sun ends up alone, Moon ends up split in half, and Thunder is pacing back and forth, grunting, and flexing his muscles. And if you still feel for Thunder, just know, that his symbol is a swastika.
I found this pyramid online, and I think it contains the most common celestial beings and deities. This drawing is mine, which is why it looks terrible. Trust me though, it's much easier to understand if you aren't fluent in Latvian. I also added some explanations and colours. Don't say I don't get you anything.
Here are three reasons, why ethnographic writings are cool:
1. Each symbol has hundreds of different modifications. What matters is its "skeleton". They get so complicated that to decipher them you need a specially trained person.
2. It's a language. Latvian traditional dress is embroidered with hundreds of these ethnographic symbols. Together they form ornaments that are unique for every family, like scottish tartan.
3. The writings don't just symbolise celestial beings. The beings themselves represent a wish, or a message. They were thought to carry their own energy and are used in meditation and various healing rituals.
I was going to draw some furniture incorporating the symbols, but I decided making my own ornament would be more fun. Look out, however, for a post in the future with some folklore-inspired furniture designs [You can subscribe for free here... ;)]. Here are the main symbols I chose to use in my ornament:
And here is the result:
I wanted my ornament to symbolise the connection to all natural elements (except for Thunder, f*** Thunder): water (Mara’s water sign), Sun and its force, summer solstice, and the tree of life. Austra’s Tree symbol presented upwards as well as down symbolises our link to our ancestors and those who have passed, while the branches going up represent the living. At the top I put the basic Moon sign and Mara’s cross, which will help give me direction during the day and night. It’s also a symbol for protection, as Mara is the protector of women. The basic structure is three chevrons for Laima, as everything is based on fate and luck. I hope you like it. It was a very meditative and fun exercise. I actually made several, but this one is my favourite.
I love ethnographic writings. They are sort of the first attempts of people at organised design, and they were used to attribute value and meaning to seemingly everyday objects and situations. Maybe next time we create something we could spare a thought for Baltic pagans. For their moving connection to the natural world around them. What energy am I passing onto this object? What is its message?
This exploratory work doesn't feel done, but I should be finishing up. I hope, however, that with this incomplete account I managed to do some justice to the wonderful world of Latvian Folklore and Ethnographic Writings. I thank you for your attention. Please do stay for tea, biscuits, a subtitled viewing of Hedgehog in the Fog [I keep my promises, you can go watch it now], and a friendly discussion afterwards.