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Dievturība
Dievturība is a neopagan movement which is a modern revival of the ethnic religion of the Latvians before Christianization in the 13th century. Adherents call themselves Dievturi (singular: Dievturis), literally "Dievs' keepers", "people who live in harmony with Dievs". The movement is mainly based on Latvian folklore, folk songs and Latvian mythology. The Dievturi movement was founded in 1925 by Ernests Brastiņš and Kārlis Marovskis-Bregžis. It was forcibly suppressed by Soviets in 1940, but lived on in émigré communities and was re-registered in Latvia in 1990. In 2016, a social media survey found that 20% of Latvians identified their religious affiliation as "Latvian religion."Nastevics, Ugis. (2018). Latvian Religion – Dievturība?. Religiski-Filozofiski Raksti. XXIV. 82-104. Of those 20%, 81% who declared themselves “dievturis”, 1% “Dievs, Laima, Māra – folk religion”, 9% “latviskā dzīvesziņa (‘Latvian worldview’)”, 6% “a Latvian”, 2% ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Ernests Brastiņš
Ernests Brastiņš (19 March 1892 – 28 January 1942) was a Latvian artist, amateur historian, folklorist and archaeologist. He is known as the founder and driving force behind the neopagan religion Dievturība, which he started in the 1920s and which was re-established after the fall of the Soviet Union. Biography Ernests Brastiņš was educated at the Stieglitz Art Academy in Saint Petersburg from 1911 to 1915. After military service in World War I and the Latvian War of Independence he became the director of the Latvian War Museum. During his time at the museum he studied Latvian history, Latvian ethnography, folk art and symbols, and investigated around 300 Latvian hill forts and the folklore connected to them. In 1925, Brastiņš co-wrote a neopagan manifesto with Kārlis Marovskis-Bregžis, titled ''Latviešu dievturības atjaunojums'' (). This marked the beginning of Dievturība, a Baltic neopagan religion based on pre-Christian Baltic religion, Latvian folk culture, ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Arvīds Brastiņš
Arvīds Brastiņš (13 April 1893 – 15 November 1984) was a Latvian sculptor, writer and neopagan leader. He was educated at the Saint Petersburg Stieglitz State Academy of Art and Design and began to exhibit his folklore-inspired sculptures in 1918. He worked as a schoolteacher and was active as a writer, writing about Latvian folklore and publishing collections of folksongs. Brastiņš was the brother of Ernests Brastiņš who founded the Baltic neopagan movement Dievturība in the 1920s. Both brothers became major intellectual leaders within this movement. Resettled in the United States after the Soviet occupation of Latvia, Arvīds Brastiņš led an émigré continuation of the movement until his death. Early life and work Arvīds Brastiņš was born in (now Limbaži Municipality) in Kreis Riga, Governorate of Livonia on 13 April 1893 as the son of the blacksmith Augusts Brastiņš. The family moved to Riga when he was seven years old and later to the village Dikli. He wa ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Latvian Mythology
Latvian mythology is the collection of myths that have emerged throughout the history of Latvia, sometimes being elaborated upon by successive generations, and at other times being rejected and replaced by other explanatory narratives. These myths stem from folk traditions of the Latvian people and pre-Christian Baltic mythology. Latvian mythology is used particularly as a tool for reconstructing and analysing the historical pagan beliefs and national identity of Latvia. It is important to note that the minute details of most, if not all of these myths vary per region and sometimes even family. History 13th–18th century There are few reports of Baltic tribes, the ancestors of modern Latvians, and their mythology until Christianization in the 13th century. Since Christianization, there have been several reports related to local mythology including chronicles, travel reports, visitation records, Jesuit reports and other accounts of pagan practices. These reports are considered ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Latvian People
Latvians ( lv, latvieši) are a Baltic ethnic group and nation native to Latvia and the immediate geographical region, the Baltics. They are occasionally also referred to as Letts, especially in older bibliography. Latvians share a common Latvian language, Latvian culture, culture and History of Latvia, history. History A Balto-Finnic languages, Balto-Finnic-speaking tribe known as the Livonian people, Livs settled among the Latvians and modulated the name to "Latvis", meaning "forest-clearers", which is how medieval Germany, German, Teutons, Teutonic settlers also referred to these peoples. The Germanic peoples, Germanic settlers referred to the natives as "Letts" and the nation to "Lettland", naming their colony Livonia or Livland. The Latin form, ''Livonia'', gradually referred to the whole territory of modern-day Latvia as well as southern Estonia, which had fallen under a minimal Germanic influence. Latvians and Lithuanians are the only surviving members of the Baltic Bal ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Modern Paganism
Modern paganism, also known as contemporary paganism and neopaganism, is a term for a religion or family of religions influenced by the various historical pre-Christian beliefs of pre-modern peoples in Europe and adjacent areas of North Africa and the Near East. Although they share similarities, contemporary pagan movements are diverse, and do not share a single set of beliefs, practices, or texts. Scholars of religion may characterise these traditions as new religious movements. Some academics who study the phenomenon treat it as a movement that is divided into different religions while others characterize it as a single religion of which different pagan faiths are denominations. Because of these different approaches there is disagreement on when or if the term ''pagan'' should be capitalized, though specialists in the field of pagan studies tend towards capitalisation. Prominent modern pagan religions include Wicca, Druidry, Heathenry, Rodnovery, and the Goddess movement ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
The First Latvian National Awakening
The First Latvian National Awakening or the First Awakening ( lv, Pirmā Atmoda) was a cultural and national revival movement between 1850 and 1880 among the Young Latvians, a group of well-educated Latvians, who, opposed to the Baltic German dominance in Livonia and Courland Governorates, created the basis for the modern Latvian nation state. It was influenced by the European romantic nationalism movements of Young Germans and Czech National Revival. Most of their efforts were spent on educating Latvians, criticizing Germans and removing the stigma from Latvian language, traditions and culture. The movement started after 1850 in the University of Tartu, which then was the highest place of education in Livonian Governorate and was attended by around 30 ethnic Latvian students. Krišjānis Valdemārs, a student from Courland, posted in his dorm room a note identifying himself as a Latvian, which was unheard of at the time. Very soon a group of 10-13 students grew around him; they ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
New Latvians
New Latvians ( lv, jaunlatvieši) is the term most often applied to the intellectuals of the First Latvian National Awakening ( lv, Tautas atmoda), active from the 1850s to the 1880s. The movement was modeled on the Young Germany (german: Junges Deutschland) movement led by Heinrich Heine. Originally a derogatory epithet applied to these nationalist intellectuals by their mostly Baltic German opponents, the term "Young Latvia" (german: "ein junges Lettland") was first used by Gustav Wilhelm Sigmund Brasche, the pastor of Nīca, in a review of Juris Alunāns' ''Dziesmiņas latviešu valodai pārtulkotas'' ("Little Songs Translated for the Latvian Language") in the newspaper ''Das Inland'' in 1856. Asking who could appreciate such literature in Latvian (Alunāns' book was the first major translation of classic foreign poetry into Latvian), Brasche warned that those daring to dream of "a Young Latvia" would meet the tragic fate of the boatman in Heine's poe"Die Lorelei,"a translation ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Valdemārs Ozoliņš
Valdemārs Ozoliņš (5 November 1896 Vestiena parish – 15 February 1973, Pueblo, Colorado, USA) was a Latvian composer and conductor. Valdemārs Ozoliņš songs have been treasured by choirs ever since his triumphant debut during the VI Latvian Song Festival in Riga, Latvia in 1926. The author of about 500 songs and several cantatas, Valdemārs Ozoliņš was chief conductor at several Latvian Song Festivals. Biography Valdemārs Ozoliņš was born November 5, 1896 in Vestiena, in the Governorate of Livonia (present-day Latvia). His parents were farmers. He attended school in Vestiena, enrolled the conservatory of St Petersburg 1914, later in Moscow, and in 1921 the composition and conducting classes of the conservatory in Riga, Latvia, which he graduated in 1931. In Riga he was the substitute of the conductor Teodors Reiters. Valdemārs Ozoliņš song “Papardes zieds” – "The fern flower" (text by K. Krūza) was received very well at the VI Latvian Song Festival in ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Viktors Eglītis
Viktors Eglītis (15 April 1877 – 20 April 1945) was a Latvian writer and art theorist. He was a leading figure in the Latvian decadent movement and an introducer of modernist poetics. Early life Viktors Eglītis was born in Sarkaņi Parish on 15 April 1877. After dropping out of an Orthodox Christian seminary in Vitebsk, Eglītis studied drawing in Penza and enrolled at Maria Tenisheva's art studio in Saint Petersburg. There he became acquainted with the ideas of the Russian Silver Age and several of its prominent figures. Literary career Back in Latvia, he adapted the ideas of Russian symbolism for Latvian literature and art theory. In 1902, he used the term "decadence" to designate his writings. In various articles, he laid out his poetics which were opposed to moral schemes, abstraction and realism, and instead promoted artistic individualism. He was well received by a number of young writers, who along with Eglītis wanted to refocus the language of poetry, which w ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Jēkabs Bīne
Jēkabs Bīne (11 April 1895 – 24 October 1955) was a Latvian painter, stained glass artist, teacher and art critic. Biography Jēkabs Bīne was born in Riga in 1895 in merchant family. He studied at the Riga City Art School (1913–1915), Kharkov Art School (1915–1918) and the Art Academy of Latvia (1921–1926). His graduation work from Jānis Tilbergs' figurative painting class at the Art Academy was the painting ''Resurrection''. He held teaching positions throughout his life: at the Art Studio of the Latvian People University (1928–1940), Riga People University, Institute of Housekeeping in (1932–1939), at the Riga State Art of Craft School (1933–1944), at the School of the Riga society of painters (1936-1939), at the Art Academy of Latvia (1942–1944), at the Kuldiga Secondary Art School (1944–1951), and at combine "Art" (1951–1955). His first solo exhibition was held in 1917. In the 1920s he painted Christian subjects, including the altarpieces for t ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Dievas
Lithuanian Dievas, Latvian Dievs, Latgalian Dīvs, Old Prussian Dìews, Yotvingian Deivas was the primordial supreme god in the Baltic mythology and one of the most important deities together with Perkūnas and he was brother of Potrimpo. He was the god of sky, prosperity, wealth, ruler of gods, and creator of universe. Dievas is a direct successor of the Proto-Indo-European supreme sky father god *Dyēus of the root ''*deiwo-''. Its Proto-Baltic form was *''Deivas''. Dievas had two sons Dievo sūneliai (Lithuanian) or Dieva dēli (Latvian) known as the Heavenly Twins. In recent Lithuanian and Latvian, this word may refer to the deity of any kind (Pagan, Christian, fictional and the like). In English, Dievas may be used as a word to describe the God (or, the supreme god) in the pre-Christian religion of Balts, where Dievas was understood to be the supreme being of the world. In Lithuanian and Latvian, it is also used to describe God as it is understood by major world re ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Dievs
Lithuanian Dievas, Latvian Dievs, Latgalian Dīvs, Old Prussian Dìews, Yotvingian Deivas was the primordial supreme god in the Baltic mythology and one of the most important deities together with Perkūnas and he was brother of Potrimpo. He was the god of sky, prosperity, wealth, ruler of gods, and creator of universe. Dievas is a direct successor of the Proto-Indo-European supreme sky father god *Dyēus of the root ''*deiwo-''. Its Proto-Baltic form was *''Deivas''. Dievas had two sons Dievo sūneliai (Lithuanian) or Dieva dēli (Latvian) known as the Heavenly Twins. In recent Lithuanian and Latvian, this word may refer to the deity of any kind (Pagan, Christian, fictional and the like). In English, Dievas may be used as a word to describe the God (or, the supreme god) in the pre-Christian religion of Balts, where Dievas was understood to be the supreme being of the world. In Lithuanian and Latvian, it is also used to describe God as it is understood by major world re ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
