LATVIANS (LATVIEŠU) Verified listing

The territory of the various sub-ethnic groups (Zemgales, Latgales, Selonians, Couronians) from which the modern Latvians (ethnonym Lat-) originate experienced Western incursions as early as the twelfth century. Conquered in the thirteenth century, the Latvians were gradually evangelized (in practice until the end of the seventeenth century) and suffered the repercussions of the policies of the “Northern powers” and of Russia. Initially excluded from the landowning nobility, the Latvians succeeded in reconciling their rich folkloric heritage with the contributions of European culture (architecture, linguistics, comparative mythology). The eight volumes edited by K. Barons (1922) contained 35,789 mythological songs, or daiņas, and in 1929 Latvian folkloric collections numbered 467,000 variants. This constitutes the principal monument of a living national identity.

The Second World War and its aftermath severely tested Latvia, politically and demographically. The resurrection of Latvia is the victory of a strong popular consciousness supported, as in the nineteenth century, by its traditional heritage: solstice festivals (Līgo) and choral song festivals served as weapons against political and spiritual obliteration.

The Latvian flag dates back to the thirteenth century. A legendary origin is attributed to it: during a battle, a white tunic was stained with blood or with berry juice (which is the authentic colour), except at the belt. Adopted as the state flag in 1921, it again became official in Latvia itself in 1989.

A symbol of national rebirth is the image of Auseklis, the Morning Star, represented by a St Andrew’s cross pierced to form eight points (each double point also appearing on the solar rays of the state coat of arms). It is originally a cosmological sign: the central quadrilateral, whether delineated or not, represents the earth and the realm of the ancestors. From it extend four arms that prolong the sides, like “a projection of the World Tree into the horizontal plane.” The angles of the central quadrilateral indicate the four cardinal directions (+), while the diagonal branches correspond to “the extreme azimuths of sunrise and sunset on the days of the solstices in the Baltic area.” “In textile models, such a cosmogram is strongly geometrized” (V. Staižis and L. Klimka, “The Cosmology of the Ancient Balts,” in Archaeoastronomy, 22, JHA xviii, 1997, p. 69).