God and Heaven
God, the highest deity of ancient Latvia, was the embodiment of greatness and power.
The dainas tell us that God's wisdom was higher than that of man, and that only with God's
help an blessing could man achieve his aims on earth. One well known daina describes how a
person is constantly aware of God: conscious of Him in the morning, during the day, and at
night. The dainas indicate that God dwells on high, in the heavens. Thus, in design, the arc
of heaven and God are inseparable concepts, symbolized by an inverted V, like a tent.
A line unders its base denotes the earthmother, on whom the arc of heaven rests. The circle
at the apex of the triangle signifies the sun; sometimes this is accompanied by two other
circles on the left and the right.
This symbol is among the most ancient in Latvian handicraft, and is found on jewellery
dating from the early Iron Age. Embellished with lines and dots, it forms rich ornamental
borders from the middle and late Iron Age.
Sun Pillar
The symbol has also appeared in the shape of two triangles joined by a circle.
The Cult of Light
Included in this group are the deities of the sun, the moon, the stars, and the dawn goddess Austra. A great many Latvian designs use these symbols, the most favoured being the sun, the bearer of life.
The Sun
The design was originally a simple circle, which evolved over the years into many variations. Sun designs now usually consist of eight parts, and are most often found in Latgale and Central Vidzeme.
The Moon
Ancient belief looks on the crescent moon as the bearer of death, and this may be the reason why the moon symbol is rarely used in folk art. The moon was the symbol of warriors, and has been found on men's bracelets from the Iron Age. Moon-shaped pins and pendants also date from the same period.
The Moon-Cross
Of much later origin is the so-called moon-cross, which consist of four moon symbols. The moon-cross is often found in knitting designs from historic times, and more rarely in embroidered shawls or wraps.
Cross-hatch Star
One of the most ancient designs is that of the star - a simple cross-hatch to begin with. People believed that the stars guarded againts evil at night, and this symbol has been found on textiles and jewellery as early as the Iron Age.
Auseklis
A later development is the symbolf of the morning star, Auseklis, which consists of two cross-hatch stars superimposed at a 45-degree angle. This latter symbol is very popular in Latvian folk art.
Austra's Tree
Latvian dainas tell of the tree of light, or of the dawn - Austra - from which the sun rises in the morning. This tree is seen as having golden branched, copper roots, and silver leaves, and is sometimes known also as the tree of the sun. On textiles from both shores of the Daugava, in Latgale and Vidzeme, occasionally also in Kurzeme, a great many beautiful tree-like designs have been found, which may be regarded as geometric depictions of Austra's tree. Austra's trees are often decorated with sun-symbols.
The Cross
The simple cross figure antedates Christianity by centuries. It had magical significance for Latvians, and is connected with stars in the dainas. It appears in the late Iron Age and later on textiles and knitted work.
The Cross of Crosses
More highly regarded was the cross of crosses. This symbols is composed of four crosses, and was often hewn into sacrificial stones. The cross of crosses was used from the Bronze and Iron Ages on into historic times in all parts of Latvia.
The Sign of Thunder - Fire Cross
The sign of thunder, known to western culture as the swastika, is one of the most ancient symbols in the world and has been used by all nations. The Latvian sign of thunder symbolizes light, fire, life, health and prosperity. No other nation has used the swastika so widely, nor developed so many variations of it as the Latvians
In folklore, the god of thunder, the heavenly blacksmith, is one of the most important deities. He ripens grain, and banishes demons with lightning. The dainas mention crossed lightning bolts, which are the most dangerous, since they set fire immediately to whatever they touch. Crossed bolts were depicted on a very old brooch. The fire cross can easily be developed from this pattern.
The Serpent
With the sign of the serpent, Latvians symbolized a deity which must have been significantly connected with general well-being, judging from the popularity of the symbol. This sign is very ancient, also dating from the Iron Age, and is seen often on the borders of shawls, on jewellery, and leatherwork. It is possible that in ancient times, the serpent was Laima's symbol: many folk tales mention that serpents must not be harmed, as they are protected by Laima.
Jumis
Equally as venerable is the deity of fertility and prosperity, Jumis, symbolised by the two-eared stalk of grain, and honoured by a variety of mystical rites in the fall. The basic symbol appears on wraps and jewellery from the Iron Age, and in an amplified form on textiles from the historic period
Martinš
The sign of Martinš brings to mind two fighting cocks and can be regarded as a variation of the symbol of Jumis.
Excerpt from Latvju Raksti by A.Dzervitis, Toronto: Parr's Print & Litho Limited.
Copyright 1973, 1976 by A Dzervitis