Nice presentation of saulgzriezi in Turaida, though the virtual part may be a wee bit long.  (I couldn’t tell if the song was going forward or if it was a repetition of the same lines, meaning—that, that was it for the virtual tour.  There are some wonderful photos, however.  I didn’t know about this tradition, for instance, of the archers shooting burning arrows to start the bonfire.

http://www.virtuallatvia.lv/saulgriezi-turaida/

Irena

Cool! Paldies!

/P

Ludzu, ludzu, ne par ko…and I’m glad you enjoyed it!

Irena

Irena ~ it was after four in the morning by the time I got back to Rīga, or more precisely Āgenskalns, and hit the sack. I did notice your post covering the “garākā diena, īsākā nakts” celebrations at Turaida, but didn’t take the time to respond as I had a full slate scheduled for Friday that called for early morning rise.

Daina and I arrived with some friends at Turaida on Thursday around 7:00 pm. At the entrance gates we were greeted by a group singing Jāņu dziesmas and soon caught on that admission to the activities required you to sing a Jāņu pantiņš. But, don’t fret, you’re off the hook if you at least try to wing-it with “līgo, līgo”. My friend Daina, once an LOL participant, threw them for a loop with her line: “Visu gadu dziesmas krāju, Jāņu dienu gaidīdama. Līgo, līgo! Kad atnāca Jāņu diena, visas dziesmas aizsamirsu! Līgo, līgo!”

As it was not the first time for me at Turaida, I was familiar with the lay of the land and the rolling hill terrain. Along the way to Turaida we stopped for the girls to pick flowers in the meadows and weave their wreaths in no time flat. It’s second nature to Latvian girls.

Anyhow, there were groups and organizations from all over Latvia scattered over the rolling hills and valleys putting on various activities and performances for young folk and old folk alike. The kids were engaged watching puppet theatres, children’s performances, participating in various rotaļas, singing songs, rolling down hills, riding horses, et cetera.

For the more serious grown-ups there were performances with Latgalian folks songs, competitive Jāņu dziesmas, accompanied by string and percussion instruments, hosted with traditional pīrāgi, Jāņu siers, misa (neraudzēts alus), there even was a Georgian dance troupe in full regalia, etc. Alcoholic drinks were not served by any of the participants. Of course, you could come with your own picnic basket.

As the longest day of the year wore on, dievturi led the procession and conducted activities on the Dainu kalns with chants, songs and rotaļas, as the people gathered around the area where the bond fire would eventually burn. Following traditional process and some more singing and chanting the bond fire was lit by the torches of the dievturu male and female leaders. Then there was more rotaļas around the bond fire as well as running down the hill and even carrying your partner piggy back down hill at full gallop! Latvian folk costumes were in vogue.

As you described the barrel on top of the pole was lit by shooting a burning arrows. This is the Jāņuguns. Around one o’clock in the morning we’re waiting for the daylight to go out. It seems as if it never fully happened. The burning wheel was rolled down the Dainu kalns. No matter what the left-wing and unbalanced economists on LOL are saying about the Latvian economy the burning wheel’s successful roll downhill without flipping over indicates that Latvia will have an economically successful year. It’s a sign from our senči.

My guess is that there were more than 3,000 folks at Turaida celebrating summer solstice. As I drove down the road there were cars parked on the side for about 2-kilometers. We were fortunate as this year, unlike in the posted pictures, there was no rain and the mosquitoes were not out in any noticeable numbers.

Tonight and tomorrow night I’ll be in Bauska to celebrate Jāņi some more. One can’t get enough of them.

Cheers, Ivars

Sveiks Ivar!

How very fortunate for you to have had the opportunity to attend these very festivities and for the weather to have cooperated as well!  The grounds look absolutely gorgeous and so very conducive for a summer solstice celebration.

I envy your being in Latvia right now where everywhere there’s Jani in the air—flowers, wreaths, ligosana and so—now you’re off to Bauska, wonderful!  I was in the Bauska area myself once (in the 90’s), not too far from the Lithuanian border and as a matter of fact it was to celebrate Jani.  My relatives had friends there who lived in an old picturesque farm house with an old wall oven from floor to ceiling for baking bread.  It was a rather quiet affair, with dinner, Janu siers and the Saimnieks’ own home made beer.  Afterwards. we all went down to a lake which we had all to ourselves, built a fire and sat and sang songs.  Like so many Latvians they were all pretty well musically endowed and able to carry a tune so there was no lack of songs/singing throughout the night.  I will always remember and cherish that time, though it was one of the more quiet Jani I’ve spent.  It was just good to be with people you like/to enjoy each other’s company.

Thanks so much for sharing all your experiences at Turaida…un laimiga ligosana Bauska and/or wherever else you may go!

Irena

PS Hope you’re right about the economy turning around—can’t be too soon!!

Līgo, līgo! : )

In case anyone runs out of līgo dziesmas, Radio Oira is broadcasting continuous līgo tapes, many of which are in Latgallian, and quite compelling.

http://www.radiooira.lv/index.php?p=live 

(Click “Klausīties”, and then choose which format you want to use on your PC.)

Laimīgu līgošanu loliešiem! : )

Paldies, Līze!

Līgo!

/P

Paldies, Lize ari no manis!  Laimigi!

Irena

Nice article.

http://baltic-review.com/2012/06/latvia-midsummers-musings/