Dieva mīlestības koncepts saistībā ar bāreņu tēmu latviešu tautasdziesmās

The Latvian folk songs include the version of God’s love and the concept of God as a creative creature, which I will see in relation to the subject of mourning, pregnant women, orphans (for the sake of clarity, orphans) as a particularly sensitive reflection of society. The poetic layer of these songs reveals Latvian mentality, basic ethical and aesthetic values, and the nation’s understanding of God’s love for the most vulnerable members of society, using vivid symbolism and metaphors. Orphans do not question the existence of God, they see it as a comprehensive, unifying, self-respecting, compassionate, and understanding creature. We do not find proof that there is no God at all. In symbolic images, there is a proven belief in one God you understand. In this sense, there is a similarity with the assumption of process theology about God’s existence as an open concept in a situation where it is impossible to offer any other proof of God’s existence. In their lives, orphans encounter God as a responsive, creative, optimistic love; God encourages an orphan to learn, be smart, be morally complete, live with pleasure, not indulge in pessimism, and be creative. The abstract nature of God is depicted in two ways. On the one hand, God has all the power that a creature may have; on the other hand, God does not have all the power that exists because the creatures he creates also have the power that allows them to choose good or evil opportunities in their own lives. Evil is the choice of people to be cruel to the weaker. The folklore researchers also believe that this set of folk songs belongs to the most realistic, even natural songs because they are based on the direct observation of life, express frustration with this life, and the desire to make what they want into reality seeking support from God. In this situation, God is both responsive and compassionate to a human and a person who does not interfere in events. The orphan must learn to see the positive power of the love offered by God and, together with God’s involvement, to discover human self-worth, create the beautiful, seek creative self-fulfilment and creativity as the most desirable expression of spiritual existence. God exists as the originator of this process.

Pateicības izpausmes folklorā psiholoģiskā kontekstā

The article examines the depiction of gratitude and related events in Latvian folklore through comparative evaluation. Gratitude is considered in a psychological context, comparing the attitude expressed in folklore with the findings of modern scientific research. Gratitude is a concept that is usually associated with a relationship or a benefit, it is most often aimed outwards, dedicated to someone else, but at the same time, it creates a pleasant feeling within the person. In modern psychology, gratitude is receiving more and more attention from researchers because its manifestations stimulate the formation of positive emotions and contribute to the improvement of the person’s overall well-being. Research and clinical studies in psychotherapy confirm that gratitude plays an important role in improving mental health and reducing depressive, destructive feelings. In turn, neuroscience research shows the potential of a grateful and positive attitude in strengthening psycho-emotional health and well-being in general. In Latvian folklore, gratitude is depicted as an important part of ritual events, which helps to ensure a positive, balanced connection with the forces of nature, gods, and society. In folklore, the importance of gratitude is emphasised more when building family relationships or accepting various situations and occurrences in life. In both psychological research and the practice of systemic therapy, as well as in folklore, gratitude appears as one of the most important values of interpersonal connection, which promotes the formation of harmonious relationships. Similar to the opinions of psychology, the folk world views emphasise the motivational role of gratitude in improving the quality of human life and health in general.

Modal Difficulty in Medieval Literature Analysis: the Frame-Notation Correlation in Dante’s Quotations of Fibonacci

The investigation of medieval literature poses a number of challenges, even to native speaker researchers. Such difficulties are related to (a) linguistic – syntactical and lexical – obstacles, (b) to the ability to recognise dense networks of interdisciplinary references and, (c) mainly to the cognitive challenges posed by “unfamiliar modes of expression”. The aim of this research is to discuss a methodological approach to deal with these unusual manners of composition, technically known as modal difficulty, in medieval literature. The theoretic setting is represented by Davide Castiglione’s monographic study Difficulty in Poetry (2018) and the specific definition of modal difficulty elaborated by James E. Vincent in the premise of his treatise on American poetry (2003). A study case illustrative of challenges in medieval literature analysis has been chosen to illustrate the speculative reasoning: the references to the celebrated mathematician Leonardo Fibonacci (1170–1242) – known for having introduced the Arabic numbers to the Europeans – in Dante Alighieri’s Divine Comedy. Preliminarily, the author discusses unfamiliar mathematical notations implemented from the 13th to the 18th centuries. Subsequently, adopting cognitive linguistics principles and hermeneutic as methodological tools, several veiled citations of the mathematician’s cogitations – such as the chess comparison in Paradise XXVIII, 91–93 and the quadratic expression in Paradise XXVII, 115–117 – are deciphered and illustrated. The analysis of Dante’s cognitive frame indicates that the recourse to Fibonacci’s formulas is functional to depict the incommensurable multitude of the divine in words. In the conclusions, the case studied is adopted as a model to illustrate how the reflection on unusual forms of expression could be employed to investigate ancient literary texts. A preliminary analysis of the frame-notation relation could help, as an example, to recognise mathematical formulas that were expressed in a verbal and non-symbolic notation.

Tautas deju definēšanas problemātika mūsdienās Latvijā

The article “Problems of defining folk dance in Latvia today” examines the aspects that affect the current situation in Latvia, where folk dances are understood as both folk dances that have not been modified by choreographers, dances passed down through generations that can be danced every day, and stage folk dances, which are a type of art performed by folk dance ensembles, created by choreographers and dances adapted to the stage performance. The research aim is to identify and describe the problems that currently exist in the Latvian cultural space, where the definition of folk dances creates tension in the public space and ambiguous opinions among dancers. Nowadays, it is possible to identify such concepts as, for example, folk dance, ethnographic dance, authentic dance, traditional dance, folklore dance, folk dance, folk dance adaptation, field dance, folk ballet, etc. Consistent use of concepts is rarely seen in the documents and research of cultural policymakers and the historical and contemporary works of choreographers and researchers. Often they are only described in general terms. A survey conducted in 2019 shows that dancers consider stage folk dances to be folk dances, and often this separation of dances is not important for them. Another problem is the designation of folk dance ensembles where stage folk dance dancers are dancing. The term misleads; it suggests that folk dances are danced there. However, this designation is linked to its historical time of origin. It is not insignificant that the stage folk dance is more popular, more visible, and massively represented at the Song and Dance Festival. Thus, a part of the society associates it with our folk dances.

Jauna slota tīri slauka jeb muižnieka Bernharda Magnusa fon Vulfa tiesas prāva pret mācītāju Frīdrihu Danielu Vāru

The subject of this article is a court case between Aumeisteri nobleman Berhard Magnus von Wulf (1732–1784) and the minister of Palsmane and Aumeisteri parishes Friedrich Daniel Wahr (1749–1827) about the suspension of the minister from his duties from 1775 to 1779. The aim of the research is to approach the court case as evidence of the different opinions of several social groups where extreme colonial ideas in Vidzeme meet Enlightenment ideas from Western Europe. At the same time, the court case is a source of contextual information for a better understanding of the development of Wahr’s literary and folkloristic heritage. The research is based on studies of documents found in the Latvian State History Archive that are approached using the culture-historical and comparative methods, thus trying to contextualize certain events in a specific place and time. The results of the research show the Palsmane and Aumeisteri society as typical of the second part of the 18th century. The existence of specific social groups, particularism, and the implementation of colonial attitudes by the local nobility are also evident. The attitude of Wahr towards Latvian peasants shows the influence of Enlightenment, especially his efforts in education. The relationship between the parish and its minister incorporates evidence of a syncretic praxis with pagan and Christian traditions. In the light of political events of that particular time, i. e. peasant rebels in Vidzeme, the court case allows Wulf’s accusations to be treated as an opportunity to decrease the implementation of Enlightenment ideas, thus safeguarding the local nobility’s power. At the same time, the court case is a source of biographic, private, and daily life details. The broad range of the parish territory which was often challenging to navigate, the modest means of the minister, and distancing of the local nobility on the one hand, along with the influence of enlightenment ideas, on the other hand, are the most probable grounding for Wahr’s folkloristic and literary work.

Kultūrvēstures aspekti Jāņa Čakstes vācu valodā sarakstītajā apcerējumā „Die Letten und Ihre Latwija” (1917), tā tulkošanas un izdevumu vēsture latviski („Latvieši un viņu Latvija”, 1989/1990–2019)

On May 4, 2020, the 30th anniversary of the restoration of Latvia’s national independence was celebrated, and the 160th anniversary since the birth of the first President of Latvia, Jānis Čakste (1859–1927), was remembered on September 14, 2019. In 1917, even before the establishment of the Latvian state, Čakste published a longer essay in German, entitled „The Latvians and Their Latvia” (Die Letten und ihre Latwija), in which both the ethnic and geopolitical history of the Baltics was presented to communicate the public opinion and strivings of that time internationally. The essay also reflected economic relations in the predominantly Latvian-inhabited territory, demonstrating the political convictions and the culture-historical background of the era. The article aims to characterise the history of writing and publishing the essay in German, and its translation into Latvian (1989/90), and the translation’s editions (1999, 2009, 2014, 2019). Part of the article is devoted to analysing the culture-historical aspects, which in the authorial narrative have been expressed in the interethnic environment of the territory and the era.

Holivudo Kultūros atspindžiai tarpukario Lietuvos periodikoje

This article gives an overview of modern American society’s impact on the culture of interwar Lithuania; it studies how Hollywood formed Lithuanian gender stereotypes, reflected in periodicals and advertisements (1918–1940). The influence of Hollywood culture on interwar Lithuanian stereotypes has not been studied thoroughly. This work analyses the stereotypes found in selected periodicals by using gender stereotype theories and illustrating them with photographs and excerpts. One of the most popular interwar Lithuanian female stereotypes was based on the Hollywood idol Greta Garbo. She created a stereotype of a cruel, self-confident, modern woman. This article also discusses the Hollywood-based body cult, which became a goal for many Lithuanian women. After the analysis of advertisements, another tendency was noticed – young girls’ desire to become famous. Hollywood also formed three different male stereotypes: the caveman, the womanizer, and the gentleman. These modern stereotypes stand in contradiction with traditional manly virtues, they emphasize compassion and empathy, which are very important in critical situations. During the study, it was determined that Hollywood culture’s stereotypes began a sexual revolution. These stereotypes altered the concept of a traditional relationship through Lithuanian periodicals – it became much more open and oriented towards satisfying individual needs.

Latvijas kultūrtelpa (1930–1939) vācbaltiešu pēcteču atmiņās

The purpose of this article is to reveal the Latvian cultural space of the 1930s, how it appears in present-day reminiscences of Baltic Germans, people with German heritage residing in Latvia, or their descendants. The data consists of extended interviews recorded as a part of the Latvian Academy of Culture project “Latvija – Heimatland” (2017–2019). One of the project objectives is to register and explore the reminiscences of this social group. The article analyses the accounts of 22 people residing in Latvia and 14 in Germany. These are accounts of events experienced either by themselves or their family members. It covers a time when the community of Latvians and Germans residing in Latvia was polarised by national interests, and the decade ended with Baltic Germans emigrating, followed by the Soviet occupation of Latvia. The Latvian cultural space of the 1930s is indirectly described by quotes from the respondents that relate to the resettlement in 1939 (Umsiedlung in German). The reminiscences illuminate cultural space components such as social practices, symbols, languages, and their use, traditions, and cuisine. The individual memories of Baltic Germans and their descendants significantly contribute to how the Latvian cultural space of the 1930s is already seen through collective memory, which includes monuments, written work, and art. They outline the lifestyle of this specific minority group, diversity of cultures, and interaction between them in Latvia, as well as a theme of Latvia as the lost motherland.

Atverčiant primirštą Lietuvos kultūros puslapį: Vilniaus modernizmo atspindžiai pavelde

The analyses of interwar Vilnius heritage preservation, research, and maintenance concentrated mostly on discussions about the general law, state tendency, and case studies of good and bad practices. However, the more modern heritage preservation, research, or maintenance theories and aspects during the interwar period were neglected. Therefore, this article aims to analyse if modern technologies, ideas, and methods in the heritage research and maintenance (mostly in the reconstructions and adaptation of heritage buildings for new purposes) projects were adapted or not in interwar Vilnius. According to this aim, the article analyses a few heritage maintenance works and emphasises how architects used new technologies, modern architecture details, and ideas in the heritage maintenance projects and their realisation. Technologies as central heating system, electrification, canalisation, toilets, or bright interiors, wide air-spaces were inseparable from modernism perspective. The architecture of buildings and urban structures were modernised and improved for better living quality. Also, ideas and technologies did not avoid the heritage objects, especially civil buildings as Vilnius Town Hall, squares as Cathedral square, defensive heritage object as Vilnius Upper Castle. However, the analysis maintains that modern technologies were used moderately and kept a respectful tone with the authentic heritage, whole complex, and elements.