Liv Traditional Culture

In modern-day Latvia, a handful of descendants of a dying ethnic group – the Livs – are a small, yet tenacious group of enthusiasts of their cultural heritage. They take pride in their ancestry and over the past decades have, in various ways, sought to promote public awareness of their culture, language and lifestyle. This has been done through popular folkloric music, also the dissemination of information about their culture and history via festivals and camps, literary publications, websites and focused research of the past. Their efforts have met with some success – there has been a renewed interest in the Livs and public and state interest in the fate of this ethnic group has been piqued and acted on.

The Livs (or Livonians), are one of two indigenous ethnic groups of the territory of present-day Latvia and Estonia. The language of the Livs comes from a different language group to the Baltic language that the Latvians (and Lithuanians) speak. Livonian is from the Finno-Ugric language group (related to Estonian, Finnish and Hungarian) and sadly it is now deemed extinct, as the last native speaker of this language passed away in 2013. The Livs have almost entirely assimilated into the larger ethnic groups in this region.

Yet the blood-line of the Livonians continues in many Latvians (and Estonians) and the language is still spoken as a second language by a handful of Liv descendants, linguists and enthusiasts. One of the most active Liv linguists, Valts Ernštreits, now a researcher at Tartu University, Estonia, has for decades been promoting Liv culture and language.

Today, around 200 people still identify themselves as Livs and are proud to cultivate their cultural heritage. Annual summer language camps are organised for children to learn their ancestral language, Livonian culture has received significant support from the state and a Livonian festival is held in summer in the northern village of Mazirbe in Latvia. Livonian language courses are available to university students studying Finno-Ugric linguistic studies in Rīga and Tartu, Estonia. Livonian music and culture has become more accessible to the public with the active and focused activities of the Stalti family and Estonian-Livonian band Tuļļi Lum who have recorded folk music in Livonian.

The Liv language, although no longer spoken as a native language, has, over the centuries, left its mark on the Latvian language. It is most certainly closely related to modern Estonian and Finnish, but there are a number of words in Latvian which are of Livonian origin. The stress on the first syllable in Latvian, is a language feature that comes from Livonian. The popular Latvian song “Pūt, vējiņi” stems from a medieval Liv wedding song.

The 12 Liv fishing villages that are located on the northern Kurzeme coast, though now rarely inhabited by descendents of Livs, are now popular spots for holiday homes, and some of the old, still unrenovated homes are a legacy to what once was. This area is called the Liv cultural space and one of the villages, Mazirbe, has a House of Liv Culture which is worth a visit to learn more about the heritage of this ethnic group. It is part of the heritage of Latvia and its preservation is just as important.

Daina Gross

Pictures (5)

Video / Audio (11)

Programme on the sanctuary of chief Ako in the Salaspils gateway by Ogre TV on 4 July 2013. (in Latvian)

Livonian folk song "Ķērca, brēca" [vinyl record]. (192-). Performed by Roberts Vizbulis, soloist of the Latvian National Opera. [Germany]: Vox. The original is in the Literature and Music Museum, RTMM 391687. National Library of Latvia, Audiovisual collection of shellac records.

Livonian song "Kade pārvaksi, baldin?" [vinyl record]. (192-). Performed by Roberts Vizbulis, soloist of the Latvian National Opera. [Germany]: Vox. The original is in the Literature and Music Museum, RTMM 391687. National Library of Latvia, Audiovisual collection of shellac records.

Livonian folk ensemble "Kāndla".

Participants of the Livonian children and youth summer camp "Mierlinkizt" at the Livonian celebration by the Livonian culture house singing four Livonian songs on 4 August 2018. Author: Zane Gargažina.

Livonian anthem "Min izāmō" (My fatherland). (2012). Composed by Fredrik Pacius, text by Kārlis Stalte. Performed by choir "Lōja", conductor Ģirts Gailītis. Recorded in the studio of Latvian Radio. Association "Koris Lōja"; "Līvõd Lōlõd Pivād. Loulkub2012".

Bird awakening by the sea in Kolka. Kolka Livonian song ensemble "Laula" and inhabitants of Kolka singing the song "Tšītšōrlinkizt", decorating the spring tree and putting bird food in the branches. Author: Aldis Pinkens. 2018.

Poem "Trilium" read by Livonian poet Valts Ernštreits. Video portrays fragments of different Livonian culture space elements. Author: Zane Gargažina. 2018.

"Pūgõ, tūļ!" (Pūt, vējiņi!). (2012). Livonian folk song arranged by Ģirts Gailītis. Performed by choir "Lōja", conductor Ģirts Gailītis. Recorded in the studio of Latvian Radio. Association "Koris Lōja"; "Līvõd Lōlõd Pivād. Loulkub2012".

"Lōlõd, algid kistõgid!". (2012). Composed by Veljo Tormis, Pēteris Dambergs. Performed by choir "Lōja", conductor Ģirts Gailītis. Recorded in the studio of Latvian Radio. Association "Koris Lōja"; "Līvõd Lōlõd Pivād. Loulkub2012".

Livonian artist and poet Baiba Damberga (born in Sīkrags) making Livonian dishes "stragnams" and "sklandrausis". Author: Zane Gargažina. 12 June 2018.

Written texts (5)

Renāte Blumberga on Livonian traditional culture in the Latvian Culture Canon, 2008. (in Latvian)

Rudzīte, M. (2005). Latviešu valodas dialekti (Latvian dialects). From: Darbi latviešu dialektoloģijā. Rīga: LU. (in Latvian)

Fragment in Livonian from the film "A Limousine the Colour of Midsummer's Eve" (Limuzīns Jāņu nakts krāsā, 1981). Translated by Valts Ernštreits.

Livonian Culture Space (Līvõd īlma). (2018). From the intangible cultural heritage element application to the Latvian National Centre for Culture of Latvia in 2018. (in Latvian)

Renāte Blumberga on Livonian traditional culture in the Latvian Culture Canon, 2008.

Map

Books to read (21)

Aprobežosimies ar maksimumu: Līvõ Kultūr sidām 20 darba gadi dokumentos, publikācijās un fotogrāfijās. (2014). Gundegas Blumbergas apkopojumā. Rīga: Līvõ kultūr sidām.

Blumberga, G., Blumberga, R., Damberga, B., Ernštreits, V. ([2018]). Lībieši = Līvlizt. [Rīga]: Līvu (lībiešu) savienība „Līvod Īt”.

Blumberga, R. (2006). Lībieši dokumentos un vēstulēs: Somijas zinātnieku ekspedīcijas pie lībiešiem. Rīga: Latvijas vēstures institūta apgāds.

Bōjk 2010: val līvõ kīelõn! [DVD]. (2010). Filmā piedalās Monta Kvjatkovska, Jānis Mednis, Irbe Šmite u.c. [Latvija]: Līvu Fonds. Latvijas Nacionālās bibliotēkas Audiovizuālais krājums, Fdvd/2676.

Caune, A. (1998). Rīgas lībieši un viņu īpašumzīmes. Rīga: Latvijas kultūras fonds; Jumava.

Ernštreits, V. (2011). Lībiešu rakstu valoda. Rīga: Latviešu valodas aģentūra; Līvõ kultūr sidām.

Karma, T. (1994). Lībiešu mitoloģija. No: Mitoloģijas enciklopēdija. 2. sēj. (232.–238. lpp.). Rīga: Latvijas Enciklopēdija.

Kāzas jūrā: līvu (lībiešu) pasakas, teikas, nostāsti, sakāmvārdi, tautasdziesmas [CD]. (2003). Līvu valodā lasa Valda Marija Šuvcāne. Rīga: Rīgas skaņu ierakstu studija. Latvijas Nacionālās bibliotēkas Audiovizuālais krājums, Fcd/6696.

Lībieši: vēsture, valoda un kultūra. (2013). Sast.: Renāte Blumberga, Tapio Mekeleinens un Karls Pajusalu. Rīga: Līvõ Kultūr sidām.

Lībiešu folklora [skaņuplate]. (1981). Izpilda Irma Indriksone, Helga Grīva, Roberts Teteris u.c. Rīga: Melodija. Latvijas Nacionālās bibliotēkas Audiovizuālais krājums, F-3/3210.

Līvu dziesmas. (2003). Režisors Andris Slapiņš. No: Latvijas vēju dziesmas [DVD]. Rīga: Studija 2. Latvijas Nacionālās bibliotēkas Audiovizuālais krājums, Fdvd/170.

Loorits, O. (1935). Lībju folklora un mītoloģija. No: Latviešu konversācijas vārdnīca. XII sēj. (23298–23307). Rīga.

Loorits, O. (1936). Volkslieder der Liven. Tartu: Gelehrte Estnische Gesellschaft (Õpetatud Eesti Seltsi toimetused XXVIII. Verhandlungen der Gelehrten Estnischen Gesellschaft XXVIII).

Loorits, O. (1998). Liivi rahva usund. Mit einem Referat: Der Volksglauben der Liven. I–III. Faksiimileväljaanne. Tartu: Eesti Keele Instituut.

Loorits, O. (2000). Liivi rahva usund. IV–V. Toim. L. Krikmann, M. Hiiemäe, M. Kõiva, K. Salve. Tartu: Eesti Kirjandusmuuseum.

Mälk, V., Damberg, P., Kokare, E. u.c. (sast.) (1981). Liivi vanasõnad eesti, vadja ja läti vastetega. I–II. Tallinn: Eesti Raamat.

Šuvcāne, B. (2017). Lībiešu krasts. Rīga: Latvijas Mediji.

Šuvcāne, V. M. (2002). Lībiešu ciems, kura vairs nav. Rīga: Jumava.

Šuvcāne, V. M. (sast. un tulk.) (2003). Lībiešu folklora. Rīga: Jumava.

Viitso, T-R., Ernštreits, V. (2012) Līvõkīel-ēstikīel-leţkīel sõnārōntõz. Liivi-eesti-läti sõnaraamat = Lībiešu-igauņu-latviešu vārdnīca. Tartu, Rīga: Tartu Ülikool; Latviešu valodas aģentūra.

Zirnīte, M. (2011). Lībieši Ziemeļkurzemes ainavā. Rīga: Dabas aizsardzības pārvalde.