Christianity took root in Latvian consciousness between the late 1700s and the second quarter of the 1800s, and the last reported destruction of 80 active sacred groves was within two weeks of 1836 by Lutheran pastor Paul Carlblom in Ērģeme, where offerings were made to the ancestral tutelary deities.

However, in 1856 began the nationwide crowdsourcing of the Latvian folklore heritage which testified that the sustained tradition of the pre-Christian spiritual practices and beliefs had endured intact, and essentially largely unaffected despite foreign religious influence and religious persecution for centuries.

Apart from natural holy places, currently there are four #Dievturi shrines. The Dzintari Shrine, established in 1930 in Talsi, Latvia by local historian Tīcs Dzintarkalns, and adorned by painter Kārlis Sūniņš (Cultural Monument of State Significance № 4361).

The Lokstene Shrine was consecrated in 2017 in a scenic location on an island on the Daugava River in Klintaine parish, Latvia under the auspices of baker Dagnis Čākurs, designers Valdis Celms and Andrejs Broks, architect Ainars Markvarts, and a team of #Dievturi volunteers.

Several projects have been developed during both the first and the second independence of Latvia — e.g., in 1936, there was a project by archaeologist Ādolfs Karnups, a round-shaped #Dievturi House of Dievs in the style of an ancient Latvian hillfort, to be built on Bastejkalns, next to the Freedom Monument (1935) in Rīga.

However, apart from the Cenotaph to the Dievturi Martyrs, and the Monument to Ernests Brastiņš, which are both located outdoors, a permanent venue for Dievturi in Rīga is still to be established.

Saeimas komisija dod 'zaļo gaismu' dievturiem – vedībām būs juridisks spēks Lasīt ziņu

A wedding at a #Dievturi betrothal stone, which was sculpted by Arvīds Brastiņš. Rīga, ¹1939.

Where has this 'artefact' disappeared to during the persecution of the Dievturi throughout the war and subsequent Soviet occupation of Latvia? 🤔 Our search continues. 🧐

A digital three-dimensional visual recreation of the aforementioned betrothal stone, from the approximate proportions and available sources (40×40×16 cm).

#Dievturi sacred number, trejdeviņi ('threefold-nine'), can be either:
🌿3 multiplied by 9, or 9 multiplied by 3, equal to 27 (a sidereal month length)
🌿9 raised to the power of 3, equal to 729 (number of days and nights in a year)
🌿3 raised to the power of 9, equal to 19683🤫

On the importance of 729 in Antiquity and contemporary mathematics, see 👉https://proofwiki.org/wiki/729/Historical_Note

Dievturu laulībām likumīgs spēks? Pēc senču tradīcijām kāzas rīkot varētu jau šogad.

PLAŠĀK: https://www.lsm.lv/raksts/zinas/latvija/22.05.2023-dievturu-laulibam-likumigs-speks-pec-sencu-tradicijam-kazas-rikot-varetu-jau-sogad.a509656/?utm_source=AKpoust&utm_campaign=news&utm_medium=socTG

A question from a subscriber: "What is that 'index' number in front of the year? 🤔

Since 1929, Dievturi use Latviskā ēra (the Latvian Era) which parallels the proposed "Holocene Era", by Cezare Emiliani in 1993; this coincides with the first inhabitants’ influx to the territory of present Latvia (archaeologically evidenced as 10500–10047 BCE).

According to the Latvian Era, e.g., 11929/10/07 is written for October 7, 1929—the state registration date of the Latvijas Dievturu sadraudze, the one and only religious union representing Dievturi in Latvia still today. A detailed explanation of chronology was published in 1934.

Nowadays this practice is continued, sometimes as an homage, sometimes sincerely.

Unbelievable!
Reverend Viesturs Pirro of The Evangelical Lutheran Church of Saint Catherine in Kuldīga refers to Latvian midsummer traditions as 'Satanic', urging his parishioners and fellow faithful to pray to Jesus to do away with them.

It is important to note that, in 2009, Rev. Pirro took part in the Evangelical Church 'Jaunā Paaudze' organized event "Atver acis - patiesība par okultismu" (The truth about Occultism), which had over 100 participants.
In the event, books such as the national epic 'Lāčplēsis', Latvian Dainas, and much other folkish-themed literature, was burned.

It is important to note that the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Latvia (LELB), the largest Christian church in Latvia, of which Rev. Pirro is part of, sent notices of the event via mail, as well as advertising it on the official LELB website.

Old habits die hard, it seems. Lustīgu līgošanu! 🌿☀

This summer the 4-day congress of the European Congress of Ethnic Religions (ECER) took place in Lithuania. During this congress they released the following declaration:

We, the delegates from 17 different countries convened at the European Congress of Ethnic Religions in Rīga, Latvia, on June 30, 2023, join our voices together to make the following declaration:

We, the undersigned, represent religious communities upholding the traditional, ethnic religions of diverse peoples of Europe. We hold deep reverence for our ancestors, the Gods and Goddesses they worshiped and the worldview and values that they bequeathed to us. Our spiritual traditions are inseparable from our traditional culture, and both require support and protection.

We call on all the governments of the nations of Europe and the European Union to grant our religions the same respect and privileges that are accorded to other religions in European societies and legal systems. We ask for the following specific measures:

1. Special governmental protection and support as a part of indigenous culture, that is humanity's cultural heritage;

2. A legal status protected by the state (including determining it by a special law) which is not evaluated and compared according to the criteria of other religions;

3. Perform ceremonies at, and use the ancient sacred sites, for example, if there is no church built on it, while respecting the rules of protection for the archaeological sites;

Life cycle rites must be accessible according to our traditions and protected;

4. Perform wedding ceremonies with legal authority in countries where the governing law recognizes these ceremonies done by recognized religions;

5. Practices towards the end of life, including but not limited to, visiting the ill and spiritual care, cooperation with hospitals, cemeteries and funerary rituals according to our traditions must be protected;

6. Our festival and celebration dates enshrined in law and shown in calendar;

7. When there is religious education in public schools, guarantee the freedom of choice to either abstain from, or participate in the religious studies depending on the cultural heritage of the country;

8. Chaplaincy — right to appoint the chaplains;

9. Broadcast time slot in public media;

10. Tax relief or exemption for our religious organization;

11. Safeguarding us from the influence of globalization consequences, persecution, and discrimination by other religious organizations due to their cosmopolitan status;

12. Institutions must respect the local sacred languages and traditions, taking us into account as the local identity of the indigenous European people;

13. Safeguarding the nature around the sacred places;

14. The sacred natural sites must be a category of protection on its own — combining both natural sites and archaeologic sites — this allows using such places for the practice of traditional religions and protecting them from harmful human activity;

15. Respect of sacred land, and protection from mining companies, resource and land expropriation;

16. Igniting, maintaining, observing and using sacred fires and bonfires in open-air setting during our ceremonies must be permitted and protected as part of our tradition and religious freedom in harmony with nature's needs;

17. When there is evidence of discrimination, or institutional silence towards requests of recognition of ethnic religions, we as the ECER, will encourage the local government in writing from the Presidency of the Congress, calling upon their willingness to protect and respect the rights of everyone by responding to the request.

The amendment to the Civil Law § 51, adopted today, in the 3ʳᵈ, final, reading at the plenary session of Saeima, shall enter into force simultaneously with the entry into force of the "Law of the Latvijas Dievturu sadraudze" (working on its draft bill docs now—fingers crossed)⚖

Marriage ceremonies in the Latvian indigenous religion are now officially recognized by the State and soon will have legal force.

This is an important milestone in the path to equality of #Dievturi in their native land, many have dreamed of for at least 98 years. Now, the docs for the "Law of the Latvijas Dievturu sadraudze" need to be finalized and adopted to settle all legal challenges faced by #Dievturi.

Reizēm mīļā Laima sagrauj tavas ieceres,
Pirms tavas ieceres spēj sagraut tavu dzīvi.
🙏🌿