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A Bridge of Songs: Daina, the Latvian Folk Song
| Article
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18771 |
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Section : |
CULTURE
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| Issue
Date : |
12 / 1991 |
3,609 Words |
| Author
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Aija Veldre Beldavs
Aija Veldre Beldavs, folklorist and author in Latvian, lives
in Indiana. The dainas reproduced in this article are drawn
from publications of the Latvian Archives collection in Riga
and were translated into English by Mrs. Beldavs. She has
lectured and chaired the Folklore sessions of the Association
for the Advancement of Baltic Studies annual meeting. |
In 1989 a 400-mile-long human chain, joining the capitals of the three Baltic states, was spontaneously formed in a demonstration of the peoples' unity and aspirations for independence from Soviet control. But, by December of 1990, conditions in the Baltics were grim. Communist "Black Berets" swarmed to topple the newly elected governments. Then in January 1991, barricades were erected in Riga against the threat of entrenched Soviet terror. Farmers drove their trucks to surround and protect their new government. But perhaps the real barricade during the round-the-clock vigil was a wall of songs.
By open bonfires, people at the barricades sang and played rotalas (singing-games), in effect continuing a centuries-old tradition of "song-wars." This archaic activity served to unify the demonstrators, affirming that, in this part of the world, ethnicity and tradition are no less important than science. This "Singing Revolution" was, in effect, a reenactment of the ancient Balt Winterfest ritual, in which life refuses to yield to death even in "The Time of Greatest Darkness."
One song that captures the spirit of the moment is the traditional "Shield of Songs." Composed during the period of the Great Awakening, the song has been sung at almost every Latvian Song Festival. Set in a romanticized thirteenth century, when pagan Balts believed in magical power, on one level it affirms the power of song to shield against adversity.
Such a demonstration of unity has precedents in Baltic tradition, despite the cultural diversity of the Baltic peoples. This tradition of solidarity helped frustrate Soviet attempts to retain control of the Baltic states helped motivate the reactionary August coup whose colossal failure struck the death blow to the communist empire.
Who can sing all songs?
Although Latvian émigrés, refugees, and their descendants have been scattered worldwide, most consider themselves united by a common cultural heritage, broadly defined as Latvian. Culturally they have many symbolic bridges. Perhaps the most concrete and extensive body of shared traditional knowledge is found in the dainas (folksongs). Though the lyrical products of a harsh and often restricted existence, dainas are basically positive and life-affirming, and they have been sung since earliest times.
Significantly, a much-loved theme of the dainas is the image of a bridge
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