THE LATVIAN DAINAS
ANCIENT FOLK SONGS IN VERSE FORM
Many researchers have acknowledged the great age of the Latvian Dainas.
Herder and Goethe used them for inspiration. Hermanis Rathfelders showed
that by content some of them predate the milling of grain.
Latvian Daians have been numbered by Barons and other researchers.
Latvian Daina No. 1160
sings of the dung beetle (scarabaeus) rotating the ball of the Sun,
just as in the Pharaonic Egyptian pantheon:
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Latvian Daina
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English Translation
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Es atradu vaboliti
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I found the scarabaeus
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Mesliena rotajot
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the dung ball rotating
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There is a complete "heavenly family" in the Dainas
preceding Christianity by millennia
These astronomical verses are very ancient.
The heaven is divided into fields
and fenced enclosures (Daina 54992)
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Latvian Daina
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English Translation
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Tai mazai setinai
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The small field
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Treji varti atverami
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Has three gates openable
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Pa vieniem Saule lec
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In one the Sun rises
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Pa otriem menestinis
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In the other the Moon
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Pa tresiem Tautas dzin
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In the third THOTH drives
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Savus berus piegula
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His steeds to night-watch
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Dainas 3360, 54665, 54642, 55917, 33654, 34067
tell us that God rides a horse
saddled with the stone of heaven (pole star).
The four corners of Heaven are referred to in DAINA 54913
which exists in 3 versions in Latgallian dialect.
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Latvian Daina
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English Translation
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Galdenam cetri styuri
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Heaven's table has four corners
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Visi cetri vajadzeigi
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All four are necessary
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Iz pirmuo saule lece
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At the first, the sun rises
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Uz utruo nurite
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At the other, it sets
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Iz tresuo Laima sed
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At the third, Laima sits
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Iz caturtuo svata Muora
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At the fourth, holy Muora
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That a "heavenly" table marked the Latvian pantheon
is verified in hundreds of verses, e.g. DAINA 34031
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Latvian Daina
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English Translation
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Celies agri, Saules
[variant "TAUTU"] meita
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Rise early, daughter of the Sun
[of THOTH]
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Mazga baltu liepa galdu
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Wash the white table of the linden tree
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Ritu naks Dieva deli
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In the morn the Sons of God will come
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Zeltabolu ritinat
[variant "LIEPU"]
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To rotate the golden apple tree
[linden tree]
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Daina 55343 locates the heavenly Mara astronomically:
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Latvian Daina
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English Translation
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Dievins sed kalnina
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God sits on the mountain (hill)
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Zobentins rocina
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With a sword in his hand
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Sveta Marija zales lasa
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Holy Mara / / Maria
collects the falling grass (blossoms)
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Zobentina galina
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At the tip of the sword
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This all takes place at the heavenly tree (German Irminsul).
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Latvian Daina
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English Translation
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Dzirdu Dieva izcertot
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[I] heard God cutting
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Dieva delu dzenajot
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Driving God´s son[s]
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Pate Dievu neredzeju
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God himself I did not see
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Aiz devinam klavas lapam
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Behind the 9 maple leaves
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This "tree of heaven" is quite large, running down to Orion,
and has a belt of three layers [or stars], the Belt of Orion.
This we see from DAINA 34159:
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Latvian Daina
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English Translation
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Trim kartam zelta josta
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The golden belt has three layers
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Ap resno ozolinu
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Around the fat [giant] oak
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Ne tam lida svina lode
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No lead plumb touched it
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Ne terauda zobeninis
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Nor any sword of steel
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[For ancient iron, etc., see Ancient Metals.]
The 3-TIMES AROUND
THE WHEEL OF HEAVEN
The 3-Times around the wheel of Heaven
is an ancient ritual on the threshing floor
in the heavenly context, around the the heavenly millstone.
We see this in the 1st dynasty Egyptian sources.
DAINA 55348 - the heavenly driver going thrice around the threshing floor
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Latvian Daina
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English Translation
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Caurejs brauc ar cauriem ratiem
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The driver drives his wheels
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Tris reiz apkart piedarbam
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Thrice around the threshing floor
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Iebrauc vidu, nostajas
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Drives in the middle and stops
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Dzivs uz mieta noduras
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And holds [is impaled] on the stake
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THE 30-hour DAY and the BERU of the Babylonians
(= Latvian VERU = "gates" of heaven)
Linguists have confused the original meaning
of Latvian BER- ("division, scattering, carrying")
with BER- (brown), the FORMER being correct in the context
of astronomy. Daina 33772 states "beru kumelinu".
The 30 hours of the day as in the Babylonian beru
were the 30 horses viz. "gates" of the sun (see below).
The heavenly steeds are found in DAINA 34026
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Latvian Daina
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English Translation
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Vakar Saule sasegloja
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Yesterday the Sun saddled
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Trisdesmit kumelinu
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30 horses (steeds)
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Vai bus jel Auseklam
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Will the "Morning Star"
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Trisdesmit jajejinu?
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Have 30 riders?
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