The entire nation’s history, wisdom and essence in four rhythmic lines
Nearly 218 000 Latvian folksongs – or dainas - each written out by hand on separate, 3x11 cm strips of paper, reveal the Latvian nation’s ethical and aesthetic values, along with people’s everyday thoughts and dreams for the future. The twists of fate that Latvia has experienced, as well as the level of education and frame of mind of the daina song-sayers, can all be gleaned through an analysis of the daina texts. Since 1880, these precious paper strips have been stored in a specially created Cabinet of Folksongs, with 70 drawers and 20 sections.
This repository for the Latvian dainas was created by Latvia’s best-known and most enterprising folklorist, Krišjānis Barons (1835-1923), who devoted his life to collecting, systemizing and publishing Latvian folksongs. While the original Cabinet of Folksongs is stored in a fireproof safe in the Latvian Academy of Sciences building, a faithful replica can be seen at the Krišjānis Barons Museum in Riga (another copy is located at the former Stankevich manor house in Russia). The dainas themselves are accessible to all in electronic form at www.dainuskapis.lv.
In 2001, the Latvian Cabinet of Folksongs was included in the UNESCO Memory of the World List.
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Dod, Dieviņ, kalnā kāpt, |
Dear God, grant me to climb up the hill, |
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Kas to teica, tas meloja, |
Whoever said it, lied, |
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Noiet saule vakarā, |
The Sun sets in the evening, |
