Livonians in Northern Kurzeme (LV)

Abstract

This book is dedicated to the Livonians, an ancient nation whose last home was the northern part of the Kurzeme peninsula. Six life stories recorded on the Livonian Coast tell about life along the North Kurzeme coast in the 20th century. The life stories reveal moments from a life that no longer exists; they tell of the times when there was little to eat, but they also create a feeling of satiety and are full of humour and poetry. Everything in them is united by a culture that has from generation to generation served as a standard for all things secular and spiritual. The people cultivated the sandy soil, protected their fields from wild animals, herded their livestock in the forest, mowed hay in the forest meadows, and fished with nets in the sea. Man did not overstep his bounds and lived within the natural chain of life. These Livonian life stories show the history of the relationship between people and nature. But this is only one aspect of the stories; the life story is like a slice of life, and it reflects the whole range of colours and facets in a lifetime.