Traditional Latvian Midsummer (Līgo / Jāņu) Folk Songs - Ritual Song Meant To Ensure Good Harvest

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  • Опубликовано: 2 май 2020
  • Men's folk group "Vilkači" is performing an old traditional Latvian song of the Midsummer rite accompanied by traditional bagpipe tune.
    Midsummer’s Festivities has been a very traditional holiday for Latvians for as long as anyone can remember. It is officially known as Jani and comes at the time when the night is the shortest and the day the longest. This year it falls in mid-week but it is an official holiday when no one works. The official dates are June 23 and June 24. The day before the Janu celebrations is called Zalu or Grass Day. In the afternoon on Ligo June 23rd women pick daisies from which to make wreaths which are worn by young and old alike. Little girls especially like wearing them. For the men, there are large wreaths made of oak leaves. The tradition of singing and dancing on Ligo night is concerned with fertility and warding off evil. If people have the possibility most of them spend this holiday in the countryside where they can celebrate uninhibited and light bonfires.
    The celebration begins on Ligo night with the tradition of staying up all night until the next day which is traditionally Jani or John’s Day. Jani is a festival which began in ancient times and was celebrated in honor of a Latvian pagan deity Janis. Janis or John in English is one of the most common names given to Latvian males basically because of this celebration and that families are proud to have a Janis or John as a member of their own families. Even though most men wear oak crowns on their heads the proudest wearer is always a Janis as this day honours him. Jani is looked upon as the time when forces of nature are very powerful and at this time the boundaries between the physical world and the spiritual world start to intertwine. It was in ancient times that people believed that evil witches would ride around in the skies at this time and therefore people would decorate their houses with rowan branches and thorns to protect themselves from the broom riding witches. These days as tradition people still decorate but now the use birch or oak branches and flowers as well as leaves the most common being ferns. Not only do women wear daisy wreaths and men wear oak leave wreathes but in the countryside even cows get decorated.
    More: / a-night-full-of-tradition
    TRANSLATION OF THE LYRICS:
    Johnny, take a black horse and ride around my rye field!
    So that the enchanter would not jinx the rye, nor the envier would envy them
    Johnny, take a black horse and ride around my rye field!
    So that the enchanter would not jinx them, nor the envier would envy
    Johnny, take a tall horse and ride around my farmland
    Lift the sprouts up, trample the weeds to the ground
    Johnny, ride where thou shall - ride to the cabbage patch
    So that the cabbages would grow as big as Johnny's hat
    Johnny, ride where thou shall - ride to the bean patch
    To trample the thistles and nettles, to make my garden clean!
    Singers: Andris Lejnieks, Edgars Zilberts, Eduards Krūmiņš, Jumis Ločmelis, Juris Tomašūns, Mārtiņš Puriņš, Reinis Zumbergs, Toms Grīnvalds

Комментарии • 34

  • @altsu505
    @altsu505 5 лет назад +25

    Beautiful

  • @Nepartinis
    @Nepartinis 3 года назад +9

    I see Latvians i push Like ;) Braliukai.

  • @GardenOfLight
    @GardenOfLight Год назад +5

    Мощно и красиво. Аж до мурашек пробрало

  • @fidenemini111
    @fidenemini111 4 года назад +10

    Mes visad mylėsim savo brolius ir seses. Skaista dziesma!

  • @dominykasmetlevski1896
    @dominykasmetlevski1896 4 года назад +10

    Always great to see you upload!

  • @ugnikalnis
    @ugnikalnis 4 года назад +10

    I'm gonna comment in English. Ancient Gods n keepers and our ancestors that flows in our veins, Bless you! For your work I'm very proud to be not only Lithuanian, but the son of Baltic! Keep uploading world must regain senses traditions n beliefs must be kept as our Sacred Fire! You deserve more subscribers!

  • @Br1cht
    @Br1cht 4 года назад +6

    Love it, especially that lyre! ;)

  • @jansilver4253
    @jansilver4253 2 года назад +1

    Ar Laipnumu, Milzīgs Paldies!))))🌟🌟🌟
    🤞🇱🇻🙂👍🏻

  • @sportsfisher9677
    @sportsfisher9677 Год назад +1

    Fine work as a surviving Prussi I appreciate it.

  • @JH-pv6rd
    @JH-pv6rd 3 месяца назад

    Love from Lithuania ❤

  • @Asbestos_
    @Asbestos_ 4 года назад +15

    Glad to see you uploading again!
    PS waiting for someone cry over the swastika xd

    • @Balticfolk
      @Balticfolk  4 года назад +5

      Frankly, I didn't even notice it until your comment and had to look at the ideo again to figure out what you meant XD I guess it goes to show that in the Baltics this symmbol is quite normalised, even to the point of not drawing any extra attention - unless, of course, it would be used in a distinctives Nazi way.

    • @Asbestos_
      @Asbestos_ 4 года назад +5

      Yes indeed. Although it is technically banned, most people don't complain when they see it. Whether it is painted on a wall somewhere or depicted on folk jewelry. People don't give it the negative power and that's a good thing in my opinion. However I do not defend it's usage for those sinister things

    • @lw97nilslinuswhitewaterweb93
      @lw97nilslinuswhitewaterweb93 3 года назад +1

      @@Balticfolk it is just a symbol and in my opinion it should be seen as a symbol of national sovereignity.

    • @latviesulegionars8806
      @latviesulegionars8806 3 года назад

      @@Asbestos_ well the Germans stole it so...we aren't responsible for their shit

    • @mikuskokenbergs8853
      @mikuskokenbergs8853 10 месяцев назад

      Ugunskrusts (fire cross) is our ancient symbol from our Indo-European roots. Hitler just made a mock of it.

  • @tanssiin6530
    @tanssiin6530 4 года назад +5

    Это прекрасно!

  • @mcdirtybatata4748
    @mcdirtybatata4748 2 года назад +1

    Imazighen greetings from Algeria 🇩🇿

  • @briarroot
    @briarroot 3 года назад +1

    Wish I could listen to these fellows do something with those instruments.

  • @serbskijhristijanin
    @serbskijhristijanin 4 года назад +9

    Based for you to be seen again. I would appreciate your content so much more if it was regular but I guess we all have lives (there are exceptions unfortunately).

    • @Balticfolk
      @Balticfolk  4 года назад +7

      Oh, how I wish I had more time for this channel... These folk songs is where i draw my strength from to get by in my ordinary day-to-day life :)

    • @serbskijhristijanin
      @serbskijhristijanin 4 года назад +3

      May God help you in this work! Have a wonderful day!

  • @dzikaswinia5498
    @dzikaswinia5498 4 года назад +3

    Jest moc!!!

  • @jansilver4253
    @jansilver4253 2 года назад

    Manas DZIESMAS!!!
    ŠINĪ KANĀLĀ!!!
    Piesaistos (visiem pierakstīties!!!))))
    👉🌟🌟🌟🇱🇻🙂👍🏻

  • @lichenthug
    @lichenthug 2 года назад

    I fucking love this everything about this

  • @anandaglick5272
    @anandaglick5272 4 года назад +3

    I would Love to learn to sing these. Is it traditionally sung by men? Is there a way to find these lyrics?

    • @Balticfolk
      @Balticfolk  4 года назад +3

      I'm glad you like it 💚
      It can be sung by both men and women, this song is not gender specific.
      The lyrics are:
      Ņem, Jānīti, melnu zirgu līgo
      Apjāj manu rudzu lauku līgo
      Lai burītis nenobūra līgo
      Lai skauģītis nenoskauda līgo
      Ņem, Jānīti, augstu zirgu līgo
      Apjāj manu tīrumiņu līgo
      Cel asniņus augstumā, līgo
      Min zālīti zemumā! līgo
      Lec, Jānīti, kur lēkdamis līgo
      Lec kapustu darziņā līgo
      Lai aug tādi kāpustiņi līgo
      Kā Jāniša cepurīte līgo
      Lec, Jānīti, kur lēkdamis līgo
      Lec pupiņu laidarā līgo
      Izmin usnes, izmin nātres līgo
      Tīri manu laidariņu! līgo

  • @marlajacques6947
    @marlajacques6947 4 года назад +1

    I love it but think some cowbell would b highly appreciated 😀

    • @Balticfolk
      @Balticfolk  4 года назад +2

      Is it a pun that I can't quite catch or do you mean an actual cowbell as a musical instrument?

    • @marlajacques6947
      @marlajacques6947 4 года назад +2

      Baltic folk haha yes it’s a famous skit here in N America from Will Farrell and Christoph Walkin!
      ruclips.net/video/R8fpVNhiqKQ/видео.html

    • @Balticfolk
      @Balticfolk  4 года назад +2

      @@marlajacques6947 oh, it rings a bell now that I've watched that sketch 😂