Senā apģērba raksturojuma meklējumi latviešu folkloras tekstos
The Search for Information on Ancient Dress in Texts of Latvian Folklore

Summary/Abstract: In this article, the author seeks to look for descriptions of ancient Latvian dress in the texts of Latvian folk songs. The costumes in focus come from the 9th to 12th centuries (Late Iron Age). Latvian folk songs, however, come from in indefinite and long period of Latvian history, and there is some doubt as lo whether one can find references to the Late Iron Age in the texts of Latvian folklore. Several researchers have previously come to the conclusion that this is possible, and so has the author of this article. Firstly, the author examines what could be meant by reference to "golden" and "twig" crowns in Latvian folk songs and concludes that the so-called "braid" (grīstes) crowns that were worn in the Latvian territory in the Late Iron Age correspond most to this group of crowns depicted in folk songs. Secondly, a group of longer mythological folk songs is discussed, where the hero fights with a devil or other mythical enemy. The songs contain a common occurrence: that the hero's brown coat is splashed with the enemy's blood. Brown was the most common colour of men's coats in the Latvian territory in the Late Iron Age. Previously researchers have thought that the brown coats of the 16th -18th centuries were depicted in these songs, while the author of this article defends the idea that they were of an earlier descent.

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