Folktale week is an illustration challenge held every year in November, with seven prompts for seven days.
This year the general theme of my illustrations was Veļu laiks, the time of spirits/souls, a period from the autumn equinox until the first days of November (end time may vary from region to region) with its culmination on the October 28th, when the souls of the ancestors are honoured with the certain rituals and customs. Similar traditions are observed in many different other cultures as well.
The first prompt was “Moon”. According to tradition, in the morning the head of the family must ride to a cemetery to bring the souls home for a feast. The Moon here is a reference to a folk song, in which the Moon tooks the protagonist as his coachman.
The first prompt was “Moon”. According to tradition, in the morning the head of the family must ride to a cemetery to bring the souls home for a feast. The Moon here is a reference to a folk song, in which the Moon tooks the protagonist as his coachman.
"Dream"
According to a Latvian belief, if you see a deceased relative in a dream, on the next day it will going to snow (though the only thing you can really expect is to wake up in the morning, drowning in your own tears, but the image this belief creates is still pretty poetic).
According to a Latvian belief, if you see a deceased relative in a dream, on the next day it will going to snow (though the only thing you can really expect is to wake up in the morning, drowning in your own tears, but the image this belief creates is still pretty poetic).
“Awakening”
A dowry chest is a piece of furniture traditionally used by unmarried young women to collect items, such as clothing and household linen, in anticipation of married life (thank you Wiki). After a wedding ritual, it was used to keep all the aforementioned things, as well as books, jewellery and any other belongings.
According to an article on santa.lv about dowry chests in Latvia, for a peasant girl it was a hope symbol, a chance to create her own small personal space (she was supposed to live together with many relatives, so this obviously was very important).
I love how something as simple as a wooden chest can have so many meanings, and, last but not least, dowry chests in Latvia were often beautifully decorated. Not with the paradise birds, probably, but let’s say that’s my own vision :)
A dowry chest is a piece of furniture traditionally used by unmarried young women to collect items, such as clothing and household linen, in anticipation of married life (thank you Wiki). After a wedding ritual, it was used to keep all the aforementioned things, as well as books, jewellery and any other belongings.
According to an article on santa.lv about dowry chests in Latvia, for a peasant girl it was a hope symbol, a chance to create her own small personal space (she was supposed to live together with many relatives, so this obviously was very important).
I love how something as simple as a wooden chest can have so many meanings, and, last but not least, dowry chests in Latvia were often beautifully decorated. Not with the paradise birds, probably, but let’s say that’s my own vision :)
"Feast"
Offering food to ancestors is a common ritual in many similar celebrations around the world.
Offering food to ancestors is a common ritual in many similar celebrations around the world.
"Bird".
A very loose interpretation of myths about one of the Latvian deities that gathers souls of the warriors at the battlefield.
A very loose interpretation of myths about one of the Latvian deities that gathers souls of the warriors at the battlefield.
"River".
In some folk songs river Daugava is mentioned as a "river full of souls".
In some folk songs river Daugava is mentioned as a "river full of souls".
"Sky"
Some sketches, as always
