Dievturiba

Based on ancient Latvian mythology, Dievturība is a modern neopagan religion.

Dievturība was first established in 1925, based on ancient Latvian folklore, old folk songs and stories. It is not identical to the beliefs of the ancient Latvians themselves. For example, there is no evidence that the ancients divided their deities into groups of three; in Dievturība, Dievs, Māra; and Laima are a trinity of fate gods and goddesses, for example.

Ernest Brastins (1892-1942) was the person mainly responsible for the early developed of Dievturība. He was an artist, an amateur historian, a folklorist and an archaeologist. He documented many ancient Latvian temples and castles, writing Index of Mythological Notions of Latvju Dainas.

The catechism of Dievturība is Catechismus Teoforii.

Dievturiba is essentially a monotheistic religion. Other deities are either aspects of the one god, or other types of non-deific spirits. In Dievturiba, several triumvirates of deities and concepts are recognized.

• Gods of fate, the primary triumvirate
  • Dievs (who is the one monotheistic god and emanates the others as aspect of himself)
  • Laima
  • Māra;
• Goddesses of water
  • Jūras māte;
  • Ūdens māte;
  • Upes māte;
• Human form
  • astral body (velis)
  • flesh (miesa)
  • soul (dvēsele)

The different between dvēsele ("soul") and velis ("astral body") is a fine one. The dvēsele is eternal. It comes from god (Dievs) and will return to him after the death of the miesa. The velis stays near the body, gradually melting and disappearing over time (similar to the concept of a ghost).

External link

• Dievturi writings - mostly in Latvian, but one article in English