Lettonie Musique des rittes solaires.pdf

7/28/2019 Lettonie Musique des rittes solaires.pdf

1/16

CD INEDIT W 260062 Maison des Cultures du Monde, 2006

1

Lettonie Le soleil a mari sa fille

Musiques des rites solaires

La Lettonie se situe sur les rives orientales de la mer Baltique. Malgr leschangements ethniques provoqus par cinquante ans doccupation sovitique, le paysest peupl majoritairement de Lettons (environ un million et demi).

Recouverte de forts, dun rseau complexe de rivires, de lacs et de marais,rendant sa pntration difficile, la Lettonie a peu subi les influences europennes.Cest pourquoi la culture germanique et le christianisme, aprs la conqute du payspar les croiss allemands au XIIIe sicle, ne touchrent gure la paysannerie lettone etlive demeure en servage jusquau dbut du XIXe sicle. Toutes ces conditionscontriburent donc jusquau milieu du XIXe sicle la prservation de la culturetraditionnelle lettone dont la langue, la musique, la mythologie et les coutumesconservent encore, malgr quelques emprunts la civilisation europenne, maintstraits archaques.

La mythologie des dainas lettones

Les premires traces crites de chants traditionnels lettons ou dainas (sg. daina)datent du XVIIe sicle. Dans la seconde moiti du XIXe sicle un collectagesystmatique de ces chants fut entrepris puis dit comme en tmoignent les sixvolumes de Latvju dainas publis entre 1894 et 1915 par Krisja nis Barons et quirecensent quelque 300.000 chants et variantes.

Le chant traditionnel letton se compose dun nombre important de quatrains decaractre lyrique qui accompagnaient aussi bien les vnements de la vie quotidienneque les ftes ou clbrations collectives. Rarement narratifs, ces chants se prsententplutt comme les commentaires dune action rituelle, lexpression dun sentiment oudes condenss de sagesse populaire.

Lharmonie entre niveaux de conscience individuel et universel constitue un desaspects les plus significatifs des dainas. Ainsi le soleil, considr comme la plusimportante figure de la cosmogonie lettone apparat souvent sous une formepersonnifie : Saule (cf. plage 13) ; inversement, ltre humain associe ses rythmesinternes et sa conception du temps aux cycles cosmiques (cf. plage 21). Cesconceptions cosmogoniques sexpriment donc dans une description mtaphorique de

la course du soleil, assimile la vie avec sa naissance, sa croissance et son dclin, etrciproquement dans les correspondances entre le cycle de la vie et le calendrierannuel avec ses ftes de solstice et dquinoxe.

Le concept de temps et despace est articul autour du soleil en tant quephnomne cosmique, mythique et thique. Ainsi, le monde dici-bas est pasaule,sous le soleil. Aprs la mort, lme se rend en chantant vers aizsaule, au-del dusoleil ou vers vin a saule, ce soleil, lautre soleil, ou au contraire vers pazeme,monde infrieurou encore vel u valsts, le territoire des ombres des dfunts o setiennent les vel,i corps astraux, ombres aprs la mort (cf. plage 16).

La mythologie des dainas englobe un nombre considrable dimages, dpisodes,

de figures mythologiques. Par exemple, les divinits cosmiques sont nombreuses:


2/16


2

Dievs (Dieu), Saule (le soleil, figure fminine), Me ness (la lune, figure masculine),Auseklis (ltoile du Matin), Dieva De li (les Fils de Dievs, jumeaux cosmiques),Saules meita (la Fille du Soleil), Pe rkons (le Tonnerre), Debesu kale js (le ForgeronCleste). Leurs amours clestes comme celle du Soleil et de la Lune ou celle de laFille du Soleil avec les Fils de Dievs sont racontes dans de longs cycles chants(cf. plages 5, 17, 18, 20).

Les divinits fminines Laima, Ma ra ou m l a Ma ra, et Zemes ma te peuvent tre considres comme une conception trinitaire de la Grande Desse : ladesse servante (cf. plage 18), la desse pouse (cf. plages 19 et 21) et la Terre Mre.

Outre ces dieux et desses, citons ici les divinits de la fertilit J a nis et Jumis.J a nis est la figure mythologique centrale de la fte orgiaque du solstice dtclbration la fois solaire et phallique (cf. plages 3 et 6). Dieu de la fertilit, Jumisvit dans les champs, et la fin des travaux des champs, en automne, il fait lobjet dunrite destin sassurer la fertilit de la terre lanne suivante (cf. plages 9 et 10).

Les styles du chant traditionnel

Les deux principaux styles vocaux sont le dziesma et le balss.Dziesma dsigne le chant solo, avec ses mlodies et ses textes spcifiques,

tandis que le terme balss qualifie plutt la voix et la parole : il na pas de mlodiestrictement dfinie, mais utilise une formule mlodique soumise la structure et aurythme du texte. Il est gnralement interprt trois voix : le meilleur chanteur teice ja ou sauce ja entonne deux strophes qui sont reprises par un ou plusieurschanteurs, tandis que les autres excutent un bourdon. Dans certaines rgion deLettonie, le bourdon est facultatif.

Les diffrents balsi se distinguent les uns des autres selon le rite auquel ils sontassocis ou selon la nature de leur refrain : godu balss pour un mariage, talku balsslors dune crmonie de clture des travaux agricoles collectifs (talka). Le Ja n u balss,l go balss ou l gotne est chant lors de la fte du solstice dt (Ja n i), tandis quepour celle du solstice dhiver on chante des Ziemas sve tki. Dautre part, la plupartdes mlodies de carnaval chantes en automne et en hiver dans le centre et dans lestdu pays sont appeles c iganu dziesmas ou chants gitans daprs le nom donnaux masques qui y participent (cf. plage 19).

Le troisime genre vocal est le zin ge, genre rcent portant lempreinte delinfluence germanique.

A cheval sur la frontire entre la Lettonie et la Lituanie, dans la rgion appeleSe lija, on trouve des balsi drivant en fait de la sutartine, chant polyphoniqueparticulier certaines rgions de Lituanie (cf. plages 20 et 21).

Les instruments de musique

Si limportance de la musique instrumentale traditionnelle en Lettonie estparfaitement vidente, les informations sur ce quelle fut autrefois sont beaucoupmoins nombreuses que sur le chant. Par ailleurs, nombre dinstruments ont disparuaujourdhui.

Le kokles, dont le nom pourrait tre traduit par lexpression arbre chantant,

est une cithare sur table quipe de 5 12 cordes de mtal. Elle occupait une position


3/16


3

privilgie dans la hirarchie des instruments de musique traditionnels : dans lalittrature orale on le voit souvent appel kokles de Dievs ou kokles dor et ilpasse pour tre linstrument favori de Ja nis, le Soleil, et des Fils de Dievs. Le jeu dukokles apparat comme une mditation ; des photographies anciennes montrent lemusicien, dtendu, appuyant son menton contre la caisse de rsonance. Divers textesattestent galement lusage dune vile archet au timbre profond et riche, le g ga.

Autre instrument trs populaire, la cornemuse jouait un rle important lors desmariages o elle accompagnait la danse, mais aussi toutes les tapes de la crmonie.Elle tait quipe de trois tuyaux, un tuyau mlodique et deux bourdons, monts surun sac de peau de mouton, de chien ou de phoque. Au XVIIIe sicle, elle fut peu peu remplace par le violon lexception de quelques villages du Kurland occidental.

Dabord utilis comme instrument soliste, le violon sest vite associ auxcithares, mandolines, accordon et percussions pour former des ensemblesaccompagnant les danses.

LE SOLEIL A MARI SA FILLE

1. Appel instrumentalMlodie de la rgion dAlsunga joue la clarinette.

2. Dzied pa prieks u, bra l u ma saGodu balss de la rgion de Dunalka, excut au dbut de la crmonie de mariage.Chante la premire, sur de tes frres la voix tranante !Tu en avais lhabitude lorsque tu vivais parmi tes frres.Jai gravi des collines, je suis descendue dans les plaines,

Jai taquin de jeunes garons alors que je grandissais.Le merisier ne fleurit pas deux fois, juste une.De mme, nai-je quune jeunesse, que je passe chanter.Tout lt jai chant avec bonheurEt ainsi jai trouv une pouse pour mon frre et un mari pour moi.

3. J a n a daudzina jumsChant de louange Ja nis, l gotne de Sece glorifiant la puissance virile.Frappe, Ja nis, le tambour de cuivre sur le mt de lentre, l go, l go !Rveille les jeunes filles, quelles chantent en lhonneur de Janis ! J a nis, Fils de Dievs, quelle vaste coiffure tu portes :

Toutes les forts se balancent sous ce chapeau. J a nis, Fils de Dievs, quel destrier tu possdes :Les perons brillent travers la fort, le chapeau par-dessus les arbres.Janis qui chevauchait tout au long de lanne est enfin arriv la veille de Ja n i ;Ma sur, va, ouvre la porte et fais entrer J a nis.

4. Solo de koklesMditation sur des motifs de l gotne, par Valdis Muktupa vels.

5. Sudrabina gail i dziedCest le plus ancien l gotne connu. Il fut publi Riga en 1777 par A. W. Hupel dansson Topographische Nachrichten von Liefund Ehstland.


4/16


Des coqs argents chantent dans la valle de la rivire dor, l go, l go !Rveillez les Fils de Dievs, quils voient la Fille du SoleilSous le chne, en train de confectionner sa couronne .Par-del la colline il y a un lac et par-del ce lac, un chne ;Le Fils de Dievs y a accroch sa ceinture, la Fille du Soleil, sa couronne.La Fille du Soleil a baign ses coursiers dans la mer ;Le Fils de Dievs est sur le rivage, qui tient les rnes.Le Fils de Dievs et la Fille du Soleil se sont livrs des jeux ;Ils ont jou, main dans la main.

6. J a nu diena sve ta dienaL gotne de Sauka. Labsence de rgles sociales concernant la sexualit est illustre icipar la couronne que les jeunes filles portent puis perdent.Saint est le jour de Ja n i, l go !En ce jour, le Fils de Dievs a salu la Fille du Soleil, l go !

Jeunes gens et jeunes filles ont dans toute la nuit, l go !J a nis est assis au sommet de la colline, un paquet dherbes dans le dos ; jeunes filles, vtons-nous de blanc et allons sduire Ja nis !On ma men cueillir des herbes que je ne connaissais pas :Un arbuste, trois branches et neuf fleurs frachement closes.Dans la nuit de Ja n i jtais incapable de distinguer les jeunes filles des femmesmaries ;Toutes portaient des couronnes de perles sur leur tte.Tout le long du village il y avait des chnes ;Comme je mavanais dans la nuit de Ja n i, jai dchiquet ma couronne.Je nai jamais pu retrouv ce que javais perdu la nuit de Ja n i :Jai perdu ma virginit, jai perdu ma couronne de perles.Saint est le jour de Ja n i, l go !Le soleil se balance, une abeille va et vient, le monde bascule,Et ceux qui ftent Ja nis sagitent en tous sens.

7. Engel tisAnglaise, danse de la rgion dAlsunga.

8. Ka di ziedi rudz s am ?Comment sont les fleurs de seigle ?

Chant de solstice dt de Feiman i. Ce chant tait excut lors dun rituel qui sedroulait dans les champs. Sous forme de question / rponse, il passe en revue lesdiverses espces cultives.

9. Talku balssChant de travail dIzvalta, excut lors du rituel d attrape-Jumis qui en automnemarque la fin des travaux des champs.Mes parents se sont entraids :Ils ont aid moissonn le seigle, lorge, ils ont aid faire les foins.Un grand pr stend prs de la route.Jaimerais possder ce pr et celui qui le fauche.

Gare, champs de seigle, car les faux approchent !


5/16


5

Enveloppe-toi du gris manteau de brouillard.

10. Talka na ca dzieda damaChant des buveurs de bire de la rgion de L va niLes moissonneurs sont revenus en chantant, ils veulent de la bire.Allez, matresse, sors et donne-nous de la bire !Bienvenue Jumis, il fera bon vivre ici :Je te donnerai du pain, des pois et de la bonne bire.Jai cuit une grande miche de pain pour Jumis.Cinq hommes et six chevaux ne pouvaient la soulever.Si seulement mon champ avait des pis de houblon aussi gros que la verge de celui quiles moissonne,La bire ne manquerait ni lautomne, ni au printemps.

11. Pinkulainu kazu vedu

Je prends une vieille chvre pour un beau bouc au poil bouclChant de mariage de la rgion de Bukmuiz a.La tradition orale fait maintes rfrences au sacrifice du bouc la fin de lautomne etnotamment un jeu o garons et filles se disputaient les gnitoires de lanimal ou unecarotte en guise de substitut.

12. Garais dancisLa danse longue (rgion d'Alsunga).

13. Ai Dievin i, augstu sauleChant dorphelin de Dundaga. Dieu, le Soleil est haut, comment tiendrai-je jusquau soir ?Je frappe les cliquettes de mon bton pour faire descendre le Soleil.Que le Soleil se couche par-del les neufs lacs.Au crpuscule, le Soleil se couche avec des reflets dor. Dieu, laisse-moi briller ainsi jusqu la fin de mes jours.Je suis comme un invit dans le monde sous le Soleil ;Lautre monde, lautre Soleil ce sera pour lternit !Le Soleil sest couch derrire les neuf lacs ;Avec un sistre de cuivre il a plong dans la mer.

14. Kas tur dail i gavile ja ?Qui chante ainsi sur la colline derrire la rivire ?Chant funraire de Se lpils.

15. Me s devin i ba lelin iChant de mariage et de funrailles de Tirza.Nous sommes neuf frres, pour une seule sur.O est notre sur que personne nentend chanter ? frres, harnachez vos destriers et serrez leurs brides :Notre sur est fiance la terre des petites pierres ()

16. Mana balta ma mulin a


6/16


Chant de funrailles de Rucava, o il est fait mention dun sacrifice rituel pourchapper la mort, et o lirrversibilit du passage de la vie la mort est symbolisepar la porte, la cl et la serrure.Ma mre bien-aime, jamais plus je ne serai ton enfant :Comme je fermai mes yeux, les ombres des dfunts mont appel.J ai vu la Mre des Ombres entrer par la porte :Elle tait vtue de blanc, des chaussures de sable ses pieds.Jai jet une hache, jai roul une pierre dans ma tombe,[Mais] ils ne voulaient ni de la hache ni de la pierre, cest mon corps quils voulaient.Ma mre, fais cuire un pain pour mon voyage dans lau-del ;J en aurai besoin pour nourrir les enfants des ombres, ce sont eux qui mouvriront lesportes de lau-del.La Mre des Ombres se rjouissait et dansait sur la tombe :Elle vit mon cadavre, si beau, si blanc, que lon amenait au cimetire.La porte de lau-del est close, la cl a verrouill la terre.

Mon corps disparat sous le gazon.

17. Tec, peleite, ze rnu zogtuChant de solstice dhiver de Nirza.Cours, petite souris, va chaparder ces quelques pois et rapporte-men, kalado ,kalado !Les poches pleines, lune de pois, lautre de fves.Comment ne tont-ils pas attrape ? Je me suis cache dans un trou.Comment nas-tu pas attrap froid ? Jai fait du feu.Comment ne tes-tu pas brle ? Je me suis enduite de beurre rance.O as-tu pris ce beurre ? Dans le garde-manger de la vieille.O la vieille lavait-elle eu? Au pis dune vache tachete.O la vache tachete lavait-elle trouv ? Dans lherbe verte.O lherbe verte a-t-elle disparu ? Les Fils de Diev lont fauche en attendant laFille du Soleil.

18. Kam t zyrgi, kam t rotiChant de solstice dhiver de Mez vidi, Ka rsava.A qui sont ces chevaux, qui est cette carriole, la porte de Diev ? Kalado , kalado !Ce sont les chevaux de Diev et la carriole de Laima, et cest la Fille du Soleil qui lesconduit.

Faites du feu, coupez du bois, faites entrer Diev !Amenez-le table ! matresse de maison, donne-nous le don de Diev :Donne-nous des fves, donne-nous des pois, donne-nous de ces bonnes crales.Je rends grces la matresse de nous avoir si bien traits :Elle nous a donn du beurre, du lait, du bon miel. Diev, fais-lui pousser deux pis sur chaque tige !

19. Es c iga na de lin s bijuChant de solstice dhiver que les masques c igani excutaient de maison en maison.J tait un petit gitan, gitan tait mon pre ;

- ai du tider halla , ai du tider halla , a ilda ilda ilda , da dahu dill dallalla !


7/16


7

Eh, les chiens, naboyez pas, les Gitans viennent de loin :Neuf collines, neuf valles nous sparent de leur foyer.Dj tout petit jallais mon chemin dans la nuit noire. Diev, bnis ma route, rends ma parole puissante !La matresse de maison seffraie : il est venu trop de Gitans.Naie point peur, ils ont tous de quoi boire et de quoi manger,Ils ont tous dormi dans la chambre de Ma ra.

20. Sidrabina lietins lijaChant de solstice dhiver de Se lija. Ce chant est interprt dans le style du sutartine quatre parties.Une pluie dargent tombe la nuit du solstice dhiver ; kaladu , kaladu !Les moindres brindilles scintillent dargent ;Toutes les chandelles brillent comme des cierges dargent.La Lune montre le chemin aux charretiers qui conduisent la Fille du Soleil.

Le Soleil a mari sa Fille, du pays des ombres vers ce monde.

21. Saja ja bramman iAdaptation dune sutartine de Rageliai un texte letton. Le thme de larbre sacrpeut tre interprt comme larbre cosmique : il est le Monde, comprenant le mondesuprieur, le monde intermdiaire et le monde infrieur ; il est le Temps exprim par lecycle annuel, savoir : 9 x 9 x 9 +1 =730 jours (fleurs) et nuits (baies) =365 x 2.Les hommes braves et sages sont venus dos de cheval par-dessus la haute colline.Ils ont accroch leurs pes sur larbre sacr.Larbre sacr avait neuf rameaux,Il y a neuf fleurs au bout de chaque rameau,Il y a neuf baies chaque fleur.Une petite abeille vint en volant et en prit une pour la mettre dans le berceau de lachre Ma ra.

Lensemble Rasa a t fond Riga en 1989 dans le but de faire revivre des traditionsoublies. Si Rasa se consacre surtout la musique traditionnelle lettone, soninterprtation est galement ouverte aux influences orientales et minimalistes.Le collectage, ltude et linterprtation des traditions du pass sont un peu comme laformation des gouttes de rose partir dinfimes particules deau. Pour voquer cettereviviscence de la musique traditionnelle lettone, notre ensemble a choisi ce nom de

Rasa qui signifie rose en letton comme dans presque toutes les langues indo-europennes et dont le sens originel sanskrit est : la bue, lhumidit, le fleuvemythique, le monde infrieur, autant de concepts essentiels de la cosmogonietraditionnelle lettone.

Valdis Muktupavelstraduction franaise, Pierre Bois

Valdis Muktupavels - chant, cornemuse, kokles, trompe de bois, accordon,chalumeaux, fltes de pan, percussions.Krist ne Ca bele - chant, violon, kokles.

Gita Lancere - chant, violon.


8/16


Iveta Ta le - chant, kokles, sistre tr deksnis.Andris Veismanis - chant, vile g ga, flte, ocarina, fltes de pan, percussions.

Collection dirige par Franoise GrndEnregistrements effectus en avril 1993 la Radio Lettone / Riga.Notice originale, Valdis Muktupavels.

Traduction franaise, Pierre Bois.En couverture, dessin original de Franoise Grnd.Photographies, Jean-Paul Dumontier.Masterisation, Alcyon Musique.Ralisation, groupe media international. et (P) 1995 MCM


9/16


Latvia The sun married off her daughter

Traditional music of solar rites

Latvia is a land on the eastern shores of the Baltic sea. Latvians (about 1.5million) still are the basic inhabitants of the land, though the 50 years of the recentSoviet occupation have drastically changed the ethnic structure.

Mostly covered with forests and having quite a dense network of rivers, lakesand swamps, the Eastern Baltic region wasnt ever subject to intense culturalinfluences from other parts of Europe. The land was conquered by German crusadersin the 13th century ; after that the high culture was basically German, while non-Germans, i. e., Latvians and Livs were mostly peasants until the beginning of the19th century, when serfdom was abolished. Christianity was associated with theruling Baltic German administration and as such was adopted more or less formally.

Therefore, though Latvian language, music, mythology, customs and traditions haveabsorbed elements and features from modern culture, they display quite an archaicstructure.

Mythology of latvian dainas

The first recordings of Latvian folk songs or dainas (sg. : daina) are from the17th century ; yet more or less considerable collection and systematization workstarted in the second half of the 19th century. As a result, the edition of Latvian folksongs by Krisja nis Barons , named Latvju dainas , appeared in 1894-1915,comprising about 300,000 song texts and their variants in 6 volumes.

The Latvian folk songs consist of a large number of quatrain units, mostlylyrical in tone, which were sung as an accompaniment both to the ordinary events ofdaily life and to special events and communal celebrations. As such, they only rarelytell stories, but rather comment on performed rituals, express feelings, or condensefolk wisdom into pithy epigrams.

A significant aspect of the dainas is the harmony between individual anduniversal level of consciousness. The sun of the dainas, as the most importantcosmological object, often appears as a personified mythological being, Saule (seetrack 13). The human, on the other hand, correlates his own rhythms and timeconcepts with cosmic cycles (see track 21). So the course of the sun is

metaphorically presented in parallel to the course of a human life. Remarkable is theparallelism between a full cycle of human life and the calendar cycle of a year with itsbig festivities linked to the summer and winter solstices and the spring and fallequinoxes.

The concept of time and space is centered around the sun as a cosmic, mythic,ethic etc. phenomenon. So the world is pasaule under-the-sun ; after death humansoul goes singing to aizsaule beyond-the-sun or to vin a saule that sun, the othersun. Quite different from aizsaule is pazeme (also zemzeme or apaks zeme)netherworld or vel u valsts the land of the shades of deceased, where vel i astralbodies, shades stay after death (see track 16).

Mythology of dainas encompasses a large number of mythological images,


10/16


1

episodes, motifs. Remarkable is the group of cosmic deities: Dievs (God), Saule (theSun feminine in Latvian), Me ness (the Moon masculine in Latvian), Auseklis(Morning Star), Dieva De li (the Sons of Dievs, cosmic twins), Saules meita (theDaughter of the Sun), Pe rkons (Thunder), Debesu kale js (Heavenly Smith). Theirheavenly courting and wedding that of the Sun with the Moon or of the Daughterof the Sun with the Sons of Dievs is reflected in some rather extensive song cycles(see tracks 5, 17, 18, 20).

Feminine deities Laima, Ma ra or m l a Ma ra and Zemes ma te can beconsidered as different aspects of the one original Great Goddess, split up into theclassical trinity of the goddess as maiden (see track 18), the goddess as wife (seetracks 19 and 21), and the goddess as old crone.

Besides the gods and goddesses discussed above, fertility deities J a nis andJumis should be mentioned. J a nis is the central mythological figure of the orgiasticfeast of Midsummer Night, the celebration of which has the features of solar, phallic(see tracks 3 and 6) and fertility rites altogether. Jumis is a fertility god, living infields ; a special rite of catching of Jumis is performed during Apjum bas at theend of the autumn field works, thus ensuring the maintenance of the fertility of fieldsfor the next year (see tracks 9 and 10).

Traditional vocal music styles

There are two basic vocal music styles : dziesma (pl. : dziesmas) and balss (pl.: balsi).

Dziesma is a usual term to denote a song ; it has a certain melody, a shorter orlonger text and is mostly sung solo. Traditionally, balss was not recognized as a song

: the term means voice, speech. Balss has no strictly defined melody, but some sortof melodic formula that can be changed in accordance with the text and the rhythm ofspeech. Balss is indispensable part of all rituals, customs, calendar festivities, works,so its text is related to the situation. Basically it is a three-part singing: the best singer teice ja or sauce ja starts with singing out two stanzas of a daina ; the same textis repeated by one or several singers loc ta jas, while the rest vilce ji, sing adrone. In many regions of Latvia balss is sung without drone ; in that case the solopart of teice ja is repeated by the others.

As balsi are closely linked to certain traditional activities, they can be namedafter that specific activity or they can have definite refrains. So during a wedding or aname-giving party before ceremonial meal godu balss ceremonial balss is sung. A

melody sung at the end of the local communitys field works, talka, is named talkubalss or Jumja balss. Ja n u balss, l go balss or l gotne is sung at Summer solsticecelebration J a n i and has a refrain l go, or sometimes l go Ja n ti, l gorallalla , ru to etc. The tunes of Winter solstice celebration Ziemas sve tki canhave such refrains as kalado , kaladu , to tari etc. Most of the autumn and wintercarneval tunes in Central and Eastern Latvia are named c iganu dziesmas, Gipsysongs, as the masked participants of those celebrations are named c iga nu ,Gipsies (see track 19).

Besides dziesma and balss one can find zin ge, that is quite recent singing stylewith a strong German influence.

A special note should be made to singing in Se lija Southern Latvia, a former


11/16


1

territory of the se l i people. One can find some tunes there, that have the characterof balsi, but in sense of their origin they are related to sutartine a vocal polyphonyform, until the beginning of the 20th century still heard in the other part of the formerse l i land in North-Eastern Lithuania (see tracks 20 and 21).

Latvian musical instruments

Musical instruments and instrumental music are quite an important part oftraditional culture ; unfortunately, what we know about the instrumental musictraditions is much less than about the vocal music. And besides, only fewinstruments are in use nowadays, so it is difficult or sometimes almost impossible todecide, when, where and how certain instruments were played.

A wooden or birch-bark trumpet taure was used for signalization on thewedding day ; different flutes and whistles were the usual companion of shepherdsactivities ; straw or dry reeds were also used to make reed-pipes and panpipes.

Kocin i a wooden plank hung near the house and beaten with wooden sticks was also used for signalization. Rattle sticks egl te and tr deksnis accompaniedwomen singing.

One of the most beloved instruments was kokles, the singing tree, a boardzither with 5 to 12 metal strings which seems to have the highest position in thehierarchy of musical instruments : in folklore texts it is named Dieva kokles (koklesof Dievs) or zelta kokles (the golden kokles) and it is said that it was played by theSons of Dievs or by the Sun, or by Ja nis. The solar ornamentation of the resonanceboard also links the instrument with the upper world. The playing of kokles is a kindof meditation ; old photographies show the player resting with his chin against theresonance board.

Bagpipe was another very popular instrument since the 15th century. Usuallyit had a chanter and 1 or 2 drones inserted in a bag, made of sheeps or dogs skin orseals bladder. A bagpipe player was a very important figure in wedding, as his tunesorganized the whole ritual and served for dancing as well. From the 18th century onbagpipe was gradually replaced by violin almost everywhere except in some places inWestern Kurland, where it was still played in this century.

Though formerly violin was used as a solo instrument, in 19th-20th centuries itwas popular in different village dance music groups together with zithers, mandolins,accordion, and drums. There are several references of playing of g ga a stringinstrument with a bow ; as a remarkable quality of g ga its deep, rich tone is

mentioned.

THE SUN MARRIED OFF HER DAUGHTER

1. Instrumental callA tune of wooden clarinet from Alsunga.

2. Dzied pa prieks u, bra l u ma saGodu balss from Dunalka. It marks the ritual beginning of the wedding celebration.Sing the first, a sister of brothers, with long and ornamented tones!

You have been used to do it, while living with your brothers.I climbed up some hill, descended some valley ;


12/16


1

I teased some lad, while I grew up myself.Only once, not twice did the bird-cherry tree blossom ;

Young only once, not twice did I live with singing.Cheerfully I sang all this summer long:

Thus I found a bride for my brother and a perfect bridegroom for me.

3. J a n a daudzina jumsL gotne from Sece. Singing praise to J a nis, his steed, his cap is an essential part of

Ja n i ; it is a sort of glorification of masculine power.Beat, J a nis, a copper drum on a gate-pole! l go, l go !Let young girls to get up and to sing praise to Ja nis!Oh J a nis, the Son of Dievs, what a broad hat you have:All forests are swaying beneath your hat.Oh J a nis, the Son of Dievs, what an erect steed you have:

The spurs are glittering through forests, the hat above trees.

Ja nis was riding all the year and has arrived on the Ja n i eve ;Sister, go and open the gate, and let Ja nis in!

4. Kokles soloKokles meditation, based on typical motifs of l gotne, by Valdis Muktupa vels.

5. Sudrabina gail i dziedThe oldest known l gotne, published in A. W. Hupels Topographische Nachrichtenvon Lief- und Ehstland in Riga, 1777. Singing about the love affairs of the Sons ofDievs with the Daughter of the Sun is an essential part of the J a n i celebration.Silver cocks are singing in a golden river valley, l go, l go!

Let the Sons of Dievs to get up and to look for the Daughter of the Sun ;The Daughter of the Sun is making her wreath under the oak-tree.There is a lake beyond the hill, there is an oak-tree beyond the lake ;The Son of Dievs hung his belt there, the Daughter of the Sun her wreath.The Daughter of the Sun bathed her steeds in the sea ;The Son of Dievs holds the reins, standing ashore.The Sons of Dievs, the Daughter of the Sun played games ;Played games hand in hand.

6. J a nu diena sve ta diena

L

gotne from Sauka. This l

gotne is influenced by relatively new melodies. Therefrain is a combination of l go with rallalla , that is used in songs of entertaining oreven funny character. The absence of the traditional social regulations between sexesand the consequent loosing of virginity is expressed in terms of wearing wreath bothby girls and women and then loosing it.

J a n i day is a holy day above all other days: l go !The Son of Dievs greeted the Daughter of the Sun on this day, l go !Young lads danced with young girls in the Ja n i night, l go ! L go l go rallalla , l go l go rallalla , l go !

J a nis sits on a hill-top with a pack of herbs on his back ;Oh girls, let us dress in white and go to tease Ja nis!

They took me to herbs, I didnt know any :


13/16


1

One stem, three twigs, and with nine blossoms.In the Ja n i night I didnt recognize, which is a girl, which a wife ;As all of them had wreaths with pearls on their heads.

There are oak-trees alongside a village ;As I went through on Ja n i night, a bough tore off my wreath.Never did I get back again, what I lost on Ja n i night :I lost my virginity, I lost my wreath of pearls.

J a n i day is a holy day above all other days :The Sun is swaying, a bee is swaying, all the world is swaying ;So the Ja nis celebrants are swaying everywhere.

7. Engel tisAnglaise A pair dance from Alsunga.

8. Ka di ziedi rudz s am ?

A Summer solstice song from Feiman i.This song is supposed to be sung during the ritual walking-and-singing around thefields.What are the blossoms of rye like? Grey are the blossoms of rye. rota , rota !What are the blossoms of wheat like? White are the blossoms of wheat.()What are the blossoms of bean like? Spotted are the blossoms of bean.

They are not the blossoms of bean, they are pendants of Dievs.

9. Talku balssTalku balss from Izvalta. It is sung at the end of the autumn field works during the

ritual of catching of Jumis .My kinsfolk helped a lot to each other:

They helped to harvest rye, barley, they helped to make hay.There is a large meadow near a highway.I wish I would have this meadow and the one who mows it.Beware, you rye-field: your cutters are approaching!Wrap yourself in a mist, put on a grey coat!

10. Talka na ca dzieda damaA beer drinking song from L va ni.

Field workers came home singing, they want some sweet beer.Come out, the hostess, give us some beer!Welcome, Jumis, to our place, it will be a nice living here:Ill give you bread and peas, and sweet beer to drink.I baked a big loaf of bread for Jumis.Five men with six horses couldnt move this loaf.If only Id have as big barley ears in my field as the penis of the cutter,

There wouldnt be a lack of beer neither in autumn, nor in spring.

11. Pinkulainu kazu veduA wedding song melody from Bukmuiz a.One can find several reminiscences of the

billy-goat sacrifice in folklore texts and traditions. The songs tell about the ritual


14/16


1

killing of billy-goat at the end of the autumn field works ; stebere or genitals of thebilly-goat are mentioned quite often in those songs. A ritual game A fight forstebere is known : girls are holding stebere and teasing boys with it ; boys try to getstebere until they succeed. A substitute for stebere carrot with two apples and abunch of dills is known from wedding and Apjum bas traditions.

12. Garais dancisThe long dance. A pair dance from Alsunga.

13. Ai Dievin i, augstu sauleAn orphan song from Dundaga. Latvian orphan songs are characteristic with theirphilosophical atmosphere and a sort of ethic purity and enlightment.Oh God, the Sun is high, how should I wait for the eve?I play a clapper with a stick to let the Sun set.Let the Sun set beyond nine lakes.

The Sun sets in the eve with golden shining all around.Oh God, let me shine so at the end of my days!I am only as a guest living in this world under the Sun ;

The other world, the other Sun thats for ever!The Sun has already set beyond nine lakes ;With a rattle of copper chains when sinking into the sea.

14. Kas tur dail i gavile ja ?Who sings on the hill behind the river ?A funeral song from Se lpils.

15. Me s devin i ba lelin iA wedding and funeral song from Tirza.Were nine brothers, with only one sister.Where is our sister no one can see her singing?Oh brothers, harness your steeds, clip your bridles:Our sister is betrothed to the land of tiny stones ()

16. Mana balta ma mulin aA funeral song from Rucava. A ritual sacrifice to escape from death is mentioned. Yetthe irreversibility of life-to-death transition is marked by the gate, the key and the

locking.My beloved mother, I shall not anymore be your child:As I closed my eyes, the shades of the departed invited me.I saw the Mother of Shades entering through the gate:She was dressed in white with shoes of sand on her feet.I throw an axe, I roll a stone into my grave.

They didnt want the axe nor the stone, they wanted my body.My mother, bake me a bread, for my way to the netherworld ;Ill need it to treat the children of shades the openers of the netherworlds gate forme.

The Mother of Shades rejoiced, dancing over the grave:

She saw my body being brought to the graveyard so nice and white.


15/16


1

The gate to the netherworld is shut, the key has locked the land.My body is disappearing beneath a green sod.

17. Tec, peleite, ze rnu zogtuA Winter solstice song from Nirza.Run, mouse, to pilfer some peas, bring to me after pilfering kalado , kalado !Both pockets full one with beans, the other with peas.How didnt they catch you? I hid myself in a pit.How didnt you get cold? I made a fire.How didnt you burn? I plastered myself with old butter.Where did you get the old butter? In the old mothers pantry.Where did the old mother get it? In the udder of a spotted cow.Where did the spotted cow get it? In a green grass.Where did the green grass disappear? The Sons of Dievs have mowed it whilewaiting for the Daughter of the Sun.

18. Kam t zyrgi, kam t rotiA Winter solstice song from Mez vidi, Ka rsava.Whose are the steeds, whose is the carriage at the doors of the Dievs house? Kalado , kalado !Dievs steeds, Laimas carriage, Daughter of the Sun the one who is driving.Make fire, chop splinters, let Dievs in!

Take him to the table!Oh mistress of the house, give us the Dievs gift :Give us beans, give us peas, give us fresh made grain food!I thank the mistress of the house for nice treating :

She gave me butter, milk, sweet honey.Oh Dievs, grow her two rye-ears on one straw!

19. Es c iga na de lin s bijuA Winter solstice or a Gipsy song. It was sung about Winter solstice time, whenmasked and costumed revelers c iga ni walked around from house to house.I was a Gipsy child, Gipsy was my father ; ai du tider halla , ai du tider halla , a ilda ilda ilda , da dahu dill dallalla !Gipsy thought of me, while walking around the world.Oh dogs, dont bark, the Gipsies are from afar :

There are nine hills, nine valleys to the Gipsys home.I started as a little child to go my way through a dark night.Oh Dievs, bless my way, make my speech powerful!

The mistress of the house got afraid: too much Gypsies have come.Dont be afraid, all have had enough food and drink,All have slept in the chamber of dear Ma ra.

20. Sidrabina lietins lijaA Winter solstice song from Se lija. Transformation of the original song is doneaccording to a pattern of a four-part sutartine. The motif of the Daughter of the Suncoming from the land of shades to this world expresses the essence of the Winter

solstice time.


16/16


1

Silver rain was falling on the Winter solstice night ; kaladu , kaladu !All tiny twigs carried silver on them ;All the night candles burnt in silver candle-sticks.

The Moon is showing the way to the drivers who are carrying the Daughter of theSun.

The Sun married off her daughter from the land of shades to this world.

21. Saja ja bramman iAn adaptation of a sutartine from Rageliai to a Latvian text. The motif of a sacred treein Latvian (and as well in Lithuanian) text can be interpreted as the idea of the Worldtree: it IS all the world, including upper world, midworld and netherworld ; it IS allthe time or one cycle/year, as expressed in the text: 9x9x9+1 makes 730 alltogether orthe number of days (blossoms) and nights (berries) in a year: 365x2=730.

The brave and wise men came together on horse-back ; to tari ta , raitaita raitaita ,radu ridu raitaita , rota !

Upon the high hill.They hung their swords on the holy tree.The holy tree has nine boughs,There are nine blossoms at the end of each bough,There are nine berries at the end of each blossom.A little bee came flying and took one away into the cradle of dear Ma ra.

RASA GROUP was founded in Riga in 1989. The main intention of RASAsparticipants coming together was to revive ancient, forgotten traditions, to sing and toplay music. Collection, studying and interpretation of the traditions of the past is likeformation of dew drops from tiny particles of water from everywhere. That is why

the name of the group is RASA, as the word rasa (meaning dew in Latvian) is a linkamong several Indo-European languages. Having been a common proto-Indo-European word, it is well-known to Baltic peoples Latvians, Lithuanians and,supposedly, Prussians. It is rosa in Slavic with the same meaning as in Baltic, butLatin ro s stands for dew, liquid, moisture, balsam. A rich variety of meanings isfound in Sanskrit rasa : moisture, mythical river Rasa , netherworld, land.RASA performs mostly traditional music, but is open to Oriental, minimalist andother influences in its interpretation style. RASAs first programme Pru s osmanas ka jas autas ( I Put On My Shoes in Prussian Land ) was a story about anextinct Baltic people Prussians. Besides studying and performing traditional music

from different regions of Latvia, RASA has made an attempt to create a mystery play The Sun Married off Her Daughter .Valdis Muktupa vels

Valdis Muktupa vels - voice, bagpipe, kokles, wooden trumpet, accordion, reeds,panpipes, drums.Krist ne Ca bele - voice, violin, kokles.Gita Lancere- voice, violin.Iveta Ta le- voice, kokles, tr deksnis.Andris Veismanis - voice, g ga, flute, ocarina, panpipes, drums.

Lettonie Musique des rittes solaires.pdf

Documents

Transcript of Lettonie Musique des rittes solaires.pdf