Collection of Latvian Charms

Number
150
Title
Collection of Latvian Charms
Description

Buramo vārdu krājums

The Collection of Latvian Charms, gathered from various places around Latvia, were submitted to the Archives of Latvian Folklore mostly in the 1920s and 1930s; a number of exhibits were also contributed after 1991. The collection consists mainly of original, small-format, handmade books, or also a copy or transcript of the original. The collection also includes compilations of charms submitted separately, and folk medicine recipes with instructions on how to use them.

The tradition of writing down charms in handmade books or notebooks was widespread in Latvia during the second half of the 19th century. This practice was related to the circulation of handwritten ‘Books of Heaven’, which were used to protect their holders or their holders’ houses from misfortune. Many of the books are similar in content, testifying to their common derivation. These books were said to have divine origins. Some came down to earth in the city of London, others through the intercession of the angel Michael; some expressed gratitude for miraculous salvation from death, such as in the case of Count Philip’s servant, who by miracle kept his head, or General Skobolev, who survived many battles. Some books also included lucky and unlucky days—when certain activities should be performed or avoided. The Charm books include a second section containing spells for treating various human and animal ailments—to staunch bleeding, to relieve pain, to cure ergotism, and others.

The Collection of Latvian Charms contains around 5000 items—mainly charms and folk medicine. Various private collectors have donated materials—school children, such as Pēteris Šmits from Rencēni, who donated his father’s book of charms; well–known historians, authors, and cultural workers—Vilis Cedriņš, Vilberts Krasnais, Arturs Heniņš, and others; and folklore researchers—Jānis Alberts Jansons, Baiba Krogzeme-Mosgorda, and Janīna Kursīte.

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Showing 1-20 of 4,732 items.
ThumbnailUnit numberTitleCategories 
  
357Rose (erysipelas) charms
Rose (erysipelas) charms
877Rose (erysipelas) charms
Rose (erysipelas) charms
2232Rose (erysipelas) charms
Rose (erysipelas) charms
918Chest pain charms
Chest pain charms
2524Colic charms (for horse)
Colic charms (for horse)
1940Madness charms
Madness charms
192Snake charms
Snake charms
1028Snake charms
Snake charms
3178Mother (womb) charms
Mother (womb) charms
2673Oedema charms
Oedema charms
1237Cramp charms
Cramp charms
2472Charms for 3 to 9 ailments
Charms for 3 to 9 ailments
1250Thief charms
Thief charms
2520Thief charms
Thief charms
2246Charms for children
Charms for children
2335Fire charms
Fire charms
1800Charms for hip pains
Charms for hip pains
3374Charms for scald
Charms for scald
3431Charms against harm
Charms against witchcraft
2622Toothache charms
Toothache charms
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Eduards VentersImage4506a
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Showing 1-20 of 5,335 items.
ThumbnailTypeFolderNumber of fileLanguagesTranscription (text)MetadataTranscription (music) 
  
LFK-0150-00639-buramvardu-kartotekaKartotēkaLFK-0150-00639-buramvardu-kartotekalvYesYesNo
LFK-0150-01028-buramvardu-kartotekaKartotēkaLFK-0150-01028-buramvardu-kartotekalvYesYesNo
LFK-0150-01203--buramvardu-kartotekaKartotēkaLFK-0150-01203--buramvardu-kartotekalvYesYesNo
LFK-0150-01353-buramvardu-kartotekaKartotēkaLFK-0150-01353-buramvardu-kartotekalvYesYesNo
LFK-0150-00002-buramvardu-kartotekaKartotēkaLFK-0150-00002-buramvardu-kartotekalvYesYesNo
LFK-0150-00003-buramvardu-kartotekaKartotēkaLFK-0150-00003-buramvardu-kartotekalvYesYesNo
LFK-0150-00004-buramvardu-kartotekaKartotēkaLFK-0150-00004-buramvardu-kartotekalvYesYesNo
LFK-0150-00005-buramvardu-kartotekaKartotēkaLFK-0150-00005-buramvardu-kartotekalvYesNoNo
LFK-0150-00006-buramvardu-kartotekaKartotēkaLFK-0150-00006-buramvardu-kartotekalvYesYesNo
LFK-0150-00008-buramvardu-kartotekaKartotēkaLFK-0150-00008-buramvardu-kartotekalvYesYesNo
LFK-0150-00009-buramvardu-kartotekaKartotēkaLFK-0150-00009-buramvardu-kartotekalvYesYesNo
LFK-0150-00010-buramvardu-kartotekaKartotēkaLFK-0150-00010-buramvardu-kartotekalvYesYesNo
LFK-0150-00011-buramvardu-kartotekaKartotēkaLFK-0150-00011-buramvardu-kartotekalvYesYesNo
LFK-0150-00012-buramvardu-kartotekaKartotēkaLFK-0150-00012-buramvardu-kartotekalvYesYesNo
LFK-0150-00013-buramvardu-kartotekaKartotēkaLFK-0150-00013-buramvardu-kartotekalvYesYesNo
LFK-0150-00014-buramvardu-kartotekaKartotēkaLFK-0150-00014-buramvardu-kartotekalvYesYesNo
LFK-0150-00015-buramvardu-kartotekaKartotēkaLFK-0150-00015-buramvardu-kartotekalvYesYesNo
LFK-0150-00016-buramvardu-kartotekaKartotēkaLFK-0150-00016-buramvardu-kartotekalvYesYesNo
LFK-0150-00017-buramvardu-kartotekaKartotēkaLFK-0150-00017-buramvardu-kartotekalvYesYesNo
LFK-0150-00018-buramvardu-kartotekaKartotēkaLFK-0150-00018-buramvardu-kartotekalvYesYesNo
Showing 1-20 of 5,335 items.

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