National Latvian clothes. Folk costumes for the holiday – Latvia saves, Lithuania is chic
In the literary monuments of the 17th-18th centuries one can find references to dances,
however, the literature of that era does not provide a clear description of them.
This is explained by the fact that the authors of that time, in the majority
cases of German pastors and noble travelers, dismissively
belonged to folk art.
From the heights of their lordly culture, they looked at the simple entertainment of the peasants as if it were savagery, seeing only remnants of paganism in the everyday rituals and festive games of the people.
But the dances and songs created in those distant times have survived to this day. The most ancient origins are games and dances performed on
holidays in honor of meeting or seeing off winter, spring, summer.
On Christmas days and during the spring holiday of Maslenitsa, young people
Latvian village has the custom of dressing up and dancing to the sounds
bells, to the roar of an improvised orchestra, in which,
In addition to ordinary folk instruments, household utensils are also included.
On Ligo day (Ivan Kupala holiday, June 24), young people, as in the old days,
and nowadays he often starts dancing with wreaths and flowers
near fires and burning barrels of tar raised on poles.
During the difficult times of serfdom, peasants secretly from their masters
gathered in taverns, especially at night from Sunday to Monday,
and here people started dancing with enthusiasm to the music of simple folk instruments.
Dancing in a circle was common, and not only a man and a woman danced,
but also two men or two women.
Latvian dance has many movements inspired by the process of sowing, harvesting, pulling flax, and working at the mill. An example of such dances is “Sudmalinas” (mill),
performed to a song telling about the work of the mill.
The everyday life of the Latvian village was also reflected in the dance.
Near his house, a peasant makes a garden, girls dig
beds and grow flowers. All this is reflected in the dance.
Almost every group Latvian dance has a “kindergarten” figure - a circle,
sometimes two “gardens” - two concentric circles.
In other dances, performers braid a fence, walk along a clearing,
they make garlands, that is, they change places, moving in a circle in opposite directions
directions and bypassing each other.
In the dance "Gatves-deya" (alley), boys and girls line up in two lines,
perpendicular to the viewer, and pass between them, as if walking along an alley,
alternately individual performers of one and the other line.
Some dance figures correspond to commonly found Latvian folk ornaments, such as the sun, the star, the herringbone/cross. In accordance with this, the dancers form a “star”, line up in a cross, a square, in four or eight pairs, etc.
Such figures, in particular, are found in the “Achkups” dance, which is very popular among the people.
The dances depicting the relationship between a boy and a girl emanate naivety and purity.
Here is a girl doing needlework, winding threads into a ball and attracting people with her hard work.
the heart of a young man to himself. This is the plot of the dance “The Ball”. In the dance "Anjins"
(Andryushenka) the young man, watching the girl, hums: “Dance, dance, girl,
If you dance beautifully and easily, you will be my bride.” In the dance “Tsimdu Paris”
(a pair of mittens) a girl flirtatiously teases her lover with mittens,
which she knitted for him. The dance “Squirrel” is distinguished by the grace of its movements.
in which the girl must dance with the ease of a squirrel.
Some dances were named after the area in which they originated.
These are the “Alsungietis” of the Alsunga region, “Litenietis”, which arose in the Litene region,
“Rucavietis”, which originated in the Rucava region and is very common throughout Latvia.
Latvian folk dances are divided into pairs and groups. Couples dance
circle counterclockwise. In group dances, performers also stand in pairs.
Most often four or all pairs participate in them, in some - three pairs.
Musical size of the dance: 2/4, 4/4, 3/4, 6/8.
The basic dance movements are not complicated: simple step, run, jump, gallop, polka, etc.
Waltz movements are not typical for Latvian choreography, even in dances with a 3/4 turn
It is not a waltz that is performed, but a light run or step with a jump. Vice versa,
The figures of Latvian folk dances are complex, and this is where the beauty of the dance lies.
By the nature of performance, Latvian dances are usually calm, sedate,
no sudden movements, no contrasts, transitions or changes in rhythms.
Folk costumes, which are different in each region, add special beauty to the dances.
For men, casual suits are usually gray with black embroidery;
festive ones are white, caftans also have black embroidery.
Most women's Latvian costumes are characterized by wide skirts,
sometimes gathered or pleated and sweaters with long sleeves.
A wide scarf thrown over the
shoulder and fastened on the shoulder with a large brooch called “sakta”.
Headdresses are also varied, sometimes high, reminiscent of a kokoshnik,
sometimes low, in the form of a rim.
The most ancient folk musical instrument used
to accompany the dance, “kokle”, similar to a harp. Later it was replaced by the violin,
more powerful in sound. From the wind instruments that accompanied the dances,
the most ancient were whistles made of tree bark and pipes made of cow horn.
Sometimes homemade noise instruments were used in villages: rattles,
pork bladders with peas poured into them. Appeared on winter holidays
Christmas tree - “tridexnis”, decorated with ribbons and ringing plates,
The rhythm was beaten out by the blows of the trunk of this Christmas tree on the floor.
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Slide captions:
Latvian national costume
In its modern meaning, “national costume” is associated with the clothing of the indigenous inhabitants of Latvia – the Balts and Livs. These were peasants, fishermen and artisans.
Thank you for your attention!
Preview:
Latvian national costume
(Slide 1) The national costume is an integral part of the cultural heritage of the Latvian people. The costumes that have survived to this day were worn on the occasion of various holidays.
(Slide 2) In its modern meaning, “national costume” is associated with the clothing of the indigenous inhabitants of Latvia - the Balts and Livs. These were peasants, fishermen and artisans.
(Slide 3) The clothes worn on the occasion of holidays were preserved throughout the lives of several generations, as people of each generation proudly wore beautiful jewelry in the form of brooches, woolen shawls, belts embroidered with patterns and headdresses inherited from their predecessors; at the same time, modern decorations could be added to the costume.
(Slide 4) Women's costume consisted of a skirt and a linen shirt with long sleeves like a tunic, intended for both men and women, worn separately or together with other items of clothing. The skirt and shirt were made from square fabric without a pattern.
(Slide 5) The men's suit, shirt-tunic, remained unchanged; trousers and caftan, although homespun, began to be sewn in urban fashion in the eighteenth century.
(Slide 6) Women and men mostly wore postsolas (pastalas), rough shoes made from a whole piece of leather, tied at the top with a strap. These shoes were worn both on weekdays and on holidays.
(Slide 7) A symbolic meaning was attributed to the headdress in a festive outfit. Wreaths were a symbol and at the same time a material value that was passed on from generation to generation. Married women wore a cap or other women's hat, while girls had a wreath as their symbolic headdress.
The national costume is an integral part of the cultural heritage of the Latvian people. The costumes that have survived to this day were worn on the occasion of various holidays. They are passed down from generation to generation as artistic decorations and heirlooms. Everyday clothing has been preserved to a lesser extent. The national costume consists of accessories that its owner prepared for himself in order to wear it at different times of the year and on different occasions.
In its modern meaning, “national costume” is associated with the clothing of the indigenous inhabitants of Latvia – the Balts and Livs. These were peasants, fishermen and artisans. Their clothing is an important item of cultural heritage of the Latvian people and a valuable source for historical research. Along with the costumes themselves, information about the methods of their manufacture and decoration has been preserved since ancient times. Preserving traditions helps each generation think, act and believe in the same way as their ancestors did.
Development of national costumes
Previous generations paid more attention to various things than we do. The clothing worn on the occasion of the holidays was preserved throughout the lives of several generations, as people of each generation proudly wore beautiful jewelry in the form of brooches, woolen shawls, embroidered belts and headdresses inherited from their predecessors; at the same time, modern decorations could be added to the costume. Undoubtedly, each outfit had its own unknown history and legend, but we can be absolutely sure that each item was unique because it was made by a specific person. Preserving and continuing the traditions of their region, each person added something of their own to their clothing.
Woman suit
The costume, developed by the thirteenth century, consisted of a skirt and a long-sleeved linen shirt, like a tunic, intended for both men and women, worn alone or with other items of clothing. The skirt and shirt were made from square fabric without a pattern.
Shirt. There is evidence that until the nineteenth century, a shirt was not sewn, but it was simply a piece of fabric that was wrapped around the body and tied with a belt. The Livs wore shirts that were below the waist. The shirt consisted of two pieces of fabric, front and back, which were fastened at the shoulders (later sewn together) and tightened with a woven belt. The two-piece shirt was the prototype of the shirt with a stitched top, and the shirt that was wrapped around the body later became the sewn shirt with pleats or gathers.
Belt. The belt (josta) mainly served to hold the shirt together and also to encircle the waist to ensure freedom of movement. By the way, only women wore patterned belts; it is believed that the patterns are associated with the cult of fertility. In the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, the Livs did not wear patterned belts, since the apron was a symbol of fertility. The belts varied in length; long belts, three meters or more, were wrapped around the waist several times.
Men's suit
Men's costume was more influenced by urban fashion than women's. While the tunic shirt remained unchanged, trousers and caftan, although homespun, began to be sewn in urban fashion in the eighteenth century.
The style of men's suits was also influenced by military uniforms, especially in details such as lapels and embroidery. Women usually made their own suits, while men resorted to the services of a tailor. The caftan and trousers for everyday wear were usually made of gray homespun cloth; festive clothes were white. A belt was worn with a long caftan. For the eastern regions, a woven belt was typical; leather, metal or leather with metal was typical for the western (Kurzeme) regions. Until the mid-nineteenth century, trousers were below the knee and tucked into knitted stockings that reached the knee. Long trousers became popular at the end of the century. The most common headdress was a wide-brimmed felt hat decorated with a ribbon. In summer they wore straw hats.
Women and men mostly wore postsolas (pastalas), rough shoes made from a whole piece of leather fastened with a strap at the top. These shoes were worn both on weekdays and on holidays. During the cold season, several pairs of stockings were worn. From ancient times until the twentieth century, the feet were wrapped in cloth. For holidays, there were boots or shoes that indicated the wealth of their owner.
Decorations
The number of decorations on the national costume also indicated the material wealth of its owner and his status. Shirts and shawls were fastened with brooches. Brooches made from the seventeenth to the nineteenth centuries were made in the Renaissance and Baroque styles, as well as taking into account local artistic traditions. Most of the jewelry was made of silver. In Kurzeme, brooches were covered with bronze. Sometimes they were decorated with red or blue stones. The southern regions were characterized by amber brooches, amber beads and a double row of buttons or buckles. Brooches and buckles with engraved sun patterns demonstrated the symbolic connection of amber with the sun.
Ornaments
Festive costumes were decorated with embroidered, woven or knitted patterns to make them more expressive, eye-catching and original. Latvian folk art is characterized by geometric patterns; they consist of individual elements that make up a single composition. It is likely that intricate drawings are a form of writing, a way of communicating an idea or desire. In Latvian, writing and ornament are denoted by one word. Sometimes the pattern, or raksts, consists of continuously changing designs. Traditional ornaments and decorative designs have been preserved primarily in national costumes.
Colors played an important role in decorating the costume. White and gray colors predominated, as the suits were made from natural fabrics such as linen and wool. In ancient times, yarn was dyed using natural dyes made mainly from local plants. Combinations of four colors were used in the patterns on mittens, shawls and belts - red, blue, green and yellow. These colors were repeated in different shades and proportions on each part of the wool suit. Probably, strict adherence to traditions regarding color is associated with magical meanings.
The color white, with its magical associations, occupies a special place in Latvian folklore. The word "white" itself is synonymous with purity, virtue and enlightenment (enlightenment). It was believed that white was the most suitable color for festive clothing.
Local differences
Each region of Latvia had its own distinct traditions regarding costumes.
Tied to home and land, the peasants had an idea only of what was happening in the immediate vicinity and did not know about the traditions and habits in distant villages. Everything that was necessary to create a national costume according to local tradition was at hand at home.
As long as these traditions were observed, national costumes retained their characteristic cut.
Casual suits, sewn at home, retained their traditional appearance longer than holiday suits, which were more influenced by urban fashion. The exception is some regions in Kurzeme-Nica, Rucava and Alsunga - where festive costumes remained unchanged until the mid-twentieth century, although ordinary clothes were bought in shops.
Traditions regarding national costumes are alive in these regions to this day.
To put an end to the topic “Lithuanian national costume”, I am publishing an article by candidate of historical sciences, ethnographer Maria Mastonyte “Lithuanian folk clothing in the 19th - early 20th centuries”, published in Vilnius in 1967 by the Institute of History of the Academy of Sciences of the Lithuanian SSR and included in various publications dedicated to folk clothes.
I illustrate the article with a series of drawings of Lithuanian folk costumes. The drawings are collected on different sites, but, judging by the style and manner, they belong to one author, whose name, alas, is unknown.
Lithuanian folk stage costume
Lithuanian traditional clothing, which was formed and developed over centuries, existed until the 19th century. With the development of capitalism, especially in the post-reform period, new types of clothing began to penetrate from cities to villages, gradually displacing traditional ones. First of all, the changes affected the material from which some predominantly elegant elements of clothing were made - bodices, aprons, headdresses. Their cut remained traditional. The main parts of clothing - shirts, skirts, trousers, caftans - were sewn from homespun fabric for a long time. Some items of traditional clothing have survived to this day.
Woman suit
Traditional women's clothing consisted of a shirt, skirt, apron, bodice, belt, headdress, shoes and jewelry.
One of the main parts of a traditional women's costume was a long canvas shirt (marškiniai), sometimes one-piece, but more often sewn in two parts - upper and lower. For the upper one, a thinner, sometimes purchased, fabric was used, for the lower one, a coarser, homespun fabric. There were four main types of women's shirts in terms of cut:
1) tunic-shaped,
2) tunic-like with shoulder pads,
3) with polys sewn onto the base,
4) later ones, on the yoke.
With the exception of shirts with polka dots, characteristic of the Klaipeda clothing complex, all the others were distributed throughout the territory of Lithuania. Shirts were richly decorated with white openwork satin stitch or woven patterns made of red, blue or white threads. In the second half of the 19th century, cross-stitching on shirts with red and black paper on canvas spread in the eastern and south-eastern and in certain areas of the central and western parts of Lithuania. Cross stitch was very popular in the south-east of Lithuania, in the regions neighboring Belarus, apparently from there it was borrowed. During field work, women wore only shirts, girding them with woven belts. Shirts were especially decorated with long sleeves and a collar, as they were visible from under the bodice, and less so with the chest, lapels and shoulder stripes. The most common ornament was geometric or stylized floral.
Lithuanian folk costume of Suvalkija (zanavička) (1)
Folk costume of Lithuania Minor (Klaipeda region) (3)
Usually, skirts (sijonas) made of linen, wool or wool blend were worn over the shirt. Lithuanian women wore two or three, sometimes four, skirts - one on top of the other. They were sewn wide and long, at the top near the waist they were gathered into folds or gathers. The colors and patterns of the skirts were varied: transversely or longitudinally striped, checkered in various proportions, plain or trimmed with woven geometric and floral patterns. In skirts, like everything traditional Lithuanian women's suit, combinations of red and green, black and red, white and blue predominate. Yellow, orange and purple tones were often used.
An obligatory accessory of the Lithuanian traditional costume for both women and girls was an apron (prijuoste), woven from linen, wool or cotton yarn, or sewn from purchased fabric. Lithuanian aprons are very diverse in their patterns and their execution. When weaving an apron, almost all forms of technique were used - branaya, pawning, etc. Checkered, striped, white and dark aprons with multi-color woven or embroidered patterns complemented and decorated women's costumes.
An elegant and festive part of the traditional Lithuanian women's costume was the sleeveless bodice (lietepe). On weekdays, sleeveless vests were worn less frequently. Wealthy peasant women sewed them from homespun finely patterned wool or wool blend material from silk, brocade and satin, which began to be used more widely in the 19th century. In various ethnographic regions of Lithuania, sleeveless vests differ in some details of cut. By the end of the 19th century. sleeveless vests were replaced by white canvas bodices, over which sweaters were worn.
Lithuanian folk costume Aukštaitija (2)
The traditional women's, as well as men's, costume was complemented by a belt (juosta). Judging by archaeological data, belts were known in Lithuania already in the 8th century. In everyday life, belts were used very widely, for example, in the manufacture of girls' headdresses, when swaddling children, etc. Since ancient times, belts have been given as gifts at weddings and on other occasions. According to the manufacturing method, Lithuanian belts come in several types: woven on planks, woven, woven on thread, and woven on looms using brane and embedding techniques. According to the technique, the patterns of the belts also differ. In woven belts there are oblique colored stripes, rhombuses, triangles, in those woven on boards - longitudinal or transverse stripes, in those woven using the embedding technique - plant motifs and stars. The most common and beautiful brass belts are dominated by geometric patterns. In belts, as in other parts of clothing, the dominant colors are red, blue, white and purple. The background is formed by a white linen base, the pattern is made of wool, less often silk colored weft threads. Lithuanian belts were made in various widths - from a narrow braid of 1-2 cm to belts of 10 cm or more. The belts almost always end with multi-colored tassels.
Women's outer winter clothing consisted of homespun gray, brown, and sometimes white cloth sermyags (serméga) and sheepskin coats (kailiniai). Sermyags were sewn at the waist, with a solid back and small wedges on the sides, and Samogit ones were sometimes cut at the waist, with the lower part in small gathers. The turn-down collar, cuffs and pockets were decorated with velvet, plush, black factory braid or embroidered with black thread. Fur coats or short fur coats made of sheepskin were sewn in a straight cut, with a turn-down collar made of the same fur.
Lithuanian folk costumes of Samogitia (1-2)
An obligatory part of traditional women's outerwear was a large blanket (skara) thrown over the shoulders, which is still used in some places, especially in Dzukija. It was woven from wool or linen threads in one color and checkered pattern.
Lithuanian folk costume of Suvalkija (caps) (1)
Lithuanian folk costume of Dzukija (2)
Lithuanian folk costume of Samogitia (3)
The hats and hairstyles of girls and married women differed from each other. Back at the beginning of the 19th century. women cut their hair or wrapped it in a rope around their heads, while girls braided two braids, which they laid around their heads or wore loose. By the end of the 19th century. and the women began to braid their hair.
Traditional girls' headdresses are quite varied: wreaths of rue flowers, woven belts, brocade or silk ribbons, based on hard paper and birch bark. Sometimes maiden wreaths came in the form of a soft bandage.
Along with the wreaths of girls in the 19th century. They often wore different scarves. The traditional headdress of married women was a towel headdress - namitka (nuometas), widespread among the Baltic, Slavic and other peoples. In the first half of the 19th century. Shawls and caps became very popular, and from the beginning of the 20th century. scarves made of chintz, silk, wool and homespun canvas replaced all hats and are still used in the Lithuanian countryside to this day. Scarves were worn in different ways, most often tied under the chin.
The traditional costume for both men and women was complemented by beautiful patterned knitted gloves (pirštinés), oversleeves (riešinés) and stockings (kojinés).
The main decoration of Lithuanian women until the end of the 19th century. silver, amber, coral and glass beads (karoliai) remained. Although the archaeological material of Lithuania is rich in brooches, bracelets, rings, hryvnias, temple rings and other jewelry, until the 19th century. they haven't arrived yet.
Regional features
There were some local features in women's folk clothing. According to the cut of individual items of clothing, color and technique of making fabrics in the Lithuanian traditional women's costume, six main complexes are distinguished: Samogitian, Aukštaitsky, Dzuk, Klaipėda, and in Zanemanje - Cape and Zanavik. Each of them includes all of the above clothing items and there are no sharp differences between them.
The Western Lithuanian - Samogitian (Žemaitija) - complex of folk clothing is characterized by a rather dark color scheme and a combination of contrasting colors: red and blue, red and black, black and green colors in skirts, sleeveless vests and other parts of clothing. The Samogitian complex is characterized by longitudinally and transversely striped skirts, as well as red petticoats. The petticoats were decorated with black braid.
Samogitian aprons are also longitudinally striped, but their color is lighter: red, blue or multi-colored stripes are located on a white or gray background. The bodices were short; a strip 10-15 cm wide was sewn along the waist line, laid in small folds. The bodice was fastened at the front with hooks or buttons. The neckline is small and round. The Samogitian clothing complex is characterized by wearing a variety of scarves on the head, shoulders and neck. Particularly beautiful are Samogitian woolen multi-colored scarves, as well as those woven from linen or cotton threads in red and white checks. Samogitian folk clothing complex of the 19th century. It is also distinguished by its peculiar hollowed-out wooden shoes (klumpés), which were worn by women, men and children as everyday and sometimes as weekend shoes. Probably, wooden shoes entered the western part of Lithuania through Prussia, where they were brought by colonists from Western Europe, who moved to the deserted Prussian lands after the pestilence of 1710.
Lithuanian folk costumes of Samogitia (1-3)
Aukštaitija - Eastern Lithuanian - complex is noticeably different from Samogitian in color scheme. It was dominated by light colors, especially white. In addition to shirts, aprons were white, and sometimes canvas skirts were decorated with red or blue braid patterns. Checkered skirts in light colors are also typical. Aukštaite sleeveless vests are multi-colored or black, short, with a deep cut at the neck, lacing with a metal chain or ribbon. A typical girl's headdress is brocade ribbons. In the Aukštaitsky complex of folk clothing, the namitka was preserved the longest, until the beginning of the 20th century, as a festive headdress for married women. In Aukštaitija, woven belts predominate. Metal beads are typical only for the local clothing complex.
Lithuanian folk costumes of Aukštaitija (1-3)
The southeastern - Dzūkija - complex of folk clothing is distinguished by its multicoloredness: checkered skirts, as well as aprons and bodices in which different colors are intertwined. The bodices were short, with a rectangular or round neckline, and were decorated with narrow woven braid. Girls' headdresses - low (3-4 cm) crowns (pakalké) - were also made from belts. Belts in Dzukija were used very widely and were made using different techniques. In Dzukija, a kind of shoes (čempés) knitted from linen threads were known, which were worn at home and in field work.
Lithuanian folk costumes Dzkuji (1-3)
Particularly rich and colorful is the Zanemanja traditional clothing, in which two specific complexes stand out - the southern Cape (Kapsai) and the northern Zanavykai (Zanavykai), the distribution and names of which coincide with the boundaries of the corresponding Zanemanja dialects and the historical region called Suvalkija. The Zaneman complexes are primarily distinguished by multi-colored aprons with patterns of stylized lilies, woven using the mortgage and bran technique, arranged in stripes or scattered throughout the apron; shirts are richly decorated with white openwork stitch; skirts in dark colors - green, burgundy, purple with a wide longitudinal stripe; The bodices are flared from the waist, in the Cape complex they are long, in the Zanavik complex they are short.
Lithuanian folk costumes of Suvalkija (caps)
The Klaipeda complex (Lithuania Minor, Klaipėda region), which belongs to the territory called Lithuania Minor, is distinguished by particularly dark tones: black, brown, blue and green predominated. The clothing of Klaipeda residents was undoubtedly influenced by the local Lutheran sect of the Herrnhuters, which prohibited secular entertainment, bright clothing, etc. The Klaipeda complex was also distinguished by the cut of its shirts. In addition to the tunic-like shirt with shoulder pads, there is also a type with straight skirts sewn onto the base; skirts are long-haired or checkered, finely pleated. Only the Klaipeda costume is characterized by tie pockets - “delmonas”, which were worn on the right side under the apron. They contained money, a handkerchief and various small items. Klaipeda belts are narrow, multi-patterned, and a combination of blue and green colors is often found.
Folk costumes of Lithuania Minor (Klaipeda region) (1-3)
The described local complexes of traditional Lithuanian women's clothing correspond to those ethnographic areas that are also distinguished by other elements of the material culture of the Lithuanians: housing, agricultural tools, as well as linguistic dialects.
The formation of some elements in local complexes of traditional Lithuanian women's clothing was influenced by cultural and economic ties Lithuanians with neighboring peoples.
There are especially many similarities in the clothing of Lithuanians and Latvians: the cut of shirts, the pattern of skirts, hats, ornamental motifs. Similar elements of clothing indicate the cultural commonality of both peoples. Eastern Lithuanians (especially Dzuks) and Belarusians have a lot in common in patterns and colors.
Men's suit
Lithuanian men's clothing lost its national specificity much earlier than women's clothing, but before that it also had many common features with the men's clothing of the neighboring Belarusian and Polish peoples. Due to the early disappearance of folk men's clothing, it is not possible to identify local differences in it.
The main parts of a traditional men's suit were a shirt, trousers, a vest and a caftan - canvas (trinyčiai) or cloth, and a homespun.
Lithuanian folk costume of Suvalkija (1)
Lithuanian folk costume Aukštaitija (2)
Lithuanian folk costume Aukštaitija (3)
Men's shirts were made of canvas, with a turn-down or stand-up collar, and long sleeves at the cuff. Ancient shirts were tunic-shaped with shoulder pads, while later ones had a yoke. The collar, cuffs and chest were decorated with embroidery or stripes made of white cotton fabric. Floral or geometric patterns were selected for embroidery. They were made with black and red paper thread, with a cross on the canvas. Such ornamentation, as in women’s shirts, is more widespread in the regions of Lithuania neighboring Belarus. In the west of Lithuania, shirts were tucked into pants, and only on hot days, during times of need, did old people wear them untucked with white linen pants. In the eastern part of Lithuania, shirts were worn untucked all year round, belted with a woven belt, which also shows the undoubted influence of their eastern neighbors - the Slavs.
Pants (kelnés) were sewn narrow, long, for summer from linen, for winter - from cloth or wool blend fabric with small stripes, checkered patterns or plain colors. Vests were also made from the same material.
Lithuanian folk costume of Samogitia (1)
Lithuanian folk costume of Samogitia (2)
Lithuanian folk costume Dzkuji (3)
Caftans were worn over the shirt. They were sewn to the knees, at the waist, with a cut-off back. The pockets, chest, collar, cuffs and seams of gray cloth caftans were decorated with braid or trimmed with black lace. The main material for the manufacture of men's winter clothing was sheepskin. Fur coats and short fur coats were most often sewn in a straight cut and belted with belts.
In winter they wore various fur hats, in summer they wore straw hats and purchased round caps with visors.
Folk costume of Lithuania Minor (Klaipeda region) (1)
Folk costume of Lithuania Minor (Klaipeda region) (2)
Everyday shoes of Eastern Lithuanians until the end of the 19th century. there were bast bast shoes (vyžos) and leather posts (naginés), in the western regions of Lithuania, in addition to posts, there were wooden shoes. Leather shoes were worn by wealthy peasants in the 19th century. worn on holidays: men - boots with high tops, women - low shoes with heels. Felted shoes with galoshes became more widespread only at the beginning of the 20th century.
At the beginning of the 20th century, Lithuanian traditional clothing for both women and men disappeared from everyday use, and peasant clothing became closer to urban clothing. However, fabrics, especially for work clothes and linen, were made at home.
And finally, one more information. Also not yesterday, but 20 years ago, the book “Lithuanian Folk Costumes” was published, authored by Rasa Andrašiūnaitė.
In the preface she wrote: “...today we are ready and able to prove to the whole world that Lithuanian national costumes, like fairy tales, songs and dances, have a long tradition...” Alas, the book was printed in Lithuanian and English languages. I don’t know if there is a Russian version. The book is also richly illustrated, but I couldn’t find information anywhere about who the author of the drawings was. And I found only a few illustrations for the book on the Internet. Here they are:
Illustrations for Rasa Andrasiunaitė’s book “Lithuanian Folk Costumes”.
Folk costume for Latvians has always played an important symbolic role in the preservation of national values and cultural heritage, as well as in the formation of a common identity. It is no coincidence that it is called a symbol of national identity, says the Latvian Radio 4 program “100 Symbols of Culture”.
The Latvian folk costume, a revived version of traditional folk clothing, is widely used today as a festive outfit for personal and national celebrations. It not only demonstrates the social status of its owner, but also shows belonging to a specific region of Latvia.
Interest in folk costume arose and continues largely thanks to the Song Festival. This unique event demonstrates not only the tradition of choral singing in Latvia, but also the diversity of folk costume and the tradition of wearing it. At the festive procession and as part of the Folk Costume Show, you can already see indoors how this tradition lives and develops.
In a folk costume, with the help of color and ornament, as well as the method of wearing, information about the peculiarities of the history and culture of a particular people is encoded. This symbol is closely connected with folk life and festive rituals. The wedding is perhaps the most important of them.
Have you ever wondered why the Latvian folk costume is so heavy, multi-layered and warm? Not only because the climate in the territory of present-day Latvia was colder, explains Linda Rubena, an expert in the field of folk arts and crafts at the Latvian National Center of Culture.
“This suit is warm because the holidays always took place in the fall - there was a harvest, it was possible to feed all the guests. Since then, there has been a tradition of celebrating weddings in the fall,”
says Rubena.
This is an example of folk arts and crafts, a combination of handicrafts and needlework: weaving with linen and wool, embroidery with threads, beads and beads, knitting and crocheting, weaving lace, ribbons and belts. Let's not forget about boots and tables made of leather, and boots made of metal. And all this was created with our own hands. As a rule, the girls themselves took care of this part of the dowry.
It took at least a year to create one festive outfit. Well, the bride had to wear a couple of hundred gloves with traditional Latvian patterns - so that she would have something to give to the guests at the wedding.
Latvian folk costume consisted of traditional clothing elements, from which information about the wealth and marital status of the owner could be read.
“The Latvian folk costume consists of a shirt, trousers for men and skirts for women, a vest or jacket with long sleeves, socks, and a long coat. According to the sketches, it looks, as historians say, like a classic English costume. Nothing has changed in 200 years.
There are fewer ornaments in men's suits, this is due to the fact that women stayed at home to work, and men went to the cities and had the opportunity to buy more clothes for themselves in order to look decent in public.
[...] The headdress played an important role in women's costume. If it is a wreath, the girl is unmarried; if the girl is married, she has a hat or scarf. True, by the end of the 19th century, wearing a headscarf was no longer so strictly defined. Saktas were used to close the collar. The cape on the shoulders could be supported by several saktas at once - this was a demonstration of prosperity,” says the specialist.
The folk costumes of the Baltic peoples are somewhat similar, but the farther from the border or port centers, the more original the people dressed.
Since when does Latvian folk costume date back? Historians take into account written evidence, in this case drawings.
“Probably the oldest drawing is from 1576, this is the “Maiden from Courland”. There you can see the main details of the folk costume that have survived to this day,” says Linda Rubena.
The Germans and Russians made their contribution to the preservation of Latvian folk costume.
“Johann Brotze loved to paint Riga and its inhabitants. The drawings are quite primitive, but, nevertheless, from them you can find out how they dressed here. This is the end of the 18th and beginning of the 19th centuries. [...] He traveled around Latvia, drawing residents of different regions. His drawings are preserved in the archive. In the 40-50s of the 19th century, the Russian Geographical Society decided to explore all regions belonging to the Russian Empire, including the Baltic states. Researchers came to us and drew local residents. From these works you can also understand how they dressed here,” says Linda Rubena.
The awareness of Latvian folk costume as a cultural and historical value came at the end of the 19th century. A landmark event was the Latvian Ethnographic Exhibition - the first representation of the Latvian people, their history, culture and achievements. It took place in Riga in 1896 in specially built wooden pavilions. Exhibits for it were collected by the whole world: things of an ethnographic nature were brought from expeditions to the regions, people themselves brought what they could to Riga.
In each cultural-historical or ethnographic region - Vidzeme, Latgale, Augszeme, Zemgale and Kurzeme - folk costume has a unique appearance.
The folk costume of the Suits - Catholics in the Lutheran lands of Kurzeme - is unusually colorful for Latvians. Rich in detail and color is one of the hallmarks of their culture. Men wear double-breasted suits with mother-of-pearl buttons and silk scarves, women wear red skirts, checkered shawls, and colorful scarves. A huge sakta complements the women's outfit. At the Song Festival, the Suits can be seen from afar. Even the saying was born: “Dressed up like a suit.”
The song festival spurred public interest in folk costume. This event demonstrates not only the tradition of choral singing in Latvia, but also the diversity of folk costume, the tradition of wearing it and the skill of weavers and needlewomen. At the festive procession and as part of the Folk Costume Show, you can already see indoors how this tradition lives and develops.
Choirs and dance groups take part in the Song Festival, which pay great attention to folk costume, find money and, for the next holiday, complement the outfits of choristers and dancers with new items of clothing.
Read more about Latvian folk costume with comments by Linda Rubena in podcast release of the program.
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