Bearslayer - Summary and Glossary

It is the turn of the 13th century, 800 years ago in Latvia. The

Baltic gods have gathered to consult the Father of Destiny about

their own fate and that of the Latvian people. Both are under threat

from invading German knights, who have been sent by the Pope to

christianize the Baltic region, under the command of Bishop

Albert. Perkons, the God of Thunder, calls on all the gods to guard

and nurture the Latvians, and they promise to do so, each in his or

her own way.

As the council is breaking up the Goddess Staburadze reveals that

she has rescued a young man from the River Daugava, where he was

cast down by two witches. She has taken him to her Crystal Palace

beneath the river in the whirlpool of Staburags, from which no human

can emerge alive. Perkons reveals that this youth is Bearslayer, who

will become a noble warrior under the protection of Perkons, and

will strive mightily against the forces of evil.

At the beginning of Canto II the action goes back in time to the

Castle of Lielvarde, shortly before the Council of the Gods

described in the previous canto. The son of the Lord of Lielvarde

reveals mighty strength, killing a bear with his bare hands. This

first heroic deed wins him the name "Bearslayer." (This young man is

the hero that Perkons revealed to the other gods in Canto I.) The

youth is not the true son of the Lord of Lielvarde, but a foundling

suckled by a female bear in the forest. (Although it is not directly

explained until almost the end of the poem, it is important to know

that Bearslayer has bear's ears, and that if these are cut off he

will lose his bearlike strength.) Bearslayer was brought to

Lielvarde as a baby by Vaidelots, a Messenger of the Gods, to be

raised until he reached manhood. After killing the bear he is sent

to study for seven years in the Castle of Burtnieks, in order to

learn the ancient wisdom of the Latvian race.    Accompanied by the

good advice of his foster father, he sets off.

On the way to Burtnieks's Castle, Bearslayer visits the castle of

the Latvian Lord Aizkrauklis, where he is stunned by the beauty of

Aizkrauklis's daughter, Spidala. However, he watches her and

discovers that she is a witch. He follows her by hiding in a hollow

log on which she flies to the Devil's Pit, and witnesses evil rites,

as well as seeing the false holy man, Kangars, promise to serve the

Devil by working against the ancient gods and supporting

Christianity, because Christians are easier prey for the Devil. On

the journey back to Aizkraukle Bearslayer is cast down into the

whirlpool of Staburags in the River Daugava by Spidala and another

witch. From here he is rescued by Staburadze, as we already know

from Canto I, and taken to her Crystal Palace beneath the whirlpool.

With the help of the beautiful and virtuous maiden, Laimdota,

Staburadze nurses Bearslayer back to health. She reveals to him that

he has been chosen by the gods to fight against evil, especially

Spidala and Kangars, who are plotting in secret. Staburadze gives

him a talisman, a magic mirror, and Laimdota gives him a ribbon

decorated with an oak-leaf pattern. He leaves the Crystal Palace and

is duly turned to stone, as are all mortals, but is restored to life

by Perkons. He performs a second heroic deed, saving a boat that is

sinking in the raging River Perse by rowing with his bare hands, and

is befriended by a powerful youth, Koknesis. Together they ride to

Burtnieks, accompanied by the curses of Spidala.

Canto III opens with Spidala hurrying to the hut of Kangars to warn

him that Bearslayer was present in the Devil's Pit and saw the

shameful deeds. To prevent Bearslayer revealing that he and Spidala

are in league with the Devil, Kangars decides to lure the young hero

into a trap by provoking a war against the Estonian Giant,

Kalapuisis, certain that Bearslayer will rush into battle against

the invincible foeman and be killed. As Kangars explains this plot

to Spidala a terrible storm arises, and Spidala is unable to return

home.

The storm was sent by Perkons to destroy a ship just arriving at the

mouth of the River Daugava from Germany, in order to kill the German

missionaries it is carrying. Led by the priest, Dietrich, they have

come with the intention of forcing the Baltic people to accept

Christianity. However, the Livian fisher-folk of the Daugava estuary

rescue the passengers from the ship. Thus, they thwart the will of

Perkons, who had planned to drown the newcomers, and save the very

people who will eventually become their conquerors. The morning

after the storm, a fisherman brings Dietrich to Kangars, and an

alliance is forged, since both want to introduce Christianity,

although for differing reasons.

Years pass. Bearslayer and Koknesis study hard in the Castle of

Burtnieks. Bearslayer has a special reason to seek perfection:

Laimdota is the daughter of Burtnieks and has returned home to the

castle from Staburadze's Crystal Palace, where she and Bearslayer

met. They fall in love, but just as Bearslayer is about to ask for

her hand news arrives that Kalapuisis has entered Latvia and is

killing and laying waste.    Burtnieks offers Laimdota's hand to any

warrior who can rid them of Kalapuisis, and Bearslayer rides out to

face him: The plot seems to be succeeding!

Bearslayer faces Kalapuisis in single combat, and defeats

him. However, just as Bearslayer is about to kill him, Kalapuisis

reveals a prophecy told him by his mother that a bear cub from the

Daugava, who is of noble rank and equal to Kalapuisis as a warrior,

will come and save the Latvians from their conquerors. The two

warriors realize that Bearslayer is this bear cub, and that they

have a common enemy-the Germans-and make peace, so that they can

work together against the invaders.

Successful in the Estonian war, Bearslayer returns to Burtnieks's

Castle with the other Latvian warriors, and they are greeted in song

by the local maidens. Laimdota places an oak-leaf wreath on

Bearslayer's head and sings of his might, promising to make him a

true and virtuous wife.    Bearslayer replies in song that he will

live and die for Laimdota. Amid great joy and feelings of

brotherhood the warriors toast Bearslayer, and conclude that the

gods personally intervened on his behalf. This divine intervention

gives Bearslayer legendary status so that, instead of destroying

him, the plot added to his fame.

Once again, time passes while Bearslayer studies at the Castle of

Burtnieks. One night he notices in the fortress's undercroft a

trapdoor, left half-open to reveal a stone staircase leading

below. He goes down and follows a tunnel until he enters a large

chamber that he judges to be beneath the centre of the lake. He is

in the Sunken Castle that Laimdota had told him about.    He discovers

Laimdota reading an ancient book.    She explains to him that if a

mortal remains in the Sunken Castle overnight and survives until

morning, the castle will rise once more into the light of

day. Bearslayer resolves to carry out this heroic task and Laimdota

leaves him.

Midnight passes and the Sunken Castle grows cold. Bearslayer lights

a fire from broken wood lying around. Suddenly seven evil spirits

enter the room carrying an open coffin, in which an old man with

huge sharp teeth and long nails is lying. He begins to groan

horribly and complain that he is cold. Bearslayer cannot bear the

sound and hauls the man from the coffin to the fire, but the old man

tries to bite off Bearslayer's ears, knowing that without them

Bearslayer is weak.    Bearslayer fights back and holds the old man in

the fire, saying that he will only let him go if the Sunken Castle

is raised to the surface.

At this, a whirlwind springs up and the seven evil spirits return,

led by Spidala. They attack Bearslayer and he is about to be

defeated when he remembers the mirror that Staburadze gave him. He

pulls it out and holds it in Spidala's face. A howling fills the air

and all the evil spirits turn to dust and are whirled round the room

in the whirlwind.    The spirit of Viduveds, a wise man of ancient

times, appears in human form and greets Bearslayer, saying that the

young hero will save the Latvian people. Viduveds's handmaidens make

a bed for Bearslayer, and he falls into a deep sleep.

Next morning the people are amazed to see a castle standing on an

island in the middle of the lake. Laimdota tells Burtnieks that

Bearslayer has spent the night in the castle, and the old man

realizes at once that Bearslayer has broken the magic spell and

saved the Sunken Castle. Laimdota and Burtnieks enter the castle and

wake Bearslayer. He claims Laimdota as his bride, and Burtnieks

gives his blessing, saying that the union of the two clans

(Burtnieks and Lielvarde) will save the Latvians.

One evening, later, Laimdota reads to Bearslayer from the ancient

books found in the Sunken Castle. She reads how the ancient Latvians

were led to the Baltic Sea from a land far to the east by

Perkons. With the favour of the gods, they settled in a valley,

built a castle, and established a golden age on Earth.

However, this made the Devil jealous, and he commanded a whirlwind

to suck up a lake and deposit it in the valley.    This was done and

the valley, including the castle, was drowned. The people would have

died too, but Liga, the Goddess of Song, saved them by using the

music of her kokle to open up under the lake a tunnel that led them

to safety.    The castle is the one Bearslayer raised, and the tunnel

the one he used to enter the castle.

On another occasion, Laimdota reads to Bearslayer the story of the

creation. In eternal space there was once nothing except a celestial

light. In it lived God and a second mighty spirit-the Devil. At that

time the Devil still obeyed God, although he was already growing

rebellious. God decided to create the Earth and sent the Devil to

fetch a handful of slime. The Devil was curious and kept a second

handful for himself, hiding it in his mouth. When he brought the

slime to God, God commanded the slime to form the Earth, throwing it

down.    The slime began to grow, and formed the level plains of the

Earth. However, the slime in the Devil's mouth also obeyed God and

grew until the Devil could no longer hold it in his mouth. He spat

it out and it fell to the newly created Earth, forming the

mountains.

From His own substance God created the Sun and Moon. He was so

pleased with the Earth and Sun He had just created that He also

created the first living creatures: the Sons of the Gods and the

Daughters of the Sun. The Moon took a gigantic Daughter of the Sun

as his wife, and the stars are their thousands of children. The Sons

of the Gods divided up the Earth among themselves.

The Devil grew more rebellious and began to defy God. A great

rivalry grew up between them, and the Devil tried in vain to outdo

God, who, however, always had the upper hand. Eventually, God

created humans and made them capable only of good, but the Devil

interfered and gave them the power to be evil as well as good. God

grew furiously angry at seeing His creation ruined, and banished the

Devil to Hell. There the Devil created evil demons and with them

rose up from Hell and fought against God and all good

spirits. Eventually, the Devil was defeated and driven back to Hell,

after Perkons intervened in the fight

Later Laimdota reads from the teachings of the guardian of the

Latvian race, in which he listed the tasks of worthy human beings:

to seek perfection of the human race, to fight against evil by

obeying the ancient teachings, to make just laws and drive out bad

rulers, and to love nature.

All Souls' Eve comes. The people of Burtnieks's Castle celebrate

this in the traditional Latvian way. Next morning, however, Laimdota

and Koknesis have vanished, and Bearslayer sets off to find them,

vowing never to return unless he is successful.    Meanwhile, a German

ship has arrived at the mouth of the Daugava, and Dietrich and

Kangars persuade the the local Latvian Lord, Kaupa, to return in it

to Rome with Dietrich.    Kangars stays behind, but knows that the

Germans' friendship is only a trick to gain control of Latvia.

The ship sails. Just then Bearslayer rides up. He knows full well

that Kangars and Spidala have kidnapped Laimdota, and demands that

they give her back. Spidala tells him that she is on the ship just

vanishing over the horizon. Kangars says that she and Koknesis are

lovers. Bearslayer does not believe this lie, although he

experiences some doubts, and rides off in deep despair. Spidala

gloats over his sorrow. She has her revenge, and Bearslayer's life

is worse than death.

Bearslayer returns to Lielvarde, his home. He is greeted warmly, but

his father sees that something is wrong. Bearslayer tells him all,

and his father consoles him with wise words of hope: Perhaps

Laimdota loves him still and will yet be saved. Bearslayer spends

his days roaming the cliffs above the Daugava brooding, and longing

to go with the waters down to the sea to fight against the North

Wind and meet the North Wind's Daughter. One day he vanishes, and

no-one knows where he has gone.

Canto IV opens with Kaupa in Rome. He is seduced by the wealth and

power he sees, doubts the old gods, and decides to embrace

Christianity and convert the Latvians. Back in Latvia, the people

labour long building a walled city for the Germans, who are now

present in large numbers-Riga. Once they have their fortress the

Germans begin to plunder everything they can get their hands on, to

pillage and to destroy. Full of bitterness, the Latvians realize

that they have been tricked.

Meanwhile, in Germany Laimdota is being held captive in a convent.

Spidala had tricked her into leaving her father's castle back in

Latvia by pretending to be her mother. Laimdota was then seized by

Spidala's minions, brought to Riga, and placed on the ship to

Germany as a prisoner. During the journey Dietrich tries to calm her

and tells her that she will soon be the Bride of Christ. Laimdota

replies that she loves Bearslayer, will not be forced to become

anyone else's bride and is, in any case, a mortal and not fit to

become the bride of Christ. Although hardened and without pangs of

conscience, Dietrich blushes at her virtuous answer, and leaves

her. Kaupa refuses to help her on the grounds that it is the will of

Destiny that she go to Germany. Soon both Dietrich and Kaupa forget

about her.

The convent prioress tries to persuade Laimdota to accept

Christianity and threatens to allow her to be seized by a local

count and used as a concubine. To escape this fate Laimdota pretends

to accept Christianity but, despite this, one night armed men break

into the convent and seize her. As they are about to carry her off

an unknown warrior appears and fights all the kidnappers on his

own. He kills all except one, and rescues Laimdota. She recognizes

him as Koknesis and they flee into the mountains. Along the way

Koknesis explains how he too was tricked into going on the ship to

Germany. Once in Germany, he heard that a Baltic woman was being

held in the convent and decided to rescue her, without knowing that

it was Laimdota.

The action turns to the Northern Sea, where Bearslayer is wandering

in a ship, lost on the way to Germany to seek Laimdota. The North

Wind's Daughter hears the sailors calling upon her in song, and she

comes to them in her own ship. She says that it would be best if

they came to her island to rest, before continuing their journey,

and Bearslayer agrees. They avoid the Castle of the North Wind,

where he is sleeping, perhaps for another month. Once he is awake,

the winter will set in and they will not be able to escape because

of the ice and storms.

The island is warmed by fires from the centre of the Earth, and the

sailors enjoy a pleasant stay. Eventually the North Wind's Daughter

tells them that her father is about to wake up and that they must

leave. She warns them not to return by the route that they came by,

because Bearslayer's enemies now know that he is using that route

and may be too strong for him. She describes an alternative route,

but warns of its great dangers, including the land of the dog-snout

ogres, the Kingdom of Dreams, the Hill of Diamonds, and the

Enchanted Isle. The sailors set off in the nick of time: The North

Wind has woken up and they are involved in a fearsome storm, from

which they barely escape.

They reach the island of the Dog-Snout Ogres, where they tie up.

Bearslayer goes ashore with a party of men to cut up and share the

meat of some deer he has already killed. They are at work when

suddenly the Dog-Snouts pour out of a cave and attack them. They

tear the men apart with their teeth and even Bearslayer is scarcely

able to save himself.    He is wounded and seems doomed, until he

notices that no more Dog-Snouts are coming out of their cave. He

slips in to the cave and is able to defend himself with his spear in

its narrow opening. The Dog-Snouts then bring up large boulders and

block the entrance, trapping Bearslayer inside.

Back at the ship the sailors wait in vain for their comrades. Their

orders forbid them to go ashore and search for them. At the last

moment Bearslayer appears and tells them to disembark at once. They

do so, and escape the Land of the Dog-Snouts. At sea Bearslayer

explains what happened. He got out of the cave by digging a hole at

the rear with his spear. This took several days, but he found some

raw meat in the cave, and lived on that. The Dog-Snouts were busy

watching the front of the cave, and thus did not see Bearslayer as

he escaped at the rear.

They sail away, and reach the Kingdom of Dreams. This is where

Heaven and Earth come together, the gates of Paradise standing

alongside the entrance to Hell. This land is the location of the

Gardens of the Sun, where the Sun returns at dusk and rests at night

before setting off each morning. Under the protection of the Sons of

the Gods and the Daughters of the Sun they stay in the pleasant

Kingdom of Dreams for some time, but eventually set off again.

They travel in pitch darkness at first, but later see a tiny glint

of light, towards which they sail. They come closer and sight the

Hill of Diamonds, its peak glowing brilliantly. The ship docks and

the sailors rush on shore. Despite Bearslayer's warning, a sailor

climbs to the peak and vanishes. A second does the same. A third

ties himself to a rope and is pulled back by his comrades as he is

vanishing. He is saved, but never speaks again.

They sail away and encounter fair winds and weather. Fog obscures

the course and they suddenly emerge close to a beautiful

island. Bearslayer realizes that this is the Enchanted Isle the

North Wind's Daughter warned against, from which no ship can

escape. They try to sail away but are drawn to the island until the

ship runs up on its shore.

Canto V continues on the Enchanted Isle. There is no sign of life,

except for a track leading from the forest to a bridge and, at the

seaward end of the bridge, a beautiful palace. Inside is a sumptuous

meal, and in a second room soft beds for all. The sailors fall upon

the food and then all go to bed. Bearslayer arms himself and stands

guard at the end of the bridge.

At midnight a rider comes out of the forest. It is the Three-Headed

Demon. He speaks aloud, revealing that he hates Bearslayer, but

believes that his enemy is far away, trapped on the Northern Sea. At

this Bearslayer roars that he is there. The demon challenges

Bearslayer to fight and show his strength. They ride into the thick

forest where the demon blows down the trees, so that they will have

a clearing in which to fight: One breath clears an area three miles

across! They fight and the demon's blows drive Bearslayer into the

ground up to his knees.    None the less, Bearslayer prevails. He then

returns to the palace at the bridge and lies down to sleep.    Nothing

further disturbs their rest that night.

The next night Bearslayer again stands guard.    Again, at midnight a

rider comes out of the forest. This time it is the Six-Headed Demon,

who also hates Bearslayer and believes that he is lost on the

Northern Sea. Again Bearslayer challenges the demon, who clears the

forest by blowing down trees, this time six miles around.    They

fight and Bearslayer is driven into the ground to his hips, but

still wins with some difficulty.

The third night, before going on guard, Bearslayer tells the others

that he may need their help. He places Staburadze's mirror on a

table alongside a bowl of water, and tells them that if, during the

night, the water turns to blood, they must bring the mirror to his

aid. At midnight the Nine-Headed Demon appears at the

bridge. Bearslayer and the demon fight in a clearing nine miles

across, and Bearslayer is driven into the ground to his armpits. He

looks in vain for help from his shipmates, and is about to be

defeated. Desperate, he throws his club three miles through the

window of the palace where the others are sleeping. This wakes them,

they see that the water has turned to blood, and they hasten to

bring Bearslayer the mirror. In the nick of time he shows the demon

the mirror, and it falls down frozen. Bearslayer climbs out of the

ground and kills it.

To be sure that the island is safe they search it, and discover a

beautiful valley in which is a well of clear water, alongside it a

leafy apple tree with magnificent fruit. The men want to drink, but

first Bearslayer thrusts his sword into the water, marking a

triangle.    There are screams and the water turns to blood, but soon

clears and they drink in safety. After this, the men want to eat

apples, but Bearslayer grows angry, saying that they are not there

to pick fruit.    He threatens to cut down the tree with his sword,

but suddenly a voice from the tree begs for mercy.    Bearslayer steps

back in surprise and the tree turns into a beautiful young woman. To

Bearslayer's horror, it is Spidala.

Spidala throws herself at his feet and begs for mercy. She swears to

make good all her wicked deeds, and never to do evil again.

Bearslayer grants her her life - he fights demons and giants, not

women!    Spidala tells him that Laimdota and Koknesis are loyal and

pure, and reveals how she and Kangars tricked them into going to

Germany. She also reveals how the Old Witch cast a spell on the

island to draw in ships. Once trapped on the island's shore the

ships' crews sink into a deep sleep. This is the spell that drew

Bearslayer's ship to the island, where the witch intended to trap

him. The three demons were her sons. On hearing of their death the

Old Witch set a trap by changing herself into the well and Spidala

into the apple tree.    However, when Bearslayer plunged his sword

into the well he killed the witch, and thus broke the spell on

Spidala.

Spidala reminds Bearslayer that it is his duty to return to Latvia

and drive out the marauding Germans. She yearns to help, but is

trapped in a pact with the Devil. Bearslayer realizes that she is

truly repentant and wants to help her. Suddenly he remembers the

little package that he brought with him as a souvenir of the Devil's

Pit, and orders some sailors to fetch it and give it to her. When

Spidala sees it she is overjoyed: It is her contract with the Devil,

and she is now free! They go to the beach, where Spidala releases

the ships and sailors trapped on the shore. Suddenly, among the

people released, Bearslayer sees Koknesis and Laimdota!

Koknesis and Laimdota tell the story of their escape from

Germany. They too were drawn on shore on the Enchanted Isle by the

Old Witch, and put into a long sleep. Spidala hangs back, but

Bearslayer tells the others that it was she who broke the spell on

them: They thank her, and the four swear eternal friendship.

Spidala shows them around the island, which she knows well, and some

of the awakened people decide to live there for good. Eventually,

however Bearslayer, Koknesis, Laimdota and Spidala decide to leave.

The evening before they depart, Koknesis wanders back to the well in

the valley. He sees Spidala burn her pact with the Devil.    She asks

him to keep this a secret.    He agrees, but in turn tells her his

secret: He loves her and wants her to marry him. She eventually

agrees. The four set off back to Latvia on Bearslayer's ship, and on

the way Koknesis and Spidala tell Bearslayer and Laimdota about

their love. These two are overjoyed. After a long journey they sight

Latvian shores, and eventually sail into the mouth of the Daugava.

Canto VI opens with Midsummer's Eve in Latvia. The people are called

together by the Midsummer Priests. They bring offerings for the gods

and gifts for each other, and gather around fires on the Azure

Mountain. They pray for blessings for the coming year, and pay

respect to the spirits of their ancestors. The oldest priest calls

on them to live together in harmony, and many grudges are settled

with a handshake. The young men and women begin to dance together.

While the young people celebrate, the Clan Chieftains meet in

council on the Azure Mountain. They are concerned because the

prophetic writings kept in the Sacred Grove on the mountainside

predict calamity.    Lielvardis arrives and reveals that the German

knights have captured a number of Latvian stockades and built their

own stone castles, and are imposing Christianity at the point of the

sword. His own fortress, Lielvarde, has been seized. Bishop Albert

is bringing more knights from Germany to take over all Latvia. At

this moment Bearslayer appears, together with Koknesis, Laimdota and

Spidala. Bearslayer is elected leader of the Latvian warriors. All

pledge themselves to fight to free their land, and return to their

homes to prepare for war.

Bearslayer and Laimdota, as well as Koknesis and Spidala, are

married at the Castle of Burtnieks, Laimdota's home. There is a

great wedding celebration, but this is cut short by Burtnieks, who

tells them that they will soon be at war. The new couples have

little time for wedded bliss before the men have to set off to fight

the German invaders, and Laimdota and Spidala, refusing to be

separated so soon from their new hus- bands, set off with them.    The

Latvian host gathers and marches on Turaida. On the way, they

eliminate German infestation whenever they encounter it.

Alarmed by the Latvian uprising, many Germans have fled to Turaida

and taken refuge in the stone castle built there by the Germans. The

Latvians lay siege to the castle, and eventually are able to scale

the walls at night and fight on the ramparts. A fearful battle

ensues, with heavy losses on both sides. Bearslayer kills many

Germans and, realizing that he is too strong for them, the Germans

surrender. Among those captured is Dietrich, who is handed over to

the locals for punishment. However, he tricks them into setting him

free.    They now march on Lielvarde, Bearslayer's home, where the

German knight, Daniel, has built a stone castle. Just before they

arrive, Daniel invites the chieftains of some Latvian clans that had

fled into the forest to a parley. However, once he has them in a

great pavilion he locks them in and sets fire to it. The elders cry

for help as Daniel and his men watch in glee from the castle walls.

In the nick of time Bearslayer arrives with his army. He rescues the

chieftains and attacks the German castle. The Germans fight hard but

are defeated, and all except Daniel are slaughtered. He is handed to

the local people for punishment, and they throw him into the Daugava

tied to a plank. Bearslayer re-establishes himself at Lielvarde

Meanwhile, Albert has returned to Germany to recruit more

knights. He leaves Kaupa in charge in Riga, to where most Germans

have now retreated. All seems well for the Latvians, and Bearslayer

and Laimdota settle down to married life together. The others too

return to their homes, thinking to live out their lives in peace.

Springtime comes, and the Latvians have little thought of war. Even

Kangars is working in his garden. His life is bitter: He receives no

honour from any one, any more.    He knows that death will bring him

the torments of Hell, while his remaining days of life are wracked

with the knowledge of his own wickedness. One day Dietrich comes to

him and asks him to communicate with evil spirits to discover the

source of Bearslayer's strength. Kangars says that it is no concern

of his that Bearslayer is killing Germans, but that he has his own

reasons for wanting to destroy the young man. He wrestles with

demons for three days and nights without sleep, and they reveal to

him the secret of Bearslayer's strength-his bear's ears.

Among the new knights brought back from Germany by Albert is the

Black Knight. He is already experienced in doing wicked deeds in

Germany. He claims to be the son of a witch and immune to harm from

wounds. One day Kaupa takes a party of knights, including the Black

Knight, to Lielvarde, and asks for admission, saying that he wishes

to make peace between the Latvians and Albert. Bearslayer wants

peace and the Germans are admitted. They are treated well, and

Bearslayer organizes a tournament to entertain them.

In the tournament, both Bearslayer and the Black Knight defeat their

opponents, and the Black Knight suggests that they fight each other.

Bearslayer refuses, although he does not want to insult the Black

Knight. The Black Knight then says that it would hardly be a test of

his strength to fight Bearslayer, any way, despite all Bearslayer's

boasting. Stung by this, Bearslayer seizes his sword and the two

fight.

At first Bearslayer thinks that it is mere sport, but the Black

Knight fights with great vigour, and suddenly cuts off one of

Bearslayer's ears. Enraged, Bearslayer now attacks in earnest, and

with a terrible blow of his sword splits open the Black Knight's

armour and wounds him. However, his sword breaks. Seeing this, the

Black Knight attacks again, and cuts off Bearslayer's other ear.

Terribly angry, Bearslayer seizes the Black Knight and they wrestle

together. In their fight they stumble to the very edge of the high

cliffs above the River Daugava. Bearslayer's men look on, grown pale

with apprehension and rooted to the spot with fear. Three times

Bearslayer lifts up the Black Knight, but each time the German kicks

free. Finally, Bearslayer throws him over the cliff into the river's

depths, but the Black Knight drags Bearslayer with him. Weighed down

by the knight's heavy armour, they sink to the bottom. At this

moment the waves roar and an island rises up in the river.    In the

castle, Laimdota, who had had a premonition of disaster, shrieks and

ends her own life.

Soon, the Latvian heroes are defeated one by one by the Germans, for

whom they are no match without Bearslayer. The Germans establish

themselves as harsh masters, and the Latvian people are plunged into

centuries of slavery. However, for them Bearslayer is not dead, but

sleeps beneath the island in a golden bed.

Even today, sometimes at midnight boatmen on the Daugava see two

shadowy figures locked in struggle on the cliffs above the river,

while in the ruins of the old castle of Lielvarde a little flame

burns. The figures struggling on the cliff top are Bearslayer and

the Black Knight, and the flame in the castle is Laimdota.    Each

time they fight the two warriors plunge together into the

river. There is a terrible scream in the castle, and the flame goes

out.

However, the day will come when Bearslayer will defeat the Black

Knight and cast him down alone into the river to drown. On that day,

the Latvians will be free!

GLOSSARY OF PERSONAL AND PLACE NAMES

The entries in this section explain personal and place names for the

purposes of the poem. I am not trying to give you a history or

geography lesson! The material in square brackets after each Latvian

word explains how I would like you to pronounce that word. This

pronunciation is necessary for the metrical structure of the

English-language poem, and may differ from standard Latvian

pronunciation. I apologize for any offence that this causes.    The

syllable represented in the square brackets as "-a" should be

pronounced as in "bad", the one represented as "-ah" as a long

"bad". The syllable represented as "-e" should be pronounced as in

"bed", "-o" as in "hot", "-oh" as in "throw,""oo" as in "zoo", "ow"

as in "bough", "-u" as in "hut" and "uh" as in "book". Syllables in

boldface should be stressed.

Aizkraukle [Eyes-krow-kle]:    A Latvian stockade near the southern bank of

the River Daugava, about 100 Km SE of Riga.

Aizkrauklis [Eyes-krow-kliss]: The Lord of Aizkraukle;    father    of    Spidala.

Albert:        The third Bishop of Uexk'll (Latvian:

Ikskile); sent by Pope Innocent III in    1199.

He was    the    most    effective in    subjugating

the    Baltic    people.    He recruited the Sword

Brothers    (warrior monks and priests), who

brought    Christianity    by force after diplo-

macy and gifts failed.

All Souls Night:    A night in October when the souls of the dear

departed return to visit the living; comparable

with Halloween.

Antrimps [Un-trimps}:    The God of the Sea.

Austra [Ow-stru]:    The Goddess of the Morning/the Dawn.

Azure Mountain:    A    sacred mountain    where    ancient writings

were    kept;    meeting    place    of    the    folk

at Midsummer.

Black Knight:        A    German    knight    brought    to    Latvia    by

Bishop Albert    to    kill    Bearslayer.

Burtnieks [Buhrt-nee-eks]:    A wise Latvian Lord; teacher    of    Bearslayer

and    father of Laimdota.

Crystal Palace:    The home of    Staburadze    beneath the    whirl-

pool of Staburags.

Dabrels [Dubb-rells]:    A Latvian    Lord whose stockade    was on    the

River Gauja near modern-day Sigulda. Across

the    river was Kaupa's stockade (Turaida).

Daniel [Dunn-yell]:    The German knight who occupied    Lielvarde

(Bearslayer's home).

Daugava [Dow-g'vu]:    The    revered, almost sacred, principal    river

of Latvia.    Its    course    lies mainly SE of Riga,

but it flows into the sea to the west of Riga.

Destiny's Father:    A    pseudomythological    figure    invented    by

Pumpurs; the arbiter of human destiny-Fate.

Devil's Pit:        A    huge    underground chamber    dug    under the

River Daugava by the Devil.

Dietrich [Dee-trich]:    A    German    priest    who    came    to Latvia to

prepare the way for Bishop Albert.

Dog-Snout Ogres:    Mythological    monsters    in    Latvian

and Estonian folk tales.

Enchanted Isle:    An island that draws ships to its shores. It

is inhabited by the demon sons of the

Old Witch (see Canto II).

Evil One (the):    The Devil.

Fiend (the)        The    Devil    (when    capitalized;    otherwise

a demon).

Gauja [Gow-yu]:    The    largest    river    entirely    within    Latvia.

Its course lies NE of Riga.

Henry:        A Latvian    who was educated in Germany    and

became    a    Christian    priest    in    Latvia.    He

is remembered    as    "Henry    of Livonia"

Holy Father:        The    Pope; Celestine III    proclaimed    the

third Northern Crusade (the Baltic Crusade) in

1193; Innocent    III succeeded Celestine, and

appointed Bishop Albert in 1198.

Ikskile [Eeks-chill-e]:    A Livian town on the    northern    bank    of    the

Daugava, SE of Riga; the Germans had already

built a fort there before the arrival of

Albert.

Kalapuisis [Kull-u-poo-iss-iss]: A gigantic Estonian warrior;    more or    less

the Estonian equivalent of Bearslayer.

Kangars [Kun-gars]:    A Latvian holy man who    had    secretly made a

pact with the Devil.

Kaupa [Cow-pu]:    A    great    Latvian    Lord    whose    stockade    was

at    Turaida on the Gauja.

Kingdom of Dreams:    A land in the east where sky and earth    meet

and    the gates of Heaven and Hell are found. It

is the home of the Sons of the Gods and the

Daughters    of the Sun.

Koknesis [Kwock-ness-is]:    A mighty youth    who    lived    near    the    River

Perse; Bearslayer's close friend.

kokle [kwock-le]:    Traditional    Latvian    musical    instrument    -

something like a zither.

Kegums [Chag-ums]:    A town on    the    Daugava    about 50 Km. SE of

Riga.

Laima [Lye-mu]:    The Goddess of Destiny/of Happiness.

Laimdota [Lime-dwo-tu]:    The    beautiful,    virtuous,    learned    and

wise daughter    of    Burtnieks.

Lake Peipus [Pay-puss]:    A large lake along the border between Estonia

and Russia

Latvian Lords:    Latvian    chieftains or clan (family) heads    who

lived in stockades    (castles)    behind    wooden

palisades    on    higher    ground    along    the

tributaries of    the major rivers.

Lielvarde [Lee-ell-var-de]:    A    Latvian stronghold    on    the    northern    bank

of the Daugava, about 55 Km. SE of Riga;

home of Bearslayer and his foster father,

Lielvardis.

Lielvardis [Lee-ell-var-diss]: The Latvian Lord of Lielvarde; foster father

of Bearslayer.

Liga [Lee-gu]:    The Goddess of Song.

Ligo [Lee-gwu]:    Sing! (midsummer songs).

Ligusoni Priests [Lee-gu-swon-yee]:    People selected to lead    the    (pagan)

midsummer rites at the Azure Mountain.

Livian lands:        The lands of    the Livs: In Western Latvia, and

thus the first area occupied by the Germans.

Livs:        A Finnic (i.e., non-Latvian) people who    lived

along    the shores of the Gulf    of    Riga and the

Daugava estuary.

Lucifer:        The Devil.

Midsummer's Eve:    A traditional, extremely important,

still-celebrated Latvian folk festival-Jani.

Nine-Headed Demon:    A son of the Old Witch. He lived on the En-

chanted Isle and was killed by Bearslayer.

North Wind's Daughter:    The daughter of Ziemelis, the North Wind.

Northern Sea:        The bitterly cold, stormy sea at the    top of

the world. The domain of Ziemelis.

Pakols [Pu-kwolls]:    The God of Death.

Patrimps [Pu-trimps}:    The God of Fertility and Wealth.

Perkons [Pah-kwons]:    The God of Thunder; a    strong    supporter    of

the Latvian people.

Perse [Pair-se]:    A river    (and    waterfall)    that    flows    into

the Daugava near    Aizkraukle,    about 100 Km. SE

of Riga.

Pu'kaitis [Push-kye-tiss]:    A pseudomythological figure invented    by

writers in the nineteenth century;    often

depicted as the God of Trees.

Riga's Bishop:    Bishop Albert

Romove [Roo-oh-mwo-vu]:    A town located near the site of modern-day

Vilnius in Lithuania; sacred to all three Baltic

peoples    (Latvians, Lithuanians, Prussians).

Rusin' [Roo-sinsh]:    A Latvian warrior treacherously killed    by    a

crossbow bolt at the start of    the    battle for

Dabrels's stockade.

Sacred copse:        A sacred grove of trees on the Azure Mountain.

Salaspils [Su-luss-pills]:    A town on the Daugava where the Germans had

already built a    castle    prior to    the    arrival

of Albert.

Saulite [Sow-lee-tu]:    The Sun-Goddess, wife of the Moon. At Midsummer

she    wore    a    headdress    of    red blossoms and

danced on the hilltops    in    silver shoes. To

honour her, at Midsummer human women    wore

similar    braided wreaths in their hair,    and

walked through the fields singing songs to her-

see "Ligo".

Sereniete [(Se-re-nee-e-te]:    A witch, who assisted Spidala to    throw    Bear-

slayer down into the whirlpool of Staburags.

Six-Headed Demon:    A son    of    the Old Witch. He lived on    the

Enchanted Isle and was killed by Bearslayer.

Spidala [Spee-du-lu]:    The    beautiful daughter    of    Aizkrauklis.    She

was a witch who had entered    into a pact    with

the Devil, but escaped with Bearslayer's help.

Staburadze [Stu-boo-rud-zu]:    A    goddess    who    lives    in    a    Crystal Palace

beneath    the whirlpool of Staburags.

Staburadze's glass:    A mirror given to Bearslayer by    the Goddess

Staburadze.    Evildoers who    look    into it    see

the face of Perkons, and are frozen with terror.

Staburadze's maidens:    Beautiful and especially virtuous young women,

who live for    a time    with    Staburadze to    be

educated.

Staburags [Stu-boo-rugs]:    A high cliff    above    the River Daugava    with a

whirlpool at its foot.

Strangers        The German knights sent to christianize

Latvia , especially those sent by    Innocent III

under the leadership of Albert.

Talvaldis [Tarl-vull-diss]:    A Latvian leader; second-in-command to

Bearslayer (although hardly mentioned

in the poem).

Three-Headed Demon:    A son of the Old Witch.    He lived on the

Enchanted Isle and was killed by Bearslayer.

Tikla [Tick-lu]:    The Goddess of Virtue.

Turaida [Too-rye-du]:    A Latvian stronghold on    the    River Gauja NE

of Riga, where Kaupa    was    the Latvian    Lord;

across    the    river from Dabrels's stockade.

Uzin' [Oo-zinysh]:    The God ("patron saint") of Bees (and Horses).

Vaidelots [Vye-de-lwots]:    The Messenger of the Gods, who brings news

from them (from Romove) to mortals.

Viduveds [Vid-oo-vads]:    A man of legendary wisdom, who lived    in the

sixth century; also known in Prussian legends.

Witch (Old Witch):    A    crone who had authority    over    the younger

witches in the Devil's Pit. She was the mother

of the Three-, Six- and    Nine-Headed    Demons

on the Enchanted Isle.

Ziemelis [Zee-em-ell-is]:    The North Wind; hostile to human beings.

Zunda [Zuhn-da]:    Narrow straits between the Estonian island of

Saaremaa and the Kurzeme Peninsula (i.e., on

the Estonia-Latvia border).