Fact-checked by Grok 2 weeks ago

Māra

Māra is the principal goddess in Latvian mythology, revered as the great mother and earth deity who governs fertility, birth, and productivity. Often called the "Mother of the Earth," she protects women, children, and livestock, particularly cows, while also serving as a healer using magical herbs and a guardian against natural disasters like thunderstorms. Her name derives from the Indo-European root *mā-, meaning "mother," and she embodies both life-giving and life-taking aspects, overseeing the underworld and guiding souls after death. In Latvian folklore, Māra appears in various forms, such as a woman in white, a cow, toad, or snake, and is associated with willow and aspen trees, as well as the mythical Māras paparde (fern blossom). She stands in opposition to Dievs, the heavenly god, and is connected to other deities like Laima, the goddess of fate. Though sometimes syncretized with the Christian Holy Mary in Catholic regions, Māra remains a distinctly pagan figure rooted in pre-Christian Baltic traditions, prominent in folk songs, legends, and rituals. Her worship involved offerings of hens, sheep, or sacrifices on linden trees, especially on Māra's Day, highlighting her enduring cultural significance in Latvian identity and neo-pagan revival movements.

Etymology and Names

Linguistic Origins

The name Māra is associated with the Latvian word "māte" (mother), which derives from the *méh₂tēr, meaning "mother." This linguistic connection positions Māra as an archetypal maternal figure, embodying creative and nurturing forces tied to terrestrial life in Latvian folklore. Her name as a may have been influenced by the "," facilitating between indigenous and imported traditions. Historical linguistic evidence emerges from 19th-century documentation of Latvian dainas (folk songs), where folklorist Krišjānis Barons compiled over 217,000 texts in his multi-volume Latvju dainas (1894–1915), revealing Māra's frequent portrayal in maternal and terrestrial contexts, such as "Zemes Māte" (Earth Mother) or protector of growing things and family. For instance, dainas depict Māra as the "mother of the sun" or guardian of the land's bounty, underscoring her rootedness in pre-Christian conceptualizations of motherhood and soil fertility. The process of in the medieval period further shaped the name's evolution, with Māra appearing as a Latvianized variant of "" () in 16th- and 17th-century religious texts, blending pagan maternal imagery with Christian of the Virgin . Analysis of early Latvian corpora shows Māra appearing in 14 forms (part of broader variants totaling around 486 occurrences), primarily in Christian contexts to denote Saint , facilitating between earth-mother archetypes and imported Marian .

Variations and Epithets

In Latvian , Māra appears under various regional forms that reflect local traditions and dialects. The standard form is Māra, widely attested across as the central figure of earth and fertility. A variant, Mārīte, emphasizes her nurturing qualities and is used affectionately in folk contexts to denote a caring, maternal presence. In eastern regions like , she manifests as Māršava (or Marsava), a specialized form associated with the protection of , appearing in variants and historical reports as a guardian of herds. Māra's epithets further illuminate her multifaceted roles, often incorporating the suffix māte (mother) to signify dominion over specific domains. Govu Māte (Mother of Cows) highlights her oversight of dairy animals and abundance in pastoral life, invoked in incantations for fertility and health. Zemes Māte (Mother of the Earth) underscores her connection to soil and growth, positioning her as the embodiment of terrestrial productivity in agrarian rituals. Jūras Māte (Mother of the Sea) extends her influence to aquatic realms, portraying her as a regulator of waters and marine bounty in coastal folklore traditions. These epithets, treated as synonymous aspects of the same deity, draw from broader Indo-European ties to motherhood evident in Latvian linguistic roots. Examples in Latvju dainas (Latvian folk songs) illustrate epithets denoting Māra as a at life's thresholds. In one variant (LD 29167), she is depicted painting cows on mornings, symbolizing her mediation between daily renewal and sacred limits. Another (LD 344) invokes her as Mila lopu Marija (Dear of ), blending pagan and Christian elements to mark transitions like birth or seasonal changes, where she presides over the spaces of existence and cessation. Such depictions, concentrated in regions like Kurzeme (62% of relevant songs), emphasize her role in overseeing critical junctures without delving into protective mechanisms.

Mythological Role

Scholars debate the pre-Christian origins of Māra, with some viewing her as an ancient and others arguing her role emerged through Christian , where pagan attributes were attributed to Saint Mary () in . Despite these discussions, in , Māra is prominently identified as Zemes Māte, the , embodying the fertile essence of the soil and serving as the guardian of agricultural life. She oversees the productivity of the land, ensuring the growth of crops and the sustenance of communities dependent on farming. Myths portray her as the nurturing force that awakens and enriches the , particularly after the dormancy of winter, where she infuses the ground with vitality to support planting and harvest cycles. This role is detailed in scholarly analyses drawing from traditional , emphasizing her as a life-sustaining integral to agrarian societies. Māra's associations extend deeply into the cycles of birth and rebirth, mirroring the earth's own regenerative processes. She symbolizes the emergence of new life from the , linking and natural renewal in a continuous loop of creation and resurgence. In rituals, her signifies the land's awakening, with participants offering prayers or symbolic acts to honor her and secure prosperous growth; these practices reflect her position as a mediator between seasonal transitions and life's perpetuation. Ethnographic records from the , such as those in Krišjānis Barons' comprehensive collection Latvju Dainas (published 1894–1915), preserve songs and narratives that invoke Māra during these rites, portraying her as the embodiment of the earth's budding fertility. Folklore motifs often illustrate Māra's influence on agricultural outcomes, where she rewards respect for with abundant harvests and punishes neglect or exploitation with barren fields and scarcity. These stories, rooted in oral traditions captured in 19th-century collections, serve as moral tales reinforcing harmonious coexistence with the ; for instance, tales describe her withdrawing when humans fail to perform due observances, leading to failed crops, while dutiful care invites her blessings of plenty. Such motifs, analyzed in early 20th-century works building on these ethnographies, highlight Māra's dual capacity to bestow or withhold the earth's bounty based on ethical conduct.

Protection of Women, Children, and Livestock

In , Māra plays a vital maternal role in , assisting the during deliveries and safeguarding newborns from harm. This protective function is evident in traditional dainas, the lyrical folk songs that depict Māra as a midwife-like figure who ensures safe births and bestows vitality upon infants. Her presence during labor underscores her broader guardianship over human life stages, reflecting the matricentric elements of culture where female deities emphasize nurturing and defense. Māra extends her protective influence to women during vulnerable periods such as and widowhood, intervening in narratives to shield them from malevolent forces that threaten their well-being. Legends portray her as a defensive who counters harmful entities, ensuring the continuity of and through her watchful care. This aligns with her ties to earth's cycles, where she nurtures as part of natural abundance. As a of domestic life, Māra also oversees , particularly cows, which symbolize in rural Latvian society. Known as Lopumāte or "Mother of Cattle," she is invoked in rituals to avert diseases, theft, or loss, with historical accounts from the describing women's appeals to her for blessings on herds. In rural tales, she manifests as a cow-herding , guiding animals safely and embodying the between human households and the land's bounty.

Attributes and Symbols

Natural and Elemental Associations

Māra holds a prominent association with waters in , where she is revered as a patroness of activities and natural aquatic forces. In coastal , she is depicted as guiding vessels safely through perilous waters and mitigating storms to protect seafarers, reflecting her role in harmonizing human endeavors with the sea's temperament. This dominion extends to inland waters as well, including springs like Māras avots, a sacred site linked to and rituals during , where her influence calms turbulent flows and restores balance to disrupted aquatic environments. Her presence is deeply intertwined with spaces, positioning her as a guardian of boundaries and transitions within the natural world. Riverbanks and thresholds—such as those marking the divide between land and water—serve as her domains, where she oversees the passage between realms, exemplified in myths of crossing a bridge over a river of blood under her watch. Twilight hours and specific times, like nights, amplify her influence, during which natural boundaries blur, allowing for magical interactions with forces and underscoring her embodiment of between day and night or growth and phases in the . These associations highlight Māra's role in facilitating ecological and seasonal transitions without direct intervention in human affairs. Māra's ties further manifest through her affinity for specific trees, particularly and aspens, which are regarded as her abodes in pre-Christian narratives. She is often described as residing beneath willow branches, symbols of flowing waters and renewal, where her essence protects riparian ecosystems and aids in the processes of the . Aspens, with their trembling leaves evoking the underworld's whispers, similarly host her presence, linking her to forested boundaries and the cyclical decay that enriches . In sacred groves, predominantly composed of such trees alongside lindens, offerings like or remnants were traditionally placed to honor and appease her, ensuring the preservation of these wooded sanctuaries from encroachment and maintaining their pre-Christian role as untouched reservoirs of power.

Animal, Plant, and Artifact Symbols

In , the cow serves as a key animal symbol for Māra, embodying abundance and her role as protectress of , including as Govu Māte, the of Cows, which highlights her connections to and the material world in folk songs known as dainas. This association reflects her protective influence over and the earth's bounty, often depicted in poetic formulas linking her to natural prosperity. Plant symbols associated with Māra include the willow, representing flexibility and protective qualities, and the aspen, valued for its role in warding off evil spirits. These trees appear in folklore as places where Māra is imagined to rest or manifest, emphasizing her ties to the natural environment and safeguarding attributes. Artifacts symbolizing Māra encompass items like cradles and spinning wheels, which evoke her nurturing essence and involvement in weaving the fabric of life and fate. Cradles, in particular, bear Māra's cross—a geometric symbol of material protection—carved or drawn on them to invoke her care for children and the household. Such objects are preserved in folk art collections, illustrating her cultural visualization as a maternal figure.

Worship and Cultural Practices

Traditional Rituals and Offerings

In traditional Latvian folk practices, Māra was invoked as a associated with and to maintain with the natural and domestic world. These practices often involved spoken invocations or songs (dainas) praising nurturing deities, as documented in general ethnographic records from the 18th and 19th centuries. Life-cycle rituals emphasized protective influences over women and family continuity, with Māra sharing functions similar to in folk beliefs. In marriage ceremonies, invocations for and progeny occurred, and brides incorporated patterns—such as the downward-pointing triangle or motifs symbolizing and stability—into woven garments or linens as talismans for and . These elements, rooted in pre-Christian traditions and preserved in 19th-century collections of Latvian dainas, highlighted Māra's role in key transitions. Daily household routines in agrarian life incorporated gestures honoring fertility figures like Māra, particularly in her domain over and sustenance. Such acts blended into routine chores, reinforcing connections to the without formal ceremonies, as noted in general 18th-19th century ethnographic accounts from Latvian regions like and Kurzeme.

Festivals and Seasonal Celebrations

Latvian midsummer celebrations, particularly on June 23–24, feature communal bonfires symbolizing purification and renewal, and the gathering of herbs believed to carry protective and generative powers. These practices, tied to , emphasize agricultural abundance and the earth's vitality, with roots in pagan traditions. Precursors to modern during the winter solstice include rites marking the earth's rest and impending renewal, such as indoor feasts featuring symbolic foods like grūdenis porridge, which represents sustenance and the promise of returning fertility after dormancy. These gatherings, often involving candle lighting and shared meals, reflect guardianship over the land during the darkest period of the year. Spring equinox observances, known as Lieldienas, incorporate practices like —using natural dyes to symbolize rebirth and prosperity—and field blessings to consecrate the soil for planting. These rituals underscore the agricultural cycle's renewal phase. Māra has a dedicated festival, Māras, celebrated on August 15, marking the midpoint between the summer solstice and autumn equinox. It honors her as the earth goddess, with traditions including offerings and songs focused on harvest and feminine duties. In modern revivals like (Latvian neopaganism), Māra remains central to seasonal rituals rooted in folklore, songs, and as of 2025.

Relations to Other Deities

Connections with Laima and Fate

In Latvian , Māra and exhibit a complementary interplay during , with Māra offering physical protection and aid to mothers in labor, while Laima decrees the newborn's destiny and lifespan. Traditional dainas often depict both goddesses attending births, invoking Māra to ease delivery complications—such as through incantations that personify her as the supportive force of the womb—and Laima to assign fortune and fate from the moment of emergence. This shared presence underscores their cooperative roles in the transition to life, where Māra ensures bodily safety and Laima shapes existential paths. Māra's domain extends into post-death fate, distinguishing her from Laima's earthly focus on lifespan weaving. Folklore portrays Māra guiding departed souls to her realm, depicted as a nurturing space filled with cradles that symbolize perpetual care or rebirth for the deceased. In contrast, Laima's influence ceases at life's end, limited to predetermining duration and events without oversight of the . This divergence highlights Māra's broader aspects, encompassing both earthly and eternal guardianship. Historical syncretism in rural Latvian folklore has led to Māra absorbing certain traits traditionally attributed to Laima, particularly in rural contexts where distinctions blurred under Christian influence. Scholar Mārtiņš Bruņenieks argued that Māra's name derived from the Christian Virgin Mary, supplanting Laima as the primary fate deity while preserving Laima's functions related to birth protection and destiny allocation. This merger is evident in folk narratives and dainas from agrarian communities, where Māra increasingly embodies combined protective and fateful roles once divided between the two.

Position in the Baltic Pantheon

In , Māra holds a supreme position as , embodying the and while overseeing a of subordinate deities associated with natural cycles. She is depicted as ruling over figures such as the Saules meitas, the daughters of the sun Saule, who represent aspects of , , and seasonal under Māra's broader of life's generative forces. This structure positions Māra as a coordinator of natural elements, distributing protective and nurturing roles among lesser maternal deities like those of fields, forests, and waters, ensuring harmony in the cosmic order. Māra's role shares Baltic roots with the Lithuanian earth mother Žemyna, both revered as central fertility figures tied to and the land's bounty, reflecting a common Indo-European heritage in the region. However, Māra's characterization emphasizes , bridging life's transitions such as birth, growth, and death, often through her associations with fate and the threshold between worlds, distinguishing her from Žemyna's more strictly terrestrial focus. In reconstructed models, she mediates between sky gods like Dievs, the supreme celestial authority, and the , facilitating balance between heavenly creation and earthly/underworldly sustenance. These hierarchical and mediatory aspects draw from 19th-century compilations, particularly Andrejs Pumpurs' epic (1888), which portrays Māra as a protective maternal force integral to the divine order amid human struggles. Pumpurs' romantic reconstruction integrates Māra into a broader where she complements Dievs, underscoring her as a pivotal intermediary in cosmology without rigid subordination, as Latvian myths often emphasize autonomous divine functions.

Depictions in Folklore and Modern Culture

Legends and Folk Stories

Latvian oral traditions portray Māra as a central figure in myths of creation and fertility, emphasizing her dominion over land and growth. Folk tales from rural Latvian communities highlight Māra's role as a moral arbiter, blending divine oversight with everyday trials related to , , and stewardship of the earth. Underworld legends depict Māra's realm as a compassionate afterlife domain beneath the earth, nurturing departed souls and symbolizing eternal care amid cycles of life and death. Folk dainas (traditional songs) evoke her associations with motherhood and renewal.

Representations in Art, Literature, and Revival Movements

In the early 20th century, Latvian playwright and poet Rainis (Jānis Pliekšāns) incorporated motifs from Latvian folklore into his works to symbolize national resilience and the struggle for independence, drawing on mythological figures like Māra as embodiments of the land and maternal strength. His play Uguns un nakts (Fire and Night, 1905) reinterprets the epic legend of Lāčplēsis, using symbolic elements from Baltic mythology to represent the enduring spirit of the Latvian people amid oppression. In contemporary Latvian literature, Nora Ikstena has integrated motifs associated with Māra's maternal and protective qualities into her novels exploring intergenerational trauma and female identity under Soviet rule. Her 2015 novel Mātes piens (Soviet Milk) centers on themes of motherhood and bodily across three generations of women, evoking Māra's role as a nurturing earth mother through recurring symbols of and inheritance. Artistic representations of Māra proliferated during Latvia's interwar independence period (1918–1940), often depicting her alongside symbols of fertility and the earth to affirm . Painter Jēkabs Bīne's 1931 oil on canvas Dievs, Māra, Laima, housed in the Latvian National Museum of Art, portrays Māra as part of the divine , flanked by the Dievs and fate Laima, emphasizing her subordinate yet vital maternal role in the cosmic order. Similarly, illustrator Aleksandrs Junkers' 1939 work Mīļā Māra (Dear Māra) visualizes her as a benevolent figure tied to agrarian life, reflecting the era's romanticization of pagan roots post-independence. Māra's revival in the Dievturība movement, founded in the 1920s by Ernests Brastiņš, reinterprets her as the feminine counterpart to the supreme god Dievs within the trinity Dievs-Māra-Laima, drawing from folk songs to position her as the goddess of earth and motherhood. Brastiņš' 1931 text Dievturu Cerokslis describes her based on ethnographic sources, establishing her as a central figure in reconstructed rituals. In the 21st century, Dievturība has adapted Māra's worship through festivals like Jāņi (Midsummer) and events at sacred sites, such as the 2017 opening of the Lokstene Shrine on Daugava Island, where gatherings honor her protective aspects. On October 9, 2025, Latvia's Parliament passed the Dievturi Community Law, granting Dievturība official recognition as a traditional ethnic religion with legal protections for its sites and practices, bolstering contemporary revivals. Modern interpretations within the movement sometimes frame Māra through eco-feminist lenses, highlighting her as a symbol of ecological harmony and female empowerment in response to environmental challenges.

References

  1. [1]
    The Demon Mara, Who Challenged the Buddha - Learn Religions
    Jul 14, 2018 · Mara is a demon, sometimes called the Lord of Death, representing passions and destruction, and the personification of the Evil One and Tempter.
  2. [2]
    Demonic Forces: The Four Maras - Study Buddhism
    The four Maras are: the mara of death, the mara of disturbing emotions and attitudes, the mara of the aggregates, and the Mara who is the son of the gods.
  3. [3]
    (PDF) Latvian Folklore Studies and Mythology - ResearchGate
    Dec 25, 2018 · Article presents insight into the perception of Latvian folklore and how it has been studied over four centuries.Missing: etymology | Show results with:etymology
  4. [4]
    https://www.researchgate.net/publication/322240120_Maras_vards_latviesu_valodas_16_un_17_gs_tekstos_un_ta_atspogulojums_Latviesu_valodas_vesturiskaja_vardnica_ipasvardi_un_sugasvardi
  5. [5]
    (PDF) Māras vārds latviešu valodas 16. un 17. gs. tekstos un tā ...
    Since most of the 16–17th century Latvian texts are of religious nature, these words are mostly used in a Christian context, and their meaning is '[Saint] Mary' ...
  6. [6]
    Mall Hiiemäe - Folklore.ee
    Mara, usually with the epithet mila, sveta 'dear, holy', appears in 150 texts of "Latvju dainas " having connections with cattle-breeding, e.g. 82 variants of ...
  7. [7]
    Māra | Facts, Information, and Mythology - Encyclopedia Mythica
    Mar 3, 1997 · Māra has the same functions as Laima, the deity of fate, in most of Latvia. In a derived form of her name (Marsava), she is a protective deity of cattle.Missing: goddess epithets sources
  8. [8]
    [PDF] TOMS ĶENCIS A disciplinary history of Latvian mythology - DSpace
    Barons, Krišjānis (ed) (1894) Latvju dainas, vol. 1, Jelgava: Kr. Barons and H. Visen- dorfs. Barthes, Roland (1977) Image, Music, Text, New York: The ...<|control11|><|separator|>
  9. [9]
    [PDF] Krišjānis Barons. Latvju dainas. - LU LFMI
    Latvju dainas ir tautasdziesmu izde- vums, kas latviešu kultūrā nereti dēvēts par „tautas Bībeli“. Tas ticis pielīdzināts nacionālajiem eposiem, un krājuma ...Missing: maternal | Show results with:maternal
  10. [10]
    GODDESSES IN A MAN'S WORLD: LATVIAN MATRICENTRICITY ...
    The case of Māra and Maria is also com tributes of earth goddesses, but ... which, whatever the origin, are most highly developed in Latvian traditional textiles, ...
  11. [11]
    [PDF] COSMOS - Traditional Cosmology Society
    place of a goddess named Māra in Latvian mythology. Many scholars ... The articles also touch upon such notions as time and space, life and death, number,.
  12. [12]
    Jūras māte | Facts, Information, and Mythology - Encyclopedia Mythica
    Mar 3, 1997 · The goddess of the sea in Latvian mythology. She is said to be worshiped by fishermen and sailors, and plays an important role in healing by magic.
  13. [13]
    M?ra (and Great Mothers) | Encyclopedia.com
    According to Bruņenieks, Māra's name was borrowed from Mary, the Christian Mother of God, replacing the Latvian goddess of fate Laima, while retaining Laima's ...
  14. [14]
    Indo-European Poetics and the Latvian Folk Songs - Academia.edu
    Scholars favor Latvian due to its unique preservation of mythological and linguistic archaisms compared to Lithuanian, often overshadowed by its phonetic ...
  15. [15]
    [PDF] latvia_100_snapshot_stories_web-lkea.pdf
    Latvian folksongs, or Dainas, form one of the largest ... culture, Nora Ikstena speaks of life and death, faith and love in her numerous novels.
  16. [16]
    AMBER IN LATVIAN FOLK SONGS AND FOLK BELIEFS - jstor
    daina evidence is that Māra is a genuine ancient Latvian deity, linked to the fertility ofcattle and to childbirth. 20 Cf.V. Vīķis-Freibergs & I. Freibergs ...<|control11|><|separator|>
  17. [17]
    [PDF] The Renaissance of Latvia's ethnographic mittens | WockenSolle
    She was associated with childbirth, marriage, death, prolificacy, and domesticity. She was also the patron of pregnant women. Page 8. Māra - (Mary) is the ...
  18. [18]
    Traditions - Discover the rich cultural heritage of Latvia!
    Easter - Spring equinox. In Latvian folklore, the spring equinox, known as Lieldienas, represents the midpoint of spring when night and day are of equal length.
  19. [19]
    [PDF] The Practical Guide to Latvian Winter Solstice Celebrations and ...
    Jan 23, 2015 · While reflecting on the needs of a modern person, The Practical Guide invites us to remember the traditions of our ancestors, listen to stories ...
  20. [20]
    Lieldienas - Academic Dictionaries and Encyclopedias
    At least one day is probably dedicated to Māra. Lieldienas was a celebration of dancing, singing and gaiety. One the first day, the Latvians arose early and ...
  21. [21]
    Latvian mythology - Skyforger.lv
    Mara is often depicted as a black snake or as a simply clad woman. ... Evil spirits affected human life also: Jodi (demons), Laumas, Spoki (ghosts) ...Missing: malevolent | Show results with:malevolent
  22. [22]
    Deities of ancient Balts | THE LATGALLIAN TREASURES
    Oct 5, 2015 · Part of Mother Earth known to Indo-Europeans in ancient Latvian mythology belongs to Mother Mara, called also as Beloved Mara. Mara is the ...
  23. [23]
    Laima | Goddess, Latvian, Baltic - Britannica
    Laima, (from Lithuanian laimė, “happiness,” “luck”), in Baltic religion, the goddess of fate, generally associated with the linden tree.
  24. [24]
    (PDF) A Disciplinary History of Latvian Mythology. PhD thesis.
    This dissertation is a treatise upon the knowledge production process within the field of mythology research, located between folkloristics, history and ...<|control11|><|separator|>
  25. [25]
    Andrejs Pumpurs - Latvian Literature
    Andrejs Pumpurs (1841–1902) is a Latvian poet, the author of the Latvian epic poem Lāčplēsis [The Bear Slayer], first published in 1888.
  26. [26]
    Rainis - Latvian Literature
    Rainis (né Jānis Pliekšāns, 1865 – 1929) is a prominent Latvian poet, playwright, translator, and politician.
  27. [27]
    Rainis' play “Fire and Night” (“Uguns un nakts”) (1905). Compendium
    The play “Fire and Night” was composed in 1903 and 1904 at different places in Latvia , but for the most part it was written at the poets' summerhouse in ...Missing: Māra | Show results with:Māra
  28. [28]
    [PDF] Exploring Maternal Identity in Nora Ikstena's Soviet Milk Liva Puka ...
    I protected my child from it”. (Ikstena 33). This act of denying breast milk becomes a recurring motif throughout the novel. It reappears with a near-mythical ...
  29. [29]
    Soviet Milk by Nora Ikstena | Goodreads
    $$8.99 Rating 4.3 (10,829) Nora Ikstena, Margita Gailitis (Translator)​​ This novel considers the effects of Soviet rule on a single individual. The central character in the story tries to ...
  30. [30]
    A Reconstructed Indigenous Religious Tradition in Latvia - MDPI
    Mar 14, 2019 · The authentic ancient Latvian lifestyle is being reconstructed through turning to folklore as a reference source. Ethnographic heritage is being ...Missing: 18th | Show results with:18th
  31. [31]
    Latvian National Museum of Art - Latvijas Nacionālais mākslas muzejs
    The permanent exhibition in the main building of the Latvian National Museum of Art shows the richness of the museum's collection, the history of its formation ...Latvian Art 1915–1940 · Latvian Art 1780–1915 · Collection of Latvian Visual ArtMissing: Māra | Show results with:Māra
  32. [32]
    https://skaties.lv/zinas/latvija/sabiedriba/uz-salas-daugava-atklata-dievturu-svetnica/
  33. [33]
    Pagans in Latvia gain recognition - Church Times
    Oct 31, 2025 · Communities following Dievturiba, formerly titled the Latvian Religion Society, will enjoy property rights, and their sacred sites and rituals ...
  34. [34]
    (PDF) Latvian Religion – Dievturība? - ResearchGate
    Jan 7, 2019 · ... Māra – a feminine counterpart to Dievs, Goddess of Mother Earth, one of the. main triad (Dievs, Māra, Laima) that is worshipped in Dievturība.Missing: Binde | Show results with:Binde