Arvīds Brastiņš (13 April 1893 – 15 November 1984) was a Latvian sculptor, writer and neopagan leader. He was educated at the Saint Petersburg Stieglitz State Academy of Art and Design and began to exhibit his folklore-inspired sculptures in 1918. He worked as a schoolteacher and was active as a writer, writing about Latvian folklore and publishing collections of folksongs. Brastiņš was the brother of Ernests Brastiņš who founded the Baltic neopagan movement Dievturība in the 1920s. Both brothers became major intellectual leaders within this movement. Resettled in the United States after the Soviet occupation of Latvia, Arvīds Brastiņš led an émigré continuation of the movement until his death.
As a sculptor, Brastiņš focused on woodcarving in small format and drew most of his inspiration from Latvian folklore. He held his first exhibition in 1918. He wrote about Latvian mythology, folk traditions and calendar holidays and compiled Latvian folksongs which he published in several anthologies. Active as a dramatist, he adapted folk tales into school plays for which he sometimes worked as director, set decorator and painter.[1][2]
In the 1920s, Brastiņš joined his brother Ernests Brastiņš in the creation of the Baltic neopagan movement Dievturība. The two founded an organization in 1927, Latvijas Dievtur̦u Sadraudze (lit.'Congregation of Latvian Dievturi'),[3] and Arvīds became the editor of its magazine Labietis, published from 1931 to 1940.[1][4] Together with his brother and the literature historian Alfrēds Goba, he was one of the main intellectual leaders of the movement in the interwar period.[5] The movement was suppressed by the Soviet occupation in 1940 and its leadership was scattered; Ernests Brastiņš was executed in 1942 and Arvīds Brastiņš emigrated to Germany in 1944.[1][6]
Émigré activities
Brastiņš established a post-war Dievturība movement for Latvian émigrés in 1947 and led it until his death, holding the title of Dižvadonis (lit.'Grand Leader').[6] From 1950 he lived in the United States where he worked as a schoolteacher.[1] In 1955, the émigré movement relaunched Labietis with Brastiņš as editor. In 1971, his group was formally registered as the Latvian Church Dievturi, based in Illinois. The émigré movement has not been exclusively religious, but worked to retain Latvian culture among the emigrant population in general, and contributed to an increased interest in Latvian customs and language abroad.[4][7] Brastiņš continued to publish folksongs and analyses of Baltic deities, notably in the books Māte Māra (lit.'Mother Māra', 1967) and Saules teiksma (lit.'Saule's Sayings', 1977).[4]
Personal life and legacy
Brastiņš was married to Milda Brastiņa and had a son and a daughter. He died in the United States on 15 November 1984.[1] His daughter Māra Grīna (1927–2017)[8] and her husband Marģers Grīns (1928–2019)[9] carried on his work with the publication of Labietis, their own books about Latvian folklore and in the case of Grīns as the 1990–1995 leader of the exile Dievturi church.[6][10]
In 2018, Brastiņš' personal archive was gifted by his descendants to the Institute of Literature, Folklore and Art of the University of Latvia [lv] and shipped from America to Riga. The archive contains research, publications, correspondence and other material related to the works of the Brastiņš brothers, the exile Dievturība movement and the cultural and educational activities of Latvian émigrés in the United States and Canada.[8]
^ abcdef"Arvīds Brastiņš". literatura.lv (in Latvian). Institute of Literature, Folklore and Art of the University of Latvia [lv]. Retrieved 13 May 2021.
^Celmiņa-Ķeirāne, Austra (2014). Mitoloģiskā tematika Ernesta Brastiņa un Arvīda Brastiņa mākslā [Mythological Themes in the Artworks of Ernests Brastiņš and Arvīds Brastiņš]. Arts and Music in Cultural Discourse. Proceedings of the International Scientific and Practical Conference (in Latvian). pp. 186–191. doi:10.17770/amcd2014.1334.
^Hanovs, Deniss; Tēraudkalns, Valdis (2016). "The Return of the Gods? Authoritarian Culture and Neo-Paganism in Interwar Latvia, 1934–1940". In Smith, David J. (ed.). Latvia—A Work in Progress?: 100 Years of State- and Nation-Building. Soviet and Post-Soviet Politics and Society. New York: Columbia University Press. ISBN9783838267180.
^ abcOzoliņš, Gatis (26 April 2021). "dievturība Latvijā". Nacionālā enciklopēdija [lv] (in Latvian). Retrieved 14 May 2021.
^Purs, Aldis; Plakans, Andrejs (2017). Historical Dictionary of Latvia. Lanham, Maryland: Rowman & Littlefield. pp. 90–91. ISBN978-1-5381-0220-6.
^ abcMuktupāvels, Valdis (2005). "Baltic Religion: New Religious Movements". In Lindsay Jones (ed.). Encyclopedia of Religion: 15 Volume Set. Vol. 2 (2nd ed.). Detroit, Michigan: MacMillan Reference USA. pp. 764–765. ISBN0-02-865735-7.
^Ozoliņš, Gatis (2014). "The Dievturi movement in Latvia as invention of tradition". In Aitamurto, Kaarina; Simpson, Scott (eds.). Modern Pagan and Native Faith Movements in Central and Eastern Europe. Durham: Acumen Publishing. p. 97. ISBN978-1-8446-5663-9.
^ ab"Folkloras krātuve saņēmusi vērtīgu dāvinājumu". Latvijas Avīze (in Latvian). 13 April 2018. Retrieved 29 May 2021.
^"Marģers Grīns". literatura.lv (in Latvian). Institute of Literature, Folklore and Art of the University of Latvia [lv]. Retrieved 29 May 2021.
^Stasulane, Anita; Ozoliņš, Gatis (2017). "Transformations of Neopaganism in Latvia: From Survival to Revival". Open Theology. 2 (3): 241. doi:10.1515/opth-2017-0019. ISSN 2300-6579.
Further reading
Audriņš, Jānis (6 April 1963). "Arvīdam Brastiņam 70 gadu" [Arvīds Brastiņš is 70 years old]. Laiks (in Latvian). No. 28.
January 06, 2023
arvīds, brastiņš, april, 1893, november, 1984, latvian, sculptor, writer, neopagan, leader, educated, saint, petersburg, stieglitz, state, academy, design, began, exhibit, folklore, inspired, sculptures, 1918, worked, schoolteacher, active, writer, writing, ab. Arvids Brastins 13 April 1893 15 November 1984 was a Latvian sculptor writer and neopagan leader He was educated at the Saint Petersburg Stieglitz State Academy of Art and Design and began to exhibit his folklore inspired sculptures in 1918 He worked as a schoolteacher and was active as a writer writing about Latvian folklore and publishing collections of folksongs Brastins was the brother of Ernests Brastins who founded the Baltic neopagan movement Dievturiba in the 1920s Both brothers became major intellectual leaders within this movement Resettled in the United States after the Soviet occupation of Latvia Arvids Brastins led an emigre continuation of the movement until his death Contents 1 Early life and work 2 Emigre activities 3 Personal life and legacy 4 See also 5 References 6 Further readingEarly life and work EditArvids Brastins was born in Birinu pagasts lv now Limbazi Municipality in Kreis Riga Governorate of Livonia on 13 April 1893 as the son of the blacksmith Augusts Brastins The family moved to Riga when he was seven years old and later to the village Dikli He was educated at the Saint Petersburg Stieglitz State Academy of Art and Design from 1913 to 1918 He worked as a schoolteacher and studied architecture at the University of Latvia 1 As a sculptor Brastins focused on woodcarving in small format and drew most of his inspiration from Latvian folklore He held his first exhibition in 1918 He wrote about Latvian mythology folk traditions and calendar holidays and compiled Latvian folksongs which he published in several anthologies Active as a dramatist he adapted folk tales into school plays for which he sometimes worked as director set decorator and painter 1 2 In the 1920s Brastins joined his brother Ernests Brastins in the creation of the Baltic neopagan movement Dievturiba The two founded an organization in 1927 Latvijas Dievtur u Sadraudze lit Congregation of Latvian Dievturi 3 and Arvids became the editor of its magazine Labietis published from 1931 to 1940 1 4 Together with his brother and the literature historian Alfreds Goba he was one of the main intellectual leaders of the movement in the interwar period 5 The movement was suppressed by the Soviet occupation in 1940 and its leadership was scattered Ernests Brastins was executed in 1942 and Arvids Brastins emigrated to Germany in 1944 1 6 Emigre activities EditBrastins established a post war Dievturiba movement for Latvian emigres in 1947 and led it until his death holding the title of Dizvadonis lit Grand Leader 6 From 1950 he lived in the United States where he worked as a schoolteacher 1 In 1955 the emigre movement relaunched Labietis with Brastins as editor In 1971 his group was formally registered as the Latvian Church Dievturi based in Illinois The emigre movement has not been exclusively religious but worked to retain Latvian culture among the emigrant population in general and contributed to an increased interest in Latvian customs and language abroad 4 7 Brastins continued to publish folksongs and analyses of Baltic deities notably in the books Mate Mara lit Mother Mara 1967 and Saules teiksma lit Saule s Sayings 1977 4 Personal life and legacy EditBrastins was married to Milda Brastina and had a son and a daughter He died in the United States on 15 November 1984 1 His daughter Mara Grina 1927 2017 8 and her husband Margers Grins 1928 2019 9 carried on his work with the publication of Labietis their own books about Latvian folklore and in the case of Grins as the 1990 1995 leader of the exile Dievturi church 6 10 In 2018 Brastins personal archive was gifted by his descendants to the Institute of Literature Folklore and Art of the University of Latvia lv and shipped from America to Riga The archive contains research publications correspondence and other material related to the works of the Brastins brothers the exile Dievturiba movement and the cultural and educational activities of Latvian emigres in the United States and Canada 8 See also EditLatvian AmericansReferences Edit a b c d e f Arvids Brastins literatura lv in Latvian Institute of Literature Folklore and Art of the University of Latvia lv Retrieved 13 May 2021 Celmina keirane Austra 2014 Mitologiska tematika Ernesta Brastina un Arvida Brastina maksla Mythological Themes in the Artworks of Ernests Brastins and Arvids Brastins Arts and Music in Cultural Discourse Proceedings of the International Scientific and Practical Conference in Latvian pp 186 191 doi 10 17770 amcd2014 1334 Hanovs Deniss Teraudkalns Valdis 2016 The Return of the Gods Authoritarian Culture and Neo Paganism in Interwar Latvia 1934 1940 In Smith David J ed Latvia A Work in Progress 100 Years of State and Nation Building Soviet and Post Soviet Politics and Society New York Columbia University Press ISBN 9783838267180 a b c Ozolins Gatis 26 April 2021 dievturiba Latvija Nacionala enciklopedija lv in Latvian Retrieved 14 May 2021 Purs Aldis Plakans Andrejs 2017 Historical Dictionary of Latvia Lanham Maryland Rowman amp Littlefield pp 90 91 ISBN 978 1 5381 0220 6 a b c Muktupavels Valdis 2005 Baltic Religion New Religious Movements In Lindsay Jones ed Encyclopedia of Religion 15 Volume Set Vol 2 2nd ed Detroit Michigan MacMillan Reference USA pp 764 765 ISBN 0 02 865735 7 Ozolins Gatis 2014 The Dievturi movement in Latvia as invention of tradition In Aitamurto Kaarina Simpson Scott eds Modern Pagan and Native Faith Movements in Central and Eastern Europe Durham Acumen Publishing p 97 ISBN 978 1 8446 5663 9 a b Folkloras kratuve sanemusi vertigu davinajumu Latvijas Avize in Latvian 13 April 2018 Retrieved 29 May 2021 Margers Grins literatura lv in Latvian Institute of Literature Folklore and Art of the University of Latvia lv Retrieved 29 May 2021 Stasulane Anita Ozolins Gatis 2017 Transformations of Neopaganism in Latvia From Survival to Revival Open Theology 2 3 241 doi 10 1515 opth 2017 0019 ISSN 2300 6579 Further reading EditAudrins Janis 6 April 1963 Arvidam Brastinam 70 gadu Arvids Brastins is 70 years old Laiks in Latvian No 28 Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Arvids Brastins amp oldid 1124018045, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
