ON SOME JOURNALS WRITTEN DURING THE LATIN PRESS BAN

The work of gathering information about writers and rewriters started soon after the abolition of Latin press ban in 1904, especially actively participating in the process on the 40th and the 50th anniversary. During the 80s of the 20th century a bibliographer and specialist in literature Aleksejs Apīnis named the writers of Press ban time the farmers’ Prometheus.From about 20 currently known rewriters the life and creative work of Andrivs Jūrdžs have been revealed most exhaustively. Many Prometheus are known only by their name, but not the text, that they had recorded. The problematic issue is also the question of how not to mistake the author (a text writer) with the text owner.The aim of the article is to have a closer look at some of the manuscripts, which have been so far kept in private collections and seen as an integral part of family history. The authors of these works are known, so the list of the writers of Latin print ban time will be complemented.In some 20-page notebook a former soldier Jezups Veituls (1845–?) in 1878 recorded two fasting period and two Christmas time songs. The song of 74 verses “Dzismie ap muku kunga Jezu Chrysta” seems as a summary of several Fasting songs, united by a refrain “Atey Jesu, Atey Jesu, Atej Jesu O! prica./ Miłoju tiewi sirds wysa”. The song tells about Saviour’s pathway of pain. The second song – “Pazamud cyłwaks” – calls for a return to God. Both songs have failed to find originals. Scientists have managed to find the origin of Christmas songs – “Pasokat miłi Ganini” and “Pestitoys dzyma”. The first one is the translation of some variant of the Polish song “Powiedzcie, pasterze mili” (from the book “Symfonie anielskie” (“Symphony of Angels”), 1631), the other one is the translation from Polish “Mesjasz przyszedł na świat prawdziwy” (“W Kanie Galilejskiej”), which was read the first time in Latgalian in the book “Eysas łyugszonas un dzismies” (1824). It is one of the few spiritual songs, that were sung at Latgalian weddings.The author of the article finds it essential to search for originals of spiritual songs, because their absence would allow writers to think about the poet’s talent and would enable to see some creative sparkle. Texts are compared with Andrivs Jūrdžs’ recorded works. We would like to believe, that there was an edition of spiritual songs translated under the guidance of some clergyman or organist. References can be found in the Polish Catholic press in the 80s of the 19th century. But it should be inspected separately.Veitulu Jezups, who was 33 years old, when he was recording songs, was a farmer and a skilled carpenter. He graduated from folk school, where it was not taught to read and write in Latvian (Latgalian). What made him write? Was it salary for the recorded text, the lack of songs, or maybe it was still wish for self-actualization? The writer’s great-grandson Ivars Vītols has carried out a valuable research on his family, which will be replenished with a proud of great-grandfather’s belonging to the unique recorder’s circuit of Latin Press Ban time.One of the first known women transcribers during the Latin Press Ban was Anna Laizāne (1873–1958), who acquired the literacy at home. She was a colorful personality, in Taunagas Manor bill book next to a variety of medical prescriptions and incantations suitable for healing, she transcribed so-called heavenly book – with the registration of unfortunate 42 days and divine instructions.The witness of people’s faith in living with superstition is the book written on canvas by the farmer Benedikts Višņevskis (1871–1943), who lived in Atašiene. Heavenly letter transcribed in 1903 (shortly before the abolition of the press ban) revealing many promises and also threats shows the time, when faith is suppressed and books are banned, but superstition replaces enlightenment. But the recorders daring to get into the unknown world through print signs and incomprehensible expressions of rewritable sources must be accordingly evaluated. A small cloth book has been used as an amulet, so it is a value for another Višņevskis family. The work transcribed by B. Višņevskis is the evidence of the existence of hitherto unmentioned heavenly books or genre of letters in Latgalian spiritual literature.The works of Press Ban time can also be found today – 110 years after the abolition of the ban, but still there are many, including still unknown and undiscovered written evidences of the life of people at the end of the 19th century – at the beginning of the 20th century

SEARCHING FOR THE SOURCES OF 18TH AND 19TH CENTURY LATGALIAN RELIGIOUS SONGS

Latgalian „svātuos dzīsmis” (‘sacred songs’) were not only sung in the church in the 18th and 19th centuries. These songs became integral and necessary components of both home and spiritual life.Some publications of spiritual song and prayer books written by the Latvians of Latgale have been preserved until today: „Nabożeństwo” (1771, 1786, etc.) and „Dzismies Swatas” (1801, etc.). Of these are both first editions and reissues. These compilations represent the basic core of 19th century spiritual songs in conjunction with the book „Piļneigajā gruomotā lyugšonu” (“The Complete Book of Prayers”) published in the latter half of the century. Psalms which were written well before the birth of Christ are among the oldest religious songs. Psalms of penance and prayers for the dead were first published in Latgalian in the 1786 edition of „Nabożeństwo”.The diversity of genres of songs is surprising: songs using scriptural texts, hymns of the Fathers of the Church, sequences and antiphonies. The progress of the liturgical year was supported by additional processionary hymns, hour songs (godzinkas), descriptions of the lives of saints set to music, catechism songs and prayers which are written as prose but given a melody in order to be sung. Directly arrhythmic language and certain metrical text used for worship in prayers made it unclear exactly how many texts were in fact songs.It is not possible to determine the authors of all songs. Text recognition is also hampered by the lack of a printed Polish source – the work that the Jesuits translated to create the hymnals has not been found. Thus, for comparison of these texts it is necessary to find them in various books or consult the wider body of 19th century songs, wherein the content of songs is usually altered. The “sacred songs” examined and analyzed in this article were selected at random. The majority of songs so far sourced are from „Nabożeństwo”, but identification work continues at present

SOME NOTES ON LATGALIAN BOOKS IN THE MASSIVE UNION CATALOGUE „ANCIENT PRINTS IN LATVIAN 1525–1855” (1999)

Chronology of books published in Latgalian can be traced in bibliographical indexes of G. Manteuffel, V. Seile, J. Misiņš and fragmentarily in that of K. Estreicher. Latgalian publications have most broadly been reflected in the massive union catalogue of the National Library of Latvian „Ancient Prints in Latvian 1525–1855” (1999) – from the first known book of songs and prayers (1730) to „Gromotu dzismiu łacinsku” (1855). The massive union catalogue contains entries on 94 prints in Latgalian – existence of 8 of them is questioned or denied – 59 have been preserved to this day, 27 still remain unknown. Compilers of the catalogue have done a great job which deserves praise.Descriptions of prints use studies by literary historians which have not always been scientifically correct. Aim of the article – to attach importance to the need for and the chance to identify original sources of Latgalian prints and authors (localizers, translators) of spiritual literature.The article outlines the issue of authors of certain books, identifies the source of one book, points at certain little known fragmentary texts and handwritten books as well as the chance to search for and find new Latgalian publications today. It all clarifies the picture of Latgalian literature of the early period.In Poland several publications of small catechism in two languages – Polish-French – were known, by indication also of the author of the writing. It is possible to compare the Latgalian publication „Eysa sałasieyszona” with „Mały katechizm historyczny” published in 1819 in Wroclaw, just the text of Latgalian catechism is monolingual, resp. Latgalian.In Latgalian books usually their translators or authors are not specified. No matter how unusual it sounds, still it has not been demonstrated that Latgalian spiritual literature was only a translated literature, that there are no original writings.This time the notes on Latgalian books could end with an optimistic statement that still it is possible to find non-studied manuscripts prepared for publication. Striking evidence for that is text (sermons) book recently found in Alsunga, in the Alsunga church tower detected by the priest Andris Vasiļevskis.While in the Academic Library of the University of Latvia„Licieyba brolisties wyssu swatoku sirzu Jezu un Maryas. Pi Feymanu Baźnieycas” is still kept, not mentioned in the main catalogue and signed by the priest Jezups Macilevičs in 1853.„Gromota łyugszonu” published in 1820 is found in a book storage of Liepaja St. Joseph’s Catholic cathedral, which unlike the copy as described in the main catalogue (S: 1037), has remained much more complete, i. e. it has a cover page, the book has 385 pages in addition to the table of contents