IV World Congress of Latvian Scientists
On June 18-20 the IV World Congress of Latvian Scientists will take place at the National Library of Latvia. Congress will bring together scientists from Latvia and of Latvian origin, their friends and strategic partners from around the world to propose solutions for the development of Latvia and to promote long-term cooperation.
During the Congress, folklore researchers from the Archives of Latvian Folklore (ALF) and editors of the Digital Archives garamantas.lv will be pleased to meet you at the Archives’ reading room (located on the 5th floor of the National Library of Latvia building (in Riga, Mūkusalas ielā 3)) for short lectures (in Latvian) and excursions (both Latvian and English) introducing to the intangible cultural heritage.
Read more...Latvian Folkloristics in the Interwar Period
The Finnish Academy of Science and Letters in the FF Communications series has released a collective monograph on the history of Latvian folklore studies. Latvian Folkloristics in the Interwar Period is a contribution by Latvian scholars to the current reflexive trend of folklore studies toward an intense focus on the discipline’s past. It also joins the recent efforts to broaden the geographical scope of folklore history by concentrating on internationally less represented research traditions.
The interwar period in Latvia, as in most European countries, was a formative era during which the patriotic duty of collecting and publishing folklore was transformed into a full-fledged, institutionalised academic discipline. The Archives of Latvian Folklore was established; the University of Latvia began offering courses in folkloristics and ethnography; and Latvian folklorists sought a place in the networks of international cooperation flourishing in Europe at that time. By offering a broad perspective on Latvian interwar folkloristics, this book covers relevant national and international contexts of folklore research, dominant research paradigms and key personalities in the field.
Call for Papers: The 8th Conference of Young Folklorists
Information about conference: http://en.lfk.lv/yofo2018
Are there situations when personal engagement can get in the way of truthful reporting? To whom the folklorist should be responsible more – the scholarly truth or the informant? What are the researchers’ responsibilities to those being studied? Are there any fields of research too sensitive and ethically too difficult to be addressed at all? What are the principles of ethically correct work with archived material and its representation in the digital tradition archives? What are the new ethical challenges introduced by the Digital Age? How the research is going to affect the lives of informants and should such influence be exerted by the results of the research? Can researchers have too much empathy? Some questions regarding the ethics in folkloristics might never be answered, but nevertheless: with this conference we would like the young folklorists to join the international debate. Read more...
Happy Holidays!
Best wishes for a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year 2018!
Dainis Rožkalns’ illustration for Beatrise Reidzāne’s forthcoming monograph "The Image of the Wolf in "Latvju dainas""
Seminar for researchers of Latvian Roma
On 24 October at 10 am a seminar for researchers of Latvian Roma will take place at the Conference Centre of the National Library of Latvia (Riga, Mūkusalas street 3, room 078), organized by the Institute of Literature, Folklore and Art of the University of Latvia. It will be the first time in the history of Latvia when fifteen researchers from Latvia, Estonia, Sweden and Great Britain will come together to share their research in the fields of history, folkloristics, ethnomusicology, sociology, anthropology, pedagogy and psychology. The aim of the seminar is to inform society about research on Latvian Roma, to increase the visibility of the research of Roma, and to contribute to communication and collaboration between researchers.
Read more...The Poetics of Getting Lost in Legends, Stories and Conversations
The series of publications "Studia humanitarica" by the University of Latvia Institute of Literature, Folklore and Art has just published another valuable addition the scholarly monograph by Dr. philol. Sanita Reinsone "Apmaldīšanās poētika teikās, stāstos un sarunās" (The Poetics of Getting Lost in Legends, Stories and Conversations) Rīga: LU LFMI, 2017, 248 lpp.). The book is based on the dissertation defended by the author in 2012 at the University of Latvia. The book was prepared and published within the framework of the budget sub-programme No. 05.04.00 "Krišjāņa Barona Dainu skapis" (The Cabinet of Folksongs of Krišjānis Barons) of the Ministry of Education and science of the Republic of Latvia and with the support of State Culture Capital Foundation. Read more...
International Conference on Archives in Riga
The International Council on Archives Section on University and Research Institution Archives (ICA-SUV) is holding its 2017 Conference, "Cultural Heritage Materials–University, Research and Folklore Archives in the 21st Century" in Riga, the National Library of Latvia, from August 21—25. The participants have been invited to explore the archival practices in universities and research archives and those in folklore archives where more intensive collection management, access, and use practices have been critical. The conference was organized by the ICA-SUV in collaboration with the National Archives of Latvia and the Archives of Latvian Folklore, Institute of Literature, Folklore and Art of the University of Latvia.
Read more...
The music of the Latvian Gypsies (Roma people)
The series of publications "Studia humanitarica" by the University of Latvia Institute of Literature, Folklore and Art has just received a valuable addition the scholarly monograph by Dr. art. Ieva Tihovska "Īsta čigānu mūzika: Autentiskums un etniskums Latvijas čigānu (romu) mūzikā" (Real Gypsy music: Authenticity and ethnicity in the music of the Latvian Gypsies (Roma people); Rīga: LU LFMI, 2017, 248 lpp.). The book is based on the dissertation defended by the author in 2014 at the Academy of Music named after Jāzeps Vītols. The book was prepared and published within the framework of the budget sub-programme No. 05.04.00 "Krišjāņa Barona Dainu skapis" (The Cabinet of Folksongs of Krišjānis Barons) of the Ministry of Education and science of the Republic of Latvia and with the support of State Culture Capital Foundation. Read more...
Visit to the Institute of Lithuanian Literature and Folklore
On 22nd and 23rd May, 2017 representatives of the Archives of Latvian Folklore and Estonian Folklore Archives paid a visit to the Institute of Lithuanian Literature and Folklore (Lietuvių literatūros ir tautosakos institutas) in Vilnius.
The seminars and the discussions intended to promote development of joint initiatives, stimulate regional co-operation, exchange of information and form wide collaborative networks between the tradition archives of the Baltic sea region are organised already for the second year with the support of the Nordic and Baltic mobility programme "Culture". Read more...
A Donation of Books
The library of the Archives of Latvian Folklore, ILFA, UL, has just received a remarkable gift — the folklore researchers Annikki Kaivola-Bregenhøj and Carsten Bregenhøj from Kerava in Finland have donated to Latvian folklorists and anyone interested in the field a collection of valuable scholarly publications. The Archives of Latvian Folklore wishes to express the most heartfelt gratitude to both our colleagues, as well as the Embassy of the Republic of Latvia in Finland and the Diplomatic Mail service of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs for their help in transportation of the books to Latvia.
New Book: Mapping the History of Folklore Studies: Centers, Borderlands and Shared Spaces
At the end of April Cambridge Scholars Publishing released a collection of articles prepared by ILFA Mapping the History of Folklore Studies: Centers, Borderlands and Shared Spaces (ed. by Dace Bula and Sandis Laime). Articles are based on papers presented during the conference dedicated to the 90th anniversary of the Archives of Latvian Folklore which was held in Riga in October 2014.
The collection of articles provides rich and diverse insights into the historical dynamics of folkloristic thought with its shifting geographies, shared spaces, centres and borderlands. By focusing on intellectual collaboration and sharing, the volume also reveals the limitations, barriers and boundaries inherent in scholarship and scholarly communities. Read more...
The First Sound Recordings of the Archives of Latvian Folklore
The First Sound Recordings of the Archives of Latvian Folklore, Institute of Literature, Folklore and Art of the University of Latvia
In 1924, six years after the foundation of the Latvian State, the Archives of Latvian Folklore (ALF) were founded. The aim of this institution was "to collect, publish and study" Latvian folklore.
Although mostly concentrating on verbal traditions put into form of written texts, melodies were also included in the subject range. In April 1926 the first Edison phonograph was purchased. In September of the same year, two more phonographs were acquired, both Excelsior models manufactured in Cologne, Germany. Read more...
A study of conceptualisation of intangible culture heritage in law
In the series "Studia humanitarica" of the Institute of Literature, Folklore and Art of University of Latvia the scholarly monograph by Dr. art. Anita Vaivade Intangible Cultural Heritage in International and Latvian Law (Rīga: LU LFMI, 2016, 368 lpp.). The book published in Latvian has extended summaries in English and French.
"Intangible Cultural Heritage in International and Latvian Law is an original research that reaches into two branches of scholarship. It belongs to the studies of law, touching the history, philosophy, semiotics and language of law. At the same time the monograph also contributes to the theory of culture, as the subject chosen for it is the international cultural policy, more specifically UNESCO Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage. The interdisciplinarity of the work is related to its purpose – to study the international and local practice of legal framework in the field of culture. The author of this work has succeeded in creating a truly integrated view, which is not just a superficial matching of two fields, but indeed a well-grounded and critical analysis of the interaction of culture and law."Read more...
Conference in Riga "Cultural Heritage Materials - University, Research and Folklore Archives in the 21st Century"
CULTURAL HERITAGE MATERIALS — UNIVERSITY, RESEARCH AND FOLKLORE ARCHIVES IN THE 21ST CENTURY
August 21—27, 2017 in Riga, Latvia
The International Council on Archives Section on University and Research Institution Archives (ICA-SUV) is pleased to announce that its 2017 Conference will be in Riga, Latvia, in August 21—27. The participants are invited to explore the archival practices in universities and research archives and those in folklore archives where more intensive collection management, access, and use practices have been critical. The Conference is being organized by the ICA-SUV in collaboration with the National Archives of Latvia and the Archives of Latvian Folklore, Institute of Literature, Folklore and Art of the University of Latvia.Read more...
Research Seminar "Mission Possible" of Estonian and Latvian Folklorists
On December 14, 2016 a group of folklore researchers from Department of Folkloristics of the Estonian Literary Museum (Tartu, Estonia), will pay a visit to the Archives of Latvian Folklore, Institute of Literature, Folklore and Art of the University of Latvia. In a joint research seminar, "Mission Possible", both the Estonian and the Latvian folklorists will present their current research topics.Read more...
