NAMS working group “Vernacular Knowledge and Contemporary Spirituality in the Context of Reimagining Latvian Identity”

Introducing the #NAMS project working group “Vernacular Knowledge and Contemporary Spirituality in the Context of Reimagining Latvian Identity”. The working group’s research team consists of Digne Ūdre-Lielbārde, Aigars Lielbārdis, Anna Elizabete Griķe, and Gatis Ozoliņš.

Cultural practices related to folklore and traditions in Latvia reveal a dynamic process that is broader than simply repeating traditions or preserving institutional cultural heritage. Folklore motifs are constantly reinterpreted and adapted, preserving their significance in a changing cultural context. Traditions gain new visibility in relation to topical issues – personal well-being, identity formation, sense of belonging, and contemporary spirituality. In Latvia, the popularity of these practices is often linked to their ability to integrate into consumer culture and borrow ideas from Western esotericism and New Age spirituality. In this process, traditional knowledge is recreated, forming eclectic and hybrid practices that reveal both authenticity and innovation. The study will focus on folk piety, the Dievturi movement, healing, and sauna traditions.

Project “NAMS. Latvian Identity and Knowledge Strategies as Resources for Societal Resilience” of the State Research Programme “LETONIKA for the Development of a Latvian and European Society” (No. VPP-IZM-LETONIKA-2025/1-0008).