© Eso Antons Benjamins, aka Jaņdžs
THE NOT-UNTHINKABLE
95 The Story of Clever John and Crazy Jane (4)

An old Latvian story retold. For the original see
3.A.327.B.460. A.K. Bramanis Rīgas apg. LP,V,36 (3,1).

The Fourth Leg of the Journey. Having loaded up the wagon with gold, Clever John drove up to the main gate of the castle of King Great Ruler. Over the gate hung a large sign, where large letters spelled “Jersika”, i.e., a Latvian colloquialism for “Jerusalem”. This was the first kingdom of proto-Latvians that anyone has heard of. Six guards rolled their drums to summon the king. King Great Ruler himself came to the gate to greet Clever John. This time the King wore leather boots to his knees. The King’s eyes shone in anticipation.

When King Great Ruler saw the wagon full of gold, he called for his daughter princess Complete Satisfaction even before he greeted Clever John. But the King and Clever John waited in vain. A guard of the Jersika castle came running to say that Complete Satisfaction was delayed. King Great Ruler apologized to John for the inconvenience.

“Since you are Clever John, you surely know how these women are,” said the King. “But do not worry. You will meet her in bed. You will be no worse for the anticipation. Beside, the custom in Jersika is to celebrate the marriage ceremony without the bride present. It is thus that Complete Satisfaction builds up Anticipation for the lihgo she will enjoy with you in bed.”

The wedding ceremony is a great feast. Clever John invites his six brothers to attend. The whole day of the ninth day after “Johns Eve” passes in dancing and tournaments of strength and wit. Clever John’s brothers’ dance with Great Ruler’s other daughters all day long. The daughters appear to the brothers as having been met before, which is why no one is shy. Even the Mother of the Devil and King Great Ruler are seen dancing with each other and their guests.

Who would have ever imagined that bathing seven crickets in the sea would lead to such an awesome ceremony and an all day feast?

At last, evening comes, and it is time for Clever John to go lihgo.

King Great Ruler along with the Mother of the Devil lead Clever John to the bedroom, also known as the Lihgo room. When they come to the door of the room, they give Clever John some last minute advice: “The moment you go inside and by the light of the door see where the bed is, do not wait, but close the door and dive right into the divan. Your prize (the Latvians call it “dahvana”), Complete Satisfaction, is waiting for you. If you hesitate the princess may lose the heat of her desire for you.”

A servant of the King’s court opens the door of the Lihgo room. Clever John sees the divan and dives right into the bed. As the servant closes the door, everything goes pitch black around him.

No sooner is Clever John under the blankets than he begins to feel for the princess. With great anticipation, he feels something soft beside him. He feels the material of a night gown, finds the buttons, and… he feels! he fears! it is straw. Can this be true? “I wasted no time jumping into bed!” shouts Clever John to no one in particular. “You cannot blame me for being late! What the Devi…,” he shouts, but he does not finish the word, because the door of the room suddenly opens and a shaft of light discovers Clever John on all fours on the divan feeling up a straw doll.

Into the Lihgo room come servants with large candelabras of lit candles. Right behind them is Crazy Jane.

As soon as the servants leave and close the door behind them, Crazy Jane wastes no time and says what is on her mind: “What do you take me for, Clever John?” she screams. “Was I not the first woman who you proposed to? Do you really believe that some princess named Complete Satisfaction was here just waiting for you?”

For the first time in his life Clever John is speechless. “But, but…”, he begins, but cannot find other words.

Crazy Jane has been holding in her hands a pair of long leather boots. She throws the boots on the bed. “Put these on,” she commands. Clever John notices that Crazy Jane, too, wears boots.

Clever John does as he is ordered. He pulls on the boots. And the moment that the bottoms of his feet touch the bottoms of the boots, he feels himself seized by a big shake. His skin is transversed by pleasant shivers, and then he is seized by a heat wave that alternates with a cold wave. Crazy Jane has pulled off her night gown and with her boots still on has jumped into the bed and now lies beside Clever John.

From outside each door of the bedroom the chorus of the court of Jersika (Oh Jerusalem!) breaks out in Lihgo songs.

“Lih-go! Lih-go!” (Often the word “Lihgo” is sung as one yodelling in the mountains does it: “Lih-ih-go! Lih-ih-go!”) The voices of King Great Ruler and the Mother of the Devil are heard among the singers.

“Ai, Johnny, son of the Sun,
Lih-ih-go! Lih-ih-go!
Ai Janey, daughter of the Devil,
Lih-ih-go! Lih-ih-go!”

After the chorus is done, the trumpets sound the fanfare fanfare to Clever John and Crazy Jane. It sends shivers through every Latvian who has ever heard or not heard it before.

That is how they once celebrated Johns Eve in Jersika-Jerusalem of proto-Latvia.

This is where the story ends. Clever John and Crazy Jane live to this day in Jersika. It is the Latvian Jerusalem—though today few make the connection between the name Jersika with Jerusalem. One hears that Clever John still has his long boots on, and some people wonder how it is possible for him to keep them on for so long. There is an answer to this mystery, of course.

You see, Clever John and Crazy Jane have never yet climbed out of the bed, and this is why the soles of their boots never are worn down. It is not for nothing why Clever John is also known as the Father of the Dead.

(The end.)

Asterisk & Notes of Interest:
On material depravation in Latvia.
On the theme of “more-equal-than-others” see George Orwell's "Animal Farm".  
A recommended read: “The Theory and Practice of Oligarchical Collectivism” by Emmanuel Goldstein (A book within a book from George Orwell's "1984".  
Of interest to me is this (news on the California elections to legalize Johns Grass) and this article (coca politics in Bolivia). The articles express some of my reasons for supporting the growing of Johns Grass in Latvia.
Interesting material relating to Johns;
A recommended site. 

These blogs tend to be a continuum of an idea or thought, which is why—if you are interested in what you read—you are encouraged to consider reading the previous blog and the blog hereafter.
Partial entries of my blogs may be found at LatviansOnline + Forum Home + Open Forum –ONLATVIANPOPULISM vs LATVIJASLABEJIE. If you copy this blog for your files, or copy to forward, or otherwise mention its content, please credit the author and http://esoschronicles.blogspot.com/

© Eso Antons Benjamins, aka Jaņdžs
THE NOT-UNTHINKABLE  
94 A Story of Clever John and Crazy Jane (3)

An old Latvian story retold. For the original see
3.A.327.B.460. A.K. Bramanis Rīgas apg. LP,V,36 (3,1).

The Third Leg of the Journey. After Clever John had visited with all whom he had promised to help, he rode straight for the court of KingOverAll. It was the seventh day since Johns Eve, since Clever Johns was on his own.

KingOverAll himself comes to meet Clever John. The King’s chin has a sporty goatee, but surprise! Surprise! He wears no boots. One can see that his toenails have not been cut for a long time. Only a very rich man can afford to live, thus, as he wishes, paying no mind to public opinion.

“What can I do for you, Clever John?” asks KingOverAll.

“I have come to ask you for your daughter’s hand, KingOverAll,” answered Clever John.

“Well,” answered KingOverAll, “if you are the real Clever John of whom I have heard so much, then before I give you my daughter, I would like you to bring me a wagon full of gold. If you bring it to me, the Princess Complete Satisfaction will be yours.”

Clever John thanks KingOverAll and goes to think it over. The King’s request is no ordinary one and certainly not easily realized. Where can one find a pile of gold on such a short notice? After all, Clever John does not wish to spend all his life just scouring and scraping for gold; life is short as it is.

As he seeks the answer, Clever John turns toward the north, the south, the east, and the west, but no answer comes to him. At last, nearly desperate, Clever John begins to rub the gold ring that Crazy Jane had given him after their nap together. The answer comes to mind almost instantly. The advice tells him in so many whispered words to “Go to the seashore and call for the raven. When it arrives, climb with your horse and all on his back. The raven will take you to the pile of gold. It knows where it is. It has been tied to it like many a time before.”

Clever John wastes no time and calls for the raven. No sooner called than the raven arrives.

“Why are you looking so sad, Clever John?” asks the raven.

“Well, raven of all ravens, I must find a wagonload of gold right away.”

“That is no problem at all,” answers the raven. “You and your horse, you just climb on my back and I will take you there.”

Clever John is surprised how easy it has been so far and gets a little worried about being taken in by it all. He nervously twists between his fingers his neck scarf. As if out of nowhere arrives Crazy Jane. She is sitting as if on a cloud of dreams, while Clever John explains to her his worries. Crazy Jane listens to John’s story, then leans into his ear and whispers the answer:

“When you are up in the air, the first question that the raven will ask you is ‘How large is the sea?’ You answer him: ‘As large as a large lake.’

“The second question the raven will ask you is ‘How large is the lake?’ You answer him: ‘As large as the largest puddle.’

“The third question the raven will ask you is ‘How large is the puddle?’ You answer him: ‘As large as the eye of a dead horse.’

“May your dreams true, Clever John,” said Crazy Jane and disappeared into the cloud she had come in.

Clever John, still on horseback, climbs on the back of the raven. The raven lifts itself and its load up into the air. It flew high, and then higher, and then higher again. Clever John feels the cold and takes from the saddle bag the black bear coat and puts it around his shoulders.

After flying yet higher, the raven croaks: “Clever John, how large is the sea below us?”

“It’s as large as the largest lake,” answers John.

“Kra, kra,” croaks the raven and flies yet higher again. After a while it asks: “Clever John, how large is the sea now?”

“It is as large as the largest puddle,” answers John.

“Kra, kra,” croaks the raven and flies yet again higher. The mustache of Clever John freezes solid. His horse shakes until it shakes no more.

After a while the raven asks: “Clever John, how large is the sea now?”

“It is as large as the eye of a dead horse,” answers Clever John with lips nearly frozen stiff.

“We’re as good as there,” croaks back the raven, and having said it, it shakes Clever John with the horse of its back. Clever John falls out of the saddle, and horse and Clever John fall to earth their separate ways.

Clever John happens not to fall into the sea, but into the dunes along its shores. Sand flies in all directions. And… and under the dunes there lay a pile of gold the size no one had ever before seen. Apparently some pirates had buried it there while they went and pirated for more.

Clever John does not remember for how long he lay in the dune, but it surely was no sooner than the eight day, when he awakened.

He soon realized that it was a question of what to do next? His horse had frozen to death and was dead. As Clever John thought things over, the big fish that was for ever tied to the shore came to his help.

With one flip of its tail, it sent Clever John and the entire dune and the pile of gold under it right up to the gate of KingOverAll’s castle. For a moment Clever John thought that he had drunk too much Johns Grass tea the night he spent sleeping in the haystack.

Nevertheless, for all the good luck that was coming his way Clever John knew that he had yet another problem: How to bring all that gold to KingOverAll. He had neither a horse nor a wagon.

No sooner is trouble mentioned than a solution was at hand. Out of Johns cloud of dreams appears Crazy Jane again. Along with her comes also the Mother of the Devil. The mother’s hair is all over her face and stands in the air. In her hands she holds the reigns of a horse that appears to have survived the fall from the sky remarkably intact.

Crazy Jane and the Mother of the Devil help Clever John lift the pile of gold into the wagon. Crazy Jane whispers into John’s ear yet another piece of good advice: “Don’t be in a hurry. Walk slowly, be dignified. The Princess will not disappear or run away. The word of KingOverAll is his word of honor. He makes no oaths, but he is true to his word.—or he dies. You will surely get to sleep with Princess Complete Satisfaction.”

(Next blog: the fourth and last part of Clever John’s journey.)

Asterisk & Notes of Interest:
On the theme of “more-equal-than-others”, see Orwell's "Animal Farm" .
A recommended read: “The Theory and Practice of Oligarchical Collectivism” by Emmanuel Goldstein (A book within a book from George Orwell's "1984").  
Of great interest to me is this  and like articles. It presents some of my reasons for supporting the growing of Johns Grass in Latvia.
An interesting read from 1936.  

These blogs tend to be a continuum of an idea or thought, which is why—if you are interested in what you read—you are encouraged to consider reading the previous blog and the blog hereafter.
Partial entries of my blogs may be found at LatviansOnline + Forum Home + Open Forum –ONLATVIANPOPULISM vs LATVIJASLABEJIE. If you copy this blog for your files, or copy to forward, or otherwise mention its content, please credit the author and http://esoschronicles.blogspot.com/  

© Eso Antons Benjamins, aka Jaņdžs

THE NOT-UNTHINKABLE  
93 A Story of Clever John and Crazy Jane (2)

An old Latvian story retold. For the original see
3.A.327.B.460. A.K. Bramanis Rīgas apg. LP,V,36 (3,1).


The following links lead you to think of life with a different entry point in time than the machines that we have made to roar around us enter us in. I recommend you listen and see the links in the sequence as below before reading the story.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RxIroakIXto
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g50iAWTJF3M&feature=related

The Second Leg of the Journey. After she was done chopping heads, the Mother of the Devil was out of breath and took a rest. This was time enough for the seven brothers to jump out the window of the hay barn and run to the stall for their horses. They then rode like hell was on fire. The boots on the horse of Clever John carried him to the head of the pack.

Half-way home though, Clever John had an idea. He reigned in his horse and waved for his brothers to stop.

“Good brothers,” said Clever John, “we are out of danger. The Mother of the Devil will not catch up with us now. But you know, I have not seen the Sun come out once today. And it has been raining without a stop. Let us go visit the Sun and ask her why She did not come up on Johns Day. Maybe something is wrong”.

“Are you crazy, man?” All the six brothers spoke as one. “We just escaped from the Mother of the Devil and are lucky to be alive. We want to go home.”

“I am smart—as always,” answered Clever John. “I saved you your lives once, and I will save them again. Trust me. Let’s go. It will be alright.”

“You are crazy all the same,” the brothers retorted again in unison. “You promised us brides, and here we are still bachelors. You have no more smarts in your head than the black behind your nail. We are riding home. Who knows where those crazy boots on your horse will take you.”

So it happened that Clever John continued his journey through the world on his own. His horse seemed to know where it was he was to go. They rode on for a while. After a while Clever John decided that it was enough for the day, so he stopped. He took the boots off his horse, tied its ankles to each other, and then found himself a hay stack to sleep through the night.

The next day, after he had dressed his horse and they had traveled to about midday, they came to a tall pine not too far from the road.

At the tip of the pine tree sat a raven and cawed: “Where you going, Clever John?”

“I am riding to ask the Sun why this is the second day that she is not shining,” answered Clever John.

"Ai, be so good, Clever John, and ask the Sun for how long am I going to be tied to this tree.”

Clever John continued on his journey. On the following day he came to a sea. He saw a big fish there. One side of the fish was tied to the shore, the other side was bathed by the sea.

The fish spoke up and said to Clever John: “Where you going, Clever John?”

“I am riding to ask the Sun why this is the third day that she is not shining,” answered Clever John.

“Ai, be so good, Clever John, and ask the Sun when she will untie me from the sea and the shore.”

On the fourth day Clever John came to a river. To his surprise, he saw Crazy Jane standing up to her knees in the river with a bucket in her hand. As soon as Crazy Jane had filled the bucket, she poured it out again. She did it tirelessly, bucket after bucket.

“I was wondering what happened to you, Jane,” said Clever John. “What are you doing here? I thought that you were dead.”

“The Devil’s children have ways of coming to life again,” answered Crazy Jane. “I will tell you as it is. This is my punishment from my mother for trusting you with her and my secrets. Where you going, Clever John?”

“I am riding to ask the Sun why this is the fourth day that she is not shining,” answered Clever John.

“Ai, be so good, Clever John, and ask the Sun when she will allow me to stop bailing water?”

By the fifth day, Clever John arrived to the Sun Mountain and rode up as high as the mountain was. No guards stood at the gate. There were just the usual bells at most gates and other entrances. One has to shake them themselves. Clever John rang the bells.

The Sun came to meet Clever John Herself. She brought him to sit in a large chair and put around his shoulders a thick coat of a black bear fur. After just a few minutes Clever John was perspiring as if he was a rain cloud. To help him, one of the daughters of the Sun brought him a glass of lemonade.

The Sun asked the first question: “Clever John, where are you going? It is five days since the skies are cloudy, and I cannot see what is happening on Earth.”

“That is what I came to ask you about,” answered Clever John. “You just stuck out a few rays on Johns Day morning, and then went away. We were sad to see the rains come.”

“Oh, I know, I know,” answered the Sun. “But clouds also have their place. Your brothers seemed hardly concerned whether I rose in the morning or not. Perhaps the weather will clear up by tomorrow.”

“Thank you, Mother Sun,” said Clever John. “The raven asked me to ask you for how long must he be tied to the pine tree.”

“As long as it is necessary,” answered the Sun. “He will be tied to the tree as long as the room cleaner’s child lies dead and unburied there. Once the child is buried, the raven is free to go.”

“Thank you, Mother Sun,” answered Clever John. “The great fish wants to know for how long she will be tied to the sea and the shore?”

“That will be a long time,” answered the Sun. “It cannot be any other way. However, if you know of a way to untie it, then go ahead.”

“Thank you, Mother Sun,” answered Clever John. “Crazy Jane, the Mother of the Devil’s own daughter, wants to know for how long she must bail the river.””

“That can be an endless task,” answered the Sun. “She must answer the question why she stole from her father his boots and gave them to you? If you return them to her, she is free to go, none the worse for the wear.”

Clever John is sweating under the bear mantle. As soon as the Sun finishes speaking, Clever John springs to his feet and with many bows to toward the Sun, he leaves the court going through the gate backwards.

Clever John’s last words to the Sun are: “Thank you again, Mother Sun, for receiving me.”

Clever John then jumps on his horse and makes it down Sun Hill as fast as the horse can. At the foot of the hill, Clever John is so exhausted that he decides to spend the night where he is. The mantle of the black bear now comes in handy.

The following day, Clever John meets Crazy Jane again. He takes the boots of his horse and hands them to her. “The Sun said that if I gave these back to you, you are free to go.”

“No, I want the other pair, too,” said Crazy Jane. She makes Clever John take off his horse the other pair of boots it is wearing as well. As if by magic, Clever John discovers that he is standing in his bare feet now, not much of prince anymore.

Crazy Jane thanks Clever John. “Clever John,” she tells him, “I love you this moment more than ever. If you ever need my help, just call my name, and I will come running.”

That same day Clever John comes to the sea and the great fish. He pats the fish on the back, gives it a hug, and whispers into her ear mystical numbers and magic words.

The fish thanks Clever John. “Clever John, if you ever need my help just call me, and I will come swimming.”

Clever John meets the raven next. He looks for and finds under the pine tree the body of the unburied child. He buries it. The raven flies off, cawing after her: “Clever John, if you lever need my help just call me, and I will be there.”

(Next blog is the third part of Clever John’s journey.)

Asterisk & Notes of Interest:
On  material depravation in Latvia.
On the theme of “more-equal-than-others”, see Orwell's "Animal Farm".
A recommended read: “The Theory and Practice of Oligarchical Collectivism” by Emmanuel Goldstein (A book within a book from George Orwell's "1984").  
Of great interest to me is this and like articles http://www.boston.com/news/globe/ideas/articles/2003/09/28/coca_politics/  . It presents some of my reasons for supporting the growing of Johns Grass in Latvia.

These blogs tend to be a continuum of an idea or thought, which is why—if you are interested in what you read—you are encouraged to consider reading the previous blog and the blog hereafter.
Partial entries of my blogs may be found at LatviansOnline + Forum Home + Open Forum –ONLATVIANPOPULISM vs LATVIJASLABEJIE. If you copy this blog for your files, or copy to forward, or otherwise mention its content, please credit the author and http://esoschronicles.blogspot.com/  

© Eso Antons Benjamins, aka Jaņdžs

THE NOT-UNTHINKABLE  
92 A Story of
Clever John and Crazy Jane

An old Latvian story retold. For the original see
3.A.327.B.460. A.K. Bramanis Rīgas apg. LP,V,36 (3,1).

For transition from proto-Latvian Kingdom of Jersika to modern state of Latvia (the image of which is currently under the direction of what can best be described as the Chicago School of Latvia) see blogs from 58 on.

The following links lead you to think of life with a different entry point in time than the machines that roar on our streets and over our heads. I recommend you listen and see the links in the sequence as below before reading the story.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RxIroakIXto  

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g50iAWTJF3M&feature=related


Introduction. Once upon a time there were seven brothers. The seventh brother, the one who was the youngest, was the cleverest. This is why his brothers called him Clever John.

Even while he was very young, Clever John called his brothers together and said to them: “You know, guys, I know where there lives a mother with seven daughters. These are going to be our brides. Still, do not get married until I grow up.”

The brothers of Clever John thought it over and agreed to wait. After all, one could have fun while waiting. The village had many young women, and few were shy.

The time went, and it did not seem so very long before Clever John grew up. He then called his brothers together once more and said to them: “Guys, the Summer Solstice Festival, Johns Day, will be here day after tomorrow. You know how important this day is. There will be a big to do as all wait for the Sun to rise. We all know what will happen if She does not rise. Anyway, there will be a large crowd and a big dance at the Waysiders Inn on Johns Eve. The seven daughters that will be our brides will also be there. Now let us saddle our horses and off we ride.”

“Nice idea, Clever John,” answered his brothers, but where will we find seven horses. We don’t even have one.”

“No problem,” answered Clever John. “Go catch me seven crickets and I will fix it.”

The brothers looked at each other as if to say “Just listen to this, guy”. On the other hand, Clever John had done many clever things in the past, and perhaps this was going to be another one of those times. So, they went and caught seven crickets, stuffed them in a sack, and brought them to Clever John.

The first leg of the journey. Clever John looked into the sack, counted seven crickets, and invited his brothers to follow him to the sea.

When the brothers had come to the sea shore, Clever John opened the sack and shook the crickets into the shallow water that lapped the shore there. The crickets kicked around in the water for a while, and then one after another went limp. It seemed that they were about to die, if indeed they were not dead already.

One of the older brothers of Clever John was about to start laughing, thinking that Clever John had pulled off a joke on them, when, suddenly, the crickets started to shrivel and drew themselves into something that looked like seven pinheads. Then the pinheads began to grow larger again. They grew and grew into ever larger bubbles, until one could discern inside each bubble a horse. When the bubbles burst, out of each one of them stepped a horse in full saddle. The brothers, too, discovered that they all had a new suit and new riding boots.

“Well, did I not say that this will happen? And is it not so?” asked Clever John.

He was wasting his breath, however. His brothers had already mounted their horses and were at a full gallop over the dunes and unto the road to the Wayside Inn. The sea gulls barely had time to call to them good bye before they were out of sight.

Clever John was left with the seventh horse. He jumped into the saddle and was ready to ride, but discovered that because the bubble that his horse came from had burst a prematurely, his horse was smaller than the others. This is why Clever John could not ride as fast. Came evening, Clever John had still not caught up with his brothers, who, no doubt, were already at the inn and celebrating Johns Eve. It was the custom of the land that if on Midsummer’s Eve a man promised a woman the blossom of a fern and sunshine in the morning, the women could hardly refuse the men whatever it is they asked of them—come rain or sunshine.

So, this is what happened. By the time that Clever John reached Wayside Inn, it was already the morning of Johns Day. The Sun rose, discovered that no people had come out to greet her. None stood on the hilltops or had the Johns fires still going when she rose. She drew a peak through the windows of the Wayside Inn and discovered that everyone but one had had so much fun the evening before that everyone but one was asleep. Apparently, as soon as the six brothers of Clever John had arrived at the inn, the dancing had begun for real. The wife of the establishment owner, known as the “Mother of the Devil himself” had not spared on the beer. Her daughters, the waitresses, had not only served the beer to the customers, but had allowed themselves a portion. When Clever John opened the door to the inn, he saw that what had taken place was not only a Yandahls (Johns Dance), but a wedding. Everyone lay about where they had fallen.

In a far corner of the inn sat Crazy Jane. She was the oldest of the mother’s seven daughters. Clever John’s brothers, thinking her less pretty than the others, had left her for their youngest brother. There was no question, that Crazy Jane was lanky and flat chested. On the other hand, just as Clever John opened the door of the inn, the Sun cast on her one shaft of light, upon which Crazy Jane raised her eyes and saw Clever John. She knew she had not waited in vain.

As for Clever John, he was no dummy. “There is nothing to be sorry about,” he said to himself. “I will take what is left for the taking. The more she is lanky, the more she will bend.”

Crazy Jane invited Clever John into the inn. In the kitchen she baked him bacon and eggs, and served it on a plate with caraway cheese and beer. Then she sat down across the table from Clever John and asked: “What took you so long, Clever John?”

“My brothers played a joke on me,” replied Clever John.

“Yes, my mother told me,” answered Crazy Jane. “She saw what happened. She told me to wait up for you. We plan to reward your brothers for not waiting up for the Sun.”

“I will be much obliged,” answered Clever John. “I think that you are so beautiful, you can come live with me. I am the owner of a big inn. I have a stall full of horses.”

Just then Clever John’s six brothers and their brides started awakening. The brothers put on their hats and went out to the stall to take care of their horses. Outside the rain was pouring. Perhaps the Sun was crying. While the six brides fixed up the inn, Crazy Jane invited Clever John to her room to rest a while. She lay down beside him and whispered a secret into his ear. She also gave Clever John a warning. It was about how she and her mother planned to give the  brothers their reward. Clever John thanked Jane for the information and went to sleep.

When Clever John awoke, Crazy Jane had prepared a surprise for him. On the table beside the bed, Jane has set for John a fresh neck scarf. On top of the scarf was a gold ring, and next to the bed stand a pair of new riding boots.

Crazy Jane then told Clever John that she had stolen the boots from the Devil himself. Then, as if to prove that along with this story, she was indeed a little crazy, Crazy Jane told John not to put the boots on his legs, but on those of his horse.

“With boots on, the horse will carry us both off to our honeymoon,” she told John.

“Alright,” says Clever John. “That will be some ride.” He then puts on the neckerchief and the gold ring that Jane has set out. When Crazy Jane looked at John, he looked just like a prince. Crazy Jane was so thrilled that she gaveClever John a big kiss. Clever John kisses her back.

After a while Clever John remembered that he, too, must take care of his horse. However, instead of putting on either his own or the Devil’s boots, he cleverly dressed as was the custom on Johns Day--he put on his feet bark loafers. In each hand, he carried a pair of riding boots.

“When one is strong and another is weak, both are strong,” whispered Crazy Jane into Clever John’s ear as he went out the door.

On his way to the tall, Clever John meets with his brothers who are coming back from the stall. They come toward him whistling, and then one of them greet him. “Hey, Clever John, what are you going to do with those boots? Are you going to put them on that nag of yours?” All the brothers break out in a laugh. Ha, ha! But only Clever John knows what the boots are really for.

Another brother hm-m-med and asked: “Did you ask Crazy Jane how many men have stretched her before she got so long?”

While everyone laughed, Clever John winced.

“You dumb horseflies,” said Clever John as he then turned to his brothers. “What would you do without me? Do you have any notion of what awaits you tonight?”

The six brothers took control of themselves and gathered around Clever John. “What’s this? What can happen to us? Our brides are like honey covered strawberries. Are you jealous of us or something?”

Clever John then begins to explain: “Look, my dear brothers. The innkeeper-es is no innocent angel, but the Mother of the Devil himself. She is so angry with you for falling asleep last night that she would as soon as….” Clever John draws a finger across his throat. “More over, her daughters have only been pretending. They would probably like to strangle you.”

“What kind of dumb horseflies do you think we are?” said yet another brother. “Our brides purred us to our sleep last night, and look! We are alive.”

“Yes, and they now have proof just how much you honor the Sun.”

The brothers stood as if transfixed. “Men, we are into big doodoo,” said the very oldest of the brothers.

“Here is my plan,” then began Clever John. “Listen! When the Mother of the Devil invites us to sleep in the hayloft and bids us good night, she will give each one of us a kiss, so we all think that she is so very nice. She will hand to each one of us a nightcap, which we are to put on our heads during our sleep. She will give a wreath of flowers to each one of her daughters.”

“Nothing wrong with that,” said one of the skeptical brothers.

“That is not all,” said Clever John. The Mother of the Devil will tell her daughters to sleep along the rafters of the loft, while we are to sleep in a row on the outside.”

“So? What’s wrong?”

Clever John put down the boots, put his hand into his pocket and pulled out six cream of milk candies. “Don’t you suck on these,” he tells his brothers, “but give these to your brides. Tell them it contains a  special love potion. They will go for it. Actually, along the cream is mixed with a sleeping potion and your brides will soon be snoring. When your brides are snoring, put your nightcaps on their heads and roll them into your place on the outside row. Then put their wreaths on your heads. This is no joke, else you will not stay live.”

“Can we roll the sisters while we’re still awake?” asked one of the brothers. Perhaps he wished to be smarter than smart, but he got no answer.

Clever John looked around to make sure no one overheard and then told his brothers something that made them see black smoke and doom. Their eyes opened wide. Yes, that is something that one better not kid about. Of course, it is difficult to believe what Clever John is telling, but one never knows for sure. Maybe it is for real.

It all happens as Clever John has foretold.

A few minutes after midnight the barn door creaks open, and up to the loft came the Mother of the Devil. She held in her hands an axe that was wide as the length of two feet put end to end. And then she proceeded to chop off all the heads of all who lay along the outer edge right edge of the loft with nightcaps on their heads.

It is in this way that the Mother of the Devil cut off the heads of all her daughters—including the head of Crazy Jane, the Mother of the Devil’s eldest daughter. Clever John had been so clever that he had made Crazy Jane believe that she would be his bride. Of course, this was not fair. After all, was that not a great secret that Crazy Jane had entrusted Clever John with? Was that not true love?

We now see--don’t we?--of how it is with true love sometimes.

(In the next blog the second part of Clever John’s journey.)

Asterisk & Notes of Interest:
On  material depravation in Latvia.
On the theme of “more-equal-than-others” George Orwell's "Animal Farm"
A recommended read: “The Theory and Practice of Oligarchical Collectivism” by Emmanuel Goldstein (A book within a book from George Orwell's "1984").  
Of great interest to me is this and like articles. It presents some of my reasons for supporting the growing of Johns Grass in Latvia.
These blogs tend to be a continuum of an idea or thought, which is why—if you are interested in what you read—you are encouraged to consider reading the previous blog and the blog hereafter.
Partial entries of my blogs may be found at LatvianOnline + Forum Home + Open Forum –ONLATVIANPOPULISM vs LATVIJASLABEJIE. If you copy this blog for your files, or copy to forward, or otherwise mention its content, please credit the author and http://esoschronicles.blogspot.com/  

© Eso Antons Benjamins, aka Jaņdžs

THE NOT-UNTHINKABLE
91 Gridlocked in Latvia (10)

The future of Latvia is unknown. At the present the country is adrift. The country exists, but turns like a falling leaf caught by no current of air. Perhaps this is the result of Latvia’s leadership having run to capitalism for succor. It advised them to follow the Chicago, Georgetown, and Harvard economists’ advice and sign up for economic shock therapy. It worked. The hammer hit the pin and it bounced to the bell, but then—as things are wont to do at the circus—it as quickly fell back and resulted in a double shock.

The government of Latvia is putting up quite a show how to create a disaster, except it hurts to watch. It hurts in the real. Even the few oligarchs are complaining—though they are much the cause of the disaster.

The drift of Latvia comes without the pleasures of playing casino on an old fashioned riverboat. Unfortunately, the boat drifted onto a sandbank, and the players must now drag it off the dune. As one donkey said to another: “It was a gamble, and this is the payoff ”. Chances are they will get another chance to go downriver, but with no pleasure. The Latvian girls used their mobile phones, called a limousine, and are gone.

Most Latvians can hardly believe what is happening. Did they not suffer the years 1940, 1949, and all the pain that a government by force can deal? Do they now have to watch their own extinction? Have Latvians not proven Thomas Jefferson’s axiom twice over: “The tree of liberty must be refreshed from time to time with the blood of patriots and tyrants. It is its natural manure.”

Well, there is enough manure of Latvians to last some time. The trouble is that while there is a “soft” tyrant in the form of a Latvian neo-capitalist partidocratic government, there is no blood of patriots, not even symbolic. Jesus and Mary are waiting to be burnt as heretics, while the pope tries to think of who other can take on the sacrifice.

The political leadership of Latvia, whether in office or hoping to come into office come October (2010) elections is talking the talk with brain contorted in a neo-Christian seizure: no more living wills, but orthodoxy to the hilt. The cramp snakes through the brain like soup made of starched strawberry jam. It is not nutritious, but it is sweet. People are pulled to it like flies to sugared flycagaric. The soup needs to be removed from the table and dumped into the garbage bucket. But who will do it?

Like the pope, the government and its ministers are thinking about it, but at this time the effort has brought no fruit. The Latvian media—the same that ought to be holding the broom that sweeps the dirt out the door and whacks the power inebriated partidocrats—is compromised by having drunk too much urine of the shamans who fly about the offices of Latvia’s ministries. Boiled juice of fly agaric is said to work wonders even after several passages through the bladder. Nepotism by intoxication is a form of political Ponzi scheme. One editor of a now defunct newspaper, filling in as an interviewer on a news show this past Friday evening, managed to ask Valdis Dombrovskis, the Latvian Prime Minister, whether it was true that he meditated. When the PM confirmed that he did, the editor enthused about his inane question by commenting how this was all to the good.

As this blogger searches through the links of the internet for Ariadnes’ silver thread to get through the labyrinth of economic bull, the following struck me as coming from the keys of one who has expertise both in forest fire fighting and economics. The writer writes: “Find a professional in wildland fire science. Speak the phrase, ‘Long periods of drought, followed by high winds.’ A sane response by a seasoned professional in that field would be, “Oh, CR*P!" That is to say, someone will light a match and the entire surround will burst into fire.

Another quote from the same link, noteworthy given the fact that the President of Latvia is a professional surgeon:

“This is like surgeons in the 1840’s strutting around, ‘Hey, we’re surgeons… and hand washing is stupid, because we’ve never heard of these things called germs!’ Surgeons continued to kill over a quarter of their patients for decades, including women delivering babies in hospitals, until the 1880’s when Pasteur extended Koch’s germ theory of disease.” Only after thousands of unnecessary deaths and Pasteur’s studies did surgeons begin to wash their hands.

Will the partidocrats and those who manipulate them learn about the real that turns the economic wheels? A solid case can be made for the tourist industry as an export business. Even so, the export is not only to bring to Riga Las Vegas gambling casinos. After the priming cap burns off, its place must be taken by a more solid fuel. Johns Grass in the countryside may be one of the attractors even for all those over seventy years old who believe that their lives have come to completion. Stem cell research that leads to cloning is the booster that puts the traveler from one civilization into another.

Is Latvia being rescued by a bailout of Swedish and Danish banks? Here is a link to some CR*P! from the president of the Bank of Latvia Ilmārs Rimšēvičs. Says Rimšēvičs: “As trust [in the Bank of Latvia] increases, there is a notable decline, still ongoing, of the percentage [we] have to pay to sell the lats. The rate has fallen from 14% three months ago, to 2.5% today.” (My translation, admittedly not verbatim.) Not a cent of IMF money goes to the Latvian people or Latvian business?

A convincing contrary view to that of the President of the Bank of Latvia can be found at  this'address. Pay special attention to the 2nd paragraph (in Latvian), which identifies Ilmārs Rimšēvičs and Einars Repše, Latvia’s minister of Finance, with Georgetown, Chicago, and Harvard schools of economics  theories. These came from the late monetarist Milton Friedman. Not surprisingly, the theorists were known as the “monetarist school”. I believe that this means that they like to spend money.

Does Latvia have a chance of ever crawling from the crater of debt? The answer, given the present leadership, is no. Of course, there will be a few exceptions, but Latvians as a community of people are slaves to banks and their paper. It is time to change tack and break through to the future by daring to think even the not-unthinkable.

Asterisk & Notes of Interest:
On material depravation in Latvia.
On the theme of “more-equal-than-others” see George Orwell's fable, "Animal Farm"
A recommended read: “The Theory and Practice of Oligarchical Collectivism” by Emmanuel Goldstein (A book within a book from George Orwell's "1984").
Of great interest to me is this and like articles. It presents some of my reasons for supporting the growing of Johns Grass in Latvia.
These blogs tend to be a continuum of an idea or thought, which is why—if you are interested in what you read—you are encouraged to consider reading the previous blog and the blog hereafter.
Partial entries of my blogs may be found at LatviansOnline + Forum Home + Open Forum –ONLATVIANPOPULISM vs LATVIJASLABEJIE. If you copy this blog for your files, or copy to forward, or otherwise mention its content, please credit the author and http://esoschronicles.blogspot.com/

© Eso Antons Benjamins, aka Jaņdžs

THE NOT-UNTHINKABLE  
90 Gridlocked in Latvia (9)

Dawn, day, dusk.

When history is forgotten and replaced by a shallow myth, everyone who lends the myth a credulous ear puts one foot in the zionationalist camp. This is not to say that battles to overthrow the yoke of oppression cease to be heroic deeds or that shallow myths fail to mention them. Even so, the nation needs a history of sufficient depth of credibility to discover its bearings and not resort to tortured persuasions that do not persuade.

Unfortunately, Latvia ends the first decade of the 21st century as a nation absent a persuasive leadership. To have to listen to the leaders of Latvia insist that the priority of Latvia in 2010 is “providing employment” to those whom previous administrations of the government failed and are still failing is like telling the nation go dig another crater for a meteor or go and deforest your country. The current government of Latvia, in short, has not only no idea what to do with itself in the future but exists for no other reason that the people of Latvia have not yet given it a “not-vote”. One may think that the Latvian people are as much a crater in the ground their government.

Is perhaps the passivity of Latvia due to a myth of origins that is a crater, too? It is a question worthy of attention.

As pointed out in earlier blogs, the subjugation of arch-Christian beliefs and the destruction of the 11th century proto-Latvian Children of Johns—along with the Cathars of Lanquedoc—culminated for both in the coordinated crusades of 1209. One pincer of the crusade sacked the hilltop castle of the Cathars at Montsegur, Languedoc; the other burnt down the castle of King Visvaldis of Jersika. “Visvaldis” is of course a Latvian name with ontological meaning, which is why the king may also have been a high priest. While King Visvaldis and the kingdom of Jersika are known to Latvians, their importance has rather compulsively been replaced by the figure of Kaupo (d. 1217). Historians and literati have tortured the hell out of the figure of Kaupo trying to avoid calling him one of their own. Who was Kaupo—such an unavoidable, yet unmentionable figure?

If one follows CaterineBruschi's argument (see p. 88 ff) that the Catholic Church used spies, also known as “explorers”, to intimidate and “…loosen(ed) the heretics’ bonds of loyalty and secrecy, introducing suspicion and fear….”, Kaupo may be seen to be a member of the Children of Johns arch-Christian tradition, who betrays not some vague “religious views of Baltic tribes” (“baltu cilšu reliģiskos uzskatus”) as Latvian philologues are wont to refer to the Children of Johns, but serves in unmentioned ways to undermine the history of a people and a region. Indeed, by failing to see Kaupo as a spy who is intimidated by the Inquisition to spy on his own, but by presenting him instead as a figure that lends itself to the interpretation of various “meta-narrations”* (all presenting Latvians from a neo-Christian perspective), the history of Latvia is made invisible, not to say false.

If some radical economists today bemoan the inability of consumers to wean themselves off consuming unnecessary goods and polluting the planet and guess that the weakness of the consumer is hid in some Lacanian paradox (mirror stage), a radicalized Latvian ought bemoan the inability of the orthodoxy-mired state of Latvia to divorce itself from the figure of a christianized Kaupo, the spy for the West, and constructing from the flattened ruin of Jersika an economically viable and mind enlightening surround for Latvians and all who come to visit.

As things stand, the zionationalist government of Latvia dreams of positioning itself—in a geopolitical sense—in a manner not unlike that of Israel . While the harbor of Riga presents Latvia as an important geopolitical location, the question remains—to what ends is it for? Will Latvia (along with Estonia, Lithuania, Poland, et al) serve as the eastern wall to NATO, and, thus, become a forward military base of NATO? Or will Latvia become a major research, technology, medicine, cloning, and social anthropology research center for Europe—East and West? If the orientation is toward the West only, remaining a border zone may not be safe enough for a long term investment.

We have been witnesses to how a zionationalist state may secure for the state and the people living within its borders a negative image. The Latvian government of the last twenty years has dreamt its time away by doing little more than Kaupo. It, too, has presumed itself before its sisters and brothers as more “Christian” neo-Christian than the Children of Johns could aspire to be. This isolationist neo-Christian voice has played a certain voice among the down beaten. In an impromptu survey conducted by the television show “What is happening in Latvia?” (“Kas notiek Latvijā”—Wed., 7/3/10), the answer to “whether you support changes in the immigration laws of Latvia (in effect liberalizing them)”, the answer that won most votes was “—No, there are too many uncontrollable risks”. After being boiled, dunked, well orthodoxed, then stir fried, it is no mystery why the Latvian people prefer 16:1 self-isolation. Yet this is hardly the condition to be in if one sees ahead for Latvia a future that embraces and is embraced by the world.

The zionationalists know where to find their “enemy”. They find the “enemy” in the internal 6:3:1 (roughly) ratio of Balts to Slavs to Others. That is to say, the “enemy” is found in the minority that reads 3+1. One result of such a posture is provided by the unsurprising appearance of various symbols of Russia—starting with youths wearing pullover hats with “RUSSIA” spelled in Cyrilic alphabet on it to the tsar’s eagle on the wheel covers of at least one car—on Riga streets. For several weeks the Latvian media has gone ga-ga over these simple if direct expressions of protest over the neglect of the Russian and Other communities in Latvia. Zionationalist divisionism (not necessarily excluding Russian political circles) hopes and trusts that the result will be a heterogenous Latvia overgrown by a homogenous reactionary mindset.

The problem for a zionationalist government in Latvia is that while most NATO countries agree with the U.S. policy of securing Oil and whatever other goodies in the Middle East for the West, the EU countries in spite of being members of NATO, do not wish to destroy Russia, but merely weaken it by hooking its people to over consumption of European rather than Chinese products. In moves clearly in opposition to Baltic zionationalists, Germany and Russia are about to circumvent the Baltic countries by laying a gas pipeline along the bottom of the Baltic Sea. Furthermore, France has negotiated with Russia a deal that sells it four Mistral class warships and purchases from Russia 14 Soyuz rocket boosters.

The Baltic zionationalists are countering the projects of Germany and France by puffing up NATO military exercises. [Is this not like digging a hole for a meteriorite to fall in?] Starting Saturday, March 17th (to 20th) various types of fighter planes will thunder over my head in the Latvian countryside to impress an unmentioned antagonist. Will these exercises impress at a time when the zionationalism in Latvia has suffered the people huge economic losses not only due to corruption in the government and business circles, but because of a failure to integrate the nation’s 6:3:1 ethnic ratio into 1? The propaganda that tells the public that the zionationalist government in office is the bridge that spans economic failures in the past and present to economic success in the near future has the smell of something rotten in Riga about it.

Asterisk & Notes of Interest:
* My comments on Kaupo are based on a paper by Renate Kākliņa, “Vēstītāja perspektīva Kaupo tēla interpretācijās”, Kultūras Forums, January 22-29.
On material depravation in Latvia.
On the theme of “more-equal-than-others” see George Orwell's "Animal Farm". 
A recommended read: “The Theory and Practice of Oligarchical Collectivism” by Emmanuel Goldstein (A book within a book from George Orwell's "1984"). 
Of great interest to me is this and like articles. It presents some of my reasons for supporting the growing of Johns Grass in Latvia.
These blogs tend to be a continuum of an idea or thought, which is why—if you are interested in what you read—you are encouraged to consider reading the previous blog and the blog hereafter.
Partial entries of my blogs may be found at LatviansOnline + Forum Home + Open Forum –ONLATVIANPOPULISM vs LATVIJASLABEJIE. If you copy this blog for your files, or copy to forward, or otherwise mention its content, please credit the author and http://esoschronicles.blogspot.com/

© Eso Antons Benjamins, aka Jaņdžs

THE NOT-UNTHINKABLE  
89 Gridlocked In Latvia (8)

It is winter still, but comes spring. The sun has climbed noticeably higher in the sky.
How Latvians became linked to zionationalism requires an explanation. Before moving on, below is a sketch of how this blogger sees it.

The linking of the Latvian “Children of Johns” (Jāņu bērni) with the Jews, the Bogomils, the Humiliati, the Paulists, the Bosnian Church, the Cathars, the Waldensians, King Arthur’s Court, etc.* as of one ancient church is not fancy, but a past that has been forced (beaten, burnt, tortured, and the like) into submission by being forgot.

With the turning of the Children of Johns into heretics [the Latvians know them as “ch(ķ)eceri”; now children playing mean ghosts (or Mārtiņbērni  on Halloween Night], they were forced to convert from their beliefs (“hereticism”, of course!) and ways to new, uniform (very important), and harmless (also very important) creatures who served the princes submissively. Today, having gone through the meat grinder and after having been doctored with many promises of better days to come, the transformed heretic is still recognizable in the figure of the passive consumer buying every kind of necessary and unnecessary item at the shopping mall. The princes are part of government (it does not matter whether if is called a democracy, oligarchy, dictatorship, or what not) still, and corporations are turned into individuals impersonated by CEOs. Priests of the current version of westernized neo-religions (Christians, Muslims, Jews), are all trained now to provide psychological counseling, i.e., a means to try turn whatever inner unhappiness one feels with regard to the state of the world into passivity. The word is: Stay mum, take my advice as a “buy” signal, buy it, and move on.

For all of the horror that the Children of Johns had to suffer in order to, when all was said and done, find themselves unable to resist their “convertors” (the neo-Christian Church), Latvians still bear within themselves a latent sense that somehow they have their own “Latvian” religion. The only trouble is that in spite of the feelings of certainty that there is a religion there for sure, they have no idea what the religion is.

So, what was the “arch” and what is the “neo” religion? And who, more precisely, were the Children of Johns et al?

As to their professional lives, the Children of Johns were most likely associated with weaving. Writes Caterina Bruschi in her book "The Wandering Heretics of Languedoc"  (a book I have mentioned in my blogs 57, 59, 60): “….there had long been an association between cloth-makers and heretics, which is recorded as early as mid-twelfth century.” The book’s author may speak only about what was true for Lanquedoc; but this is also true for many places in Europe, Latvia including. This is how most likely the famous and mysterious Belt of Lielvarde  (Lielvārdes josta) came into being. The Children of Johns took not only to weaving, but also took to smithing  , pottery, inn keeping inn keeping, and hosteling. In short, the proto-Latvian inhabitants of the kingdom of Jersika (and surround) while unlikely to have been strangers to farming, were tradesmen and women also. [The myth of Latvians as peasants originates with the neo-Christian church, which facilitated the deforestation of the land and then helped the barons turn the repressed trades people into “pagani”, the name likely being a variant on the name of John, J(Y)ahnis in Latvian, re: pa-yani (pa-Jāņi) or “Johns who were”, hence lowly workers of the earth.]

After they were forced to abandon their religion of immanence (divinity, among it fallen angels, was/were believed to be walking the countryside roads), the neo-religion of Christianity [originally Krish-yanis—an itinerant country priest in the Baltic region and Bosnia (and likely everywhere)] became realized in a name corrupted to spell Christ-i(y)an, and was imposed on proto-Latvians with great rigor. Whatever memories of their arch-Christian past that the “Children of Johns” remembered in their inner eye, they had to repress it by not speaking its name or about it. The “Jāņu bērni” today is a dimly remembered indicator of something that no longer is. Only those who participate in the annual midsummer festival known as Johns Eve (“Jāņu vakars”) may dimly recall that “Jāņu dziesmas” (Songs of John, aka Lihgo, which they no longer know because they no longer sing them) once referred to real people. Which means that while the Latvians forgot their ancient religious beliefs, they did not forget the sense of achievement that their demanding (you had to live up to the calling) religion had left them with.

It is in the forced forgetting of what was old and dear, and a violent imposition of the new, that zionationalism discovers corrupt and, yes, fertile ground for itself. With their distinction as a people of moral fibre earned by the practice of self-sacrifice—also known as martyrdom—not necessarily always associated with death, but finding common practice in fasting known as “gavēnis” [think of Sir Gawain (Ya-w-ain) of King Arthurs’s Court], the proto not-nationalist Latvians were easily persuaded to become nationalists with a vengeance, i.e., zionationalists. Like the Jews, who traveled a parallel path, the Children of Johns grew into Latvians and exercised their frustrations over not knowing who they were by looking for revenge. The desire for revenge was barely sublimated. Thus, many suggestions by self-serving interests of who the “real” enemy of Latvians may be. The Latvians often took the hook, and many were ready to attack any target offered, and did not take time and reflect on the whys and the wherefores and the if to act or desist.

Zionationalism among Latvians is first discerned in the displacement of the figure of John (still present on the cover of one of the first books of the “First Latvian Reawakening” of 1874, re Baumanu Karlis’ "Lihgo"  ) by the figurē of "Lacplesis"  (Strangler of Bears) by Pumpurs of 1888. A leap of fourteen years from John the Peacemaker to Bear Strangler is a short time span, and indicates that what remains of the Children of Johns is the barely perceptible crowd in the back of the holy tree. In 1918, the zionationalists of Latvia declared independence of Latvia. The United States of America recognized Latvia only in 1922.

The zionationalization of Latvia has been a process. By declaring Latvia to be a Christian nation by way of making the Lutheran Church briefly the religion of the Latvian state, Latvia homogenized itself by excluding, in effect invalidating, a notable part of what had helped create the peoples’ past belief system—even if today the Lutheran Church no longer is part of the state. As we see, with the state (and the lost voice of the academia of Latvia) dismissing proto-Latvians of the Jersika kingdom as a historic curiosity, the Children of Johns of arch-Christianity and proto-Latvians were denied a presence in Latvia’s future. In the political realm, the Saeima of Latvia remained so heterogeneous that by 1934, K. Ulmanis imposed a homogenizing authoritarian government over it. Ulmanis was aided in moving the homogenizing process along by following ethnic lines. The secret Molotov-Ribentrop Pact between Russia and Germany helped ethnitization by having the Baltic Germans remove themselves as if voluntarily. We see that Ulmanis’ attempt to homogenize the political circles to a political goal or perhaps some notion of having “a mission on Earth” was an utter failure. Nevertheless, the Children of Johns—had the history lessons included their contributions—most likely would have questioned the absence of orientation and might have had something to say about this.

In other words, an unintended side effect of the secret Hitler-Ribentrop pact was that most Baltic Germans left Latvia voluntarily, which gave many Latvians the impression that what had taken place was a peaceable ethnic cleansing arranged by President K. Ulmanis. Whatever of K. Ulmanis’ accomplishments, today there again lingers that undesirable 6:3:1 proportion of which “ethnic” Latvians are “6”.

The last barely identifiable signal of the proto-Latvian self was last heard from around 1874. Nothing remains of it but folk ornament now. It is from such and similar repressed pasts that the zionationalism of Latvia’s government is born—without anybody but the “government” leading the charge. We ought to help the government lead the charge by casting a not-vote and going the other way.

Asterisk & Notes of Interest:
* Many scholars who write about the early middle ages and later appear to be stuck on the idea that it was the Catholic Church that preceded the various “heresies”, the latter apparently arising due to the neglect of the Catholic Church to press the faith in areas under its control. This writer makes just the opposite assumption, that is to say, the “heretics” were there from the beginning of time, and that the Catholic Church is an arm of secular princes that does all it can to destroy a religion of great moral fibre—not least as a martyr religion (re: fasting, the endura)—so the military arm of the princes can better control civil society to their ends.
It is obvious that the mindset among the Latvian political elite at this time is not only gridlocked, but has turned to stone. These blogs are, for one, an attempt to loosen the rusted in screws with some naval jelly. Click here to discover the meaning of the Overton Window, and here  to see what purpose it serves.
On material depravation in Latvia.
On the theme of “more-equal-than-others” George Orwell's "Animal Farm".
A recommended read: “The Theory and Practice of Oligarchical Collectivism” by Emmanuel Goldstein (A book within a book from George Orwell's "1984").  
Of great interest to me is this and like articles. It presents some of my reasons for supporting the growing of Johns Grass in Latvia.
These blogs tend to be a continuum of an idea or thought, which is why—if you are interested in what you read—you are encouraged to consider reading the previous blog and the blog hereafter.
Partial entries of my blogs may be found at LatviansOnline + Forum Home + Open Forum –ONLATVIANPOPULISM vs LATVIJASLABEJIE. If you copy this blog for your files, or copy to forward, or otherwise mention its content, please credit the author and http://esoschronicles.blogspot.com/