Mārtiņš Day : A God to Welcome Winter; Snow, Sunsets and Farewell to Spirits

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Image has a white border and black frame. Looking across a pre-dusk pasture with dry grass and patches of snow; mid distance there are grey board wind fences and sheds, beyond we see some bare trees on the near horizon, above that a narrow strip of orange sunset glow with a big swoop of cloud above, much of it dark with some lighter areas near the top. The title text Martins Day: a God to Welcome Winter: Snow, Sunsets and Farewell to Spirits appears in orange and blue, with cohan magazine in blue.
Sunset comes earlier, shadows lengthen


Snow Mother came suddenly and seriously this week (October 23), with no regard for the remaining efforts of Leaf Mother "Your time is done", she said, "Saulė turns ever more to the south and Great Mother needs her cloak of white."  ..still, traces of the season's final colour remain amidst the white..


View across some half wild garden beds as snow falls heavily. At front is a small shrub with orange leaves, farther back a stand of vegetable burdock raises tall dry stems topped with burs, all covered in snow. Farther back is an old yellowy wooden shed and, half hidden by falling snow, a ring of dark spruce woods.
First snow over the Eurasian-mesic beds and veg beds behind

(Here's a little video- me in the bush, just beyond the acreage, talking a little about the Cross-quarter Day, looking at the afternoon sun through the trees, wishing you all well for the season!
https://youtu.be/ZI81KOBZcBc )

It's a bit hard to pin down Mārtiņš the titular deity of Martiņi or Martin's Day (Latvian celebration at the beginning to middle of November) and the meaning of the day, itself. First the god and the day have been conflated with the Christian saint of the same name, celebrated around the same time. That part holds no interest for me. The pagan, pre-Christian roots of the celebration are clear enough: this is the cross-quarter day, midway between Autumn Equinox and Winter Solstice. This marks the ending of Veļu Laiks, the Time of Spirits (not a scary time, rather a time to honour and remember loved ones who have died) which extends from the end of harvest till the beginning of winter, Ledus Laiks, Time of Ice. Winter is welcomed, and Spirits now go off to the 'Place Beyond the Sun' (traditionally West, across the sea, for me that would be into /across the mountains). Perhaps the departing Spirits follow Saulė to warmer climes down south!


A thick layer of fluffy fresh snow covers clumps of grass and small shrubs, turning the wetland into a lumpy bumpy marshmallow zone with small willows and dwarf birch sticking out with snow coated stems. A bit farther, larger clump willows and small to mid-size tamaracks and spruce and paper birch rise. Farther still is an area of mature mixed woods, spruce and poplar, all snow covered against a blue sky painted with swathes of flat white clouds. A single cattle path through the snow winds away from lower right.
First snow, wetland on the farm


Celebrations are many, varied, layered. Perhaps a final farewell to loved ones who have died (a place at dinner, family time at the grave etc), then celebration of the ending of autumn and completion of preparations for winter. Of course traditional social gatherings, including masks/costumes, song and dance and surely food. I've read of various practises and traditions- no doubt there are regional and historical variations, as well as degrees of Christianisation and influence from other cultures that have held power in Latvia. One I've seen mentioned is wearing masks with particular powers attributed to them- a crane mask- who may pinch you with its beak to drive away negativity/bad spirits; a bear who will roar in your house to bring good luck (presumably also by scaring away evil spirits!); and a death mask- dancing with death to purge you of sickness and weakness. This brings up something referred to as 'upside-down magic' also associated with the day- appealing to the opposite of one's objective, like dancing with death for health, or singing a sort of insult battle with someone, in order to become friends! I wonder if this is part of the idea of this being a time where lines blur between mundane and spirit worlds- where things may be opposite?
(see these articles for more:         https://www.baltictimes.com/news/articles/19218/                    https://www.baltictimes.com/news/articles/29911/                                                                                https://comefollowmy.blog/2022/11/14/martin-day-the-end-of-velu-laiks/   )


Several compound leaves, composed of a couple of handfuls each of narrow, toothed leaflets, all bright orange-red, are scattered on and partly within, a layer of fresh fluffy snow in dappled morning sunlight and blue shadow.
Sorbus Leaves in New Snow


Mārtiņš himself is another matter- not simply or originally a Christian saint, he was one of the sons of the Sky God, the Indo-European Father God. He is associated with horses, and is linked to Ūsiņš , celebrated in spring- one and the same or perhaps originally the Indo-European twin gods? His traditional sign is associated with fertility, productivity and prosperity. Another of the practises for Martiņi was for young women to throw their skirts on the floor before bed, to be picked up by a lover/future husband -metaphorically? by an actual visitor? These practises around mate finding seem as common on various holidays as those meant to promote health, wealth and good harvest- universal concerns- all enhanced by efforts to dispel negativity/bad spirits! Besides the many other social, cultural and calendrical functions of the holy days of Solstices, Equinoxes and cross-quarter days, they likely marked important times for those living relatively isolated rural lives to meet new and old friends, allies and potential mates. 


A single red wild rose hip, wrinkled and covered in dulling wax and maybe a splash of mud, hangs over snow in cloud filtered sun against a blurred pattern of stems
Wild Rose hip in the snow

I'd love to know to what extent the Indo-European gods simply added to the pantheon of ancient deities worshipped in the area, and to what extent they replaced them. There is certainly at least some indication that ancient Goddess worship continued: alongside the new gods where permitted, in secret when it was not, and very often blended, with existing deities combined with new ones whose characteristics/purviews were the same or overlapping. I've done just a little reading on the complex subject of the Indo-European 'take-over' of "old Europe' as some call it. (This is a nutshell version- please read more if interested, it's a complex and evolving interdisciplinary field of study.) Many of the languages of Europe, Central Asia into northern India  share a language family. At some point in pre-history, the original  language and presumably associated cultures spread from a point of origin possibly south of the Caucasus. There has been debate on how much of the spread was cultural, how much the result of migrations and conquest. Recent genetic studies have added to this debate- too much to go into here. I will just say: I have seen the suggestion, at least, that in the Baltics, in particular, at least part of the Indo-European incursion to the 'Old European' populations was by intermarriage (not necessarily always as peaceful as that sounds). For example: warrior bands and/or larger groups may have taken control of an area, becoming the ruling class, the men then 'intermarrying with' the local women-('taking' women?). DNA  can be traced to a degree by male and female lineages, so the mothers' lines show more of the old DNA types, the fathers' lines more of the 'invader' DNA. (This is grossly simplified, just gives you an idea of some of what is being studied). This leads to the thought that elements of culture- such as Goddess worship- which may have been considered 'women's business' may have remained more intact than such things as the language of chieftains!
(more: there are many papers, and I'm not sure I will re-find everything I read while thinking about this! 
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9942792/                                                                     https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5789860/                                                                                                   https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kurgan_hypothesis  )

My knowledge and understanding of the science here is incomplete, and in fact research is still untangling what was probably a prolonged, complex and varied cultural transition. I just find the idea appealing that the most ancient spiritual practises may have survived through Mothers down the millenia. Maybe it is not a coincidence that Latvian pre-Christian tradition names a host of lesser goddesses or aspects of the Great Goddess/Great Mother: referred to as Mothers or 'Little Mothers'- who are the embodiment of all natural forces, objects, lives, domestic concerns (Snow Mother, Leaf Mother, Mother of Laziness(!)). 


Much of the snow has melted from this pasture, but it remains in the shade of hummocks, fences, trees etc. Grass is low -grazed, showing a hint of green amidst the brown, with an area in the centre near the wind-fences trampled into hummocks. Farther away is a wetland with low willows, farther still mixed woods, with the mountains on the distant horizon, a sliver of golden pre-sunset and dynamic clouds holding the sun in crab pincers halfway up the sky
Pre-sunset across the neighbours', Sun gets lower and farther south each day...


Archaeomythology aside, as always, I try to find the elements in these traditions that can relate to my life. I don't keep horses and not concerned with personal fertility (!) but general productivity (in my idiosyncratic terms) and the health and viability of soil, plants, ecosystems etc is always relevant. So, I'll give a thought to Mārtiņš. I'll keep him in mind as the twin of Ūsiņš , who I have a bit of a soft spot for (blog post here: Ūsiņš), even though I mostly by-pass the Indo-European gods and go to the primordial goddesses that came before! Maybe he has a role stewarding cultivated land, along side Great Mother/ Māra and her ancient manifestations. He may also be associated with fire, and we've just started the fires that will heat the house till summer. I need to learn more about this. I'll think of loved ones who have gone on, accompanying Saulė/Sun on her journey home. I'll be thinking of that journey taking her farther and farther south as we head to Solstice. I'll be gathering strength, courage for the hard work the Time of Ice brings here in country living.

Fluffy snow fell on a driveway of mud and gravel, still above freezing at first, so the snow has melted into lumps and bumps and mounds with dark clay/gravel showing through like tiny valleys in a landscape of ancient worn down mountains
Uncommitted snow on the driveway

May you see the beautiful light of the season, may Snow Mother brighten your days and nights, may your spirit soar with Saulė on her journeys away and back,  may Mārtiņš keep your heart safe and warm with the sacred fire of love and kinship (wherever you find or build it!) tucked into the nurturing soil/darkness of Great Mother/Māra! 


a partly snowy pasture at sunset with a line of low dense willows behind, a few youngish bare poplar trees sticking out, beyond shadowy blue mountains, snow visible on higher peaks. Sunset with scattered blue-grey clouds over dull orange above the horizon, another band of cloud above that, then more orange above. Sun is behind clouds but there is a brighter gold glow above and below the band of clouds, right of centre. The image has a white border and black frame, and carries the text Winter Blessings! in light blue, and cohan magazine in medium blue, colours pulled from the shadowed snow in foreground.
Sunset November 06, day before the cross-quarter day



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