Krace’s Cliff

In the past, in the place where Dadzitis mill stands up now, once stood another, much older. Once lived old miller, whose wife passed away, left with a daughter named Krace, while in the mill worked his journeyman, Janis. Young man fell in love with the beautiful girl and miller himself would have gladly support, seeing his daughter as bride for the talented man, one as Janis. But Krace refused, have not fallen in love, avoiding young man and his promise of love. She often sat near the cliff by the river, where quietly sang while was evening.

There, near the mill, stood large forests that surrounded the mill, where the baron with guests went often to hunt.

One of the evenings, when near the cliff sat and sang the young Krace, came young and stately man, one as he said, strayed from his party of hunters. That was not just a hunter as you would presume, but the godson of baron, young man named Rudolph. They liked one another and as you would have thought, they’ve promised to meet once again – near the cliff. That’s how they’ve spent all the days of the summer – being together as often as could. And so the young Rudolph came with a thought – he wanted to merry young Krace.

So also thought Janis, who went mad and was jealous, have tracked the young couple – his love and Rudolph. He killed his own rival, pushing him down from the cliff to the river. So also jumped the young Krace, into the water after Rudolph. Two of the couple as were drowning in river, as if they were moaning : Kra-ce, oh Kra-ce.

After that crime Janis has fled, leaving old miller abandoned, confused and now lost in this world. No one has seen him after that day, his mill came abandoned and soon have collapsed, once overgrown with bushes and trees. Only the river by which stands the cliff, a place of young couple, where once they have met, you can still hear the rapids, the hollows still calling her name.

*Due to this legend the people of Mārciena have called this Cliff by the name of the maiden – The Cliff of Krace.

*This folktale was written down and preserved in 1930-s by Augusta Friedrichson

Aglayas

Once in the past, where now almost near stands the house of Aglay, lived a family: a husband – a Pole and his wife, who was Latvian. And did they have daughter – a beautiful girl named Aglay. From the close landlord once lived a young lad, once known for his bravery. And so did as often as could the young couple met, fair to say, against the will of their parents. Aglay’s father disliked couple’s meetings as well as their friendship, has warned his young child not to come, not to see, not be with young lad. If the will of the parent was disobeyed and seen with young lad, Aglay was bewared that the young lad will die, while herself, she will not be welcomed at home any more. But all of it changed when discovered – Aglay is in waiting – she’ll soon have a son. Her father went mad as she disobeyed, he opened a door, evicting own daughter out of the house – “into the night!” he shouted outside.

Now without home, abandoned, alone, the young Aglay went till the lake, where she drowned. The young lad has followed her footsteps which led to the lake. “She is gone”, said the young lad, once seeing her red scarf snagged to the bush near the lake.

Into the night young lad disappeared as no one has seen him again after night near the lake. Only in very late hour, the blackest of nights, you might find black figure with hands being up, he still stands near lake all of this time.

*It is not clear if the name of the house “Aglay” appeared due to the death of the maiden.

*This folktale was written down and preserved in 1930-s by Augusta Friedrichson

Dinkeni

Once in the past, where now is Dinkenu Lake and a small village, stood an impenetrable forest. Nevertheless, people lived there, cultivating own fields, keeping own cattle, hunting for beasts and for birds. There in the lakes and in rivers they have fished for crayfish and the other fish, what inhabited the waters. There, on the shores of the lake, lived two brothers – each of them lived on the separate shore. The eldest brother cultivated the land and kept the cattle. During his free time he made some dinkens – from the meat, from the liver, even from the porridge and blood.

The youngest brother hunted beasts and fished fish in the lake. Both of the brothers took the animal skins and the dinkens to sell them in the distant Trentelberg.

Once in that time, the landlord of Birjumuiji got lost in the woods with his party of hunters. They went and went, till they saw houses on the shore of the lake. As they were hungry, they’ve asked the Master of the House for some food. The Master of the House have fed his unexpected guests with dried fish and freshly made dinkens. All of it tasted so good to the Lords that they have bought from the brothers all the fish and dinkens, while forbidding to the hosts to sell it in Trentelberg. They were allowed to sell fish and dinkens only to him – the landlord of Birjumuiji.

When the landlord of Birjumuiji began to distribute surnames to his own peasents, he remembered also about two brothers from the shores of the lake, who have fed his entire hunting party with fish and dinkens, in gratitude to what he gave to the brothers the surname of Dinkens.  Since than people have named the lake as well as own houses – Dinkens.

As both brothers had only daughters, who once married took other surnames, the family of Dinkens have vanished, but the name of their family still lives on to this day.

*This folktale was written down and preserved in 1929 by Ilze Klavina

*Dinkens – sausages

*Trentelberg – today known as Gostiņi (near the small town of Pļaviņas)

*Birjumuija – today known as the town of Madona