Dievturība
Dievturība is a modern continuation of the ethnic religion of the Latvians from what it was before Christianization in the 13th century. Adherents call themselves Dievturi (singular: Dievturis), literally "Dievs' keepers", "people who live in harmony with Dievs". The movement is mainly based on Latvian folklore, folk songs and Latvian mythology.
Dievturība | |
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Founder | Ernests Brastiņš Kārlis Bregžis |
Origin | 1925 |
Members | 600–800 (2018) |
The Dievturi movement was founded in 1925 by Ernests Brastiņš and Kārlis Bregžis. It was forcibly suppressed by Soviets in 1940, but lived on in émigré communities and was re-registered in Latvia in 1990. In 2016, a social media survey found that 20% of Latvians identified their religious affiliation as "Latvian religion." Of those 20%, 81% who declared themselves “dievturis”, 1% “Dievs, Laima, Māra – folk religion”, 9% “latviskā dzīvesziņa (‘Latvian worldview’)”, 6% “a Latvian”, 2% “Latvian ancient belief”, 1% “officially Lutheran but heart-wise Dievturis”).
Dievturība primarily exists in Latvia but there are also congregations of adherents in the United States, including the Wyoming Synod of the Dievturi in rural Wyoming and Dievsēta, a property in rural Wisconsin where Dievturi holidays and celebrations take place.