Baltic Visitor

I hope that any of my readers living in (or visiting) the Baltics enjoyed last night, and want to wish them a happy Jāņi (Latvia), Jaanipäev (Estonia) or Joninės (Lithuania). If anyone managed to find one of those mythical flowering ferns, please let me know!

I came across a traditional Latvian Jāņi song yesterday in the Rough Guide to the Baltic States, which makes clear the association of Midsummer festivities with the theme of fertility. It was translated by Valdis Muktupāvels:

Oh Jānis, the son of Dievs*,
what an erect steed you have
The spurs are glittering through the forests,
the hat above trees
Jānis was riding all the year
and has arrived on the Jāņi eve;
Sister, go and open the gate, and let Jāņis in

 * The god of the sky

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