Notes on the Latvian National Hero, Lāčplēsis

My initial interest when I read the title of Sergei Kruks' article, "The Latvian Epic Lāčplēsis: Passe-partout Ideology, Traumatic Imagination of Community," about the Latvian and Estonian national epics (JFR 41/1:1–32) was quickly followed by disappointment: the article inaccurately retells the content of the Latvian epic; it omits passages that contradict its arguments; it alludes to content that does not exist in the epic; it interprets excerpts out of context; and it mistranslates at least one key phrase to bolster its conclusions.

As a result, the article's diagnosis of the Latvian epic hero Lāčplēsis' psychological malaise—"pathological narcissism," "manic depressive psychosis," etc.—is derived from false descriptions of symptoms. It is based not on the text of the epic, but rather on the author's preconceived ideas about human psychology and Latvian identity. For example, Kruks states,

In a key episode, for example, Lāčplēsis sets sail to free his fiancee, Laimdota. But the reader knows that his friend Koknesis has already freed her. The reader is invited to excuse Lāčplēsis' delay—the hero lingers on enchanted islands where he narcissistically demonstrates his own physical strength.

(2004:18)

But the reader also finds out that while Koknesis and Laimdota were returning from their escape, they were captured a second time and turned to stone by a witch who intended to feed them and many other sailors to her three ogre sons. The plot is as follows: (1) Lāčplēsis is attacked by the three ogres; he kills them with help from his men; (2) he kills the witch when she is about to poison his men; (3) he spares the life of a second witch who tried to kill him (Spidala) and helps her nullify the contract she signed with the devil; (4) Spidala then helps return the stone sailors to life and Koknesis and Laimdota are discovered among them (V:45–414).¹

Kruks presents a diagnosis:

Lāčplēsis displays manic depressive psychosis. In his behavior, periods of passivity and melancholy are followed by demonstrative, if meaningless, outbursts of force that do not jibe with social need.

(p. 20)

I was not able to find any melancholy or passive episodes, and only one episode of shock, sorrow, and withdrawal—when Laimdota is abducted and Kangars tells him she has run off with his best friend (III:873–87; 915–21). Here is a list of all episodes in which Lāčplēsis uses force (not including the episodes summarized above). All of them accord with social need:

• • He kills a bear to save his stepfather's life. (II 29–36)

• • He defeats the giant Kalapuisis to stop his wanton destruction and win the hand of Laimdota. (III:156–275) Together, they then end the last war between the Estonians and the Latvians.

• • He tries to battle dog-faced ogres who attack his men while they are cutting up a deer that he killed for food, but he is forced to flee. (IV:793–880)

• • He defeats demons and the witch Spidala to raise Burtnieku Castle and restore its library and heritage of ancient laws to the nation. (III:356-408)

• • The elders of the Latvians unanimously decide to drive out the Crusaders, and elect Lāčplēsis to lead the battles. (VI:355–64)

• • He plans the strategy and leads the collaborative work which results in victory over the enemy's largest fortress: He orders his men to construct "many ladders and scaffolds" so that they can cross the fortress walls at night and surprise the enemy. Even within the walls, many men die before the enemy is defeated. (VI:599–620)

• • He breaks down the door of a burning house to rescue the elders of Lielvarde, who have been trapped inside by the treachery of the crusader Daniel. (VI:705–38)

• • He and his men quickly destroy Daniel's fortress; Lāčplēsis turns Daniel over to justice at the hands of the elders who had been imprisoned in the burning house. (VI:745–60)

• • At the end of...