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How Latvian folklore describes the psyche
Introduction
There are many models of the human psyche. Psychologists have theoretic models such as behaviourism, psychoanalysis, humanism to describe human behaviour. Philosophers debate love, for example, linearly, resulting in volumes of books by Plato on this single emotion. Pop-theorists are most popular, hence the name. Simple categorization explains peoples personalities. For example by colour (red people – blue people – orange people), or by shape (triangle people – square people – circle people), or by how others make you feel (draining people – happy people – angry people).Latvian folklore has a system to describe human psyche and behaviour as well. Its categorization system is based on family members. Its clever because of its simplicity to understand, and because of its neat fit into the universe. It is both a categorization and a network. Main principles
It is the light that shines inside you. Latvian folklore describes what it is, how to find it, and how to use it. Saulīte makes anything or anyone shine and sparkle. When something is written in diminutive, it is meant to mean that the object has a saulīte shining in it. It alerts us that this object is beautifully special, and must be handled carefully. Sēta [fence] Explains structure of self and universe. Is a concept explaining how your psyche fits together, and by doing so, explains how we fit into this universe. The ģimene [family] sēta [fence] is used to explain your personality. Saites [connections] Explains processes of self and universe. Behaviour and consequences. Creates a network of nodes. This is how the brain actually works, from neurological level, to the highest levels of cognition. In the dainas, each node is described by creating a picture (glezna) of the psychological entity. The picture usually describes phenomenon in nature, such as trees and fields, paralleling the feel of the scene to the feel in our psyche. The another glezna could describe another node – psychological entity – and its relevance to the first. Memory cue: saule – sēta – saites How to use Latvian folklore to help you through your day.
In the science of psychology it is common to describe your behaviour as a combination of your personality and the environment that you are in. Mental health is a balance within yourself, meaning you feel content and at peace with yourself. Mental health is also your ability to comprehend and fit into your environment. In Latvian folklore this is called saderēšana. [der – it fits; sa – prefix, to bring together] So saderēšana means that you are to bring all the pieces of your esma together so they fit. It is not good enough to bring pieces together in a pile; they need to fit effortlessly together. It’s like pieces of a puzzle that you know fit together nicely, but figuring out how is a challenge. Figuring yourself out: Use saule and sēta principles. In general, the sēta principles help you define your character, and the saule emphasizes the fact that you are worth while and able. So folklore has a positive view of the self. Life processes: Using the non-hierarchical structure of connected nodes described as gleznas. By describing and connecting the gleznas (nodes that represent the esmu), folk stories and dainas can guide you through the processes, and hence the motives in all your life decisions – big and small. Specifically, how to deal with stress, pain, abuse and help make choices in career and personal life. The focus is on identifying problems, and then advice or a solution is presented. Similarly, good aspects of life are defined, and positively reinforced. In Latvian folklore, it is believed that pain and stress encourages you to grow as a person. Difficult situations are seen as opportunities for growth. Many academics have suggested that when psychological stress is increased, the strong get stronger, while the weak get weaker. Latvian folklore recognizes that the world is filled with seemingly impossible situations, difficult and mean people, who clearly have grown weaker from difficult situations. However, these are written as if the esma, the general psyche described, is in fact the reader or listener, and this esma is thought of as someone who is strong, and therefore has a good chance of growing even more stronger by living through difficulties. (The techniques dainas use to accomplish this is discussed later.) Personal growth becomes a natural recursive process. (Re)defining yourself <-> life’s challenges With each recursive cycle your saulīte can shine more brightly as your esma becomes more saderēta; or your saulīte can be dimmed by fog, or blacked out at points, as your esma becomes less saderēta and hence non-permeable. (This will make more sense as you read on). SSS2004 Home |