Garlic, Salt and a Rowan Branch: Folk Ways to Protect the Home During Latvia's Veļu Laiks
Experts at the housing developer Bonava Latvija have compiled folk-belief-based tips for protecting the home during veļu laiks, the traditional season of the dead. They cover garlic, salt, rowan branches and honouring ancestors.
Late October marks veļu laiks in Latvia, the traditional season of the departed. According to old beliefs, the boundary between the living and the dead grows thin and the spirits of ancestors return to their former homes. Experts at the company Bonava Latvija have gathered practical tips, rooted in folk beliefs, on keeping unwanted visitors from the other world out of the home.
Garlic and salt
Latvian folklore holds that evil spirits fear garlic, while elsewhere in Europe it was used to repel witches and vampires. During veļu laiks, the experts suggest hanging a string of garlic by the front door.
Salt is an alternative. In the past it was thought to ward off evil spirits, curses and misfortune, and in the beliefs of various peoples it was sprinkled at thresholds and windows to form a symbolic barrier. Today one can place a small dish of salt on a windowsill or by the front door. The experts warn against scattering salt around the whole home, as that could damage the floor.
Rowan and cleaning
In Latvian folklore the rowan tree has long been credited with protective powers against the evil eye, curses and misfortune. Ancestors hung rowan branches on the doors of houses and barns on Līgo evening, the midsummer celebration, to protect people and livestock. During veļu laiks a branch can be hung by the front door or placed in a vase on the windowsill.
Folk beliefs also warn against sweeping the floor after sunset, since luck, blessing and prosperity might be swept out together with the dust.
A table for the departed
Not every visitor from the beyond was unwelcome. Latvians received ancestral spirits with respect, setting a special table in the belief that this would bring the household blessing and prosperity. After the feast, the spirits had to be seen off so they could return to their own world. Today the tradition can be recalled by holding a family dinner, preparing a dish the ancestors enjoyed and sharing stories about times past.
The Bonava Latvija experts conclude that although people now view old beliefs with some scepticism, the wish to feel safe at home has not changed over the centuries. Only the methods have.
