How the Blome Castle Was Built

The Blome Castle governor Šalipants was famed as a ruthless lord. His serving folk were put to sundry torments and often they were lashed in front of the castle. When the new Blome Castle was being raised, all folk had to share in the labour – big and small, young and old alike. Even mothers

The Underground Passage

There is an underground passage that leads from the Nurmuiža Castle to the nearby church. It should be a verst* in length and it passes below the pond. The passage has been bricked over at the castle-side. The underground passage can be accessed through a succession of three doors in the church – and those

The Black Dog Guarding the Treasure

Sērpils has been settled on a steep Daugava’s bank and the water keeps washing out its foundations. The old Sērpils Castle used to once stand on a river island. In the olden times, the river Daugava used to flow toward the Dūņa hollow.  Meanwhile, the current riverbed could be crossed along a boardwalk. The fortifications

Of Velns’ Journeys and Flight

Once upon a time, velns* was travelling the foreign realms and he was returning from Sweden to Dundaga along his trails below the sea. Whirlwind who was velns’ faithful servant kept him good company and Whirlwind sought to amuse velns now and then by wrecking a ship here and there which delighted velns greatly as

How the Ilzene Folk Came To Settle

In the olden times, velns* grew vexed with the Ilzene folk and he stacked them into a hay-roll and, on his horse-cart, velns drove the roll down to sea where velns intended to drown them for good. Velns reached a certain bridge which lies, presently, in the Alsviķi lands. The horse shied and four of

The Secrets of the Mujāni Old Castle

In the Mujāni manor orchard – the ruins of the old castle can be found.  One tower alone is left standing and that tower is called the white tower.  Behind the tower, on the roadside, there is a steep mound.  The mound has been built over and, on that mound, the manor’s granary is found.

The Bent Lord

The Brants manor was governed by a ruthless lord.  The lord knew by the breakfast time which workers had been loitering upon their duties in the threshing shed and which had been labouring to the lord’s pleasure. The threshers marvelled at their lord’s wondrous omniscience. By and by, the threshers resolved to seek to the

The Legend of Turaida’s Maija

It has been told that the Turaida Castle scribe Greifs found a little girl nearby the castle and that was during the times of war between the Swedes and the Poles*. The girl was barely older than a few months and she had almost perished in her famished states. The scribe kept the findling for

Velns’ Caves

Not far from Liepasmuiža, there lies the so-called Velns’* Cave. There is a smaller cave at the side of the larger one.  Out of the larger cave – a source runs. The streaming water must have washed out the sands and that is how the cave has been formed Nearby Liepasmuiža, there is yet another

The Latvian Regional Tales

Index The White Man Running beside the Cart Velns’ Caves The Legend of Turaida’s Maija The Bent Lord The Secrets of the Mujāni Old Castle How the Ilzene Folk Came To Settle Of Velns’ Journeys and Flight The Underground Passage How the Blome Castle was built If you enjoyed the tales and you would like