Sacred Footwear: Latvian Perceptions in the 19th Century and Today

This article sheds light on previously overlooked perceptions of 
Latvian traditional footwear and demonstrates how both the material of 
the footwear and the way of obtaining it determined whether shoes were 
considered sacred and pure or sinful and unlucky. An analysis of folklore 
texts and the results of a contemporary survey show that wooden shoes made 
of bast were looked upon as sacred and pure, as opposed to leather which 
was considered impure. Bast shoes are the cheapest to make, yet historical 
records from central Latvia show that they were worn for weddings. Peas
ants did this to ensure success for the couple, suggesting that the choice of 
footwear was determined by some mythological meaning and not only by 
practical or financial considerations. Though some new developments can be 
observed, many modern Latvians tend to sympathize with the perceptions 
documented a century ago. This allows for estimates of the significance of 
these perceptions in previous centuries.