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Description
Livs (Livonians or līvõ in their own language) are a small tribe living on both sides of the gulf of Riga. Although they are always counted as a latvian nation, they are not actually a Baltic tribe, but are Finno-Ugric one, which means they are actually more related to Estonians and Finns.
They have always been the numerically smallest tribe here and after centuries of assimilating with the Latvians are almost completely gone. At the moment there are about 200 people in all world who can speak this extinct language.
I still fail to see the connection between Livonians and Livs since Livonia was not ruled by them. The only explanation I could muster is that the teritories of Livs were the first to be claimed by Christians when they came ashore in the gulf in the 13th century. There they formed the Livonian brotherhood of swords (Livonian - because of the territory they were in) and later when they conquered all territory of Latvia and Estonia the name stayed.
Livs seem quite peaceful, sea being in the center of their lives. The cowry shell is very common in their necklaces although they do not come of this region. Cowry shells have been used as money in Africa and Asia for centuries, so they must have gotten here by trading.
In the reconstructions it always seems like people are always wearing kilos of jewelry, but I don't think it was so, people back then were either practical of dead. The sets are usually reconstructed from what is found at burial sites and people were always dressed in all their best stuff when sent to afterlife.
I'm especially fond of those brooches with chains attached - I used to think they were specific to the Livs, but apparently this type of jewelry is popular in Scandinavia as well,and small wonder since the Livs are akin to them.
Oh, in the background - the sign of waters of Māra.

Description
Livs (Livonians or līvõ in their own language) are a small tribe living on both sides of the gulf of Riga. Although they are always counted as a latvian nation, they are not actually a Baltic tribe, but are Finno-Ugric one, which means they are actually more related to Estonians and Finns.
They have always been the numerically smallest tribe here and after centuries of assimilating with the Latvians are almost completely gone. At the moment there are about 200 people in all world who can speak this extinct language.
I still fail to see the connection between Livonians and Livs since Livonia was not ruled by them. The only explanation I could muster is that the teritories of Livs were the first to be claimed by Christians when they came ashore in the gulf in the 13th century. There they formed the Livonian brotherhood of swords (Livonian - because of the territory they were in) and later when they conquered all territory of Latvia and Estonia the name stayed.
Livs seem quite peaceful, sea being in the center of their lives. The cowry shell is very common in their necklaces although they do not come of this region. Cowry shells have been used as money in Africa and Asia for centuries, so they must have gotten here by trading.
In the reconstructions it always seems like people are always wearing kilos of jewelry, but I don't think it was so, people back then were either practical of dead. The sets are usually reconstructed from what is found at burial sites and people were always dressed in all their best stuff when sent to afterlife.
I'm especially fond of those brooches with chains attached - I used to think they were specific to the Livs, but apparently this type of jewelry is popular in Scandinavia as well,and small wonder since the Livs are akin to them.
Oh, in the background - the sign of waters of Māra.