Let us start with a less expected opening fact, the national sport of Latvia. While football or soccer may be the most popular sport in many neighbouring countries, in Latvia – ice hockey is king and this speaks a lot about the Latvians, as ice hockey is not for vanilla nations, it is a severe sport which calls for united and tough players and supporters.
And if you want to know how united Latvians are, just follow the Latvian tale of Namejs. During an invasion by German crusaders at the beginning of the 13th century, the leader of the Zemgallians was forced to leave his son behind, but before leaving, he gave him a special ring so that the son would be recognised when Namejs returned. Discovering this, the Germans searched for the boy, and, to save him, many additional copies of the ring were made and distributed to other Latvian boys, who wore them with pride and readiness to sacrifice their lives in the name of the nation’s independence and unity.
And if you need proofs of how tough Latvians are, start by their predecessors – the ancient Baltic tribes of Curonians, Latgalians and Selonians – who were excellent warriors and whose military fierceness was even inscripted on an old Danish church: “God, save us from the plague, the fire and the Curonians!”
The Baltic tribes were considered more dangerous than even the Vikins, themselves, and that was not without a reason, just look at 1187. At a time when coastal Europe was being looted, pillaged, and burnt by marauding vikings, Latvia was one of the few countries to not only fight back and remain independent, but they also attacked and burned the Swedish viking capital of Sigtuna to the ground.
Furthermore, Latvia was one of the last countries to be Christianised, with the Baltic tribes offering the longest resistance to the crusaders.
Through the following centuries, Latvian territories were numerously invaded and conquered by the Germans, Dutch, Swedish, Polish, and ending up with the Russians, but Latvia came out as an independent country, preserving its language, culture and traditions and seeing many Latvian boys still wearing the ring of Namejs as a symbol of national pride.
And Latvians sure take pride in their history, and honour the national flag, which is one of the oldest in the world, with written records existing since the 13th century and with its distinctive dark red colour often referred to as ‘Latvian red.’ The Latvian flag is the waving symbol of the nation’s toughness and unity, and its willingness to give their blood for the independence and prosperity of the country.
And Latvia, backed up by its united people, is, indeed, prospering and the old invaders are nowadays among the new investors in the country’s blooming economy. And when your business plans on ‘invading’ the Latvian market as well, our teams of Latvian translators and Latvian interpreters are ready to assist with high-quality Latvian translation services, which to meet all your tough requirements and deadlines. -> Click here to contact our Latvian translation department.
