The barn for spirits is the favoured place:
Behind the fireplace household gods safe dwell,
Within live dwarves, while on the roof's broad space,
There stands a dragon, neighbours' spite to quell.
In wintertime when threshing work is done,
In empty barns at midnight goblins roam.
But on this night the barn such spirits shun,
To yield to honoured souls their rightful home.
The two young men had cleaned and decked the space,
Put back the chairs, brought tables to the shed,
Where now Laimdota set a cloth in place,
Laid on it honey, milk and new-made bread,
And plates of soft-boiled barley with dried pork.
Then Burtnieks the windows opened wide,
And placed on both smooth wooden planks to walk,
To help departed souls to come inside.
Together came the family to relax,
And with Laimdota came a maiden throng,
Put baskets filled with finely carded flax
Beneath the tables, while they sang this song:
"From up above, from down below,
Tread in a basket fit,
Tread in the yarn, before you go,
And in the reed chair sit!"
"Into the barn, Mother of Souls,
Go in my father's door.
Go in so light, no mark unrolls
Upon the white-sand floor."
"Mother of Souls, I ask you true,
Enjoy the feast we share.
Enjoy the feast we offer you,
And still my body spare."
"Oh, spare my body, stand me by,
Preserve me while life runs.
Preserve me safely so that I
Can give our people sons."
As darkness came they lit both torch and brand.
They stayed together up to midnight's stroke,
When Burtnieks pronounced: "Young people, stand,
Go silent to your beds, no noise evoke.
Allow to me to stay here quite alone,
With shadows of each dear departed one!"
All went away in silence on their own,
The sacred night's deep peace disturbed by none.
Next morning Burtnieks, in pensive mood-
Expecting thence Laimdota soon to bring
From in the barn the souls' uneaten food-
In solemn tone Bearslayer told this thing:
"My son, last night the spirits showed portent:
For you and your Laimdota saddest fate.
-May Perkons and the gods such times prevent!-
But where is now Laimdota? Why so late?"
Bearslayer sought her at her chamber's door;
He called and knocked but answer there was none.
Returning then he sought to reassure:
Perhaps her work outside she had begun.
Throughout the castle now the maid they sought,
But none had seen her though they hunted well.
They went into her room, which nothing brought-
She had not slept there, that was plain to tell.