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The Epic Hero Lacpleses Or The Bear-Slayer

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The epic poem about the legendary hero Lacpleses or The Bear-Slayer is most fascinating but also complex. Lacplesis was chosen by the gods so he could become a hero to his people. This poem was written by Latvian poet Andrejs Pumpurs from 1872 to 1887. An Adopted Son In the poem Lacplesis is the adopted son of the Lord of Lielvarde and he shows his strength by killing a bear ripping its jaws apart with his bare hands. While at the castle of the Lord Aizkrauklis Lacplesis sneaks peeks at the activities of the witch Spidala. She is under the Devil’s control and that of the holy man Kangars. Kangars is portrayed as a traitor who is plotting to replace the old gods with Christianity. As with all evil witches who look to destroy Spidala attempts to drown Lacplesis and throws him into the whirlpool of Staburags in the Daugava River. However her plans a thwarted when the goddess Staburadze rescues him and takes him to her underwater crystal castle. It is at this castle that Lacplesis falls in love with the lovely maiden Laimdota. He makes friends with another hero Koknesis or The Wood Bearer and the two of them study together at …show more content…

He is willing to fight this giant in order to win the hand of Laimdota. Lacplesis defeats the giant and as in many tales the two of them make peace and choose to join forces to fight their common enemy, the German missionaries, led by the priest Dietrich. Lacplesis with his heroic deeds make me think of Hercules. He performs another great feat by spending a night in a sunken castle thus breaking the curse place upon it and the castle can again rise into the air. At this time Lacplesis and Laimdota are engaged and what follows is Laimdota reading from old books about the Creation and ancient Latvian

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