After a long journey they sight
Latvian shores, and eventually sail into the mouth of the Daugava.
Canto VI opens with Midsummer's Eve in Latvia. The people are called
together by the Midsummer Priests. They bring offerings for the gods
and gifts for each other, and gather around fires on the Azure
Mountain. They pray for blessings for the coming year, and pay
respect to the spirits of their ancestors. The oldest priest calls
on them to live together in harmony, and many grudges are settled
with a handshake. The young men and women begin to dance together.
While the young people celebrate, the Clan Chieftains meet in
council on the Azure Mountain. They are concerned because the
prophetic writings kept in the Sacred Grove on the mountainside
predict calamity. Lielvardis arrives and reveals that the German
knights have captured a number of Latvian stockades and built their
own stone castles, and are imposing Christianity at the point of the
sword. His own fortress, Lielvarde, has been seized. Bishop Albert
is bringing more knights from Germany to take over all Latvia.
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