Klāvs Sedlenieks

The article analyses a classic Latvian short story The Battle near Knipska by Jānis Poruks. The storry has been included in the lists of compulsory (or recommended) readings for primary and secondary schools during most of the time since 1920s. The main character Cibins is often perceived and presented to the pupils as the symbol of peacefulness and non-aggression. By that Cibins is often used in popular discourse as an example of the peaceful aspirations in Latvian culture. While the story is fictional, it has two links to the Latvian reality – first it depicts quite well the realities of schools in Latvia both in late 19th century and now and, second, as a role setting example it has influenced generations of Latvians. This article uses the story as an ethnographic text and sets out to ask how peaceful in fact is Cibins and the environment in which he lives. By comparing cross-cultural anthropological data about peaceful societies, the article argues that in fact neither Cibins nor the environment in which he lives are peaceful or capable of peaceful life. On the contrary – the whole structure of the society and its institutions are characteristic of societies that are oriented more towards education of violent and individualistic characters. By the way of extrapolating the conclusions to contemporary Latvia, the article also argues that contemporary Latvian society is similarly geared to violence and individualism which may obstruct developmental efforts of the society.