Daina

the traditional designation for the Lithuanian folk song. The types of daina known are work songs; mythological songs; ritualistic songs for religious holidays or family ceremonies (baptismals, marriages, and laments); songs about wars, the struggle against serfdom, and the revolutionary movement; songs for dance and games; young people’s songs and love songs; family, children’s, and cradle songs; drinking songs; humorous and satirical songs; those originating in literature; and songs about animals and nature.

Dainas reflect many aspects of the life of the Lithuanian people in various historical periods. The establishment of Soviet power in Lithuania gave birth to a new, Soviet popular daina. The oldest information on dainas is provided by literary texts of the tenth century. The first collection of them, prepared by L. Reza, was published in 1825. The most important collections, compiled by the brothers A. and I. Iush-ka, are Lithuanian Folk Songs (vols. 1–3, 1880–82) and Lithuanian Wedding Songs (1883). Appearing at the beginning of the 20th century were collections by I. Basanaviûius, V. Kalvaitis, A. R. Niemi, and A. Sabaliauskas. Collections that have appeared during the Soviet era are Selected Lithuanian Folk Songs (1949), edited by B. Sruogi; Selected Lithuanian Folklore (1954), whose editor in chief was K. Korsakas; Lithuanian Folk Songs (1955), edited by I. Chiurlenite; Lithuanian Folklore: Recordings 1944–56 (1957); and Sutartines (1958–59), a three-volume publication of ancient polyphonic Lithuanian folk songs, edited by Z. Slaviunas. Dainas have been translated into Russian by K. D. Bal’mont, A. A. Prokofev, and others.