The complex consists of a canyon type ravine, on the upper part of which there is a spring waterfall. In the detritions of the ravine’s right bank, there are two caves, but in the left bank’s detritions – one cave. All three caves are small, nowadays dry, without springs. But their origin is that of sufosion process — the sandstone of the caves had been eroded by springs. The object has been widely known since the beginning of the 20th century.
Narrative
There was an assumption made that these caves are related to some holy cave in Sabile county mentioned in a document dating back to 1462. Already since the middle of the last century different tales about the Māra’s Chambers had been published several times. One of them is related to the “holy maidens” who lived there and on Friday evenings used to dolly linen, due to which the chambers steamed a lot. At bright Moon nights in Māra’s Chambers the holy maidens were seen dancing and weaving. But if anybody tried to approach them, he became dumb for good. A thorough description about the Māra’s Chambers was published in 1907 by a traveller Oskars Emīls Šmits, who had heard also tales that in the caves once plunderers were hiding. While looking for the treasure left by plunderers, there in 1903 the master of the Kaleši manor house of that time made orders to dig up the site, but nothing was found (according to other news they dug in the Māra’s Spring Cave but not in the Māra’s Chambers). O. E. Šmits logically explains also the name of the cave. He believed that once Catholic priests placed a picture of the Virgin Maria at the ancient cult cave. So the ancient cave’s name disappeared and instead of it the Latvian version of the name Mary appeared — Māra’s Chambers. Another tale about the caves narrates that, “In ancient times in this cave a lonely woman dwelled. She had her own herd. The people were scared to approach her because they believed she was a witch. At nights people heard such rolling and hissing. Then there all wizards, devils, and witches assembled and held a festivity. They all were enjoying themselves there until first rooster crowed. In the morning the lonely woman was shepherding her cattle and making some stitchcraft. So one night a strong thunder storm startled all those guests. The guests hurried away, but the lonely woman hid in her cave. Thunder knocked down all her cattle. Since that time the lonely woman never appeared to the world again, but only in Māra’s mornings, standing before the sunrise on the bank of the Abava, one could hear a prayer at the chambers. People say that the lonely woman’s name used to be Māra, and after that thunder storm she comes out to wash her linen only in her name day’s morning. Even then some people assure that in a quiet and nice Mara’s day morning one can hear a wish at the Māra’s Chambers.”
More information about the waterfall is available in the book: A. Grīnbergs. Latvijas ūdenskritumi un krāces. (Latvian Waterfalls and Rapids) – Rīga, 2011.
