Location
State: Latvia
Region: Kurzeme
County: Talsi
Parish: Laidze
Other references to the location
At the Poprags Mill, on the right side of the road Valdemārpils– Laidze, in an open area.
Coordinates
lat=57.3330166667, lon=22.6529166667
57° 19′ 58″ N, 22° 39′ 10″ E
Description
A very interesting, peculiar multi-trunk tree. Probably a tree with the largest number of trunks in Latvia. It is very often mentioned that the total number of the trunks is 24. As the unusual tree is easily accessible, it is estimated as a convenient tourism object. Actually it is considered to be an excellent nature object with probable cult significance in the past. Already in 1924 a nature researcher Zelmārs Lancmanis provided a short piece of news: “The Poprags Linden, according to tales, used to be a sacrificial linden.” When measuring all offsprings together, the circumference of the linden’s clump in 2011 was 8.65 m.
Narrative
According to tales, this linden could be an ancient cult tree. Tales narrate that, “the old Poprags Linden used to be our ancestors’ sacrificial tree. Older people narrate that the baron ordered to chop the linden down to prevent local people from pagan beliefs. Then two new trunks grew out of the stub of the chopped old linden. The baron ordered to cut them down, too. After a few years the lord noticed that green, full of vitality offsprings had sprung up from the old stub with all their force in all directions just like countless beams against the heaven. They were doubtlessly so mighty that even the baron was scared and realized that the linden really possessed unusual power.” Of course, watching the way new offsprings revive ancient holy lindens in other parts of Kurzeme, one tends to hope that also here this linden used to have some special meaning in the past. There are many examples showing that the old sacrificial lindens and idol lindens do not perish at all. If a storm breaks a hollow trunk, the remaining side branches start growing with triple power, and the wood increase is striving to strengthen the remains of the hollow trunk. If a tree trunk is broken down to the ground, even then forceful offsprings just like spears spring up of the stub. Later on there will grow a linden with multiple trunks.
Attraction
Average
Availability
Easily accessible. There are no information signs. The object is located at the edge of the road, in an overgrown meadow. One must drive till the Poprags Mill, on the right side of the road Valdemārpils– Laidze, in an open area. From the road to the object one must walk 10 m.
Infrastructure, management, facilities
There have been no facilitation and maintenance works performed within the territory, no indication signs. Right at the tree there is a wooden bench.
Local info
There is no information stand on site
Capacity
41 and more
Publicity
Known
Legal Status
Private
Comments
Several other multiple trunk cult lindens are worth visiting- the famous Usma Idol Linden (Usmas elku liepa), the Šķilas Sacrificial Linden (Šķilu upurliepa) with multiple trunks in the Nīca Parish of the Liepāja County, the Igauņi Idol Linden (Igauņu elku liepa) with eight trunks in the Ērgļi Parish of the Madona County, the Ikšķiles Holy Linden (Ikšķiļu svētliepa) with four trunks in Kaijciems of the Limbaži Parish. The most vital one in this sense is the Poprags Linden with 24 trunks in the Talsi County, in Valdemārpils.
