Editing Latvian mythology (section)

===Fertility gods===
[[File:Jumis.JPG|250px|thumb|Roof decoration symbolizing Jumis]]

Ensuring fertility was an important function that was assigned to a number of spirits and deities. Ensuring a good harvest was the primary function of '''Jumis'''. It was thought that he lives in the fields, therefore the last of the crop would be left on the field for Jumis to live in.<ref name="bur I" /> This belief was the basis of a ritual involving the catching of Jumis, performed on [[Miķeļi]], which usually was the last day of harvest.<ref name="Jumis">{{cite web|url=http://www.liis.lv/folklora/gadsk/origin/mikeli.htm |title=Miķeļi (Apjumības) |language=lv |access-date=14 April 2014 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121019222304/http://www.liis.lv/folklora/gadsk/origin/mikeli.htm |archive-date=October 19, 2012 }}</ref> This seems to have involved singing songs as the last of the grain was reaped, asking Jumis to run to wherever the crop was stored. The last bit of the crop would be searched for Jumis and then tied into a knot. Another related practice was to make [[wreaths]] of grain cereals that would be kept until next year when the seeds from them would be sown first. It was usually attempted to place Jumis stalks in these wreaths.<ref name="bur I" /> In this sense Jumis is symbolized by stalks with two ears. Any fruit or flower showing such abnormal duplication was called Jumis.<ref name="Jumis"/> It was believed that eating Jumis would cause women or female animals to give birth to twins.

Ensuring the well-being of livestock was, however, a function of other gods. [[Ūsiņš]] was associated with the [[Ūsiņi]] celebration and thus somewhat merged with [[Saint George]]. He was worshiped mainly as the guardian of horses. It is also thought he might have been the god of bees and the god of light.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.liis.lv/folklora/gadsk/origin/jurgi.htm |title=Jurģi (Ūsiņi) |language=lv |access-date=14 April 2014 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121018044547/http://www.liis.lv/folklora/gadsk/origin/jurgi.htm |archive-date=October 18, 2012 }}</ref> The main protector of cows seems to have been Māra. She is also known as ''Lopu Marija'' (Mary of livestock), ''Lopu māte'' (Mother of livestock) and ''Piena māte'' (Mother of milk). Her function was to ensure that cows give milk. Therefore, she is also often mentioned in connection with water, rivers and sea, as water symbolized milk, while clay symbolized butter.<ref name="bur I" /> Historical sources also mention that Latvian pagans would venerate snakes (likely [[grass snake]]s) and toads as „milk mother” and feed them with milk.<ref name="bur" />