Lāčplēsis

Lāčplēsis
Lāčplēsis on the Freedom Monument
AuthorAndrejs Pumpurs
LanguageLatvian, translated multiple times.
GenreEpic poetry, National epic
Publication date
1888
Publication placeLatvia

Lāčplēsis ("The Bear-Slayer") is an epic poem by Andrejs Pumpurs, a Latvian poet, who wrote it between 1872 and 1887 based on local legends. It is set during the Livonian Crusades telling the story of the mythical hero Lāčplēsis "the Bear Slayer". Lāčplēsis is regarded as the Latvian national epic.