This is the cover artwork from our old demo Semigalls’ Warchant (1997 and re-released in 2005). It also can be seen  on album t-shirts, we have made with this picture. Now I want to tell you what exactly is what you can see in this picture.

It was painted by Rihards Zariņš back in 1920’s and it’s called – “Viestard’s fight with Crusader”.

Viestards (or Viesturs, Vestards, Vester, Viesthardus, Vestardus) was a famous Semigallian warchief from Tērvete land. Lately he became known as chief (kunic) of all Semigallia (Zemgale region today, see map). Continue reading →