The spring forms a brook of an average size flowing into the Abava. The spring and its brook are located in a wild side ravine where there are no paths. For many years this ancient holy spring was not even known – it was not identified. Here, in a small area, where the most well-known object is the Māra’s Chambers, a holy springs’ complex is situated. The three small caves or the Māra’s Chambers were once formed by springs that have disappeared nowadays. Only now the brook flows along the ravine and, having reached it, forms a small, 1.2 m high waterfall.
Narrative
Ancient holy springs are known all over Latvia. In different times people came there to heal themselves, because it was believed that spring water can help against various diseases and illnesses. More often spring water was used for healing eyes, often also for healing rheumatism and bone aches. In springs and at their sites people often left offerings or pieces of sick person’s clothing after healing. Unfortunately nothing definite is known about the Stepes Holy Spring — only its name. But not far from the Māra’s Chambers the Plunderers’ Cave (Laupītāju ala), also called Māra’s Spring Cave (Māras avotiņa ala), is situated, whereas the spring flowing from it, supposedly, is an ancient holy spring. The Plunderers’ Cave was mentioned already in the book “Album Baltikum” published in 1907. In this book there is one more Holy Spring mentioned located about one and a half verst from the Māra’s Chambers, in the forest of the Kalica manor house, by which in ancient times people used to make offerings. When looking for it in nature, this holy spring can also be found — it is 2 km upwards the Māra’s Chambers, at the Mazstepes, in the side ravine of the Abava’s ancient valley . Actually there is a group of springs consisting of at least eight springs, located in the woods, in the winding of the Abava’s right side main bank. Thus we can make a conclusion that nowadays both the Holy Spring at the Mazstepes and the Māra’s Spring flowing from the Plunderers’ Cave have remained, but there are no springs that had formed the ancient cult caves – the Māra’s Chambers. Though regarding all this complex of holy springs, one is circumspect a little because in such a small area – in the 2 km long section of the Abava bank – there are three ancient holy sites, but at the same time the area is woody, populated places are far away, no ancient populated sites have been discovered nearby either. Maybe the status of being holy was attributed to some of these places in newer times, but it can be as well that, for example, when the Catholic Church prohibited people to hold ancient rituals at the Māra’s Chambers, they started to use the hardly accessible Māra’s Spring Cave as a pagan holy site (later also called the Plunderers’ Cave) and the Holy Spring in the woods by the Mazstepes.
Original nature object close to tourism paths. Rare plants are growing at the spring. For more details about the most remarkable springs of the Abava Valley read the journal “Vides Vēstis” (‘Environmental News) 2009, No. 5/6.
