Cirmas Lake
Cirmas Lake is located in the northern part of the Latgale upland; in Cirma parish (Ludza municipality) and Zvirgzdene parish (Cibla municipality), 8 km from Ludza, by Bērzgale road. It is 138.4 m above sea level.
It is roundish. In the north there is a narrow peninsula. The southern part is deeper. The shores are mostly sloping, in some parts they are steep. In the eastern part they are low and are flooded in spring floods. The bottom is even, sandy, in some parts there are stones. Inflow comes from streams and ditches, also from Sedzers Lake, Viraudas Lake; there is an outcoming flow to the Ludza River (in the 18th century construction of a channel going to the Zvirgzdene mill and lake started). The north-western ditch connect the lake with the Rītupe River. There is much fish. It is a eutrophic lake: the level of eutrophication is 25%. In the eastern part there is a forest. In the south-eastern part there is a camping place; on the peninsula there is a recreation complex and swimming places.
The surroundings have been inhabited since ancient times (close to the lake there is an archaeological deposit – Kivtu settlement).
Area: 12.61 km2
Length 4.4 km, max. width 4.0 km.
Average depth: 3.0 m, max. depth: 8.5 m.
Basin: 52.8 km2 (the lake belongs to the basin of the Velikaya River)
Legends (in original the legends are written in the Latgalian language)
How Cirmas Lake appeared
At the place where Cirmas Lake is, there used to be a small pond. By the lake there were small plank ways, where girls washed clothes. Once, when all the girls of the village came together, they were washing clothes and chatting about everything. In the sky appeared a large foggy cloud. That cloud was approaching the pond. The girls saw it and one of them uttered: “U, īt kai cyrms!” At that moment it started to rain heavily and on place of the pond a lake emerged. The girl had guessed the name of the bewitched lake – Cyrms – and the lake fell down on the earth. At the place, where the girls had been washing clothes a small island appeared with a narrow piece of land connecting it with the shore. All the girls went to the lake shore by the narrow piece of land. That land was called Mārgu island. In such a way Cirmas Lake and Mārgu island appeared. (1930, 4101. Zuzanna Žukovska Rēzeknē, 80 g.v.; recorded by. J. Jačuks 1950)
At the times of landlords in Latvia and when Polish landlords governed Latgale, peasants life was hard.
At the place, where Cirmas Lake is, lived a rough landlord, called Cyrmis. He was very cruel with peasants. Every day his servants and labourers started working at the sunrise. Once the landlord called together his labourers and made them dig a pond. The peasants started to dig. They dug it very long, but there was no water. They continued to dig. After digging half a meter they saw waters coming quickly. Waters were flowing until they flooded all the landlord’s houses and lands. Since that time people have been calling the place where Cyrmis used to live, Cirmas Lake. (1238, 2838. Ontons Voitkāns Rēzeknes Bērzgalē, 53 g.v.; recorded by J.Votkāns)
Old people say – once at the place where there is Cirmas peninsula two girls washed clothes. A cloud appeared in the sky. One of the girls, when seeing the cloud told: “It will rain soon”. The other told: “It’s Cyrms coming”. When she pronounced those words, Cyrms fell on the land. When falling Cyrms embraced the girls with water. The first girl, who had told about rain, sank. But the second remained alive. She went to the shore by the peninsula that remained. Since that time Cirmas Lake appeared and the peninsula has got the name of Mārgu island, though it is just a peninsula. (548, 3373. Silvestrs Policāns Ludzas Zvirgzdenē, 65 g. v.; recorded by A. Tutins 1927)
Latvijas daba. 1.sēj. – Rīga: Latvijas enciklopēdija, 1994. – 194-195 pp.
Latviešu tautas teikas: izcelšanās teikas.- Rīga: Zinātne, 1991.- P. 302, 235-236 pp.