I'm not an expert on Lithuania or its traditional faith, so I might get things wrong sometimes, but hopefully not too often. They came back to… Lithuanians also looked to the sky for guidance, and honored a wide group of heavenly bodies, including Mėnulis – the Moon, Saulė – the Sun, and all the rest of the stars – Žvaigž- dės. Thus the couple formed the typical Indo-European pair of mother-earth and father-sky. Iron Wolf is used as a mascot by the Lithuanian military (the Motorised Infantry Brigade Iron Wolf), Sculpture of Eglė the Queen of Serpents in Palanga, Lithuania. Bangpūtys – a god of the seas and storms. Paganism-Inspired Folk Music, Folk Music-Inspired Paganism, and New Cultural Fusions in Lithuania and Latvia There is little detail or context for these, but they confirm the priority of material that is known better from later sources. ( Log Out / A protector of youth, birth and fertility. The astronomy of Lithuanians is based on the Moon calendar. [15], The most modern academics exploring Lithuanian mythology in the second half of the 20th century were Norbertas Vėlius and Gintaras Beresnevičius. Later researchers Teodor Narbutt, Simonas Daukantas and Jonas Basanavičius relied on his work. Pergrubė – a goddess of spring, flowers, gardens. Baltic states were the last countries in Europe that got converted from Christianity to Paganism, and the traditions are still vast nowdays. Introducing Baltic (Lithuanian) Pagan gods. In fact they denote some spirits or local deities that do not play a main role in the mythology of Lithuanians. It was prohibited to plow or sow before the first thunder as the earth would be barren. [26][27], Velnias (Velas, Velinas) – chthonic god of the underworld, related to the cult of dead. Mokas – a stone with an ability to teach people, sometimes they are found in families – with wife Mokienė and children Mokiukas. Šventpaukštinis – a god of all domesticated and wild birds. Kauriraris (Chaurirari) – a deity of war and warhorses. God of sailors. Žiemininkas – a god of earth, harvest, and darkness. Velykos is the Lithuanian word for Easter. The earliest references to Baltic pagan deities are given in the reports of foreigners and include references to Perkuno, etc. Water sources were highly respected and was tradition to keep any water - spring, well, river, lake clean. Posted by Ganymedes.guide April 3, 2021 April 2, 2021 Posted in Baltic deities (Dievas), deities Tags: Baltic pagan, Baltic paganism, Baltic polytheism, Eclectic Pagan, Lithuanian paganism, Lithuanian polytheism, Neopagan, neopaganism, Pagan, paganism, polytheism, Romuva, Witch Leave a … Ašvieniai, depicted as “ žirgeliai” (Eng. If you include nicknames, official titles and honorifics, some gods have hundreds of names! Lithuanian mythology was not static, but constantly developed, so it did not remain in the same form over the longer periods. The earlier confrontational approach to the pre-Christian Lithuanian heritage among common people was abandoned, and attempts were made to use popular beliefs in missionary activities. In addition, many sources list many different names and different spellings, thus sometimes it is not clear if they are referring to the same thing. – lake). Karvaitis Ėraitinis – a deity of calves and lambs. In the beginning of the 20th century Michał Pius Römer noted - "Lithuanian folklore culture having its sources in heathenism is in complete concord with Christianity". Religious and mythic imagery permeated all the spheres of society life that was based on hunting and gathering already during the … Feminine gods such as Žemyna (goddess of the earth) are attributed to pre-Indo-European tradition,[16] whereas very expressive thunder-god Perkūnas is considered to derive from Indo-European religion. $60.00. Springs were worshiped - they were considered holy. "A beautifully designed volume that provides in-depth information about religions of the world. Features over 3,500 entries and 32 pages of color art and maps. Developed in cooperation with Encyclopædia Britannica." Beginning in the 16th century, the pagan religion received more attention from authors, but often their accounts were confused, contradictory, and heavily influenced by various religious agendas. It is not easy to reconstruct Lithuanian mythology in its full form. Many legendary characters have more than one name. Even today there is a tradition of weddings in Lithuania to light a new symbolic family fireplace from the parents of the newlyweds. They have similarities with the Greek Fates and the Norse Norns. Oaks are still considered a special tree, and grass snakes are treated with care. A pantheistic religion based on the belief that the natural world is divine, Romuva holds the god of lightning and thunder, or Perkunas, and Zeme, or Mother Earth, as its top deities. Mėnuo/Mėnulis (the Moon) – a son of Dievas (“dievaitis”). Most of the early written accounts are very brief and made by foreigners, usually Christians, who disapproved of pagan traditions. [33], Žemėpatis (from Lithuanian: žemė 'earth' and Lithuanian: pàts 'autonomous decision maker, ruler'; or 'Earth Spouse'[34]) – god of the land, harvest, property and homestead. It might just be an epithet of the supreme god - Dievas. Found insideLithuania has a particularly rich tradition of folk carving, ... Pagan gods Modernday scholars have used surviving folk tales to try to establish the nature ... The first volume contained a description of Lithuanian mythology. Velykos is the Lithuanian word for Easter. The myths of this period are mostly heroic, concerning the founding of the state of Lithuania. [28] The root of the word is the same as of Lithuanian: vėlė ('soul of the deceased'). Deivės Valdytojos were associated with Dalia and Laima. Chronicon terrae Prussiae is a major source for information on the Order's battles with Old Prussians and Lithuanians. Hypatian Codex written in 1425, mentions Lithuanian gods and customs. Names of figures that were more marginal in Lithuanian mythology or less known from existing sources are put here. Change ), You are commenting using your Twitter account. [29], Žemyna (Žemė, Žemelė) (from Lithuanian: žemė 'earth') is the goddess of the earth. Original Lithuanian oral tradition partially survived in national ritual and festive songs and legends which started to be written down in the 18th century. The deity in the centre with the widened "eh" rune over his head is Perkúnas, the Baltic (Lithuanian) thunder god. Diviriks – is thought to be one of Perkūnas’ euphemisms, meaning “a leader of gods”. Romuvan Pagan Ceremony in Lithuania, ii Wikipedia. Lithuanian prechristian religion belongs to the great group of Indoeuropean Baltic religions, including also the Latvian paganism, which is very close to the Lithuanian one especially for names of Gods, and the Prussian one, whose trails have been lost, as happened for the ancient Prussian language, when the Teutonic Knights invaded the region during late Middle Age. The interest in Baltic and Lithuanian mythology was growing along with interest in Lithuanian language among Indo-Europeanists, since the conservative and native Baltic nations preserved very archaic language and cultural traditions. Little is known of the pagan Baltic religions but historians agree that Perkūnas, the Baltic god of thunder, was also the Baltic god of war. [32], Medeina – the goddess of forest and hunting. Three daughters lived close to their mother Saulė, another three were traveling. I adapt ancient Lithuanian pagan symbols, myths & folklore towards modern post-Third World War Lithuania. Perkūnas unlocks (atrakina) the Earth. The museum of the Baltic gods starts in the centre of the village and continues to the edge some 1.5 kilometres further. "Lietuvių žemės deivės vardai" [The Lithuanian names of the Goddess of the Earth]. He mentioned also Christian missionaries cutting off holy groves and oaks, which Lithuanians believed to be homes of the gods.[8]. – little horses) are common motifs on Lithuanian rooftops, placed for protection of the house. Saulė (the sun) is their mother and sometimes with the Moon as their father. God sent a swallow, which managed to steal the fire. Reincarnation is the belief the soul cycles in and out of physical bodies. The last pagan monarch of Lithuania was Algirdas (Olgierd), he ruled the country together with his brother sub-monarch Kęstutis (Kinstut), also pagan. [5][page needed]. Some academics regard some texts as inaccurate misunderstandings or even fabrications. Andajus (Andajas, Andojas, Andaja etc.) Prelude May 2007 "...and so, in the year 2009, Lithuania has a vision of a prosperous future as member of the European Union, benefiting from this membership, while preserving its own cultural identity." Following the pagan Gods of Perkunas, Giltine, and Dievas will unleash religious warriors that instil fear in the hearts of all men. In reconstruction of the Lithuanian Pantheon of the 13th and 14th centuries it cannot escape attention that the chief Gods of the Pantheon even in the same source may be referred to by different names, e.g. It is located in the north of Lithuania, in the vicinity of Šiauliai, in the village of Naisiai. In Lithuanian fairy-tales recorded much later, there is very frequent opposition of kalvis ('smith') and velnias ('devil'). Dievas Senelis is proficient at magic and medicine. The last conceptions of the old religion survived approximately until the beginning of the 19th century. Die Littauischen Wegeberichte (The descriptions of Lithuanian routes) is a compilation of 100 routes into the western Grand Duchy of Lithuania prepared by the Teutonic Knights and their spies in 1384–1402. Commissioned by a local enthusiast businessman this Museum of Baltic Gods has each of the gods reimagined by artists. Im not part of Romuva or Dievturbia, but i do pray to the latvian dieties. In 11th century Adam of Bremen mentioned Prussians, living in Sambia and their holy groves. This section contains those names of Lithuanian and Prussian gods or other mythical beings that are mentioned in old treatises on history or philosophy, sometimes accompanied by brief descriptions, and which are known from a few independent sources or from their counterparts under different names in later collections of myths and tales. His name means “He who sparkles.”. Found inside – Page 503Lithuanian rulers of the time would have seen the favour of their gods made manifest in their wealth and military might . Lithuanian paganism worked - like ... The first trigger for this research was an urge to identify elements of pagan beliefs in spatial solutions of Lithuanian cemeteries. I adapt ancient Lithuanian pagan symbols, myths & folklore towards modern post-Third World War Lithuania. Milda means freedom to her worshippers. The conquest of the Baltic tribes began after the Crusades in the Holy Land suffered disastrous setbacks. Surviving information about Baltic mythology in general is fragmented. Presents evidence to support the author's woman-centered interpretation of prehistoric civilizations, considering the prehistoric goddesses, gods and religion, and discussing the living goddesses--deities which have continued to be ... Pagan traditions started to raise at about time of Pope the saint Karol Woityla. Apr 12, 2018 - Explore Karen O'leary's board "Pagan Gods & Goddesses. Baubas – a creature living in some dark spot of the house. In this volume, Jeremias suggests that the book of Amos was produced through various stages over time. In addition to having a place for the dead to go after life, many pagans believe in the process of reincarnation. Writing about Perkūnas is a bit of an excuse for looking into Baltic paganism as a whole. Welcome to the Giltine Palace where ancient Baltic pagan Gods and Goddesses live among us. Andaja – a goddess of fate, fear, death and marshes. ", "Kai kurios Motiejaus Pretorijaus hipotezės ir jų interpretacijos XX a. pabaigos – XXI a. pradžios mitologų darbuose", "Chapter iv: Lithuanian mythology by Gintaras Beresnevičius", Metaforinė ąžuolo kulto raiška lietuvių etnokultūroje: pagal žemaičių legendą "Baublys", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=List_of_Lithuanian_gods_and_mythological_figures&oldid=1036226444, Short description is different from Wikidata, Articles needing expert attention with no reason or talk parameter, Articles needing expert attention from May 2008, Lithuania articles needing expert attention, Articles needing additional references from July 2016, All articles needing additional references, Articles with multiple maintenance issues, Wikipedia articles needing clarification from August 2015, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License, Bangpūtys, Vėjopatis, Bičbirbis, Giltinė, Gota, Jaučių Baubis, Karvaitis, Ėraitis, Skalsa, Biržulis / Beržulis, Prigirstytis / Girystis, Ligyčius / Lygėjus, Kelio dievas / Kelukis, Drebkulis and Magyla - Prussian Lithuanian, This page was last edited on 30 July 2021, at 07:35. 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