Ancient Lithuanian

Mythology and Religion

The main sources of knowledge of the Lithuanian
religion and mythology are the archaeological and
etnographic data, as well as various written
sources, toponymy and other objects of linguistic
study.

ALDONA DROSEIKIENE GENERAL SECRETARY LITHUANIA

003702609068 mai: laumada@yahoo.com
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The history of Lithuanian faith and mythology can
be subdivided into three epochs

•The first epoch is that of the early matriarchal tibal

system, during which religious imagery (totem,
animist and craft cult imagery) connected with
feminine supernatural beings appeared in the
hunters' and gatherers' society (the Upper
Palaeolithic and the Mesolithic).

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II
• The second epoch was that of the late matriarchal
tribal system, based on hoe agriculture, during
which religious imagery connected with the cult of
feminine deities of the Sun, the Moon, the Earth
developed as well as those representing fertility and
water. In the period of matriarchy the goddesses
were responsible for the birth, existence and death
of man, fauna and flora. Those deities took care that
the continuity of life and fecundity be maintained in
the Universe through constant interchangeability of
life and death. The goddesses supervised the sky,
the earth, water, fire and the atmosphere. Art,
especially the symbolic art, was created in the
sphere of the cult of feminine divinities, while the
rites of this cult was performed by women
themselves survived into the the period of patriarchy
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III
• The third epoch was the period of the patriarchal
tribal system and its disintegration, followed by
the formation of class society. The chief gods
appearead during this period, while most of the
feminine deities lost their supremacy, though not
all: some of them remained in the pantheon of
Lithuanian gods together with masculine deities.
After the state of Lithuania was formed and the
Christianity was adopted in the country, the
Lithuanians still refused to renounce their gods
for a considerable period of time.

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The periods of Lithuanian mythology
• Pre-Christian mythology is known mainly through
speculation and reconstruction. It is reflected in folk
tales, such as Jūratė and Kastytis and Eglė the Queen
of Serpents.
• The next period of Lithuanian mythology started in
the 15th century, and lasted till approximately the
middle of the 17th century The myths of this period
are mostly heroic, concerning the founding of the
state of Lithuania. Perhaps two the best known stories
are those of the dream of the Grand Duke Gediminas
and the founding of Vilnius the capital of Lithuania.
• The last period of Lithuanian mythology began in the
19th century, when the importance of the old cultural
heritage was admitted, not only by the upper classes,
but by the nation more widely.

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The elements of Lithuanian mythology
God and nature
Stories, songs, and legends of this kind describe laws of
nature and such natural processes as the change of seasons
of the year, their connections with each other and with the
existence of human beings.
Inner heroism
Lithuanian myths often reveal the inner heroism of a human
being, symbolising this inner being in terms of various feats in
the mystic lands on the opposite side of the Earth, or in the
sky of the South polar regions.
The god of morality
Myths that talk about problems of morality are the simplest,
and are close to popular fables common to all European
nations. The main idea in these stories is that god often visits
people to guide them in moral questions, but people aren't
able to recognise him .
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Lithuanian history
The Grand Duke Mindaugas established the first
Lithuanian State in 1230,
• By the time the Thirteen Colonies were fighting, their war of
independence from Great Britain, Lithuania had been a
considerable force in Eastern European history and politics
for over 400 years.

• Lithuania reached its peak with the accession of Grand

Duke Vytautas Didysis, who ruled from 1392 to 1430. Under
his rule, the borders of the Grand Duchy stretched from the
Baltic to the Black Sea. It also included much of modern day
Ukraine and Russia, excluding the Duchy of Muskovy. In
1410, together with his cousin Jogaila, he beat back the
Teutonic Order at the battle of Tannenberg -he celebrated
his victory with the building of Trakiu Pilis.

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Trakai

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TRAKAI

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That city was Vilnius, the new capital of the
Grand Dukes.
The Grand Duke Gediminas, 1316-1341, is credited with
founding the capital, Vilnius, at the confluence of the
Neris and Vilnia rivers
There is a story that surrounds the founding of Vilnius.
Gediminas went out hunting with his friends in a
sacred forest. While twilight was creeping in,
Gediminas spied upon a large bull. Gediminas hunted
the bull and finally caught up with it on a hill -
standing where the Neris and Vilna Rivers meet. Here
it was that Gediminas made his kill.
The hunt for the bull took so long that night had fallen.
Gediminas and the rest of the hunting party decided
to camp in the woods for the night.
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Legenda
¾ In the morning the Grand Duke awoke
saying, "An amazing dream did I dream this
night! I dreamt of a great Iron Wolf, standing
on that hill. His howl was so great and terrible;
his voice was that of one hundred wolves. Who
would know what this dream means?" No one
could interpret his dream, but know it he would.
Not far from the hill lived "Kriviu Krivaitis" - the
High Priest of Lithuania. Gediminas decided to
ride out to his homestead and ask him to
interpret the dream. Kriviu Krivaitis heard the
dream and said, "Most noble Grand Duke, the
Iron Wolf symbolises a large and formidable
city, and it must be built on that hill. That city
will be as strong as iron. The wolf’s howl -the
city’s life and strength. Build it!"

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VILNIUS-Lithuanian Capital

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Geographical position

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Lithuania today

• Lithuania is one of the states in the East ringing

the Baltic Sea. Lithuania is the Centre of Europe
(18 km from Vilnius). To the north it borders on
the Republic of Latvia (the lenght of the border
610 km) to the east and south it borders on
Belorussia (724 km), to the southwest - on
Poland (110 km) and on districal of Kaliningrad
(303 km). The Territory of Lithuanian is 65200
square km. In 1992 the population was 3.76
million. Capital of Lithuania is Vilnius .

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Part II
• Lithuania is a small plot of land at the
Baltic Sea. The whole west fringe of the
country (appr. 100 km) is occupied by the
amber coastline with marvelous beaches
of white sand. Clean waters of Sesupe,
Dubysa, Nevezis and Nemunas flow.
Sometimes Lithuania is called the
Nemunas land due to the great love
Lithuanians have to the river Nemunas.

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• The Baltic is the common sea of
over 85 million people living
withing the large drainage area
(parts of 14 countries.). The
countries are all heavily
industrialized, and many of them
also carry out intensive
agriculture and forestry over
large areas.
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• The Baltic is the
common sea of over 85
million people living
withing the large
drainage area (parts of
14 countries.). The
countries are all heavily
industrialized, and many
of them also carry out
intensive agriculture and
forestry over large
areas.
Baltic Sea in Trouble
• Around the Baltic Sea, one
finds a considerable number
of cities, towns and harbours,
and there is abundant sea
traffic in almost all parts of
the area. The Baltic Sea
suffers from eutrophication
due to the too high load of
nutrients, and from pollution
with toxic substances.
• The sea is also much affected
by transboundary air
pollutants transported from
most of Europe. Fishing fleets
from many countries exploit
fish stocks.
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Baltic Sea in Trouble

• The Baltic Sea is

neither dead nor dying
– but it is a sea in
great trouble. Its
natural weaknesses
will not go away, but
we can relieve the
pollution pressure
from human activites
on land and at sea.

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chemical weapon sunk at the
bottom of the Baltic Sea
• The Baltic Sea is home to thousands of tons of
old chemical weapons. Britain, the Soviet Union
and the United States captured these from Nazi
Germany. The Allies thought the best thing to do
was to sink them, sometimes on ships, after
World War Two. Poisons like arsenic, sarin and
mustard gas are among the weapons in the
Baltic. Some bombs and shells under the sea
date back to World War One.
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Trouble around the world

• Other waters around the world also hold

weapons. But some people say the Baltic
Sea may be at greater risk. It is only fifty
meters deep on average. And it is a major
shipping area with many people living
along its coasts.

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 New lifestyles, new attitudes and
new practices are required to
safeguard the future health and
carrying capacity of the Baltic Sea
- a sea which is very much worth
fighting for.

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Think globally

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Nuclear trouble
• Nuclear
Lithuania has only one nuclear facility: the
Ignalina Nuclear Power Plant. The plant is highly
important to the country, as it provides about 75
percent of Lithuania's energy. It has also been
the subject of much controversy, as the EU is
concerned that Ignalina's Soviet-built RBMK
reactors, similar to those at the Chernobyl
Nuclear Power Plant, are unsafe. Unit 1 at
Ignalina was shut down in December 2004.
• The second and final reactor, Unit 2, will be shut
down in December 2009 as a condition of
Lithuania's European Union accession treaty.
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