Baltic Religion

 This file is courtesy of Yaz (yaz@phoeniz.oulu.fi)

 

         Excerpt from the "Baltic Religion" article of the

                     Encyclopedia Britannica.

 

    Transcription conventions.

    I have used the following ascii characters _before_ the

    corresponding letter to indicate various Baltic letters

    not found from ascii:

 

    _ before a vowel. Should be macron, and indicates the

                                         _

    long vowel. E.g. "m_ate" should be "mate".

    . before an "e" is the Lithuanian e with dot above it.

    ^ before a letter, should be v above it. E.g. ^Zem.epatis

    should be:  v  .

                Zemepatis

    , before a letter should be below it.

 

 

      The gods.  Dievs. The Baltic words Latvian dievs, Lithuanian

    dievas, and Old Prussian deivas are etymologically related to

    the Indo-European deiuos; among others, the Greek Zeus is

    derived from the same root. It originally meant the physical

    sky, but already in Old Indian and other religions the sky

    became personified as an anthropomorphic deity. Dievs, the

    pre-Christian Baltic name for god, was used by Christian

    missionaries (and still is) to denote the Christian God.

    The etymology of the word indicates that the Balts preserved

    its oldest forms, which is also true of the functions and

    attributes of the personified Baltic sky god Dievs, who lives

    on his farmstead on the sky mountain but does not participate

    in the work of the farm. Importantly, Dievs is a bridegroom

    who rides together with the other gods to a sky wedding in

    which his bride is Saule. Dievs' family is later development;

    in the family, Dieva d_eli (God's Sons) play the primary role.

    Thus Dievs is pictured as the father of a family of sky gods.

    Besides such anthropomorphic characteristics, another

    characteristic that gives Dievs a universal significance may

    be observed: he appears as the creator of order in the world

    on the one hand, and as the judge and guardian of moral law

    on the other. From time to time he leaves the sky mountain and

    actively takes part in the everyday life of the farmers below.

    His participation in various yearly festivals is vividly

    described. In spite of this, the Baltic Dievs is similar to the

    Old Indian Dyaus, the Greek Zeus, and other personifications of

    the sky. Such divinities have a tendency, in comparison with

    other gods of their religions, to recede into a secondary role.

 

      P_erkons.  In Baltic, as in other Indo-European religions,

    there is, in addition to Dievs, the Thunderer (Latvian P_erkons,

    Lithuanian Perk_unas) with quite specific functions. P_erkons

    is described in the oldest chronicles and in poetic and epic

    folklore, but, though he is a primary divinity there is no

    reason to believe that he is the main god. His abode is in the

    sky, and, like Dievs, he sometimes descends from the sky

    mountain. He has two main characteristics. First, he is a

    mighty warrior, metaphorically described as the sky smith,

    and the scourge of evil. His role as adversary of the devil

    and other evil spirits is of secondary importance and has been

    formed to a great extent under the influence of Christian

    syncretism. Secondly, he is a fertility god, and he controls

    the rain, an important event in the life of farmers. Various

    sacrifices were made to him in periods of drought as well as

    in times of sickness and plague. No other god occupied a place

    of such importance at the farmer's table during festivals,

    especially in the fall at harvest time. Like the other sky

    gods, he also has a family. Even though his daughters are

    mentioned occassionally, originally he had only sons, and

    myths depicting sky weddings portray his role vividly, as a

    bridegroom and as the father in his sons' weddings.

 

      Saule.  The sun, Saule, occupies the central place in the

    pantheon of Baltic gods. The divinity of the sun has been

    recognized all over the world, and the Balts were no exception.

    The Baltic description of the sun as divinity is so complete

    and specific that it was one of the first to be studied by

    scholars. Of greatest importance is the similarity in both

    functions and attributes of Saule and the ancient Indian god

    S_urya. Similarities between the two gods are so great that,

    were not the two peoples separated by several thousand miles

    and several millennia, direct contact between them would be

    indicated instead of only a common origin.

      The representation of Saule is dualistic in that she is

    depicted as a mother on one hand, and a daughter on the other.

    Her attributes are described according to the role she plays.

    As a daughter she is mentioned only when she is a bride to the

    other sky gods. But as her daughters frequently are in the same

    role, it is difficult to differentiate bteween them. As a mother,

    however, she is depicted much more extensively and completely.

    Her farmstead on the sky mountain borders that of Dievs, and

    both Dieva d_eli and Saules meitas (Daughters of the Sun) play

    and work together. Sometimes Dievs and Saule become enraged at

    each other because of their respective children, as, for example,

    when Dieva d_eli break the rings of Saules meitas or when Saules

    meitas shatter the swords of Dieva d_eli. Their enmity lasts

    three days, which some scholars explain through natural

    phenomena; i.e., the three days before the new moon when Dievs,

    a substitute for the moon, is not visible.

      That Saule, richly described in mythology, also had a cult

    devoted to her is suggested by many hymns in her honour. They

    contain either expressions of thanks for her bounty or prayers

    seeking her aid, not only in relation to agriculture but to life

    in general. In agriculture Saule is a sanctifier of the fertility

    of the fields; in the life of the individual she is a typical

    sky goddess, interfering in her omniscience. She has human moral

    characteristics and punishes the immoral and aids the suffering.

    Though the question of where Saule's places of worship were

    located is not solved, the occassions for rituals pertaining to

    Saule have been definitely established, the most important of

    which was the summer solstice. Besides song, recitative, and

    dance, a central place in the ceremonies was occupied by a

    ritual meal, at which cheese and a drink brewed with honey

    (later beer) were consumed.

 

      M_eness.  M_eness, the moon, also belongs to the sky pantheon.

    Detailed analysis only recently has shown that he has a role as

    a war god in Baltic religion. Such a role is indicated not only

    by his dress and accoutrements but especially by his weapons

    and expressions used in times of war. The influence of

    syncretism, however, has erased the outlines of his

    characteristics so far as to make a description of his role and

    any cult he may have had very difficult. The sky wedding myths

    furnish a somewhat more complete picture in which he is

    represented as a conflict-creating rival suitor of Auseklis

    (the Morning Star).

 

      Auseklis, his sons, Dieva d_eli, and Saules meitas form a

    separate group of divinities. Although they are mentioned in

    the sky myths, they have remained only as personifications of

    natural phenomena, characterized by the most beautiful metaphors.

      It is notable that a common characteristic of the sky gods,

    and, in fact, of all Baltic divinites, is the express tendency

    for each to have a family.

      All the divinities mentioned above are closely associated with

    horses: they either ride or are drawn in chariots across the sky

    mountain and arrive on earth in the same fashion. The number of

    horses is indeterminate but usually varies from two to five or

    more. This trait also confirms the close ties between Baltic and

    Indo-Iranian religions.

      Although males form the majority of the sky gods, the chthonic

    (underworld) divinities are mostly female. In both Latvian and

    Lithuanian religions the earth is personified and called Earth

    Mother (Latvian Zemes m_ate, Lithuanian ^Zemyna). But the

    Lithuanians also have ^Zem.epatis, Earth Master. Latvians in

    general refer to mothers, Lithuanians to masters. Zemes m_ate

    is the only deity in addition to Dievs who is originally

    responsible for human welfare. Based on the writings of the

    Roman historian Tacitus, it has been asserted that she is the

    mother of the other gods, but there is no support for this view

    in other sources. Under the influence of Christian-pagan

    syncretism, the Virgin Mary has assumed some of the functions

    of Zemes m_ate. Furthermore, some of these functions have been

    acquired and differentiated by various other later divinities,

    who, however, have not lost their original chthonic character.

    Thus, a deity of the dead has developed from Zemes m_ate, called

    in Latvian Smil^su m_ate (Mother of the Sands), Kapu m_ate

    (Mother of the Graves), and Ve,lu m_ate (Mother of the Ghosts).

    Libations and sacrifices were offered to Zemes m_ate. Such

    rituals were also performed in connection with the other

    divinities at a later stage of development. The fertility of

    the fields is also guaranteed by Jumis, who is symbolized by a

    double head of grain, and by various mothers, such as Lauka m_ate

    (Mother of the Fields), Linu m_ate (Mother of the Flax), and

    Mie^za m_ate (Mother of the Barley).

    

      Forest and agricultural deities.  A forest divinity, common to

    all Baltic peoples, is called in Latvian Me^za m_ate (Mother of

    the Forest, Lithuanian Medein.e). She again has been further

    differentiated into other divinities, or rather she was given

    metaphorical appellations with no mythological significance,

    such as Kr_umu m_ate (Mother of the Bushes), Lazdu m_ate

    (Mother of the Hazels), Lapu m_ate (Mother of the Leaves),

    Ziedu m_ate (Mother of the Blossoms), and even S_e,nu m_ate

    (Mother of the Mushrooms). Forest animals are ruled by the

    Lithuanian Zv.erin.e opposed to the Latvian Me^za m_ate.

      The safety and welfare of the farmer's house is cared for

    by the Latvian M_ajas gars (Spirit of the House; Lithuanian

    Kaukas), which lives in the hearth. Similarly, other farm

    buildings have their own patrons - Latvian Pirts m_ate (Mother

    of the Bathhouse), Rijas m_ate (Mother of the Threshing House);

    Lithuanian Gabjauja.

 

      Because natural phenomena and processes have often been raised

    to the level of divinities, there is a large number of

    beautifully described lesser mythological beings whose functions

    are either very limited or completely denoted by their names.

    Water deities are Latvian J_uras m_ate (Mother of the Sea),

    _Udens m_ate (Mother of the Waters), Upes m_ate (Mother of the

    Rivers), and Bangu m_ate (Mother of the waves; Lithuanian

    Bangp_ut_ys), while atmospheric deities are Latvian V_eja m_ate

    (Mother of the Wind), Lithuanian V.ejopatis (Master of the Wind),

    Latvian Lietus m_ate (Mother of the Rain), Miglas m_ate (Mother

    of the Fog), and Sniega m_ate (Mother of the Snow). Even greater

    is the number of those beings related to human activities, but

    only their names are still to be found, for example Miega m_ate

    (Mother of Sleep) and Tirgus m_ate (Mother of the Market).

 

      Goddess of destiny.  Because of peculiarities of the source

    materials, it is difficult to determine whether the goddess of

    destiny, Laima (from the root word laime, meaning "happiness"

    and "luck"), originally had the same importance in Baltic

    religion as later, or whether her eminence is due to specific

    historical circumstances of each of the Baltic peoples. In any

    case, a wide collection of material concerning Laima is

    available. The real ruler of human fate, she is mentioned

    frequently together with Dievs in connection with the process

    of creation. Although Laima determines a man's unchangeable

    destiny at the moment of his birth, he can still lead his life

    well or badly within the limits prescribed by her. She also

    determines the moment of a person's death, sometimes even

    arguing about it with Dievs.

 

      The devil.  The devil, Velns, has a well-defined role, which

    is rarely documented so well in the folklore of other peoples.

    Besides the usual outer features, several characteristics are

    especially emphasized. Velns, for instance, is a stupid devil.

    In addition, the Balts are the only colonialized people in Europe

    who have preserved a large amount of folklore that in different

    variations and situations portray the devil as a German landlord.

    Another evil being is the Latvian Vilkacis, Lithuanian Vilkatas,

    who corresponds to the werewolf in the traditions of other

    peoples. The belief that the dead do not leave this world

    completely is the basis for both good and evil spirits. As good

    spirits the dead return to the living as invisible beings

    (Latvian velis, Lithuanian v.el.es), but as evil ones they

    return as persecutors and misleaders (Latvian vad_at_ajs,

    Lithuanian vaidilas).